Kathleen McClung | Poetry, Memoir, and Fiction

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2021 Classes

Saturday, January 23, 2021  “New Year, New Paths” (via Zoom). Limited to 10 writers. CLASS FULL

Fridays, January—March 2021 “Poetry Master Class (via Zoom). Limited to 6 advanced poets. CLASS FULL

January 19—May 26, 2021 English 161/162: Creative Writing I and II online www.skylinecollege.edu

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2020 Classes

Fall 2020 Poetry Master Class, Friday afternoons, San Francisco, Limited to 6 advanced poets.

Fall 2020 English 110: Literature, Composition, Critical Thinking and English 161/162 Creative Writing, Skyline College, San Bruno, Limited to 26 students   www.skylinecollege.edu

Saturday, July 18, 2020 Orchards of Ripe Words workshop, Oakland, Limited to 10 writers.

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2019 Classes

Sundays, January 13-March 24, 2019  2-5 p.m. “Memoir Master Class.” Designed for people who have completed a memoir or personal essay class and seek a supportive small group to keep the momentum going. We’ll write, polish, and submit for publication short, stand-alone memoir pieces. We meet at the San Francisco Writing Salon two Sundays a month. https://www.writingsalons.com/event/memoir-master-class-winter-2019/

Saturday, February 2, 2019 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. “New Year, New Paths.” Come enjoy spirited reading and discussion and plenty of time for writing. We’ll gather in a spacious home in north Berkeley. All levels/genres welcome. Fee is $125 (includes lunch and snacks.) Limited to 11 writers. WORKSHOP IS FULL. The organizer is my longtime student Ellen Woods, author of Warriors in Transition: A Memoir in Twenty-Eight Stories.

Fridays, starting February 8, 2019 6-8 pm “Embracing the Hush Hour: Deepen Your Poetry Practice.”  The Writing Salon, San Francisco.  Slow down from the hustle of the week and turn inward to shape and polish your poems. We’ll read/talk about work by contemporary writers such as Corrinne Hales, Kim Bridgford, Aimee Nezhukumatathil and others. We’ll tune into our own observations, memories, imaginations, rhythms and we’ll test drive various traditional forms–villanelle, sestina, sonnet–as well as explore the elasticity of free verse. Plan to complete 4-8 new works by the start of summer. We meet two Fridays a month for a replenishing “hush hour.” https://www.writingsalons.com/event/embracing-hush-hour-winter-2019/

Saturdays, Feb 16–March 23, 2019  2:00-4:30 p.m. (Skip 3/2) “Memoir Writing: Mine and Refine Your Memories.” the Writing Salon, San Francisco. In this 5-week class we’ll focus on finding and shaping evocative stories from our own lives, stories that build from our specific and unique life events and move toward resonant, universal themes. Through readings, discussions, and writing exercises, we’ll explore the basic elements of memoir: selecting key moments and passages, scene-setting and dialogue, using fresh sensory detail, reflecting and musing on the meanings of our experiences so that our work “speaks” to readers. We will find and fine-tune our own distinctive writing voices, essential for this genre. Class participants will have opportunities to try their hand at writing and sharing short memoir pieces and will be guided in giving and receiving encouraging, constructive feedback for ways to develop/deepen the writing. Readings will include excerpts from Judith Barrington’s Writing the Memoir and Tristine Rainer’s Your Life as Story, as well as work by a variety of contemporary memoirists. https://www.writingsalons.com/event/memoir-writing-mine-refine-memories-winter-2019/

Saturday, April 27, 2019 10 a.m.–4 p.m. “Flash Memoir.”  A one-day workshop focusing on getting in and out of a memoir piece in 500 words or less. We will read, discuss, and write micro memoirs in our day together at the San Francisco Writing Salon. https://www.writingsalons.com/event/flash-memoir-spring-2019/

Saturday, May 4, 2019 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. “Blooming Wildflowers.” Come enjoy spirited reading and discussion and plenty of time for writing. We’ll gather in a spacious home in El Cerrito. All levels/genres welcome. Fee is $135 (includes lunch and snacks.) Limited to 11 writers. WORKSHOP IS ALMOST FULL. The organizer is my longtime student Ellen Woods, author of Warriors in Transition: A Memoir in Twenty-Eight Stories. If interested, click on Contact page and email me directly.

