Hidden within your life experiences is a wellspring of hope, wisdom, truth, and connection. Painful memories reveal ultimate values; fragmented memories make way for unity; languageless memories find voice. Writing is one way to draw from this bottomless, life-giving source. By creating stories of your past, you can re-create your present and find agency for a meaningful future. If you want, your inner story can move the inner life of a reader, passing the gift of transformation forward.
Join Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew to explore the art and practice of spiritual memoir writing. Each session will give participants the opportunity to write, time for conversation, inspiration from model writers, and insights about craft, content, and practice. These monthly practice sessions are meant for writers of all levels, including absolute beginners. New participants are encouraged to take Elizabeth’s introduction to spiritual memoir workshop or read Writing the Sacred Journey. Because practice sessions are not consecutive, you can drop in as you’d like. Over three years, the curriculum covers the significant aspects of the craft of writing memoir, common themes, and the invitations to transformation inherent in the practice.
In Person: Monthly on fourth Fridays from 1:30-3:30 p.m. (9/22, 10/27, 11/17, 12/15)
4101 Harriet Avenue in Minneapolis
Online: Monthly on fourth Mondays from 6:00-8:00 p.m. CT (9/25, 10/23, 11/27, 12/18)
September: The Journey Within
It’s no coincidence that we describe the soul’s path as a journey. The physical journeys we’ve taken (whether they’re dog-walks, cross-country trips, or overseas pilgrimages) have much to teach us about the soul’s journey—and about effective writing.
October: Describing the Indescribable
So much of the inner life is indescribable! How can we possibly write it? We’ll look at literary examples of enlightenment, emptiness, pain, ecstasy, and unconsciousness, and use literary tools to wrap language around the ineffable
November: Dreams, Our Most Intimate Scripture
The feelings, images, and stories that come to us at night seep into our days and play an active role in our spiritual journeys. How can we write about them effectively? How can writing support our dreams to do their healing work?
December: Writing Transformation, Transforming Writing
Writers often find inspiration in experiences of surprising, radical, or gradual personal change. How can we recreate these to become available to our readers? We will also dabble in revision as a transformational practice.