About the Workshop
This workshop invites participants to experiment with various forms of memoir, including "flash" pieces, fragmented/episodic tellings, graphic/illustrated memoir, "hermit crab" pieces (memoirs in the form of recipes, want ads, instructional lists, etc) and pieces that use second- or third-person narration. We'll look at stunning examples of memoirs that tweak conventional form from a wide range of writers--Dagoberto Gilb, Naomi Shihab Nye, Tim O'Brien, Ross Gay, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Rebekah Taussig and others--learning what each of these writers does well, then applying their strategies in a spirit of risk-taking, playfulness and discovery. There will be opportunities to share work and receive thoughtful feedback.
Open to beginning and seasoned writers of memoir.
About Anndee Hochman
Anndee Hochman is a journalist, essayist, storyteller and teaching artist. Her newest book, Parent Trip: Unexpected Roads to Form a Family, is due out in February 2026 from Temple University Press. Anndee's work has appeared in Poets & Writers, WebMD, Broad Street Review, the Philadelphia Inquirer and other magazines, journals and anthologies. She has worked with writers across the age span for more than 30 years. Her books include Anatomies: A Novella and Stories (Picador USA) and Everyday Acts & Small Subversions: Women Reinventing Family, Community and Home (The Eighth Mountain Press). She is also a twelve-time Moth Story Slam winner. Anndee spent ten transformative years in Portland, Oregon and now lives in Philadelphia.
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Learn more about Anndee on her website: www.anndeehochman.com
Instructor will provide:
Packet with all readings for the class
What students should bring:
Laptop with charger and/or notebook and pen