Memoir Writing Project Specifics

Cohort Meetings

Participants will meet weekly as a cohort during the Winter/Spring term (12 weeks; February–April), biweekly with additional Saturday meetings during the summer months (June–August); and weekly again during the Fall Term (12 weeks; September–December).

The In-person Cohort will meet at the Loft at Open Book, in Downtown Minneapolis.

The Online Cohort will meet via live video meetings over Zoom.

Each student will also meet one-on-one with Nicole Helget four times over the course of the year. These meetings include one introductory meeting before the program kicks off in February, and one manuscript consultation session with Nicole after the program concludes (and you submit your final manuscript) in December. 
 

In-person Cohort Meeting Dates:

at the Loft at Open Book

Year-Long Writing Project Orientation
Tue., January 26, 2021 | 6–7:30 p.m.

Winter/Spring Term Meetings
February 2 – April 20
Tuesdays | 6–9 p.m.

Summer Term Meetings
Tue., June 8 | Sat., June 29 | Tue., June 22
Tue., July 13 | Sat., July 24 | Tue., July 27
Tue., Aug. 10 | Sat., Aug 28
All Summer Tuesday sessions meet 6–9 p.m.
All Summer Saturday sessions meet 10 a.m.– noon

Fall Term Meetings
September 21 – December 14
Tuesdays | 6–9 p.m.
No class November 23

Final Public Reading
Tue., January 18, 2022 | 7 p.m.
 

Online Cohort Meeting Dates

via Zoom | all times listed in US Central Time

Year-Long Writing Project Orientation
Tue., January 19, 2021 | 6–7:30 p.m.

Winter/Spring Term Meetings
February 4 – April 22
Thursdays | 6–9 p.m.

Summer Term Meetings
Thu., June 10 | Sat., June 19 | Thu., June 24
Thu., July 15 | Sat., July 24 | Thu., July 29
Thu., Aug. 12 | Sat., Aug 28
All Summer Thursday sessions meet 6–9 p.m.
All Summer Saturday sessions meet 2–4 p.m.

Fall Term Meetings
September 23 – December 16
Thursdays | 6–9 p.m.
No class November 25

Final Public Reading
Thu., January 20, 2022 | 7 p.m.
 

CNF/Memoir Writing Project Books

Participants will be assigned four recent memoirs or longform creative nonfiction works to read and learn from throughout the year. Examples of past cohort book assignments include:

• Neither Wolf Nor Dog​ by Kent Nerburn
• Tailings​ by Kaethe Schwehn
• The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen​ by Sean Sherman
• The Bride Price​ by Mai Neng Moua
• The Last Deployment: How a Gay, Hammer-Swinging Twenty-Something Spent a Year in Iraq by Bronson Lemer
• We'll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down by Rachael Hanel
   

CNF/Memoir Writing Project Visiting Guests

Throughout the year, 4–6 visiting writers and publishing professionals will meet with your cohort as special guests. Examples of past guests include:

Laila Lalami
Rumaan Alam
Mira Jacob
Courtney Maum
Kent Nerburn
Kaethe Schwehn
Sean Sherman
Mai Neng Moua
Ann Regan
Bronson Lemer
Erik Anderson
Rachel Hanel
Faye Bender
Michael Perry
Ariel Gore
Richard Blanco

… in addition to many other visiting writers and publishing professionals from local and national publishing houses, publications, and literary agencies.