I thought it would be a challenge, as well as interesting to teach a memoir writing class. It was a little scary at first. What did I know about writing memoir? I knew I loved to hear stories of how it used to be, but teach? I was a teacher for years and you know what some people believe? If you're trained to teach then with some study you can teach anything. .I'm a little skeptical of that philosophy but I decided to jump right in with both feet.
That class was made up of students who had kept journals, those who knew basically what they wanted to write and some who had no idea where to begin. At first they were hesitant to relax and open up about their concerns and stories. However, by the end of two hours they were talking and laughing and ready to begin their journeys of memoir writing to record the past for the future generations
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Most of my class sessions are for six weeks..each class session is concentrated with specific steps to aid in writing down memories. Memory joggers are important. Did you know that the sense of smell is the best memory jogger...remember the aroma of cookies baking in your mother's kitchen? They learn that smaller is better and wirte in "slices' of stories. The process of reducing ones story can be difficult and heart wrenching .But they soon learned to be memoir surgeons!
The mechanics of writing memoir is important but not the primary concern in my class. That can be addressed later with help in problem areas. Finding one's voice is near the top of the list. A few students have found their voice or writing personality and others take a little longer. In the reading of homework there develops...new awareness of how another might feel, the release of pent up emotions, humor that seemed to be hiding for years, and beginning to feel comfortable sharing one's stories with others. I could go on and on but I think you understand that a memoir writing class is special in many ways. So if you live in the Myrtle Beach area, we would love for you to join us on Wednesday mornings from 10-12 (see the OLLI catalog for dates.) If you don't live in Myrtle Beach, check colleges in your area. You will be glad you did.
Darlene Eichler
Teacher in the OLLI(Life Long Learning Program)
Coastal Carolina University
843-349-276--79th Ave.
Comments are welcome.
