Sometimes, starting is the hardest part. Writing about your life can feel impossible, but that is when we rely on our writing communities. This workshop is built for writers interested in developing the beginning of a longer nonfiction project like a memoir or essay collection. Writers will generate material in a thoughtful deadline-driven process, share an opening draft with a supportive audience, and give/receive feedback. Writing prompts and exercises will be provided throughout the course to sharpen your project’s start.
A Statement of Our Values
The Attic Institute of Arts and Letters opposes the legitimation of bigotry, hate, and misinformation. As a studio for writers, we do not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind. We embrace and celebrate our shared pursuit of literature and languages as essential to crossing the boundaries of difference. To that end, we seek to maintain a creative environment in which every employee, faculty member, and student feels safe, respected, and comfortable — even while acknowledging that poems, stories, and essays delve into uncomfortable subjects. We accept the workshop as a place to question ourselves and to empathize with complex identities. We understand that to know the world is to write the world. Therefore, we reaffirm our commitment to literary pursuits and shared understanding by affirming diversity and open inquiry.