Tues. Jan. 12

 "I was born in a dump/My mama died/My dad got drunk." Surely, you remember those immmortal opening lines to "Tobacco Road," whoever's version rocked your world. For me, it was Edgar Winter's White Trash. John D. Loudermilk wrote it in 1960 and Lou Rawls, the Nashville Teens, Jefferson Airplane, Eric Burden and the Animals, Spooky Tooth, Status Quo and Southern Culture on the Skids have, among others, done it. Why bring up those opening lines now? Well, that sounds like the start 21st century memoir. It seems like drinking factors in every single one of 'em, and then there's the sidecars of parental abuse, drugs and, well, a whole lotta low self-esteem.

Got some of that? Well, maybe you, too, can be a memoirist. In our backyard, the rather self-absorbed late Phoenix writer Caroline Knapp struck gold, as did Augesten Burroughs, Carrie Fisher and (once again) Mary Karr. If you've messed up, don't mind shining a light on that mess and are good with words ... Well, this is a long lead-in to

Tues. Jan. 12

 "I was born in a dump/My mama died/My dad got drunk." Surely, you remember those immmortal opening lines to "Tobacco Road," whoever's version rocked your world. For me, it was Edgar Winter's White Trash. John D. Loudermilk wrote it in 1960 and Lou Rawls, the Nashville Teens, Jefferson Airplane, Eric Burden and the Animals, Spooky Tooth, Status Quo and Southern Culture on the Skids have, among others, done it. Why bring up those opening lines now? Well, that sounds like the start 21st century memoir. It seems like drinking factors in every single one of 'em, and then there's the sidecars of parental abuse, drugs and, well, a whole lotta low self-esteem.

Got some of that? Well, maybe you, too, can be a memoirist. In our backyard, the rather self-absorbed late Phoenix writer Caroline Knapp struck gold, as did Augesten Burroughs, Carrie Fisher and (once again) Mary Karr. If you've messed up, don't mind shining a light on that mess and are good with words ... Well, this is a long lead-in to what  author Ethan Gilsdorf doing beginning Tues. Jan. 12 at Grub Street. He is teaching a 10 week creative writing workshop - every Tuesday 7-10 - on the art of memoir writing. It's actually called "The Memoir in Progress II," so perhaps that means you'll have to be part way down this road to join the party. Deadline for registration is Jan. 8.

Here's what he pens about what he's doing: "First drafts of memoirs - their scope, structure and information management - can be daunting. Some writers feel extensive critical feedback can be counterproductive before the first draft is finished, yet find themselves losing their focus without support and guidance. This is especially true when you are telling your own story, or the story of people close to you. In this class, there will be no manuscripts to read and critique outside of class; all the work outside of the classroom will be devoted to one's own writing. In class, we will do exercises, discuss craft issues - voice, 'character' development, etc. - and read short excerpts (no more than 5 pages) from each other's work aloud, providing guidance and feedback in an environment that recognizes the specific challenges of the memoir in progress." (JSInk comment: Can you see this shouting match: "You! You're a no good drug addict loser!" "Am too!") "In the last class, all writers will be invited to hand in the first 20 pages of their memoirs to receive a written critique from the instructor, with suggested strategies for finishing the manuscript. Please bring the first page (double-spaced) of your memoir to the first class. Please note: this class is not group therapy. Our focus will be on the craft of your work, not the identity of the author. Designed for intermediate writers who have already taken Memoir I, Six Weeks, Six Essays' or an equivalent workshop at Grub Street or elsewhere."
How much will this run? Level: $455. But if you end up with a book deal down the road and a seat at Oprah's side - she's still on TV right - you will be happy you spent the dough. If not, well, it'd be fodder for your ongoing memoir, part III, perhaps.... 

Here's more than you might want to know about Gilsdorf. They're his words. He is - deep breath now - a freelance journalist, poet, critic, editor and teacher. A regular contributor to The New York Times, Boston Globe, the San Francisco Chronicle and The Improper Bostonian, Gilsdorf also writes on travel, arts and culture for National Geographic Traveler, Psychology Today, Fodor's travel guides, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Poets & Writers, and the Christian Science Monitor. As a poet, he is the winner of the Hobblestock Peace Poetry Competition and the Esme Bradberry Contemporary Poets Prize, and has published poems in Poetry, The Southern Review, The North American Review and several anthologies. He is co-founder of Grub Street's Young Adult Writers Program (YAWP), volunteers as a guest speaker in the Boston Public Schools and leads journalism, feature writing, travel writing and creative writing workshops at Grub Street, Emerson College, Media Bistro and, for younger students, in schools and community centers. His book, Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms was published by The Lyons Press in September 2009.

160 Boylston St., 617-695-0075 www.ethangilsdorf.com/teaching or www.grubstreet.org/index.php?id=13#mem2