FIRST MONDAY, FIRST PERSON
Next Meeting: November 4
Join me for this free monthly event for reminiscence writers. Sign up on arrival to read on a first-come, first-served basis, and receive group feedback from like-minded people. Listeners welcome as well as readers.
When: First Monday of every month (except holidays), from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Where: Join us in person at the Pinney Library Community Room, 516 Cottage Grove Rd.
Free. No advance registration required. Food and beverages are welcome!
Want to see what kind of stories are shared? Visit my blog, True Stories Well Told.
Fall 2024 Workshops
Intro to Guided Autobiography
In Person, offered through Madison College, 5 weeks starting September 5
Guided Autobiography (GAB) is a process pioneered by Dr. James Birren. You’ll write on life themes and share your stories in a supportive small group. You are in complete control of what they write and share; no one is pressured to read more than they are comfortable sharing with the group.
By using the Guided Autobiography method, you will do more than start writing down your memories—you will gain insights into how the events of your life have contributed to the person you are today—and may become tomorrow.
Guided Autobiography is an international movement; there are over 600 instructors around the world in a connected community. Guided Autobiography workshops are organized around a sequence of themes—topics that are common threads in the fabric of just about anyone’s life. Everyone who has participated in Guided Autobiography is eligible to submit essays to the Birren Center’s annual anthology collections.
In “Introduction to Guided Autobiography,” we cover the first four of GAB’s nine themes: Branching points, family, role of money in your life, and your major life work or career.
When: Thursday evenings 6:30-8:30, September 5, 12, 19, 26, October 3
Where: Truax-Protective Services Building
Fee: $105
To register: Follow this link or call 608.258.2301, Option 2, and register for class #35294
Going Deeper with Guided Autobiography
In Person, offered through Madison College, 5 weeks starting October 17
In this workshop, participants go deeper into the Guided Autobiography (GAB) process pioneered by Dr. James Birren. You’ll write on life themes and share your stories in a supportive small group. You are in complete control of what they write and share; no one is pressured to read more than they are comfortable sharing with the group. We’ll cover several of GAB’s deeper themes: healthy/body, gender identity, experiences/ideas about death, and spiritual life and values. The GAB method places more emphasis on self-development than writing craft. Participants should have completed “Introduction to Guided Autobiography” or a comparable workshop.
Guided Autobiography is an international movement; there are over 600 instructors around the world in a connected community. Guided Autobiography workshops are organized around a sequence of themes—topics that are common threads in the fabric of just about anyone’s life. Everyone who has participated in Guided Autobiography is eligible to submit essays to the Birren Center’s annual anthology collections.
When: Thursday evenings 6:30-8:30, October 17, 24, 31, November 7, 14
Where: Truax-Protective Srv Rm211
Fee: $105
To Register: Follow this link or call 608.258.2301, Option 2, and register for class #35296
Workshops not for you?
Try individualized memoir coaching
I help you write and share your life stories, coaching you as you write a compelling story from your memories. Throughout, I’m at your side to help you get started and stay motivated. Print-on-demand makes it possible to share your story with just a small circle or offer it to the world.
Intrigued? Got questions? I have answers! Let’s talk.