Saturday, July 20, 2019 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. “Writing as Healing” Writing Salon, San Francisco.  I’ve enjoyed facilitating this workshop for the past few years. Valuable for people at all levels of writing experience, the one-day workshop includes readings from Louise DeSalvo’s book, Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives as well as a variety of contemporary memoirs. We write and share healing narratives in a supportive, encouraging setting and talk about developing/deepening our writing practice. Class description/registration coming soon at www.writingsalons.com

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2018 Classes

Saturday, April 21, 2018 10 a.m.–4 p.m. “Flash Memoir.”  A one-day workshop focusing on getting in and out of a memoir piece in 500 words or less. We will read, discuss, and write micro memoirs in our day together at the San Francisco Writing Salon. https://www.writingsalons.com/event/flash-memoir/

Saturday, July 14, 2018 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. “Writing as Healing” Writing Salon, San Francisco.  I’ve enjoyed facilitating this workshop for the past few years. Valuable for people at all levels of writing experience, the one-day workshop includes readings from Louise DeSalvo’s book, Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives as well as a variety of contemporary memoirs. We write and share healing narratives in a supportive, encouraging setting and talk about developing/deepening our writing practice. https://www.writingsalons.com/event/writing-healing/

Sundays, starting July 15, 2018 2-5 p.m. “Memoir Master Class.” Designed for people who have completed a memoir or personal essay class and seek a supportive small group to keep the momentum going this summer. We’ll write, polish, and submit for publication short, stand-alone memoir pieces. We meet at the San Francisco Writing Salon two Sundays a month: 7/15, 7/29, 8/19, 8/26, 9/9, 9/16. https://www.writingsalons.com/event/memoir-master-class-sf/

Saturday, July 21, 2018 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. “Orchards of Ripe Words: A Writing Retreat.” Come enjoy spirited reading and discussion and plenty of time for writing. We’ll gather in a bright, book-filled home in north Berkeley. All levels/genres welcome. Fee is $125 (includes lunch and snacks.) Limited to 12 writers. If interested, click on Contact page and email me directly. The organizer is my longtime student Ellen Woods, author of Warriors in Transition: A Memoir in Twenty-Eight Stories.

Fridays, starting August 24. 6-8 pm “Embracing the Hush Hour: Deepen Your Poetry Practice.”  The Writing Salon, San Francisco.  Slow down from the hustle of the week and turn inward to shape and polish your poems. We’ll read/talk about work by contemporary writers such as Corrinne Hales, Kim Bridgford, Aimee Nezhukumatathil and others. We’ll tune into our own observations, memories, imaginations, rhythms and we’ll test drive various traditional forms–cento, ghazal, sonnet–as well as explore the elasticity of free verse. Plan to complete 4-8 new works by Thanksgiving. We meet two Fridays a month for a replenishing “hush hour”:  8/24, 9/7, 9/21, 10/5, 10/19, 11/2, 11/16, 11/30. https://www.writingsalons.com/event/embracing-hush-hour/

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2017 Classes

Saturday, January 21, 2017 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. “New Year, New Paths.” Come enjoy spirited reading and discussion and plenty of time for writing. We’ll gather in a spacious home in north Berkeley. All levels/genres welcome. Fee is $120 (includes lunch and snacks.) Limited to 11 writers. WORKSHOP HAS 1 OPENING. If you’re interested in joining us, click on Contact page and email me directly. The organizer is my longtime student Ellen Woods, author of Warriors in Transition: A Memoir in Twenty-Eight Stories.

