This hands-on workshop is designed for writers who are interested in sharing key elements of their life stories. In this four-in-one course we will discuss the structure of book-length memoir and key features of this genre including: finding your theme or through-line; dealing with internal and external conflict; telling the truth/writing about family; and structuring a memoir. We will do several short writing exercises in class focusing on the following–identifying potential turning points in your story; finding an opening hook or inciting incident; conveying emotional stakes; and playing with structure. We will also review short excerpts/examples from several published memoirs. Come prepared to write, and bring a brief one-two paragraph description of your project to share with the class. You’ll leave the course with a  clearer sense of your through-line and theme; new tools to assist you in creating your book’s structure, and practical techniques to continue working on your project.

Instructor: Judah Leblang is a storyteller, memoirist and writing teacher. His essays and commentaries have been broadcast throughout the US on more than 150 NPR and ABC-network radio stations, as well as several Canadian stations. He is a regular columnist for Bay Windows, Boston’s gay newspaper, and an instructor at Grub Street. The 2nd edition of his memoir, Finding My Place: One Man’s Journey from Cleveland to Boston and Beyond, was published in 2013. His new book Echoes of Jerry is about his Uncle Jerry, an orally-educated deaf man as well as Leblang's own struggles with his sexuality and trying to find his place in society, finally coming out in the mid-1980s. Clips of his performances and writing are at www.judahleblang.com.

Details: Finding Your Memoir - July 2022 with Judah Leblang will meet Saturday, July 16 from 10am-4pm in person at Lake Erie Ink, 2843 Washington Blvd., Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.