Alexis says: I love writing about place… This place. In my work over the years, I’ve found different ways to immerse myself in Oakland and other parts of the Bay. We’ll play with some examples from my book The Pacific Circuit and forthcoming work. Then, we’ll jump off of them for live writing exercises. This is the first session, the other two will be at the same time on November 17 and 24. The price includes all three sessions.

Over these weeks, we’ll look at three different methods of exploration: historical, spatial, bodily.

Week one will cover ways to do and use historical research. How do you find interesting materials? How can you use photographs in your writing? How does a government or news report turn into a scene?

Week two will look at maps and other spatial tools as writing aids.

Week three will get weirder. We’ll imagine ways to use our bodies to understand a place better. When do we have to put ourselves somewhere to really understand it? How do we write about what we’re feeling in our bodies?

Perhaps best for journalists and narrative non-fiction writers, but perhaps useful for memoirists, fiction writers, and maybe even poets.

Max attendance: 20

Vibes: Hands-on, In-depth, tilted

Cost: $60