Workshop: Memoir
The work of memoir is important work. Everyone’s story matters, and each life story makes up part of the huge tapestry of our human story. Writing stories from your life can be a tool for examination and self-reflection; it can lead to moments of discovery and celebration; it can bring a sense of closure and healing, and even be a gift for your friends and family. Our focus in this workshop-based memoir writing course will be to read and respond to a 2000-word manuscript provided ahead of time by each participant. The workshopping of these drafts will serve as an entry point for lively discussions of issues and problems related to the work of memoir and to the nuts-and- bolts practice of craft techniques that will make your writing stronger and more vibrant. Gretchen will create a nurturing environment where each participant can fully experience the support of a collaborative writing community.
SUBMIT
After registering, participants are asked to submit a manuscript of up to 2000-words by no later than 9 AM on Friday, April 17. Please email the manuscripts as attachments to director@mainewriters.org with the subject line: “Legler WORKSHOP MSS.” *Word files are preferred, but you may also send a PDF.
Gretchen Legler is a farmer, gardener, teacher, writer, and lover of the natural world. Her three booklength works of literary nonfiction include: All The Powerful Things: A Sportswoman’s Notebook, On The Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station Antarctica, and Woodsqueer: Crafting a Sustainable Rural Life. Her writing has won numerous awards including the 2023 Maine Book Award for memoir, and the John Cole Award for Maine-based nonfiction. She has been awarded two Pushcart prizes, a Notable Essay mention in Best American Essays, and has been published in venues including Orion and The Georgia Review. She has been a professor of English and creative writing in MFA and undergraduate programs for more than 40 years. For more, visit https://www.gretchenlegler.com/.