Truth or Fiction?: Writing Life Stories
Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Essay
Online
Online Introductory
Introductory 1 Session
1 Session Writing about real life can be tricky. You may not remember all the details—or, you may want to change information to protect people or make a story more interesting. But how much is okay to change? This class explores memoir and autobiographical fiction to examine how "true" your life stories should be. We'll consult writers like David Sedaris, Melissa Febos, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Carmen Maria Machado; and we'll use writing exercises to help you begin your own writing project.
ADDITIONAL CLASS DETAILS:
- Work outside of class: No writing or reading outside of class.
- This class includes:
- Generative Writing: students create new work during class or from assignments.
- Craft Discussion: teachers and students explore essential elements of the craft.
REGISTRATION DATES:
- December 4: Scholarship Donation Day
- December 5: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- December 12: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- December 18: Last day of Early Bird pricing
Susan Meyers
With 25+ years of experience coaching authors and teaching at four top-ranked universities, Susan V. Meyers currently directs the Creative Writing Program at Seattle University. She holds an MFA from the University of Minnesota and a PhD from the University of Arizona, and has been a writer in residence at more than a dozen different arts centers nationally and internationally. Both her nonfiction book on immigration and her circus-centered historical novel, Failing the Trapeze, have won major awards, including the Nilsen Award and grants from the Fulbright Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, 4Culture, Artist Trust, and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. Her essays and stories have likewise been nominated for The Best American Series and several Pushcart Prizes and have recently appeared in Creative Nonfiction, The Rumpus, Calyx, Hippocampus, and The Minnesota Review. You can find her at susanvmeyers.com
FAQ
Complete FAQHugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 business days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy here.
Class sessions may be recorded if a session falls on a holiday, or if a student has access needs. Class recordings are not guaranteed.
We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.
Classes may be cancelled if less than 5 students are enrolled within 10 days before the class start date. If for any reason Hugo House needs to cancel a class, students can choose between a full credit or full refund.
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