Following the publication of Girl Trouble: An Illustrated Memoir, Kerry Cohen, faculty member for our Spring in Portland Writing Retreat (April 22-24, 2017), sat down to discuss the craft of memoir with The Rumpus. Read an excerpt below, or read the full interview here.

“When I interviewed memoirists for my book about writing about others, Kim Barnes said that whatever we write in memoir becomes the truth. Other people start remembering it that way, even though it’s your memories, not theirs. She said it as a warning. That stays with me now as I write memoir. Writing memoir is a huge responsibility!”

The Cambridge Writers’ Workshop Spring in Portland Writing Retreat will take place from April 22-24, 2017.  While you’re in the home of writers Cheryl Strayed and Ursula K. Le Guin, feel free to go bicycling and explore the terrain, hike, or relax at local cafes for people watching—no matter how you choose to spend your time, this city is full inspiration. We will be staying in the Alberta Arts District during the retreat, an area that is sure to inspire our participants and help them create.  The retreat offers multi-genre workshops, as well as craft seminars and time to write. The faculty includes award-winning writers Adam Reid Sexton, Kerry Cohen, Rita Banerjee, and Diana Norma Szokolyai. Genres include fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.  The cost of the retreat is $750, which includes tuition, lodging, and some meals.