The Way They Were: Writing About Parents and Formative Relationships
Cost: $85 $68 Save 20% when signing up by June 15 and using the code EARLYSUMMER at checkout.
Class Size Limit: 18
Writing about parents and other close family members can be one of the most emotionally, ethically and technically complex endeavors for any writer. How do we write about people who left an imprint on us? Can we be fair and remain compassionate while also relaying their shortcomings and showing them as the flawed humans we all are? How do we do this while avoiding clichés, blame or bitterness? This intensive two-hour seminar is for writers working on memoirs and personal essays about their families, who want to dive into all the complexities of how to explore personal histories and make sense of our most formative relationships.
Journalist, writer and educator Ladane Nasseri has written stories for Bloomberg, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times; penned literary pieces for McSweeney’s, Catapult and Electric Literature; and received awards and fellowships from MacDowell and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. She has interviewed and written about the lives of hundreds of people across three continents, and most of her writing centers on human relationships and themes of belonging, migration, displacement and family.
In this session, Ladane will help writers explore how to approach their projects with an open heart and from a place of deep curiosity, while treating relatives and family members as complex characters worthy of discovery. Together, we’ll look at interviewing methods and techniques for sparking rich, revealing conversations. We’ll also talk about how to take care of ourselves and our interlocutors while engaging with emotionally charged material. The two-hour class will consist of a presentation featuring tools and tips, writing exercises, class discussion and Q&A.
This is the right class for you if…
You are working on a personal essay or a memoir and want to be fair to those you are portraying or are careful to include multiple perspectives in your narrative.
You have started working on a memoir and are missing some key information or have run into unexpected material that has led to fresh questions.
You feel compelled to write that sensitive personal essay or memoir, but find the prospect intimidating or daunting.
After this class you’ll be ready to…
Put into practice relevant tools and techniques that will help you pursue your family-centric writing projects from a place of genuine curiosity and wonder.
This two-hour seminar takes place on Saturday, June 28, from 10am to 12pm ET. All Narratively Academy classes are conducted online and accessible to students anywhere in the world. This class will NOT be recorded; live attendance is required.
Instructor Bio: Ladane Nasseri is an award-winning writer and journalist who combines her on-the-ground reporting experience with literary explorations of identity, place, history and truth, especially within the context of the Middle East. For a decade and a half, she worked as a Middle East correspondent for Bloomberg News, where she led Iran coverage, reporting from Tehran, Dubai, Beirut and a dozen other cities across three continents. She has covered politics, business and society, and has written extensively about nuclear negotiations, international sanctions’ impact on local economies, mass protests, social movements and youth culture. Ladane’s reporting has also appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Businessweek, Newsweek, The Nation magazine, WNYC Public Radio, PBS Frontline, Monocle Radio and France’s Libération. Her literary writing has been published in McSweeney’s and Electric Literature, and she has received support from MacDowell, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Blue Mountain Center and the New York State Summer Writing Institute. Ladane holds a master of international affairs from Columbia University and a master of fine arts in literary nonfiction from The New School.
Registration Details: Seats in this class are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Prior to the start of your class you’ll receive an invitation to access the virtual classroom and view all class materials.
Cancellation Policy:
Full refund when canceling 7 or more days before the class start date.
50% refund when canceling less than 7 days before the class start date.
No cancellations after the class start date.
Questions? Email us at academy@narratively.com.
MORE: Check out all of our upcoming Narratively Academy classes here.