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Student Quotes
"If the memories inside your head are as cluttered and chaotic as all those photos you still haven't put into albums, this course is a good way to start imposing some structure on them."
- Suzanne La Muniere
 IT Purchasing Coordinator
"This class was a wonderful mix of lecture, assignments, exchanges, and critiques. I've learned so much. My technique has improved, and I will continue to refer to the lectures as I write my memoir."
- Deborah Lehman
 Freelance Journalist
"At the end of class, I left with a head chock-full of ideas that I couldn't wait to use once I got home!"
- Dawn Turzio
 Teacher
More Student Quotes Here

Faculty
Memoir
Everyone has a story to tell.  Whether a life is unconventional or relatively normal, there’s bound to be something fascinating about it.  That’s why the contemporary memoir – everyday people telling their tales – has become such a popular phenomenon.  Memoirs appear throughout magazines and bookstores and a lucky few, such as Angela’s Ashes and The Liar’s Club, even make the bestseller list.

To make readers care, your memoir must be told with the finesse of fiction.  In our courses, you will learn how to focus your life stories, give them literary purpose, and apply such craft elements as character, plot, description, dialogue, setting, pacing, and theme.  You will also learn how and where to market your work.

Whether you seek to write essay-length pieces or a book, we’ll show you how to best tell the stories from your life.

Select a class: Level I, Advanced, One-Day

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Level I
Memoir Writing | 10-week Workshop
 
Using a balance of lecture, exercise, and feedback on work from the instructor and classmates, this course gives students a firm grounding in all the basics of memoir writing. Everything is presented in a clear, accessible manner.
  • Write one or two short memoirs or begin a book
  • Lectures on basics of memoir craft
  • Writing exercises
  • Present work for critique (two times)

Memoir I is for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals.

View a course syllabus.

(3.0 CEU)

New York City Classes  
Tuition: $395, Returning Students $365 . Registration Fee $25.  
Each class strictly limited to 14 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts Meeting Day Location Time Special Enroll
Apr 17 Saturdays 555 8th Ave. 10:00AM - 1:00PM
No Class: May 29
Apr 19 Mondays 1450 Broadway 7:00PM - 10:00PM
No Class: May 31
Apr 20 Tuesdays 273 Bowery 6:45PM - 9:45PM
Apr 21 Wednesdays 272 W. 10 St. 7:00PM - 10:00PM
No Class: May 26
Apr 21 Wednesdays 555 8th Ave. 2:00PM - 5:00PM
Apr 22 Thursdays 555 8th Ave. 10:00AM - 1:00PM
= Daytime Class

Online Classes  
Tuition: $395, Returning Students $365 . Registration Fee $25.  
Each class strictly limited to 16 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts New Lecture Location Time Special Enroll
Mar 16 Tuesdays Online 24 hrs. a day
Apr 6 Tuesdays Online 24 hrs. a day
Apr 20 Tuesdays Online 24 hrs. a day
May 18 Tuesdays Online 24 hrs. a day
= Daytime Class


Advanced - New York City
Memoir Writing | 10-week Workshop
 
Focusing on developing projects and receiving feedback from the instructor and classmates, this course helps students sharpen their skills and work toward completion of publishable work. Writers often repeat Memoir II to continue their projects.
  • Write or refine one/two short memoirs or begin or work toward completion of a book
  • Lectures that expand on basics of memoir craft
  • Writing exercises
  • Present work for in-depth critique (two times)
Prerequisite: Memoir Writing I or the equivalent.

Which level is right for you? How to Choose a Level

(3.0 CEU)

New York City Classes  
Tuition: $395, Returning Students $365 . Registration Fee $25.  
Each class strictly limited to 14 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts Meeting Day Location Time Special Enroll
Apr 18 Sundays 555 8th Ave. 10:00AM - 1:00PM
No Class: May 30
Apr 19 Mondays 273 Bowery 6:45PM - 9:45PM
No Class: May 31
Apr 20 Tuesdays 272 W. 10 St. 7:00PM - 10:00PM
No Class: May 25
Apr 22 Thursdays 555 8th Ave. 2:00PM - 5:00PM
= Daytime Class


Advanced - Online
Memoir Writing | 10-week Workshop
 
Focusing on developing projects and receiving feedback from the instructor and classmates, these courses helps students sharpen their skills and work toward completion of publishable work. Writers often repeat Memoir II to continue their projects.

Gotham has two separate programs for Memoir II online:

Memoir II-a – For writers working on either essay-length (short) or book-length memoirs.

Memoir II-b – For writers working on book-length memoirs.

All advanced students should start with Memoir II-a. Then, if you are writing a book and wish to continue with your study, you would follow it with Memoir II-b.

Which level is right for you? How to Choose a Level

(3.0 CEU)

Online Classes - Memoir Writing II-A  
  • Write or refine one/two short memoirs, or begin or work toward completion of a book-length memoir
  • Lectures that expand on basics of memoir craft
  • Writing exercises
  • Present work for in-depth critique (two times)
Prerequisite: Memoir I or the equivalent

View a course syllabus

Tuition: $395, Returning Students $365 . Registration Fee $25.  
Each class strictly limited to 14 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts New Lecture Location Time Special Enroll
Apr 8 Thursdays Online 24 hrs. a day
May 13 Thursdays Online 24 hrs. a day


Advanced - Online
Memoir Book | 10-week Workshop
 
Focusing on developing projects and receiving feedback from the instructor and classmates, these courses helps students sharpen their skills and work toward completion of publishable work. Writers often repeat Memoir II to continue their projects.

Gotham has two separate programs for Memoir II online:

Memoir II-a – For writers working on either essay-length (short) or book-length memoirs.

Memoir II-b – For writers working on book-length memoirs.

All advanced students should start with Memoir II-a. Then, if you are writing a book and wish to continue with your study, you would follow it with Memoir II-b.

Which level is right for you? How to Choose a Level

(3.0 CEU)

Online Classes - Memoir Book II-B  
  • Begin or work toward the completion of a book-length memoir
  • Lectures that expand on basics of memoir craft and the book form
  • Present work for in-depth critique (three times)
Prerequisite: Memoir II-a

View a course syllabus

Tuition: $395, Returning Students $365 . Registration Fee $25.  
Each class strictly limited to 14 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts New Lecture Location Time Special Enroll
Apr 15 Thursdays Online 24 hrs. a day


Memoir Writing | One-Day in NYC
 
The One-Day Workshops are fun, fast-paced immersions in a type of writing. You’ll get a mixture of brief lectures that hit the high-points and writing exercises that let you immediately try your hand at what you’ve just learned. The one-days provide an excellent overview of their fields, ideal for both the beginner and someone wanting a quick refresher course. Come in to class with a notepad, pen, and desire to learn. By the end of the day, you’ll be a more knowledgeable and skilled writer.

One-Days are for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals.

Topics include: the contemporary memoir defined, character, plot, description, getting published

New York City Classes  
Tuition: $125. Registration Fee $25.  
Each class strictly limited to 30 students, ages 18 and up.

Starts Meeting Day Location Time Special Enroll
Apr 11 Sunday Hunter College N. 11:00AM - 6:00PM


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