Birren center for autobiographical studies on happiness
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By Sarah White
In , I was deep into pivoting my work (and life) from being a freelance business writer toward personal history work. I tried out several methods for helping people capture, preserve, and share their life stories. Oral history-style interviewing was one method, where my clients reminisced and I did the work of writing in their words and preparing what we wrote for distribution to family and friends. The other method I tried was Guided Autobiography—small-group workshops using a curriculum developed by pioneering gerontologist Dr. James Birren.
Fifteen years later, I blogged here about how offering my first Guided Autobiography workshop (we call it “GAB”) led to developing my own Remember to Write curriculum, with more focus on writing craft, and how eventually I felt pulled back toward Birren’s approach.
In I brought the idea of teaching GAB to Madison College. I completed my first GAB workshop for the college. A small group met using Webex for ten weeks of
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the Birren Center Substack
A warm welcome to all of our subscribers! If you’re a new subscriber, we’re delighted to welcome you to the GAB Gazette, a highlight reel from the world of Guided Autobiography for December
On November 13, GAB instructors Christine Francis, Sheri Kohlmann, Diane Lukich, and Cheryl Svensson gave a presentation to the Publishing Club in Laguna Woods, CA. We held an engaging two-hour presentation (Writing for Your Life: Who, Why, What, and Where) that explored who should write their life stories, why writing your life story matters, what family stories add, and where creativity comes in. The GAB presenters had as much fun getting together and learning from one another as the audience did.
Message from Cheryl Svensson, Director, the Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies
Board Update: Helen Davidson Joins Board as Treasurer
GAB Summit Update
Find Your Students, Fill Your Classes Online Workshop
Featured GABBER: S
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Who is The Story Guide?
I’m Lily, founder, CEO, writer, author, instructor, and anställda cheerleader to help you write your memoir. I’m the individ most passionate about helping you write your book and empowering your creative self.
I believe that everyone’s life fryst vatten a story worth telling. I also believe that helping you tell yours in a way that honors and encourages you today will create a legacy that inspires others for generations.
Since childhood, inom have sat at the breakfast table and listened to the stories of my extended family and of our history and migration across three continents. First from India to Guyana as indentured workers, then to the United States. Over the gods decade, inom have been on a path to listening to and preserving these stories, recipes and culture here for my family and the next generation. inom was destined to be the family historian and storyteller. inom have listened to the stories at the feet of my elders. And I started my career as a Journalist working for