Creative Nonfiction
Patrice Gopo is an award-winning essayist who writes stories steeped in themes of place, belonging, and home. She is the author of two essay collections: Autumn Song: Essays on Absence (University of Nebraska Press American Lives Series) and All the Colors We Will See (a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection).
Her debut picture book, All the Places We Call Home, is based on one of her essays. Her essay “That Autumn” received a notable mention in the Best American Essays 2020 and earned a National City and Regional Magazine Association award for best essay, criticism, and commentary. In addition to other honors, Patrice is the recipient of a North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship and a Sustainable Arts Foundation Award. When she’s not writing, Patrice hosts the podcast Picture Books Are for Grown-Ups Too! because she believes in the power of stories to help build connections between people. Patrice lives with her family in North Carolina, where she enjoys walks just after dawn and thinks a perfect day ends with ice cream. Please visit www.patricegopo.com to learn more.
Course Description
Crafting Compelling Personal Essays
The personal essay is a gateway into making sense of our lived experiences and making meaning on the page. But how do we craft compelling essays that rise above anecdote, move forward with momentum, and engage with the thinking work characteristic of such writing? Through daily craft discussions about topics such as the parts of the essay and the importance of structure, participants will learn tools to help them write effective and satisfying essays. These daily craft discussions will often include a generative writing activity. Our final day will leave time for conversation about the business of writing and publishing essays.
In addition, workshop participants will submit essays of any length up to a maximum of 4500 words (there is no minimum). Each day, we will incorporate discussion of two participant essays. Rather than a traditional workshop approach, we will use these contributions to move us into fruitful conversations about craft—both general and specific to the personal essay.