Spring-Summer 2023 Workshops
FIRST MONDAY, FIRST PERSON
New Location!
Next Meeting: June 5
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!
Intro to Guided Autobiography
In person, offered through Madison College, 5 weeks starting May 30
You have a wealth of memories and stories. It’s time to capture them in writing.
Guided Autobiography (GAB) is a process pioneered by Dr. James Birren that is based on personal writing on life themes and sharing those stories in a supportive small 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. People who undertake Dr. Birren’s Guided Autobiography process join 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.
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: Two options for this 5-week workshop:
#10991, 5/30-6/27, Tuesday, 6:30-8:30 PM
#10992, 6/1-6/29, Thursday, 10 AM-12 PM
Where: Truax-EarlyLearningCent Rm 156
Fee: $105
To register: Click here for a registration form; enter class #10991 or 10992. Or call 608.258.2301, Option 2.
Intro to Guided Autobiography
Online, offered by Story Circle Network, 5 weeks starting June 7
Same as above, but offered online, for “older women with stories to tell.”
When: Wednesday afternoons, 3-5 pm Central: 6/7 through 7/5.
Where: online, via Zoom
Fee: SCN Member: $195
Non-Member: $245
To register: Click here
Going Deeper with Guided Autobiography
In Person, offered through Madison College, 5 weeks starting July 18
In this workshop, participants go deeper into the Guided Autobiography (GAB) process pioneered by Dr. James Birren. In “Going Deeper with Guided Autobiography,” we cover more of GAB’s nine themes: healthy/body, gender identity, experiences/ideas about death, and spiritual life and values. Students 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. The GAB method places more emphasis on self-development than writing craft. Participants should have completed “Introduction to Guided Autobiography” or a comparable workshop.
When: Two options for this 5-week workshop:
#10993, 7/18-8/15, Tuesday, 6:30-8:30 PM
#10994, 7/20-8/17, Thursday, 10 AM-12 PM
Where: Truax-EarlyLearningCent Rm 156
Fee: $105
To register: Click here for a registration form; enter class #10993 or 10994. Or call 608.258.2301, Option 2.
Going Deeper with Guided Autobiography
Online, for “Older Women with Stories to Tell,” offered through Story Circle Network, 5 weeks starting July 17
Same as above, visit StoryCircle.org later this year for the registration link.
Remember to Write
The stories of our lives connect generations and communities. That’s a priceless gift, one anyone can create, with guidance.
This free 2-hour talk will explore a small-group approach to writing your life story. We’ll discuss why writing about our lives is important, how to get started, and how to stay motivated. An in-class writing exercise will give us an opportunity for creativity and getting to know each other.
When: July 27, 1:30-3:30pm,
Where: the lovely Genisa Wine Bar, 11 N Main St, Janesville
Fee: $25
Guided Autobiography (GAB) Ongoing Group Forming
Already taken GAB I? Want to continue meeting, writing, and exploring what our life stories have to teach us? If you’d like to join an ongoing GAB group, email me.
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.