In a memoir portrait, a writer focuses on another person they knew—sometimes a famous figure, oftentimes a family member or someone else in their sphere. Portraits are not biographies; objectivity is not the point. Instead others are presented through the writer's eyes. You'll learn to craft a portrait that reveals key truths about the person you choose, your world, and life itself. Come ready to write.

Enjoy our pool and lovely 61 acres of land and wildlife overlooking the Hudson River. You will stay in a private, air-conditioned guest room with shared bathrooms. All meals are included; the retreat begins with dinner on Friday and ends with lunch on Sunday.

Date & Time: Friday, July 28 at 5pm through Sunday, July 30 at 1pm

Fee: $285 (all inclusive)

Presenter: Lorraine Ash

Read more about Lorraine Ash and the award-winning book, Corona City: Voices From an Epicenter, that originated in a writing retreat at Mariandale in April 2020.

About the Presenter:

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.