Memoir Writing Workshops
Herstory's memoir-writing workshops cultivate a community of writers committed to using their writing to transform their lives and create a more equitable, inclusive world.
Our unique approach, focused on prompting empathy in the reader, makes memoir writing accessible to everyone regardless of their prior writing experience. We work with anyone who has a story to tell about their life, ranging from already-published authors to those who have never picked up a pen before. Our trained facilitators guide participants through picking the first moment to write, crafting a structure strong enough to support their story, and revising the writing to deepen its impact.
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In a Herstory workshop, writers read their memoirs-in-progress aloud to the supportive community circle to receive feedback, returning each week with revised and expanded writing as their memoir grows. Writers in the workshop rely on their natural responses as listeners to help guide each other in developing their memoirs.
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Workshops generally meet once a week, although each workshop is adapted to the context and needs of our partner organizations.
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Click below to find out more about our workshops in the schools and universities on Long Island, in jails and prisons across the country, and in community and online spaces.
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Herstory Programs
Herstory Beyond Bars
Herstory offers multiple workshops for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated writers. Herstory facilitates workshops in the jails on Long Island, and trains incarcerated writers to facilitate their own workshops inside prisons around the country. In addition, we offer an online writing workshop for formerly incarcerated writers to learn the Herstory techniques.
Herstory in the Classroom
Herstory partners with multiple schools across Long Island to offer memoir-writing workshops to their students, either as push-ins during the school day or after school programs.
Community Workshops
Herstory facilitates memoir-writing workshops in the community spaces where people most need to tell their stories. We partner with non-profit and community organizations for in-person workshops in addition to hosting online workshops organized around a common theme.
