The Stories We Carry: Memoir Writing for Self-Care & Meaning Making

In this two-hour workshop, participants will learn about trauma-informed writing practices that have proven effective for helping people cope with and recover from trauma, conflict, and other stressors. In the first hour, we will introduce and practice a specific mode of personal writing, what Dr. James Pennebaker calls “expressive writing,” which involves writing about the emotional impact of a stressful experience and then integrating into the writer’s broader life narrative. While this type of reflective writing cannot substitute for therapy, it has demonstrable therapeutic benefits and can help most people confront “the trauma of everyday life” (Mark Epstein). In the second hour, we will dive deeper into memoir writing and the importance of processing trauma and other stress through storytelling. With the “scars, not wounds” principle in mind, participants will sketch a short memoir essay about overcoming and making meaning out of a stressful life experience. Participants will leave with resources on additional writing practices, suggested reading, and community support.
Lee Olson:
As an educator, writer, and editor with over fifteen years of experience, Lee Olsen is passionate about helping other people tell their stories. He holds an MFA in creative nonfiction writing, with a focus on place-based and trauma-informed writing practices, and a PhD in English literature with a focus on post-World War II American fiction. He currently teaches first-year composition, creative writing, technical writing, and English language learning classes for Aims Community College. He also serves on the planning committee for Loveland Loves to Read, the literacy-promoting One Book, One Community program organized under the Friends of the Loveland Public Library.
For more information, please call Adult Services at 970-962-2402 or email [email protected]
Part of our Adult Summer Learning Program, sponsored by the Friends of the Loveland Public Library.