Essayists, memoirists, and writers of hybrid nonfiction have long navigated the line between emotional truth and factual truth in search of meaning. In this hands-on, discussion-driven craft seminar, we’ll clarify the distinction between invention, lying, and the use of imagination and speculation as instruments of discovery and insight. We’ll explore practical strategies for making our work deeper and more complex through “perhapsing” and other techniques. Please bring something to write with and prepare to discuss the short readings provided before our session. You can find those readings and all handouts for the class here.
Please bring the following for this seminar:
- For the “Who” and “In-Half” prompt, please bring an old photo or snapshot, preferably a family photo, that haunts you in some way—that's charged with emotional resonance, but for which you have little information.
- For the “This Old Watch” prompt, please bring an heirloom or object, preferably a family artifact, that haunts you in some way—that's charged with emotional resonance, but for which you have little information.
