Summoning Ghosts: Writing with Archives, Artifacts, and Research – Fall 2024

This class invites writers of fiction and nonfiction to lift the curtain between the past and the page to ask, “who’s there?” We’ll discuss different techniques for using archival documents, photos, records, songs, buildings, ephemera, and even memory as a way to discover new pathways for your writing. This class will combine the best bits of the research process and the writing process—the thrill of discovering a great bit of research and the wonder and joy of bringing it to life on the page. We will have practical lessons, in-class writing activities, short and fun class readings and take-home assignments. This class would be great for fiction writers looking to add more realism and life to their stories by implementing research techniques and also for nonfiction writers or even family historians.

Neleigh Olson is a graduate of UK’s MFA program in Creative Writing and of Liverpool Hope’s “The Beatles, Popular Music, and Society” MA program, where she used punk research techniques to write rock and roll histories.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

The Carnegie Center reserves the right to cancel a class if minimum enrollment is not met. It is best to register early to help our instructors prepare and to ensure the class does not get cancelled. We evaluate registration numbers 6–2 business days before a class starts to decide whether we can hold the class. Classes that do not meet minimum enrollment will be cancelled six–two business days prior to the first class meeting. All participants will be notified by email and will receive full refunds.