The Gynecologist

By: Victoria Zackheim: I was about to teach my first course at the San Miguel Writers’ Conference in Mexico, when I suffered a medical emergency. Not to go into details, but it appeared I was having my period. Knowing this was impossible, I was faced with the likelihood that I was dying. Writing prompt: Write…

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Good Old Writers

By Victoria Zackheim I recently walked into my newly built kitchen and discovered a large, grayish rectangular stain on the quartz counter. Had I placed a hot pan there? Not likely. Spilled bleach? Definitely not. I wiped, scrubbed, gently scoured… nothing helped. And then I lifted my arm and noticed a change in the shape…

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What a Character! Writing Character in Memoir

What a Character! Writing Character in Memoir by Louise Nayer

by Louise Nayer When writing a memoir, writing character is more complicated because you are often writing about close family. Creating living, breathing characters is just as important in memoir as in fiction. You can always share your writing with relatives you care about—just to make sure you remain on speaking terms; however, as in…

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Home Baked Author Alia Volz & Successful Book Launches

Home Baked Author Alia Volz & Successful Book Launches

Subjects covered Home Baked author Alia Volz talked about her book—a finalist for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle award for best autobiography—and offered advice about and lessons learned from launching during the pandemic. During the ’70s in San Francisco, Alia Volz’s mother ran the underground Sticky Fingers Brownies, delivering upwards of ten thousand illegal…

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Tips for Writing Memoir with Louis Nayer

Writing Memoir with Louis Nayer

Subjects covered Louise Nayer is the author of Burned: A Memoir, an Oprah Great Read and winner of the Wisconsin Library Association Award. When asked about the biggest mistakes new memoirists make, Louise noted that many authors make the false assumption that writing memoir is like journaling. Instead, she explained, it’s about being able to…

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