Everybody has a story, and the wonder of humankind is that each story is unique. In this new age of technology and communication it is so easy to make a permanent record of our lives, and there is something inherently human about wanting to do that. To many of us, it is a way of “not ever dying.” Our workshop began with that premise and people have come to record and relive their lives for themselves and for their progeny. In the process they have discovered to their delight, the riches and diversity of other people’s lives. They not only learn to improve writing technique and craft, they dare to examine their inner lives as they record their “outer” lives. And they have learned too that they can find humor, even in tragedy. The classes have inspired attendees to go beyond the work in class, and several have published works that were begun in class sessions. From the simplest of stories to the most complex use of language, metaphor, and humor, students have poured their memories onto paper - and continue to do so. You’ll want to read about family members who were loved, who were hated, and places in between.You’ll enjoy the contrasts and the similarities between rural life in France and rural Ohio. You’ll read about growing up in a cold water flat in Manhattan and about visiting a father’s study in an affluent enclave of the same borough. You’ll read about all kinds of love, and you’ll laugh at a loved one’s funeral. As Rachel Donadio (New York Times Book Review Editor and Writer) said in an August 7th 2005 essay, “Truth is stronger than Fiction.”