Last year, I finished a memoir about my eight-year career as a science teacher to teen moms, called Subject to Change. My story emphasizes the human capacity for and willingness to change when unexpected things happen. Sometimes we choose change, too. When I started this Substack newsletter last year, it seemed only natural that IContinue reading “Choose Change: You never know where it’ll take you”
Tag Archives: memoir
Double Joy
According to a Swedish proverb, “Shared joy is double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.” Many of us hold back from sharing sorrows for fear of wearing out our friends (who aren’t the best of friends in that case). But almost everyone—including me—loves sharing joyful news. I shared with anyone who would listen theContinue reading “Double Joy”
Dig Deep
Even memoirists need to do thorough research In my previous post, Respect the Truth, I shared one of the tips I presented last month to a group of nonfiction writers. I suggested the foremost consideration before beginning a writing project is understanding why you want to write it. It’s important to know who you wantContinue reading “Dig Deep”
Respect the Truth
I took part in a workshop called “How to Write a Nonfiction Book” last weekend, hosted by the San Gabriel Writers’ League, a writing group I belong to. Two other members and I were asked to share our writing journeys, including our failures and successes. Like many such judgements, we each define our own ideasContinue reading “Respect the Truth”
Literary Overload
I recently returned from the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Conference in Kansas City, Missouri with a backpack full of flyers and a head full of the sights and sounds of thousands of creative writing educators, publishers, and literati in one place. The Kansas City Convention Center is huge, and it’s spread overContinue reading “Literary Overload”
Janice Airhart 