Event—Adult Education

Your Life, Your Stories: The Art of Personal Storytelling (Section A)

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Everyone has a personal story to tell. Hone the craft of storytelling by learning about the art, science, and psychology of vulnerability in this guided writing workshop.

A woman and young boy sitting on a bench in the waiting room, luggage at their feet. The woman is reading, the boy is gazing off to his left.

A woman reading in the Chicago Union Station, 1948. Photo by Esther Bubley. From the CB&Q Archives. Call number: CB&Q.A-5, Granger 28

Class Description

Everyone has a personal story to tell! It's challenging to know how to find, shape, and present our many stories. This workshop will discuss the merits of vulnerability, how to mine your life for compelling true stories, how to find your story's structure, and how to use immediate group feedback to edit and clarify. 

The small class size will ensure everyone gets ample and thorough individualized feedback from the group. Participants will receive an additional 30-minute private coaching session with the instructor, with ample post-workshop stage-time opportunities for those interested.

No writing or performance experience required. Have you lived a life? Do you have a desire to connect with others authentically? Then this five-week workshop is for you!

There are two sections of this workshop, Section B runs from 7/22/23-8/19/23.

Jill Howe is the producer of Story Sessions, a live storytelling series. She teaches storytelling workshops, served as a resident storyteller at the Field Museum, and has presented a Tedx Talk focusing on vulnerability through storytelling. She also holds a master’s degree in teaching.

Materials List

  • No Required Materials

    First Reading

    • No first reading assignment

    Cost and Registration

    Five sessions, $330 ($300 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.

    To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.

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    Questions?

    Call us at (312) 255-3700 or send us an email.

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