Fall Series I: Dear Writer [Evening]

Fall Series: Dear Writer

"At any point on the bodymind spectrum, two things come together—a bit of information and a bit of matter. Of the two, the information has a longer lifespan than the solid matter it is matched with... This fact makes us realize that memory must be more permanent than matter. What is a cell, then? It is a memory that has built some matter around itself, forming a specific pattern. Your body is just the place your memory calls home."—Margaret Wheatley, Science and the New Leadership

This fall, we’ll explore ideas inspired by our annual art exhibition, Bodies and Faces, featuring artist Suzanne Pickett. Drawing from multiple memoirs—especially those that explore how we see ourselves and how we tell the stories of our lives—we’ll reflect on embodiment, memory, identity, and voice.

Our featured book will be Dear Writer by Maggie Smith, a generous and accessible guide with practical tips for both new and experienced writers. We’ll also reference Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative by Melissa Febos—edgy, but with significant references to how personal writing can transform us.

This class is a 12-week series held on Wednesday evenings. Our exploration of storytelling continues in the spring and culminates in an international retreat to Italy for those who wish to take their writing—and sense of adventure—to new heights.

Register soon—seats are limited! This course is open to anyone who identifies as a woman. Class size is intentionally kept small to ensure personalized attention.Facilitator: Jennifer Wolfe, Executive Director of Women Writing for (a) Change Jacksonville.

"I am somebody. A body. A difficult body, to be sure—almost too weak not to stand, increasingly deformed, wracked still by gut spasms and headaches and menstrual miseries. But some body. Mine. Me. In establishing myself as a writer, however modest my success, I have ceased to be nobody. I have written my way into my embodied self, and here I am at home."—Nancy Mairs, Remembering the Bone House

New to writing?You don’t have to be a professional to join us. This class is a great way to discover Women Writing for (a) Change’s powerful process—used by thousands of women since 1991 to express their authentic selves through writing and community. We’ll use prompts, poetry, and prose to explore a variety of writing techniques.

Experienced writer?If you choose to continue with the follow-on series, you’ll have the opportunity to deepen your craft in our small-group circles. Bring any project you're working on and receive meaningful, trustworthy feedback. But if you only stay for the sampler, that’s welcome too—whatever nourishes your writing life.

The Women Writing for (a) Change® school was founded in 1991 by Mary Pierce Brosmer, a poet and former English teacher, to support women in finding their voices and telling their truths in a world where they were too often silenced. [womenwriting.org]

The Jacksonville affiliate was founded in 2014 by Jennifer Wolfe, became a nonprofit in 2018, and welcomed eight certified facilitators in 2019 and 2023. Our lastest cohort (Spring 2025) will be offering classes in the fall of 2025. Our intention is to continually expand our reach and accessibility to a broader and more diverse community.

"A circle of women may be the most powerful force known to humanity. If you have one, embrace it. If you need one, seek it. If you find one—for the love of all that is good and holy—dive in. Hold on. Love it up. Get naked. Let them see you. Let them hold you. Let your reluctant tears fall. Let yourself rise fierce and love great. You will be changed. The very fabric of your being will be altered by this. If you allow it. Please, allow it."—Jeanette LeBlanc

Scholarships available – request an application

Host or Publisher Women Writing for (a) Change, Jacksonville