Secrets about family members, the things that happen behind closed doors, the skeletons in the closet. Admit it: part of what appeals to you about personal essays, lifestories and memoirs are the juicy bits.
But as a writer, the “juicy bits” can keep you from finishing your work. You worry about hurting your family and friends by telling the truth, by sharing those secrets with the world. And yet, your stories stalk you, nipping at your heels, begging to be written.
So what do you do? How do writers of personal narratives approach writing about family in a way that is honest and also protective? In this class, we’ll look at personal narratives that do just that, as well as some that don’t. Writing exercises will allow us to explore the line between exposing ourselves and our families and saying just enough.
Who Should Attend:
Adults, 18 and over
Writers at all levels
About the Instructor:Ellen Blum Barish is a personal essayist whose work has been published and syndicated in national newspapers and blogs and has aired on WBEZ’s Chicago Public Radio. Ellen’s award-winning column on women and family issues was published in an Ohio-based newspaper for more than a decade. A collection of these were published as Views from the Home Office Window: On Motherhood, Family and Life, in 2007. Ellen teaches personal essay and life story classes at StoryStudio and has facilitated writing workshops at Ragdale, Off Campus Writer’s Workshop, New Trier Extension and Writer’s Workspace. Since 2004, she has been teaching writing at Northwestern University, working with graduate students at the Medill School of Journalism and first-year engineering students at the McCormick School of Engineering on technical, business and academic writing assignments. From 2004-2007, she edited the alumni magazine of The Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern where she earned her masters degree in journalism. She edits and contributes to the Jewish spirituality blog Torat Chayeinu: Our Stories, Our Journey, and Creative Space, a women’s interfaith web publication. Ellen is currently at work on a collection of spiritual essays.
