Class Description
A personal journal can be many things, from a confessional and a historic record to an experimental space for testing out new ideas. Perhaps most importantly, a journal can provide a place for privacy and reflection in an increasingly chaotic world. Participants interested in developing and maintaining a creative journaling habit will explore exercises and inspiration. We will also study examples of historic journals, and use the methods of fiction writing to sharpen our own written observations.
Mary Wisniewski is a writer, reporter, and teacher. She has been a Chicago reporter for over thirty years and is the author of the award-winning Nelson Algren biography Algren: A Life. She is also a book and theater critic.
Materials List
Required
- Stuart Dybek, The Coast of Chicago: Stories. Picador, 2004. ISBN: 9780312424251
- Other Instructor-Distributed Materials
Recommended
- Mary Wisniewski, Algren: A Life. Chicago Review Press, 2016. ISBN: 9781613735329
First Assignment
- Read Samuel Pepys diary selections distributed by the instructor.
- Write in your journal about a historic event you experienced. Where were you? What were the objects around you? Who else was there? Try to write something every day, and bring in the journal to show me that you wrote (though not what you wrote, unless you want to share with the class).
- Read at least the first story in The Coast of Chicago.
Cost and Registration
6 Sessions, $245 ($220 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We now offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($245), Community Supported ($230), and Sponsor ($260). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
RegisterSupport the Newberry
Your generosity is vital in keeping the library’s programs, exhibitions, and reading rooms free and accessible to everyone.
Make a Gift