Two Truths and a Lie: Writing Memoir and Autobiographical Fiction
Six Mondays
January 18, 2016 – February 22, 2016
7PM-9PM
$375 General / $350 Members
Writing from life can be a tricky business. There are people to protect, faulty memories of events, and the pitfalls of self-censorship. In this workshop, we will employ techniques of poetry and fiction to create works of Memoir and Autobiographical Fiction. Through original writing exercises, we will learn literary techniques including character, dialogue, setting and story arc. In our writing, we will draw upon both the truths and lies of our experience because our lives are too rich not to write about and our imaginations too strong to ignore. Every writer will have the opportunity to workshop one original piece. All levels of writers are welcome.
If interested in registering, please e-mail a paragraph about yourself and the writing project you would like to work on to twotruthsclass@gmail.com.
Bushra Rehman’s first novel Corona, a dark comedy about being South Asian in the United States, was noted among Poets & Writers Best Debut Fiction and featured in the LA Review of Books among a new wave of South Asian American Literature. Rehman also co-edited the anthology Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism which was included in Ms. Magazine’s “100 Best Non-Fiction Books of All Time.” Her writing has been featured in numerous anthologies and journals. She has taught creative writing for over 15 years at organizations including Teacher & Writers Collaborative, Urban Word NYC and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. Check out her website.
What Writers are Saying About “Two Truths a Lie”
This class was an invaluable tool for combining reflection and creative energy. Bushra created an environment that was stimulating, challenging, and accepting all at once. This space opened up imaginative channels that had been blocked for years. This class helped lay the groundwork for a writing practice that will stretch well beyond these weeks. I’m so thankful for this space that brings all kinds of people together, and makes new writing and thinking possible!
-Trishala Deb
The workshop legitimizes the stories we tell with a supportive, diverse cast of eager readers. Bushra has the ability to govern a group into a family. An adjective to describe Two Truths and a Lie is: reformative.
-Pio Tsai, Writer
Two Truths was a reinvigorating experience for me as a writer. Bushra guided us in learning and experimenting with tools of the craft, and always made sure to set aside a chunk of time to actually write during workshop. She shared lots of resources with us and I loved the reading selections she curated with our interests in mind. It was a great experience to help co-create a community of writers where each person’s work was given the time to be critiqued in detail, in a way that both supports you and pushes you to grow.
– Noelle de la Paz, Writer
