Telling Your Story, Including Theirs: Navigating the Sensitivity Spectrum in Memoir
"If I could have sent my mother on an around-the-world cruise and had her come back when the book had passed from public consciousness, I would have done it."
— Dani Shapiro, on publishing her memoir Slow Motion
— Dani Shapiro, on publishing her memoir Slow Motion
One of the thorniest questions memoir writers face—and a question memoir teachers constantly are asked—is:
How do I handle writing about the people in my life?
Writers wonder, do I have the right to tell their stories? How can I do so with care?
How do I handle writing about the people in my life?
Writers wonder, do I have the right to tell their stories? How can I do so with care?
In this workshop, we’ll wade into this often uncomfortable territory with honesty, nuance, and a touch of humor. I’ll argue that we do have the right to write about others—but with that right comes responsibility. The key is understanding why we are writing about them and how to navigate the ethical complexities of doing so.
Over a decade of teaching and researching memoir, I’ve seen writers land at every point on what I call the sensitivity spectrum. In The Art of Memoir, Mary Karr dedicates a chapter to this dilemma, calling it “Dealing with Beloveds (On and Off the Page).” Some memoirists approach this challenge collaboratively, interviewing and involving those they write about. Others, as Karr puts it, have “enough moxie to not give a rat’s ass.”
Most of us fall somewhere in between.
In this workshop, Jennifer will. . .
- Explore the sensitivity spectrum, with special attention to writing about family members
- Distinguish between writing about others and publishing about them--and how to bridge that gap when the time comes
- Consider the delicate balance between right, responsibility, and reason
- Draw insights from how published memoirists have navigated this terrain and the lessons they’ve learned along the way
- Offer twenty strategies for writing about others (not including sending your mother on a cruise!)
- Receive Jennifer's signature rich Powerpoint presentation and a video recording of the course
Participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions and workshop their own dilemmas. (This part of the workshop will not be recorded for privacy purposes.)
This workshop will offer guidance and practical strategies for navigating the challenges of writing about real people with courage, consciousness, and care—while still staying true to your story.
Please note: This workshop will not cover legal issues around writing about others. For a good resource on this topic, please see Lisa Cooper Ellison’s “How Can I Avoid Lawsuits When Writing Memoir?”