The Art Of Personal Writing With Rax King And Jamie Hood

Join local authors Rax King and Jamie Hood for a discussion about the craft of personal writing, from getting started to getting published. From the 16th century essais of Michel de Montaigne to the more recent boom of personal essays in women's magazines, one thing is certain: people have been writing about themselves for a long time. But how do you do it well? How do you write with skill and candor about people whose feelings you don't want to hurt? And how do you get paid for your work in a media and publishing landscape that often devalues personal writing? Rax King and Jamie Hood have both made successful literary careers out of personal essays and memoir, and they're here to talk you through the peculiarities of the craft. This discussion will address the tricky balancing act of developing a vivid narrative voice and perspective while staying true to life, as well as the frequent difficulty of writing about traumatic events from the past. There will be an audience Q&A at the end, so bring questions! Drinks and snacks will be served, and suggested reading from Rax and Jamie as well as Rax's book Tacky will be available for purchase. About Rax King Rax King is the James Beard award–nominated author of the essay collections Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer and Sloppy (forthcoming in 2025 from Vintage). She lives in Brooklyn with her toothless Pekingese. About Jamie Hood Jamie Hood is a poet, critic, and memoirist, and the author of how to be a good girl (Grieveland, 2020), as well as Trauma Plot, forthcoming in 2025 from Pantheon. She lives in Brooklyn. More Info below.