Between Sentiment and Scorn: Writing Truthfully and Ethically about Family
Week 6 | August 1–5 | Literary Arts Center at Alumni Hall Prose Room | Ages: 18+
Much of our hard-earned knowledge is forged in the cauldron of family life. But examining and writing truthfully about people we love is fraught with complications–we can pointlessly romanticize; we can do real harm. This workshop will explore ways to approach nonfiction writing about family so that it is accurate, sensitive, ethical, and meaningful to a larger audience. We will explore many fine essays that generously model the challenges and rewards of this difficult work, and we will make several attempts of our own to make purposeful art from our most intimate relationships. No experience necessary.
Generative. The primary class focus is on in-class craft analysis and discussion, in-class exercises, and optional take-home prompts; ideal for writers looking for new ways to invigorate their writing practice throughout the entire year; useful to writers at all levels. (Ages 18+)
Class Times
Kristin Kovacic
Kristin Kovacic was born and lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Her essays have won the Pushcart Prize and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship, among other awards, and have appeared in Brain, Child, Full Grown People, Table, and other publications. She is the co-editor of Birth: A Literary Companion, the author of the poetry chapbook, House of Women, and the essay collection History of My Breath. She has taught nonfiction writing in the graduate programs of Carlow University, Chatham University, and for many years at the Writers Center at Chautauqua Institution.
