Memoirist Phillip Lopate asserts that those who write memoir must develop a double-perspective on the past: the self who lived the experiences and the current self who grapples with, contemplates, and re-evaluates those experiences. Writers of this genre need to offer meaning and context to the moments we feel called to bring to the page, and we can hone our ability to do this with practice, play, and perspective-shifting.

In this class, students will learn to recognize turning points in their life stories, develop their current lens on past events, and work with imagery and setting to deepen the narrative.