THE STORY GATHERERS PRESENT: The Self and the Social Fabric: Writing Stories to Heal a Divided Age

The popularity of memoir gives us all permission to tell our stories. In this workshop we'll look at how these stories relate to the groups we live in and among. Memoirists, citizen journalists, family historians, and group storytellers will learn techniques to tell compelling narratives of collective experiences—stories that draw forth commonalities and promote mutual and self understanding. We'll also explore the healing potential of these stories in a contentious age.

Date & Time: Friday, Feb. 24 thru Sun. Feb. 26, 2023.

Schedule: This online retreat will take place over 3 days, with 4 zoom sessions. One registration covers all access. All sessions will use the same meeting link, so that you can access the retreat easily with one confirmation.

• Friday, Feb. 24, 7 pm to 9 pm
• Saturday, Feb. 25, 10 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 4 pm
• Sunday, Feb. 26, 10 am to 1 pm

Presenters: Lorraine Ash, Jennifer Lader and Jerry Waxler

Fee: $150 (Virtual Online) (registration opens Nov. 24, 2022- space is limited)

About The Story Gathers:

Lorraine Ash works as a book editor and author coach specializing in all forms of autobiographical writing. She has penned two memoirs, Life Touches Life: A Mother's Story of Stillbirth and Healing and Self and Soul: On Creating a Meaningful Life. Most recently, she edited the award-winning Corona City: Voices from an Epicenter, an anthology of first-person writings that chronicles life in New Jersey and New York when these two states were the nation's first COVID-19 epicenter. Lorraine studied at Fordham University and California State University, Long Beach. She lives in New Jersey.

Jennifer Lader is an award-winning writer and author of Six-Word Lessons for Writing Your Community's Story. Finding stories that build connections is key to the two businesses she runs. Jennifer holds an undergraduate degree in anthropology and a master's in public administration with a focus on organizational culture. She lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where she writes about her community.

Jerry Waxler, motivated by the healing he has discovered in the memoir form, has devoted his life to teaching, coaching, and facilitating writers to achieve the same results. He has authored How to Become a Heroic Writer, a self-help book that reveals the power of the memoir in today's society; the groundbreaking Memoir Revolution; and Thinking My Way to the End of the World, his memoir about finding himself in the sixties. Jerry holds a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Wisconsin and a master's in counseling psychology from Villanova University. He is a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania.

How the Online Program Works