Big Themes, Little Details: Showing & Telling to Cultivate Meaning in Creative Nonfiction with Jasmin Pittman Morrell

Writer Jasmin Pittman Morrell will host a class on constructing personal narratives November 11 at 10 a.m. in the Laurel Forum in Karpen Hall. Registration is $20 and open to the public. Register here: Big Themes, Little Details: Showing & Telling to Cultivate Meaning in Creative Nonfiction with Jasmin Pittman Morrell

During the class, participants will explore constructing personal narratives, defined as stories about ourselves, the world, and the intersections of the two. By engaging poetry, excerpts of memoir essays, and using a tool called “the ladder of abstraction,” we’ll discuss the value of showing and telling in storytelling – and why we need both to deepen meaning. Making meaning is the purview of storytellers, and when we share our interpretations of events both public and intimate, we have a powerful opportunity to create empathy and shared understanding. There will be time for writing and feedback in this workshop that welcomes you to craft art birthed from your true stories.

Jasmin Pittman Morrell writes about identity, place, and belonging. Her work is most recently featured in “Bigger Than Bravery: Black Resilience and Reclamation in a Time of Pandemic,” as well as “Meeting at the Table: African-American Women Write On Race, Culture and Community”. 

This event is part of a series of mini-classes hosted by the Great Smokies Writing Program. Learn more here.