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Date: Saturday, October 4 Time: 9am - 3pm, with one-hour lunch break Format: In Person at Left Margin LIT Ages: Adult Do you want to write a memoir but aren’t sure where to start? Or have you already started a memoir but aren’t sure how to keep it going? This class will give you some solid ground from which to jump into the deeper mysteries of memoir writing. We’ll start by exploring memory itself. How do you access vague memories? What is your responsibility to the truth? What will make your own small story more relevant and crucial for others? From there, we will look at some of the key building blocks of every memoir: point of view, character, setting, plot, and theme. We’ll examine how different memoirists have used these building blocks in different ways, learning from excerpts by a variety of writers such as Jo Ann Beard, Javier Zamora, Kiese Laymon, Maxine Hong Kingston, and more. You’ll have a chance in class to play with these building blocks, experimenting with different ways to access your own story. What should the jumping off point of your story be? What is the story you really need to tell anyway? And what is the right voice for that story? By the end of the day, you should have not only a greater understanding of memoir writing in general but also specific tools and insights to help you write your own. All writing levels and backgrounds welcome. LEFT MARGIN LIT'S CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY: If you find that you can't take a class for which you registered, you may request a refund, less a $25 administrative fee, at least 48 hours prior to the start of the first class session. After that threshold, refunds are not possible. If a class doesn't reach its minimum enrollment, it will be cancelled, and all students will receive full refunds.