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. 

Grief doesn’t resolve—it evolves. In Part One, we wrote into the terrain of loss, exploring memory, absence, and the nonlinear nature of grief through flash nonfiction. In this continuation, we move further in—and through.

This eight-week workshop is for writers who have taken my first grief writing workshop (Paper, Memory, and Light) and are ready to deepen their engagement with grief on the page—not to tidy it, but to transform it. Through advanced craft techniques, generative prompts, and guided revision, we will explore how brief forms can hold enormous emotional weight, and how compression can create both clarity and release.

Each week includes:

• Close reading of published flash nonfiction
• Craft discussion focused on advanced techniques
• Two to three generative prompts for each week
• Workshop and/or feedback on student work, deeper revisions and longer critiques

By the end of this course, participants will:

• Develop a stronger command of flash nonfiction as a form
• Gain tools for structuring and sequencing short pieces
• Learn how to balance emotional truth with craft precision
• Leave with a small body of interconnected work

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: Generate new work that enters grief from a fresh angle, resisting easy narratives.

Week 2: Explore the architecture of flash—how structure, pacing, and compression shape meaning.

Week 3: Use image and object as anchors to hold emotional weight without over-explaining.

Week 4: Experiment with voice and narrative distance to deepen perspective and risk.

Week 5: Write into silence—using omission, gaps, and restraint to let the unsaid speak.

Week 6: Juxtapose grief with the ordinary to create contrast, texture, and complexity.

Week 7: Revise with intention—cutting, layering, and reshaping work for greater impact.

Week 8: What comes next? Submitting your work, keeping up the momentum.

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 live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $545 USD. 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 Monday, August 3rd, 2026
  
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom for 2 Hours on Mondays, starting at 1:00PM - 3:00PM Eastern