Telling Your Story: Writing Your Memoir Through Memory, Voice, and Meaning (In-Person)
Fall (15 to 16.5 hours) | Registration opens 8/13/2026 12:00 AM EDT
What stories from your life are waiting to be written and shared? This course invites you to explore your past and write your memoir, focusing on the experiences, memories, and moments that have shaped who you are. Each session begins with a brief introduction to a central topic—such as memory, voice, scene-building, revision, and deciding what to include or leave out—followed by discussion and shared writing. The course is designed for anyone interested in personal storytelling, whether you are new to memoir or returning to writing. Participants will write short pieces between sessions and share work in progress in a supportive, respectful setting. By the end of the course, you’ll have greater clarity, confidence, and momentum in developing your memoir. This course will combine lecture with class discussions and readings.
The course will meet for eight sessions—first four in person and last four on Zoom.
The following book is required for your course:
"How to Write Your Personal or Family History: (If You Don’t Do It, Who Will?)" by Katie Wiebe, ISBN: 978-1561486656
Peter Adler
Peter W. Adler, a Dartmouth graduate, taught law at the University of Massachusetts and Vermont Law School. He has taught “How to Write Your Family’s Story” and this “Memoirs” course at Osher and is enthusiastic about being your Study Leader for this memoir course. Peter looks forward to guiding and collaborating with participants as they explore memory, voice, and storytelling, and develop meaningful personal narratives to share with others.