Truth or Fiction?: Writing Life Stories
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 OK to change? This class explores memoir and autobiographical fiction to examine how "true" your life stories should be. We'll consult writers like Patricia Hampl, David Sedaris, Tim O'Brien, and John D'Agata. We'll use writing exercises to help you begin your own personal writing project.
Registration dates:
August 22: Scholarship Donation Day (Learn more.)
August 23: Member registration opens
August 30: General registration opens
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
