KEARNY STREET WORKSHOP PRESENTS:
fictionalizing the family archives
Thursdays - August 29, September 5, September 12, September 19
6-8pm PST
What happens when we turn our attention to family and what our ancestors leave us? What is revealed when we reimagine shared history and that which we do not know? How can we honor the stories we inherit, while also incorporating our own perspectives?
In this four-part generative class, we will read, listen, and look closely at literary and visual work that engages family and heritage through innovative and surprising methods. Then, we will use our own family archives as a jumping-off point, drawing from a variety of inheritances, from photographs to oral histories to heirlooms and beyond. “Fictionalizing” in the context of this class is loose, allowing for emotional truths, hybrid explorations, and a sense of play to take the lead. We’ll experiment with literary devices, forms, and perspectives to create evocative writing that is rooted in the real. At the end of our time together, participants will leave with the beginnings of new drafts, one peer-workshopped piece, and a toolbox for navigating their family archives going forward.
Open to writers of all skill levels and genres. No prior creative writing experience is necessary to participate.