Led by Mira Ptacin, the author of the award-winning memoir Poor Your Soul (Soho Press, 2016), which was named a best book of the year by Kirkus Books, where it received a rare “starred” review. She’s also the author of the genre-blending book of feminist history, memoir, and ethnography, The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna (Liveright-W.W. Norton, 2019), which the New York Times lauded as the best book to read during a pandemic. Mira’s writing frequently appears in the New York Times, New York Times Book Review, Vogue, Poets and Writers, Harper’s, Tin House, LitHub, and more. She received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, where she was editor-at-large of their literary magazine, LUMINA. Mira lives on Peaks Island, Maine, and is currently working on her next book.

Learn more about Mira in our Meet the Teaching Artist series.

This four-week generative writing class invites you to explore the emotional power of brevity in creative nonfiction.

Through the art of micro memoir, we’ll examine how small stories--told with clarity, precision, and honesty--can carry profound emotional weight.

Each week, we’ll share compositions from the previous week, read closely, and consider how storytelling can offer catharsis: not just confession, but transformation.

Prompts will be revealed during class and are designed to guide you gently and playfully toward moments of discovery.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Each week, class will begin with a brief lecture by the instructor, followed by writing prompts, and instructor-led group critiques. The writing prompts and exercises will be intended to liberate attendees’ creativity, provide literary distance and perspective, and open their eyes to possibilities that may not seem immediately obvious.

Week One: The Shard and the Spark

We begin by tracing the emotional root of our stories: the memory-splinters that lodge themselves in us, the flashbulb images that stay long after the moment has passed. This week centers on learning how to capture the essence of a lived experience through small, specific detail. We’ll consider how memoir can begin not with a full story arc, but with a spark. an image, a phrase, a smell. Together, we’ll read short works by Beth Ann Fennelly and Lia Purpura and use them as touchstones for accessing our own deep reservoirs of feeling.

Week Two: Persona and Mask

Catharsis often requires a kind of shapeshifting, the ability to speak not only from the rawness of the moment, but through a crafted voice. This week, we’ll explore how the self becomes both subject and narrator in memoir, and what it means to choose a particular version of ourselves to speak. Through the playful fragmentation of Jenny Boully’s essays and the narrative intimacy of Jerald Walker’s work, we’ll ask: how does voice influence emotional impact? How does persona allow us to tell difficult truths?

Week Three: The Unsaid and the Understory

Sometimes catharsis comes not from naming the pain outright, but from circling it...letting it echo in the spaces between words. This week, we’ll examine silence, restraint, and implication in memoir. We’ll read the meditative fragments of Sarah Manguso and the curious delights of Ross Gay, studying how they gesture toward meaning without always stating it outright. This session will challenge us to consider how what’s left out of a story can often carry the most emotional charge.

Week Four: Form as Function

As we close the course, we’ll explore how catharsis can be found through structure itself—how choosing the right container for a story can make it both bearable to tell and beautiful to read. We’ll look at hybrid forms, list essays, and unconventional templates, studying the way writers like Ander Monson and Brenda Miller build shape around emotion. In our final class, you’ll experiment with form as a way to surprise both yourself and your reader, giving shape to what once felt uncontainable...

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Crafting 8 powerful, moving flash nonfiction essays, plus more that can be developed into much longer bodies of work or complete as-is.
• A deeper understanding of storytelling dynamics though structure, voice, dialogue, and takeaway.
• Experience in group critique and editing experience. 
• Learn techniques to expand your stories into longer works. A one-on-one zoom conference with your instructor.
  

REQUIREMENTS:

This class will be a mixture of lectures, readings, discussions, and critique and will require active engagement in all of the above.

TESTIMONIALS:

“I encourage writers of all levels to take class with Mira. Our class had writers with MFAs and dozens of books as well as writers who simply wanted help trying to find the right words. Mira’s thoughtfully designed coursework, readings and assignments, combined with her warmth, encouragement, and enthusiasm, made our class a place where students felt a sense of belonging, and where everyone could take risks. Our class has ended, but everyone wants to stay together and keep writing. Mira’s magic fosters that sense of community. Her expertise elevates everyone’s work.” —Jennie Burke

"I met Mira while taking her Flash Nonfiction class and was immediately taken with her approach. She balanced fun and warmth with soft honesty and thoughtful guidance. She was responsive to one-on-one outreach and was more than happy to meet with me again after class had ended. What's more, she introduced me to some of her publishing contacts. I can't wait for the next opportunity to take one of Mira's classes." -Jennifer C.

