6-Minute Memoir with Mary Helen Stefaniak

Objective: To capture a place, a person, a moment, or even an object, a practice, or a process plucked from your personal past, and save it from oblivion by bringing it to life on the page.
Outcome: You’ll write one or more brief memoirs i.e., a nonfiction piece up to 1200 words in length that vividly presents and explores the meaning of a particular past experience. These four- to six-minute memoirs refer to how long it takes for the author to read the piece out loud and are designed to keep audiences engaged.
Class Format: Two sessions of three hours; each are designed for students to produce one “six-minute memoir.” While some writing time will be incorporated into the first class meeting, participants will need time to write between the sessions. In the second session, students will have a chance to share and receive feedback on their drafted work.
Course Materials: Stefaniak’s forthcoming collection, The Six-Minute Memoir: Fifty-Five Short Essays on Life, will be used as the course text. Workshop participants are strongly encouraged to purchase the book. Following the anticipated release date of October 25th, a link to purchase the book will be shared.