Personal Histories Workshop
Personal Histories Workshop hosts generative autobiographical writing workshops, focusing on childhood and early life, and the preservation of family and community stories. Designed to help participants rediscover and record early memories, examine personal narratives, and reflect on their life stories through writing, our workshop offers a space for creativity, close listening, and group dialogue.
Since 2024, my co-teacher Marie La Viña and I have designed and offered three- and four-week workshops, in person and online, including onsite at Brooklyn Public Library and Hoboken Public Library. This year, we hope to host in new community settings, specifically older adult clubs and community gardens.
Teaching in nontraditional settings has given Marie and I the opportunity to work with multigenerational groups of storytellers, readers and writers, and consider how different life stories unfold in the context of wider cultural and historical moments. Encouraging the development of deeply personal narratives and shared stories has been a meaningful and immensely joyful experience for us!
Brooklyn Public Library
Personal Histories Workshop at Brooklyn Public Library! Such a wonderful group! I loved hearing all the stories written during this four-week session. From a nonna's farmer market advice to getting a rebellious piercing or remembering an old journal filled with tales of childhood, I always left buzzing and energetic after teaching this group. It has become more clear through these workshops that our own personal stories - while they might not always feel so special to us - carry rich social knowledge and act as a form of archive.
Hoboken Public Library
The Personal Histories Workshop went across the river to Hoboken Public Library. It was so much fun to watch participants read their creative writing to one another and exchange such thoughtful feedback. One student even mentioned recently that they followed the workshop model after attending and now have a memoir ready for a first round of edits! I hope to see pieces that started in Personal Histories Workshop expand and find a wider readership :)
Women's Group <3
Our online women's group launched the Personal Histories workshop series! One of my absolute favorite highlights was getting to seeing baby Snoë and baby Curie every week, and a special moment when one mother offered writing encouragement to another mother using an analogy related to the experience of motherhood. It felt like this group really built a shared langauge to connect their experiences which was incredibly heartwarming.
Workshop Love!
To Brooklyn Public Library:
“I recently participated in the Personal Histories Workshop at the Clinton Hill Library and I am writing you to express my gratitude for making this happen, at no cost, by and for the people of this local community. Marie and Katarina did a remarkable [...] job making us feel safe writing out about our childhood”
—Ivo, June 2025
“Life changing. I had no idea that all of that needed to be heard and seen, and I related to everyone so much. The magic of writing! A really sacred space. I felt so safe. I am spiritually throwing up some energy”
—Millie, July 2024
“I just love that the workshop has been ongoing at the public libraries. It absolutely deserves the platform and when I think of how many people it will reach, who will benefit, in all the ways people’s lives kind of intertwine in NYC, it makes my heart very happy”
—Wyatt, July 2024