This memoir class in Yokohama will end on June 24th. Watanabe Kichio Sensei will be teaching his new essay class starting next month. Most of the people in the photo joined this class a year and three months ago. So, I thought this gathering was a goodbye party.
Watanabe Kichio Sensei 渡辺起知夫先生 and me.
I like the way he teaches. He gives us great freedom to write, but he helps us in editing to make our manuscripts look professional.
http://www.asahiculture.com/LES/detail.asp?CNO=156673&userflg=0
http://ameblo.jp/m-walk/day-20120409.html
I've been learning quite a lot in this class, but it's much more. I look forward to our meetings.
It'll be sad if we lose this class.
By now, I know each classmate quite a bit, where they were born, what school they had gone, and so on.
Here are my two favorite classmates. They are opinionated and hilarious. I wish I can introduce them, but perhaps, I can do that when they publish their memoir.
At the end of this party, one of the classmates asked the group members if anyone would join the new essay class. They all said yes. So, this wasn't a goodbye party after all.
9 comments:
I would love to do a memoir writing class - you are so lucky! And how nice that you will get to continue on with your class members.
Kristie,
It's interesting to be in a place all the writers are writing about our background and that includes Japan's history. I enjoy this socialization which is a benefit of partly living in Japan.
I loved this wee snapshot into your Japanese cultural dynamic and seeing other people with you, animatedly sharing.
What a great subject for a class, a memoir writing class. Creative writing a 'the thing' here in the UK that we hear most about. There is no reason why though, the two cannot marry up. I wonder why I haven't heard anyone offer a memoir class, except in a very few senior's residential homes as a therapy for residents.
ZACL,
Memoir class is a creative writing class, and what I like about it is to get to know the classmates fast and in a way, deeper than in other classes because we write personal matters. Because of our age, we are writing a part of Japan's history.
It's very interesting to read the childhood of my classmates, and I can ask them questions.
The kind of creative writing you are doing is very specific. Here, creative writing classes tend to encourage free expression in a broad spectrum of ideas and output.
Keiko, The memoir writing class sounds great and it sounds like you have an interesting group. I've seen a few memoir writing classes here through adult education and also through a place in San Francisco that offers various writing workshops. One day I might try to take one. Your upcoming essay class sounds equally interesting.
Hi Rebb,
I go to these classes or workshops for socialization. When writers meet, it's always something. We never stop learning and have fun at the same time.
ZACL,
I must have mixed up your last message and thought I had already replied.
About the specificity, I don't really care if it is short stories, essays, or memoir. Good writing is good writing. I'm sure most writers agree. But, there is a trend in luring people to sign up. It is actually 自分史 which means the history of myself. Autobiography, biography, memoir, journal, diary, and essays fall in 自分史. So, it sounds as though what you have in Scotland is 自分史！Without our perspectives, we cannot write our history.
I love the foci you describe of the approach to the writing.
I think the perspectives at all levels are likely to be encouraged in a creative writing classes all over the UK, not just Scotland. There again, Keiko, the UK universities offer courses, both long, short, some would be hobby type holiday courses offered while the universities are have their student holidays. The lecturers probably take a different, perhaps more academic approach to the local classes, (this is a guess). Local classes may be taught by people who are actively authoring, or, play-writing. It could be interesting to compare the two types of classes. However, I am not in a position to do it, myself.
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