The universe is made of stories, said the poet Muriel Rukeyser. What’s yours? Have you written it down yet? Join local educator and author Ellen Santasiero for a workshop at the Downtown Bend Library on Saturday, February 21, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. The workshop is free and open to the public but space is limited and registration is required. Register online at the link above or by calling (541) 312-1032.

Beginning with warm-up exercises that help people access important memories, Santasiero will lead participants in writing and editing their own short memoir. “This workshop is for anyone who wants to record and present their memories using literary techniques,” she says. When asked, she was unable to pick her favorite memoir. “There are just too many,” she says. Santasiero is quick to point out the importance and value of the genre. “They provide a sense of community — a sense of history and identity — to rapidly changing families and communities,” she says. Following workshop time at the library, Santasiero and participants will cap the afternoon at A6 Gallery. “We’ll all take the Six-Word Memoir© challenge on vintage typewriters,” she says.

Ellen Santasiero works as a freelance writer and teaches literature and creative writing at OSU-Cascades in Bend. Her essays, memoirs, interviews and articles have appeared in magazines and other venues since 2001. She was a featured reader at Caldera Arts in Portland in 2013.

For more information about this or other library programs, please visit the library website at www.deschuteslibrary.org. People with disabilities