The Shape of a Life: An 8-week Memoir Intensive
$445
When setting out to write a memoir, you already know the story you want to tell—the one that’s been kindling inside of you for years—but what about the story your story wants to tell? In this course, we’ll respond to writing prompts that engage the memory and summon the events of our past. We’ll collect, observe, analyze, and, ultimately, cull these stories and sketches, honing our narratives and discovering the stories within our stories—the ones that make our private moments universally vital and meaningful.
Goals and outcomes:
By creating flexible flashcard outlines that will shrink and expand over our two months together, we’ll learn not just how to start our memoirs, but where. By reading excerpts from various memoirs, we’ll discover the variety of ways we can tell our stories.
We’ll have craft discussions about the dual voices of memoir (reflective and experiencing), braiding, the Russian-doll technique, and other topics. By the end of week 8, all students will have a clear and succinct vision for their memoir, a revised outline, and the knowledge of both stories it is telling.
This course is for writers of all levels. It is for writers that are anywhere in the process—whether they are just getting started, have a full first draft, or anywhere in between.
Access Program
We want our writing classes and seminars to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.
Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.
Liaison position
Every in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts.
Apply here for the liaison position.
Karleigh Frisbie Brogan
Originally from Northern California, where the events of her debut memoir HOLDING mostly take place, Karleigh Frisbie Brogan’s work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, and more. She is a 2024 Oregon Literary Fellow and a 2022 Rona Jaffe Scholar. She holds an MFA from Portland State University. She is also a grocer.