Friday evenings, February through May, 6-8 pm “Embracing the Hush Hour: Deepen Your Poetry Practice.”  The Writing Salon, Berkeley. www.writingsalons.com

Slow down from the hustle of the week and turn inward to shape and polish your poems. We’ll read/talk about work by contemporary writers such as Corrinne Hales, Kim Bridgford, Aimee Nezhukumatathil and others. We’ll tune into our own observations, memories, imaginations, rhythms and we’ll test drive various traditional forms–cento, ghazal, sonnet–as well as explore the elasticity of free verse. Plan to complete 4-8 new works by the spring. We meet two Fridays a month for a replenishing “hush hour”:  2/10, 2/24, 3/10, 3/24, 4/14, 4/28, 5/12, 5/26

Saturdays, Feb 25–April 1  2:00-4:30 p.m. (Skip 3/25)
The Writing Salon, Berkeley
“Memoir Writing: Mine and Refine Your Memories”
www.writingsalons.com

In this 5-week class we’ll focus on finding and shaping evocative stories from our own lives, stories that build from our specific and unique life events and move toward resonant, universal themes. Through readings, discussions, and writing exercises, we’ll explore the basic elements of memoir: selecting key moments and passages, scene-setting and dialogue, using fresh sensory detail, reflecting and musing on the meanings of our experiences so that our work “speaks” to readers. We will find and fine-tune our own distinctive writing voices, essential for this genre.

Class participants will have opportunities to try their hand at writing and sharing short memoir pieces and will be guided in giving and receiving encouraging, constructive feedback for ways to develop/deepen the writing. Readings will include excerpts from Judith Barrington’s Writing the Memoir and Tristine Rainer’s Your Life as Story, as well as work by a variety of contemporary memoirists.

Saturdays, March 18–August 12 10 a.m.–1 p.m.  Private Master Class.  Write, polish, and submit for publication stand-alone memoir pieces. Class size limited to 10. We meet once a month in a private home in San Francisco on these dates:  March 18, April 22, May 20, June 24, July 22, Aug 12.  Fee: $350   To enroll, please email me directly via my Contact page.

Saturday, April 15, 2017  10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. “Writing as Healing” Writing Salon, Berkeley www.writingsalons.com I’ve enjoyed facilitating this workshop for the past few years. Valuable for people at all levels of writing experience, the one-day workshop includes readings from Louise DeSalvo’s book, Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives as well as a variety of contemporary memoirs. We write and share healing narratives in a supportive, encouraging setting and talk about developing/deepening our writing practice.

Sunday, April 30, 2017 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. “Blooming Wildflowers: A Writing Retreat.” Come enjoy spirited reading and discussion and plenty of time for writing. We’ll gather in a bright, book-filled home in north Berkeley. All levels/genres welcome. Fee is $125 (includes lunch and snacks.) Limited to 10 writers. If interested, click on Contact page and email me directly. The organizer is my longtime student Ellen Woods, author of Warriors in Transition: A Memoir in Twenty-Eight Stories.

Alternate Friday evenings, July through October, 2017, 6-8 pm “Embracing the Hush Hour: Deepen Your Poetry Practice.”  The Writing Salon, San Francisco. www.writingsalons.com

Slow down from the hustle of the week and turn inward to shape and polish your poems. We’ll read/talk about work by contemporary writers such as Corrinne Hales, Kim Bridgford, Aimee Nezhukumatathil and others. We’ll tune into our own observations, memories, imaginations, rhythms and we’ll test drive various traditional forms–cento, ghazal, sonnet–as well as explore the elasticity of free verse. Plan to complete 4-8 new works by autumn. We meet two Fridays a month for a replenishing “hush hour”:  7/14, 7/28, 8/11, 8/25, 9/8, 9/22, 10/6, 10/20

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2016 Classes

Saturday, January 16, 2016 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. “New Year, New Paths.” Come enjoy spirited reading and discussion and plenty of time for writing. We’ll gather in a spacious home in north Berkeley. All levels/genres welcome. Fee is $120 (includes lunch and snacks.) Limited to 11 writers. WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL. If you’re interested in joining the wait list, click on Contact page and email me directly. The organizer is my longtime student Ellen Woods, author of Warriors in Transition: A Memoir in Twenty-Eight Stories.

