Wonderfully supportive and generative—better than I could have imagined. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this unique, dynamic and unforgettable community. I felt like we were witnesses to each other's experiences in a way I'd never experienced before.
In a Nutshell
An immersive program designed to give nonfiction students a deep dive into how the writing process can serve as a healing tool for adversity. Students will work on their own healing narratives in a supportive workshop environment and analyze poems, essays, articles and book excerpts that demonstrate the transformative power of personal narrative. This class is the longform, most in-depth version of GrubStreet’s Writing to Heal classes. It includes additional revision periods, private writing periods, small group meetings, individual conferences with the instructor, and opportunities to meet writers in the field.
Writing to Heal Online Community
The 2023-2024 Writing to Heal Immersive will take place via Zoom. Writers everywhere are encouraged to apply. The next Writing to Heal Info Session will be in Summer 2024.
The application for the 2023-2024 Writing to Heal Program is now closed. All applicants can expect to hear from us by late August. Applications will reopen in June 2024.
Program Overview and Goals
Elie Wiesel said, “When you listen to a witness, you become a witness.” In this immersive program, we’ll explore what it means to bear witness to suffering—our own and others’—and examine how written accounts shift our understanding of the human condition from “I” to “We”. Using Louise DeSalvo’s Writing as a Way of Healing as our theoretical base, students will take a deep dive into the Writing to Heal process, looking at published works to explore advanced craft techniques specific to this genre.
This cumulative program is Grub Street’s most in-depth version of Writing to Heal, with additional revision periods, private writing periods, small group meetings, individual conferences with the instructor, and opportunities to meet writers in the field. Each student will create a personalized plan with goals for the course. Students will generate a lot of material; they’ll workshop, receive feedback, and spend significant time on revision; they’ll learn about the publication process for this genre; and, if appropriate for their project, they’ll finish with at least one piece ready for publication and a list of places to submit. They will also have the opportunity to participate in a community reading.
The program is open to students who have completed Introduction to Writing to Heal or Writing to Heal I, and/or those with workshop experience who are eager and ready to engage in this type of work with a continuous supportive group. Writing to Heal is not therapy—it is a craft-based writing program that focuses on the way an experience is expressed in writing, not the experience itself—but it provides students the tools to use writing in a therapeutic manner, and a safe space to do so. Students may start or continue a long-form project, revise previous submissions, or workshop new writing. The program will set students up to continue in non-fiction Generator or Incubator programs.
Important Dates
- The application for the 2023-2024 Writing to Heal Program is now closed. All applicants can expect to hear from us by late August. Applications will reopen in June 2024.
- The next Writing to Heal Immersive Open House and Info Session will be in Summer 2024.
- All applicants will be notified by late August.
- Program starts on September 6th and will meet on Wednesdays from 6:00pm-9:00pm (ET).
Testimonials
“Jennifer Crystal is a gifted facilitator who knows how to create a supportive and safe structure for a community of writers to “go toward” some of the most challenging traumas imaginable, and to speak to them and about them through story. This opportunity for me was instrumental and transformative to my own healing.”
“Wonderfully supportive and generative—better than I could have imagined. I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this unique, dynamic and unforgettable community. I felt like we were witnesses to each other's experiences in a way I'd never experienced before.”
"The class was filled with such open, kind, and talented writers. It was a gift just to get to know them. I was able to learn and improve my writing practice from their supportive feedback and notes."
The class was filled with such open, kind, and talented writers. It was a gift just to get to know them.