From Images to Memoir Writing

My workshop, coming right up! Register now:

From Images to Memoir Writing
Wednesday Sep 2nd, 2026
5:30 PM-7:30 PM
Chuckanut Writers Classes
Village Books and Paper Dreams 1200 11th St. Bellingham WA 98225

You don’t have to start with words! In this generative workshop, we’ll use visualization of your own experiences to locate the emotions and details that give a memoir power and immediacy. We’ll also use ekphrastic prompts (prompts from art and other images) to evoke new ideas to bring your memoir alive. Come ready to explore and write!

Cost: $39

This class has one session on Wednesday, September 2, 5:30-7:30pm at Village Books and Paper Dreams in Fairhaven.

https://www.villagebooks.com/events/5073720260902

Cancelled: Women’s Intensive Writing Retreat on the Camino del Norte

Sadly, we have had to cancel due to low registration. Sorry!

Shoshana Kerewsky and Alder Allensworth are thrilled to announce that we will offer our Camino-Focused Women’s Intensive Writing Retreat on the Camino this fall! We’re so excited to welcome 8-12 women to join us for what promises to be a wonderful focused, engaged, intimate, and supportive retreat in a lovely setting near the Camino del Norte.

Basics

What: A facilitated writing retreat for self-identified women age 18 and older (bio women, transwomen, genderqueer women).

When: Tuesday afternoon, September 22 to Monday morning, September 28, 2026.

Where: A charming albergue-style retreat center near Lourenzá on the Camino del Norte.

Who we are: This retreat will be led by Alder and Shoshana, both published authors (Alder: Fiction, non-fiction, memoir; Shoshana: Poetry, fiction, memoir, non-fiction). Both of us have attended other writing retreats and participate actively in writers’ groups. We’ve both presented at American Pilgrims gatherings and elsewhere, and love our Camino-related voluntarism. Shoshana is a writing instructor in her community. Alder brings her writing expertise as a co-creator of the Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Awareness Program and author of the Mackenzie Meets Alzheimer’s Disease Picture Book.

What’s included: We will offer writing instruction and facilitation for writers of all experience levels, constructive feedback on your work (if desired), optional prompts and stimuli, individual and group activities, meetings with Alder and Shoshana, sharing, reading our work, and more. Any genre you write in is fine, including journal/diary writing! You will have choices and free writing/walking/meditative time. Additional activities may include walking, a field trip, and surprises, all included in your fee and optional. Our meals will be plant-forward and mostly vegetarian. Please use the Registration Form to give your additional dietary needs (for example, vegan). Our retreat center has semi-private albergue-style accommodation (2 bunkbeds [4 people] per room with sheets, pillows, duvets included, with shared bathrooms). You’ll need to bring your own towel. One group laundromat run is included.

How many people: We’d love to be joined by 8 to 12 of you! Our goal is to give each participant plenty of structured and unstructured writing and discussion time, and our warm attention. We’ll run a wait list as well.

Cost and Payment

Cost: €1150.00 per person.

Payment: Registration is open! Contact us now via this blog.

The deadlines for your deposit, balance due, and refunds are on the Registration Form. We will use Wise for payments.

FAQ

May I attend this retreat? I’m not a “real” writer: If you’re ready to spend a week focused on your writing, you qualify! Advanced and beginning writers are welcome. We’ll make sure everyone gets suggestions and help at a level that’s useful to you. (And yes, you’re a real writer.)

Do I have to write about the Camino? No, but we strongly encourage you to devote some of your week’s writing to the Camino. Our activities and prompts will include a Camino focus and be applicable to other subjects, too.

May I bring my family member/Camino family member/dog? To keep our focus and make all beds available to our participants, we only host have registered women. We may not have pets. Would your partner or friend enjoy spending a week somewhere nearby? Exploring Bilbao? Joining up with you afterward? Think creatively!

May I share this announcement? Please! Share individually or anywhere it won’t violate a group rule.

Questions? Want to receive the full registration email (no obligation, just more information)? Message Shoshana at Shoshana Kerewsky Author on Facebook or as a comment via this author blog, https://shoshanakerewsky.wordpress.com/

Copies for upcoming events

13 undamaged copies of my novel in a box of 14 isn’t bad. We’ll see what tomorrow’s box brings. Copies are available locally at Village Books, at the May 16 Whatcom Writers & Publishers event at Bellis Fair Mall, and internationally from Amazon. Village Books author event (in costume) in September! You want to see the costume, right?

https://www.facebook.com/events/1275807814007062?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22attachment%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22newsfeed%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

Award!

Hi, friends. I’m delighted to let you know that my new novel, The Codex of Christian Surname, just won an International Firebird Award in LGBTQ Fiction! Specifically, it has gender-bendy and ACE aspects. Find it at Village Books locally, at https://a.co/d/0dr8TcXl (ebook and paperback) in the US, or at https://mybook.to/uppY internationally (if you use a VPN, be sure this link takes you to your country, not the site in your VPN server’s country).

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started