Mining Darkness for Light: The Art of Humorous Memoir (Virtual)

“The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow.” ~ Mark Twain

The strange and magical thing about humor is that its roots are often in sadness, shame, anger, or humiliation. The stories we find the funniest are the ones in which the teller reveals something deeply vulnerable, but finds a way to mine the absurd even from their darkest moments. In this generative online workshop, we’ll reveal how you can do this in your own life—covering ways to gain perspective and the massive benefits of reframing one’s experience, both to your writing and your mental health.

This will be a three-hour generative class in which you will engage in writing exercises, respond to prompts, come out of class having started a project, and have the opportunity to ask questions prior to class to get them answered during class time.

Price: $120

Date:
Saturday, September 28, 2024, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. PST

NOTE: This is a virtual class and will be taught via Zoom.

About the instructor:
Courtenay Hameister is an author, editor, and essayist whose work has appeared in McSweeney's, Portland Monthly and The New York Times, among others. Her book, Okay Fine Whatever: The Year I Went From Being Afraid of Everything to Only Being Afraid of Most Things was a semi-finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor in 2019.