Saturday, July 9, 2016 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. “Orchards of Ripe Words: A Writing Retreat.” Come enjoy spirited reading and discussion and plenty of time for writing. We’ll gather in a bright, book-filled home in north Berkeley. All levels/genres welcome. Fee is $120 (includes lunch and snacks.) Limited to 10 writers. If interested, click on Contact page and email me directly. The organizer is my longtime student Ellen Woods, author of Warriors in Transition: A Memoir in Twenty-Eight Stories.

Saturday, July 23, 2016 10 a.m.–4 p.m. The Writing Salon, Berkeley “Mischief & Metaphor: Crafting New Poems” www.writingsalons.com

In our day together we’ll read and talk about an array of accessible, provocative poems by a variety of contemporary writers, and we’ll do some whimsical, illuminating writing exercises to bypass our inner critics and experiment with themes and tones, phrases and rhythms. We’ll listen closely and encouragingly to each other’s voices. By the end of the day we’ll shape a handful of budding poems, sharpen our vision for future writing projects, and expand our knowledge about the wealth of resources available to Bay Area poets. Everybody’s welcome in this workshop, first-timers as well as repeaters.

Saturdays, August 13–September 17, 2016 2:00-4:30 p.m.  (Skip 9/3)
The Writing Salon, Berkeley
“Memoir Writing: Mine and Refine Your Memories”
www.writingsalons.com

In this 5-week class we’ll focus on finding and shaping evocative stories from our own lives, stories that build from our specific and unique life events and move toward resonant, universal themes. Through readings, discussions, and writing exercises, we’ll explore the basic elements of memoir: selecting key moments and passages, scene-setting and dialogue, using fresh sensory detail, reflecting and musing on the meanings of our experiences so that our work “speaks” to readers. We will find and fine-tune our own distinctive writing voices, essential for this genre.

Class participants will have opportunities to try their hand at writing and sharing short memoir pieces and will be guided in giving and receiving encouraging, constructive feedback for ways to develop/deepen the writing. Readings will include excerpts from Judith Barrington’s Writing the Memoir and Tristine Rainer’s Your Life as Story, as well as work by a variety of contemporary memoirists.

Wednesdays, starting August 17, 7-10 pm Skyline College’s Bay Area Entrepreneur Center, 458 San Mateo Avenue, San Bruno  “English 161/162: Creative Writing”

In this evening class designed for busy adult learners, students will read, discuss, and write short pieces in the genres of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They will learn strategies for giving and receiving constructive feedback to develop and deepen the practice of writing. The class will include ample writing time as well as a variety of short at-home creative projects and will culminate in a portfolio and a public reading in December. More info/registration at www.skylinecollege.edu

Saturdays, Sept 24–Feb 19, 2016 10 a.m.–1 p.m.  Private Master Class.  Write, polish, and submit for publication stand-alone memoir pieces. Class size limited to 6. We meet once a month in my office in San Francisco on these dates:  Sept 24, Oct 22, Nov 19, Dec 17, Jan 14, Feb 18.  Fee: $350  CLASS NOW FULL. To be added to the wait list, please email me directly via my Contact page.

Saturdays, November 5–December 10, 2016 2:00-4:30 p.m.  (Skip 11/26)
The Writing Salon, Berkeley
“Memoir Writing: Mine and Refine Your Memories”
www.writingsalons.com

In this 5-week class we’ll focus on finding and shaping evocative stories from our own lives, stories that build from our specific and unique life events and move toward resonant, universal themes. Through readings, discussions, and writing exercises, we’ll explore the basic elements of memoir: selecting key moments and passages, scene-setting and dialogue, using fresh sensory detail, reflecting and musing on the meanings of our experiences so that our work “speaks” to readers. We will find and fine-tune our own distinctive writing voices, essential for this genre.

Class participants will have opportunities to try their hand at writing and sharing short memoir pieces and will be guided in giving and receiving encouraging, constructive feedback for ways to develop/deepen the writing. Readings will include excerpts from Judith Barrington’s Writing the Memoir and Tristine Rainer’s Your Life as Story, as well as work by a variety of contemporary memoirists.

