Class

Narratives of Resilience: Crafting Personal Stories of Healing in Six Weeks

Narratives of Resilience: Crafting Personal Stories of Healing is a transformative six-week creative writing course designed for writers of all levels who wish to explore and articulate their most challenging personal stories. This class guides students through the delicate process of turning personal adversity into narratives of resilience and recovery.

We will read work by Melissa Febos, Kiese Laymon, Lidia Yuknavitch, Natasha Trethewey, Stephanie Foo, Carmen Maria Machado, and Grace Talusan and discuss expressive writing techniques by James Pennebaker and Louise DeSalvo. No books are required to purchase for this class.

The Narratives of Resilience: Crafting Personal Stories of Healing class is best suited for writers who are eager to explore and articulate their most challenging personal stories with depth, courage, and care. The class is ideal for individuals who have experienced adversity and are looking to transform their experiences into narratives of strength and healing.

Students should be open to engaging with difficult topics, including trauma, identity, and personal growth, and willing to participate in thoughtful discussions that explore the intersection of personal and societal issues.

This class is particularly well-suited for:
—emerging and experienced writers who want to develop their craft through focused exploration of resilience and healing in personal narratives
—individuals from diverse backgrounds who seek a supportive, inclusive, and anti-racist environment to share their stories and learn from others
—writers interested in therapeutic writing techniques and the transformative power of storytelling
—students who value reading and analyzing works by diverse authors and are eager to engage with a syllabus that prioritizes a range of perspectives and voices
—those who are committed to deepening their understanding of how intersectionality is applied in personal storytelling and want to approach their writing with a critical, reflective lens

This class takes place in-person, at the Loft at Open Book; we encourage participants to be fully vaccinated and masked in the interest of everyone’s safety. Please see the Loft’s website for the most up to date information about the Loft’s COVID policies.