Muse & the Marketplace 2019

For nonfiction writers who are parents, our children are one of the most important parts of our lives, and it's natural that they'll make their way into our essays and memoirs. But crafting original and compelling nonfiction about our own children is notoriously difficult. On one hand, no one wants to read about how our kids are angels, sent from above to enrich our lives and put everything into perspective. But on the other, no one wants to listen to us gripe about our ungrateful, mouthy offspring who leave their dirty laundry everywhere.

Join this lively discussion of what makes for excellent writing about our own kids. With examples from published essays and memoirs, we'll identify the craft elements that set these works apart, and discover strategies for depicting our own kids in ways that aren't cloying, predictable, off-putting, or unethical. Come with your own essay and memoir ideas, or problems you're currently wrestling with. (But please, leave your kids at home!)