The Truth Hurts: On Clawing, Crying, and Crafting Your Way to Your Memoir with B.J. Hollars

Memoirist Mary Karr asks, “What would you write if you weren’t afraid?” Implicit in the question is that we’re all afraid of writing something. But what? And why? Join nonfiction writer B.J. Hollars for a conversation on writing within–and through–the complexities of our lives. How can we write toward our deeper truths, and how can we heal by doing so? This interactive workshop will ask participants to engage with a variety of curated writing prompts geared toward crafting the opening pages of a memoir or short essay.

Class meets in person Tuesday, May 5, 6 – 7:30 pm

Class size: Minimum 5, maximum 15.

Member discount: Members of Write On receive a 10% discount on all classes and workshops. To become a member, please click here. To receive the discount, members must log in to the website using their unique password and enter member10 in the promotion code box. The code is case sensitive.

Teaching Artist: B.J. Hollars is the author of numerous books, including Wisconsin for Kennedy, Year of Plenty, Go West Young Man, Midwestern Strange, and a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He and his film partner, Steve Dayton, have also completed a documentary When Rubber Hit The Road. Hollars is the recipient of the Truman Capote Prize for Literary Nonfiction, the Anne B. and James B. McMillan Prize, the Council of Wisconsin Writers’ Blei-Derleth Award, the Society of Midland Authors Award, and received a 2022 silver medal from the Midwest Book Awards. His work has been featured on C-SPAN, Lit Hub, Washington Post, Star-Tribune, The Millions, and Wisconsin Life.