WALPOLE, N.H. – New sessions of Pam Bernard’s popular eight-week memoir-writing workshop are beginning the first weeks of January. Start days and times vary from class to class.
This session, a Zoom workshop is being added to the two existing workshops, both of which have limited openings. Reach out as soon as possible if you are curious about the process of these well-known and respected writing workshops. Queries of any kind are welcome.
The governing philosophy that makes Bernard’s teaching of memoir so effective is that the struggle must be to nurture a healthy relationship with the past, in order to get beyond the authorized version of oneself.
The central paradox of this kind of writing is that a memoirist must rely on memory, though, at best, memory is mutable and utterly fallible. Memoirists learn to honor artful leaps of dramatic presentation in order to create a narrative nimble enough to fully and convincingly reveal a life.
Retired Judge Patti Whalen, of Putney, Vt., explains how the workshop has helped her process and eventually find a way into difficult material. She says, “Pam’s workshop is the highlight of my week. Pam leads each session with skill and warmth, bringing the process of memoir writing alive with support and creativity. As I began to write and to identify the deeper themes, I realized with great relief that I had a way to shape hard truths into a story I could share. I could only have done this with Pam’s caring but rigorous guidance, and within the supportive and generous community of writers she has created.
A retired professor of writing, Bernard is an author, editor, writing mentor, and instructor. She works also one-on-one with writers of nonfiction and poetry in a variety of ways. Bernard is the author of four books, the latest a novel in verse titled “Esther.” She received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Warren Wilson College, and her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. Her awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Her collection “Across the Dark” was a finalist for the National Poetry Series.
Workshops are hybrid, using the Owl meeting device, to accommodate those who must attend remotely. The Owl makes the experience for the participant much more realistic. For more information, including days and times, please visit Bernard’s website at www.pambernard.com, email www.pambernardwriter@gmail.com, or call 603-439-1809.