Events › Memory Excavation for the Writer

For the memoirist, memories are currency. Our stories and experiences are what we bring to the table. As nonfiction writers, our relationship to the truth, and to accuracy, is the foundation of our contract of trust with our readers. And yet, it can be surprisingly difficult to conjure up the details of experiences from long ago (or even…from not so long ago!). So what’s a writer to do?

In this seminar, we will unpack the value and limitations of memory. I will guide you through a holistic memory excavation process, and we’ll learn how to iterate the work so that you can apply it to memories you want to bring authentically into your work. We’ll practice the technique, and we’ll establish best practices for mitigating psychological harm while returning to intense memories.

This generative seminar will guide writers into increased access to their memories. We’ll get specific about how to handle gaps in memories, how to use the direct address to establish trust, and how to take this work even deeper if it calls to you. 

Mark your calendars. No registration required.

Click here to read more about Writer-in-Resident Margo Steines and the Writer-in-Residence program

The Writer in Residence Program is made possible by the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.