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Writing About Grief Workshop Course: Sept. 16-Nov. 18, 2014

Writing About Grief

A ten week long Creative Writing Workshop taught by award winning writer, Jacob Scheier.

This is a workshop course on creative non-fiction (memoir, personal essay) and poetry engaging personal experiences of loss and grief. Through reading, discussion of literary devices and workshopping writing exercises and assignments, participants will work towards making their experiences of grief and loss speak to others in an evocative way. Subject matter is not limited to the death of a loved one, but can include, for example, a divorce/break up or losing a part of a person through injury or illness.

“Jacob creates a class atmosphere that is safe, supportive, and truly creative, and this has given all of us the freedom to write very moving and powerful pieces around the subjects of grief and loss.”
- Dianne Moore, Learner, former student.

About Jacob: Jacob Scheier is an award winning poet and journalist.  He was the winner of the 2008 Governor General’s Award for poetry and his poems, essays and articles have been published across North America. His second full length collection, Letter from Brooklyn, was published with ECW Press (2013). He is also the author of the non-fiction ebook My Never Ending Acid Trip, published by The Toronto Star (2013) and a regular contributor to Toronto’s NOW Magazine. He has been a volunteer peer-facilitator with Bereaved Families of Ontario since 2008 and has been facilitating workshops on writing about grief since 2011. To learn more about Jacob go tojacobscheier.org

When and Where: Tuesday evenings September 16-November 18, 2014, 6:30-9 pm. 25 Maitland Street, Toronto (1 block south of Wellesley St. and 1 block east of Yonge St.)

Cost: $225.00. Reading material provided (participants are responsible for photocopying assignments for workshop and providing own supplies for in-workshop writing exercises (i.e. pen and paper or a labtop computer).

To register: contact Jacob at [email protected]

For more info: call 416-949-6003 or email [email protected]

Writing About Grief Summer Weekend Intensive Workshop: August 16th and 17th

Weekend Intensive Workshop with Jacob Scheier

A weekend-long intensive workshop on writing creative non-fiction (memoir, personal and lyric essay) and poetry engaging personal experiences of loss and grief. Through reading, discussion of literary devices and techniques and writing exercises, students will work towards making their experiences of grief and loss speak to others. Subject matter is not limited to the death of a loved one, but can include, for example, a divorce/break up or losing a part of a person through injury or illness.

Saturday, August 16th, Personal Narrative: 11-5 pm

Sunday August 17th, Poetry: 11-5 pm

Total cost: $150

Single Day (your choice): $100

Materials Provided

122 Golfview Avenue in the Beaches (Toronto)

I placed “runner up” at IFOA’s Battle of the Bards

In the 6th annual International Festival of Authors “Battle of the Bards” on Wed. April 2 (2014)  I competed against 19 other fine poets. Catherine Graham was the winner and I was fortunate enough to receive a kind of “runner up” status along with Julie Joosten. As a result the three of us were awarded an invitation to read our work at the International Festival of Authors in Toronto this October. Details of reading date and time TBA.

Read more about the event here

Poem in New Anthology

My poem “My Mother Dies in Reverse” from Letter from Brooklyn was just republished in the anthology: MESS: the hospital anthology, a collection of poetry and prose. It’s a beautiful book and I am additionally honoured that my poem inspired the cover art. You can read an interview with the editors, in which my poem among other works in the book are discussed, here

Upcoming Spring Workshop: Writing Poetry About Grief

Writing Poetry About Grief, Spring 2014:

A 6 week workshop on writing poetry about grief with Jacob Scheier. We will read and discuss contemporary elegies (poems of mourning) and craft our own.The workshop is intended for aspiring writers and professional writers — essentially anyone would is interested in giving their experiences of grief and loss poetic expression. Participants will learn about the nature of the elegiac form, as well as how to utilize literary devices and techniques to make our experiences of grief and loss speak to others. Grief, in this context, is not limited to death, but any kind of loss, including, but not restricted to: divorce and separation, the loss of a part of someone or oneself through illness or loss of a wider scale (e.g. ecological loss).

The cost of this workshop is $150/per participant. Materials provided.

Time and Place: Wednesdays, May 7-June 11, 6:30-9 pm. 25 Maitland Street, Toronto (1 block south of Wellesley St. and 1 block east of Yonge St).

 About me:

I won a 2008 Governor General’s Award for poetry for my first book, More to Keep us Warm (ECW Press). My follow up collection, Letter from Brooklyn (ECW Press), was published last spring. I am also a volunteer peer-facilitator of support groups with Bereaved Families of Ontario since 2008 and I have been facilitating workshops on writing about grief for over three years. I have facilitated these workshops through Ryerson’s School of Continuing Education, at the Centre of Social Innovation, at the Bereavement Ontario Network’s Annual Conference and on the Walpole Island First Nations Reserve.

 “Jacob creates a class atmosphere that is safe, supportive, and truly creative, and this has given all of us the freedom to write very moving and powerful pieces around the subjects of grief and loss.” – Dianne Moore, former student.

 To register or for further information, please contact me at [email protected] or call 416-949-6003.