Personal narratives are testament to the universality of the human experience, a potent antidote to the divisive rhetoric of our time. Through a commitment to a rigorous depth of inquiry into the self, writers of personal narrative offer their readers both windows and mirrors: a chance to peer into a world outside one’s own life, and the opportunity to find oneself reflected in a stranger.

 

In this 5-week course, designed for writers with a work-in-progress ready to share, we’ll explore the powerful potential of personal writing. Each class will begin with a discussion of assigned readings by a diversity of established writers working across the genre, from essay to memoir. We’ll use these examples to explore elements of craft including structure, tension, detail, dialogue, and voice.

 

The second part of each class will be devoted to discussing your own work in a supportive and focused workshop designed to provide useful and specific feedback for each participant while offering opportunities to develop one’s own editorial eye. Throughout, we’ll build community, kindle inspiration, and gain new momentum on our projects. We’ll also grapple together with practical questions related to personal writing (how to negotiate the challenges of writing about family or friends, publishing pathways, establishing a writing practice). Participants should be ready to share a work-in-progress (up to 4500 words, due the first week of class) with the group.

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About the Instructor:

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Jaclyn Moyer is the author of On Gold Hill: A Personal History of Wheat, Farming, and Family from Punjab to California (Beacon Press, 2024). Her essays and journalism have appeared in The Atlantic, High Country News, Orion, Guernica, Ninth Letter and elsewhere. Originally from northern California’s Sierra Foothills, she currently lives in Corvallis, Oregon with her partner and two young children.

 

Click here to learn more about Jaclyn.

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LEFT MARGIN LIT'S CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY:

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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. If a class doesn't reach its minimum enrollment, it will be cancelled, and all students will receive full refunds.