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2015 Classes

Saturday, July 18, 2015  10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. “Writing as Healing” Writing Salon, Berkeley www.writingsalons.com I’ve enjoyed facilitating this workshop for the past few years. Valuable for people at all levels of writing experience, the workshop includes readings from Louise DeSalvo’s book, Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives as well as a variety of contemporary memoirs. We write and share healing narratives in a supportive, encouraging setting and talk about developing/deepening our writing practice.

Sunday afternoons, July 19-December 6, 2015  2:30-5:00 p.m.The Writing Salon, San Francisco “Memoir Continuation Workshop” www.writingsalons.com

 An opportunity to continue reading, discussing, and writing memoir for writers who have completed the 5-week introductory class. The continuation class meets one Sunday afternoon a month for six months, and most of the class time is devoted to critiquing student work. In between class meetings, each participant completes short reading assignments and exchanges a draft via email with a class writing partner.

Saturday, July 25, 2015 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. “Orchards of Ripe Words: A Writing Retreat.” Come enjoy spirited reading and discussion and plenty of time for writing. We’ll gather in a bright, sun-filled home in the Oakland hills. All levels/genres welcome. Fee is $110 (includes lunch and snacks.) Limited to 10 writers. If interested, click on Contact page and email me directly. The organizer is my longtime student Ellen Woods, author of Warriors in Transition: A Memoir in Twenty-Eight Stories.

Saturdays, August 15-Sept 19, 2015  10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and November 14-December 19
The Writing Salon, San Francisco
“Memoir Writing: Mine and Refine Your Memories”
www.writingsalons.com

In this 5-week class we’ll focus on finding and shaping evocative stories from our own lives, stories that build from our specific and unique life events and move toward resonant, universal themes. Through readings, discussions, and writing exercises, we’ll explore the basic elements of memoir: selecting key moments and passages, scene-setting and dialogue, using fresh sensory detail, reflecting and musing on the meanings of our experiences so that our work “speaks” to readers. We will find and fine-tune our own distinctive writing voices, essential for this genre.

Class participants will have opportunities to try their hand at writing and sharing short memoir pieces and will be guided in giving and receiving encouraging, constructive feedback for ways to develop/deepen the writing. Readings will include excerpts from Judith Barrington’s Writing the Memoir and Tristine Rainer’s Your Life as Story, as well as work by a variety of contemporary memoirists.

Wednesday evenings, Aug 19-Dec 16, 2015  7-10 pm, Bay Area Entrepreneur Center of Skyline College, 458 San Mateo Avenue, San Bruno  “English 161: Creative Writing”

In this fall semester class designed for busy adult learners, students will read, discuss, and write short pieces in the genres of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and drama. They will learn strategies for giving and receiving constructive feedback to develop and deepen the practice of writing. The class will include ample writing time as well as a variety of short at-home creative projects and will culminate in a portfolio and a public reading on campus on December 16. More info/registration at www.skylinecollege.edu

Saturday, October 31, 2015  10 a.m.–4 p.m. The Writing Salon, Berkeley www.writingsalons.com

“Are You Allergic to Poetry?”

If the answer is yes, then this non-allergenic poetry workshop is custom-made for you. Maybe you identify as a memoirist, novelist, or playwright. Maybe you find the short story a more appetizing genre. Maybe you write code for a living. But whatever kind of writing you do, devoting a day to reading, talking about, and cooking up some poems of your own can add an extra dimension of strengths, strategies, and spice to your creative projects in any genre. We’ll look at the work of contemporary poets such as Ellen Bass, Indigo Moor, and Jan Beatty who write about the everyday in accessible, moving, and powerful ways: food, booze, jobs, insomnia, road rage, heartache. The usual. We’ll talk about creating surprising, “poetic” combinations and juxtapositions of language, rhythm, imagery, and tone ranging from humbly evocative to in-your-face explicit. Writing exercises will spark your senses, memory, and imagination. Everybody’s welcome in this focused and friendly workshop, poets and non-poets alike.