The Art of Spiritual Memoir with Donna M. Johnson Discovering and deepening your storyMarch 1, 2019 By Event Details Date(s): Monday, Sep 9th, 2019-Thursday, Sep 12th, 2019 Venue: Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary Categories: Regional Workshop, Writing Workshop In partnership with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Spiritual memoir seeks to approach the presence of the ineffable in our lives. It’s an imaginative quest that can reshape personal history into art as it pushes toward a greater truth. This class will focus on re-discovering and deepening our personal narratives through the craft of writing. We will explore how the use of time, character, symbol, structure and other elements of creative nonfiction turns memory into story. Each day will include an hour and a half teaching session to include writing prompts, an hour and a half workshop session, and unstructured time. Donna Johnson Workshop facilitator Donna M. Johnson is the author of Holy Ghost Girl, a memoir critically acclaimed by the New York Times, O Magazine, Texas Monthly, Beliefnet, NPR’s Interfaith Voices, People and many other publications and blogs. The book was named to the Oprah.com Memoirs We Love list and took top honors in the Spirituality category at the New York Books for a Better Life Awards. Donna is a Ragdale Fellow and was recently awarded a fellowship to the Lucas Artist Residency in Saratoga, CA. Donna’s work has been collected in two well-reviewed anthologies, Beyond Belief and Her Texas. She has written about religion, family and culture for the Dallas Morning News, the Austin American Statesman, Psychology Today, Lion’s Roar, Huffington Post, and The Rumpus. She is currently at work on a project that combines investigative journalism with personal narrative. Cost: $350 (includes lodging and meals). Participants are also responsible for travel to/from the workshop. Participants will meet beginning at 3 PM on Monday, September 9 through Thursday, September 12 at 12 PM. Participation is limited and requires application. Application Process: The application deadline for this workshop has now passed.