Creative Nonfiction: The Sweet, Savory, Salty, and Bitter Food of Life

INSTRUCTOR: Rebecca Spears

TIME: Sunday, August 18, 3:00–6:00 p.m. CDT

PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Monday, August 12. After Monday, August 12: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here.

LOCATION: Online via Zoom

LEVEL: All levels

CAP: 15

Of all our senses, taste and smell can easily connect us to memories and experiences of eating, family, childhood, and emotional comfort or distress. Maybe the smell or taste of freshly baked bread takes you back to your home or the people there. Or perhaps a bite of cherry pie is a comfort to you because someone you loved baked it. Sharing food can create a sense of belonging to friends, family, and your roots. Likewise, food can connect us to unpleasant experiences of fear and upset.

In this three-hour workshop, we will approach the personal essay through memories and experiences with food. In these essays, you can explore your relationship with particular people or with a gathering or event in your life. We will practice several techniques for connecting with food to craft a satisfying personal essay.

This event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance. This project is generously funded by the Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and Mid-America Arts Alliance.