Memory forms, piece by piece. Some of them go missing, others interlock, firm. We fill in the missing pieces with what we imagine or just leave the gap, admit the blank.

In this four-week class that meets every other week, you’ll read essays engaged with memory in various ways: narrative recall, collective memory, the interrogation of memory, juxtaposing memory with reality, and contemplating memory’s role in writing. The class alternates between a seminar-style focus on craft elements in model essays, followed by the sharing of excerpts from the writing inspired by those essays. This class is for advanced students and writers of the personal essay—those interested in intense study of form, craft, and the traditions of the personal essay.

Photo credit: Alison Jardine, “Significance of Memory”

In this 4-week class, you’ll take a trip across various states & states of mind, reading and writing about wandering the backroads, following familiar routes back home, traversing the distance of the desert, gas station stops & more.

Each week, you’ll read model essays and you’ll write your own roads—experimenting (300-800 words) with ways to essay your escapes, odd encounters, observations, pilgrimages, and discoveries. I’ll send you encouraging, thorough feedback each week, and each Saturday, you’ll get to hear what’s working in your writing from your fellow writers, discuss the week’s readings, and learn effective craft elements for writing (the road). A packet of the class readings and the Zoom link will be emailed to you before class begins.