“You Won’t Even Be Able To Tell” – Literary Memoir and MUSE Literati Conference Presentation

presentation video link |literary memoir pdf

I was selected to present on a literary memoir at the 2016 MUSE Literati Conference in Madison, Wisconsin. Conference presenters are given 15-20 minutes to present and participate in informative panels and a networking reception at the end of the conference.

My literary memoir piece, “You Won’t Even Be Able to Tell,” was chosen as one of eleven in the creative writing category. The essay was about my experience with a reconstructive procedure in 8th grade, and how that affected my self-perception and growth into womanhood. The piece also appears as part of my undergraduate thesis project, which focuses on gender identity and expression across cultural boundaries and is comprised of personal essay, journalistic interviews, and literary research.

The conference took place on April 9th, 2016 and my presentation focused primarily on the creative process from idea to final product. I discussed how to write about traumatic experiences while maintaining focus on the craft of writing versus letting emotion take over. I also spoke about the importance of workshop support and an engaging writers’ community to the revision process, as well as using a simple structure to present a complicated experience.

Skills used: research, copywriting, copyediting, public speaking, presentation, collaboration