“Mira’s skill at creating a safe and open space for writing and sharing is unlike any class I have taken. She has an arsenal of unique, generative prompts; endless source material; and unlimited inspiration from her own life (and our lives!). I come away from each class with a flowering list of things to write, research, and read. Mira understands how to appreciate and talk about details in writing and to guide the class in sequence with generous and helpful critique. She is an ace at leading discussions which never feel rushed. She manages the class time so that everyone is heard and encouraged. I highly recommend this empathetic and whip smart teacher. Happy bonus: she is as cool as heck. As a professional writer, I was looking for an awakening about my craft and my career. I got more than I bargained for: a gentle nudge, a kick in the pants, and a warm embrace. Writers at any level would be lucky to attend one of Mira’s workshops.” —Laura Dower, author of more than 150 children’s books from Penguin, Capstone, Macmillan, Scholastic, Disney, and other publishers

“Mira’s micro-memoir class is powerful and empowering! Mira’s teaching has consistently helped me access my most true creative voice. Her prompts are pitch perfect—just the right balance of open-ended and focused. I come away from my time with her a wiser writer and full of inspiration. Mira’s feedback is encouraging and thoughtful; she’s authentically respectful, erudite, and has an infectious passion for the mot juste." —Polly Duff Kertis, writer and teacher.

“Mira is magical. I’ve taken a number of her workshops, and even had the fabulous good luck to study with her in Paris last year. I continue to be blown away by her effervescence, creativity, and the absolute joy she brings to each workshop. Her prompts are thoughtful and imaginative, and her insights are invaluable. Plus, she is simply the warmest, most encouraging and talented writer and teacher I have ever known. You will walk away from her class with renewed enthusiasm and love for the craft of writing. I cannot wait to take another workshop with her!” —Kristin Perpignano, writer and graphic designer

“It’s rare to come across a short writing class that leaves a long mark on my soul, but Mira’s did. Her prompts during class were unique, ones I’d not heard or written around before. And her gentle invitation for each of us to read aloud (if we wanted) led us to a place of unexpected closeness as a group of otherwise strangers. By the end of two hours, I couldn’t wait to read more of my classmates’ words, to give more time to the essay-lets I generated in class, and to sign up for more Mira. Time and money very, very well spent.” —Nikki Campo, writer.

"If you want to improve your writing, follow these steps: sign up for a class with Mira Ptacin, then do what she says. It’s that simple. Before enrolling in Mira’s class, I struggled to write anything personal, whether a short paragraph or a ten-page essay. I was timid, reserved, and uncomfortable sharing in public. Thankfully, Mira’s teaching completely changed my mindset. Through her technical skill, knowledge of the memoir genre, and unyielding empathy, she helped me break from my cocoon and share my story with the world. She is, without a doubt, the best writing teacher I’ve ever had. I can’t recommend her classes highly enough." —Matt Rocha, journalist

“I will read anything Mira writes. Her words have the same effect as stepping into a hot bath, after standing under a spotlight — she calls attention to what ails us (often before other writers have dared to do so) and then says, here is how I am healing myself; how we can heal ourselves. She is also the rare writer who is as good a teacher (and finds teaching to be a calling) as she is a writer. She will forever be your champion and cheerleader and sounding board, and you will leave her classes feeling seen and invigorated and a little more sure of your creative worth. She’s a gift.” —Michelle Koufopoulos, writer and former Riverhead Books editor 

"I so enjoyed Mira Ptacin's Writing as Catharsis: Flash Memoir workshop. Mira is a fabulous leader/teacher/moderator for the group. The community of writers we had was an amazing group. And Mira's writing prompts were excellent." -former student

"Mira Ptacin's Micro-Memoir workshop was great. The readings and the prompts were excellent, and Mira's energy and enthusiasm really added to the class. One of my favorite classes!" -former student

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class meets weekly via Zoom. Come prepared for a super fun class with live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $299. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

• Instructor: Mira Ptacin
  
• Begins Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom for 2 Hours on Tuesdays starting at 6:00PM - 8:00PM Eastern
• Tuition is $299.

Contact us HERE if you have any questions about this class.