Monthly Archives: January 2009

Natalie Goldberg: Memoir Workshop at the Sophia Institute

Posted on January 28, 2009 by

Last weekend I enjoyed sunshine, warm air, a beautiful room in the carriage house of the Phoebe Pember House affiliated with the Sophia Institute, a long walk in historic Charleston, a wonderful memoir workshop, and delightful conversation with Natalie Goldberg, … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir Workshops, Taking Courses, Workshops, Conferences | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

Slumdog Millionaire: A Metaphor for the Power of Memoir

Posted on January 26, 2009 by

Well, folks, it may be time to create a new category.  I saw a lot of good movies this holiday season.  Did you? Here’s the list of ones I saw:  Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, Doubt, Milk,and The Curious Case of Benjamin … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir and Film, My Reviews | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The Latest Memoir Controversy: Angel at the Fence

Posted on January 23, 2009 by

“Read all about it!,” the newsboys could be saying, if there were newsboys today. “Another memoir bites the dust!”  “Oprah decides to vet all future memoirists with truth serum!”  Of course, there is brand new president, wars in Iraq and … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir Controversies | Tagged , | 3 Comments

A Moveable Feast: Classic Memoir, Classic Metaphor

Posted on January 17, 2009 by

On the memoir bookshelf in my home office sit at least 100 memoirs.  Many of these are classics I read long ago without thinking of them as memoirs.  Some, like the one I focus on now, are famous books that … Continue reading →

Posted in Classic Memoir/Autobiography, My Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Fetzer Workshop on Reflective Writing: The Conclusion

Posted on January 12, 2009 by

Today I finished leading the last 1.5-hour workshop in a series of four which took place at the Fetzer Institute. I think the title of this workshop–Timed Writing–may have scared away potential participants.   Sounds as jolly as retaking the SAT.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Memoir Workshops, Teaching Memoir Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Memoir and Love: The Vital Connection

Posted on January 10, 2009 by

All during the long holiday season/vacation I took this year, I have been mulling over the connection between memoir and love.  Intuition tells me things that I can only later articulate.  This has happened to me all my life. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Reflections | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Helen Alderfer, Poet, Mother, Wise Woman, Role Model

Posted on January 3, 2009 by

My husband Stuart gave me a book for Christmas I did not know existed–a pleasant surprise indeed.  Helen Alderfer, an early woman leader in the Mennonite Church and someone I have long admired, has published a book in her 90th … Continue reading →

Posted in My Reviews, Personal Reflections, Spiritual Memoir | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments