Focus on Craft: Reporting the Personal Essay
Focus on Craft: Reporting the Personal Essay
Cost: $75
In personal essays, we tell our own stories and reflect on our own experiences. But to elevate an essay into a story that connects with readers, we often have to expand beyond our own lives and think about the stakes beyond ourselves. In this intensive 90-minute seminar, Kristina Gaddy — acclaimed author, essayist and editor at the literary journal true — will lead students in exploring how top nonfiction essayists use sourcing and reporting in their work. We’ll take a close look at a variety of personal essay forms (from traditional memoir to experimental), and dive into how personal reporting (such as family interviews) and academic research can help take essays to the next level. In this small group setting, students will also have a chance to discuss their own stories and learn techniques for doing research that highlights the themes of their writing, inspires new personal essays and strengthens their work.
This class is right for you if…
You’ve been working on a personal essay and want to find ways to elevate it to the next level.
You’ve published personal essays and want to explore how to differentiate and elevate your next pieces.
You’re working on a longer memoir and want to infuse reporting and research.
This seminar takes place on Wednesday, November 20, at 7pm ET. All Narratively Academy classes are conducted online and are accessible to students anywhere in the world. A recording of the full class session will also be shared with all students.
Instructor Bio: Kristina R. Gaddy is the author of Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History and Flowers in the Gutter: The True Story of the Edelweiss Pirates, Teenagers Who Resisted the Nazis. Her essay in Narratively about Jewish teenagers before WWII won the American Society of Journalists and Authors 2022 Best Reported Essay. Her essay “Intersection Landscapes” appears in the anthology A Harp in the Stars (Nebraska 2021) and her personal writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, Museum of Americana and Fearsome Critters. She is one of the editors of true, a literary journal that explores the craft of nonfiction. She lives in Baltimore and has taught writing locally and presented about nonfiction craft at national writing conferences.
Registration Details: Seats in this class are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. All purchases are final and nonrefundable. After signing up, you’ll receive an email receipt confirming your purchase. Prior to the start of your class, you’ll receive an invitation to access the virtual classroom and view all class materials.
Questions? Email us at academy@narratively.com.
MORE: Check out all of our upcoming Narratively Academy classes here.