chuckles and tension: what must i say?

Meeting in Room 226 everyday for 2 straight weeks was soul satisfying. Our Memoir Writers consisted of 10 total strangers, from all walks of life, all ages, diverse experiences and varied stories to tell. We enriched each other by listening openly and supporting one another with honesty and hope.

Anndee would begin each session by reading a poem. The poems read were often telling of the work we would create that day. From there we would break into conversation about the ethics of memoir writing or the details that enrich story (show, don't tell) or the point of view from where you want to tell a story.

We were given lots of space and time to write and create our stories. Given these opportunities we would seek a quiet place to write and spill our stories onto lined paper. When we came together again we were all given the opportunity to read aloud to the group. These readings were poignant, telling and true. Each person felt safe and free to tell their story. And in some cases, these stories were not easy to tell. Anndee gave each of us beautiful, heartfelt critiques that energized and encouraged our writing.

Throughout the 2 weeks Anndee asked us to write about someone we used to be, about experiences/moments when we felt things change in our lives, about sensory memories (born out of a strong sense/connected to a memory - smell, touch, sound, taste), a cultural/world/technological event that smacked up against our own lives.

During that time I wrote about being a little girl in a big world, resisting becoming a Bat Mitzvah, getting reiki for the first time and the Columbine High School massacre.

Anndee always asking us, "Why are you telling this story? Why now?" Asking these questions was vital and helped my growth as a person, a writer, a teacher.

I learned so much in the 2 weeks spent with my Memoir class. I feel I was gifted this opportunity and am so grateful for the lessons learned. I will take these lessons with me, share them with others and learn from them.

Mostly, I hope to return to my yellow notebook, poems and stories that Anndee gave us and use them to inspire me to continue crafting my stories. God knows, I've got plenty to tell.