UPCOMING EVENTS

From Anecdote to Essay

University of Memphis

September 9 @ 4 p.m.

As bell hooks has said, the best confessional writing “evokes the personal as a prelude.” Which is to say, a well-told anecdote will fail as a personal essay unless it engages with the larger culture. Two of my recently published essays, “If/Then” and “Cancer Culture” demonstrate this dichotomy in different ways—one uses form while the other relies heavily on research. The process of transforming an incident on family vacation (seeing a horse die) into a critique about the end of the world narrative that powers much of the current political climate required a nonlinear form. While challenging notions we hold about the language we use to discuss cancer utilized the frame of an unpleasant needle biopsy.

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Reading & Workshop

Novel

November 16 @ 2 p.m.

Turn Your Anecdote into a Published Essay! The south is chock full of incredible storytellers who retell ordinary events with extraordinary results. This hands-on writing workshop is designed to help you turn your best anecdotes and family stories into published essays—or even the bones of a really great memoir. Courtney Miller Santo's work is featured in Best American Essays 2024. She teaches nonfiction at the University of Memphis and will also be doing a reading of her own published works at this event.

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Bookclubs

Bookclubs all across the world have fallen in love with Courtney's novels, which offer groups an opportunity to talk about aging, family secrets and the importance of place, guilt, and parenting. Contact Courtney directly if you'd like her to attend your bookclub (either virtually or in person).
In Conversation

Before becoming a writer and teacher, Courtney worked as a journalist where she learned the art of turning an interview into a conversation. Her discussions with contemporary writers explore the complexities of their work, the craft of writing, and what it means to participate in our literary community.
Speaking

Courtney’s fiction explores themes of family, religion, and parenting. Her nonfiction is focused on matriarchy and intergenerational relationships. She has more than ten years of experience teaching creative writing to all ages. As Editor-in-Chief of the Pinch, she is knowledgeable about publishing.