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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for San Diego Memoir Writers Association
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251010T090000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251010T104500
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20250924T171424Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250924T171439Z
UID:3458-1760086800-1760093100@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:San Miguel Writers Conference: How To Unblock and Become a Creative Force of Nature with Marni Freedman (virtual)
DESCRIPTION:Join acclaimed writer\, teacher\, and therapist Marni Freedman\, a member of our 2026 Conference faculty\, for a 5-week online course inspired by her upcoming Hay House book\, Artistic Badassery: How to Unblock and Become a Creative Force of Nature. \nUnlock Your Writing Creativity Before the San Miguel Writers’ Conference! \nJoin acclaimed writer\, teacher\, and therapist Marni Freedman\, a member of our 2026 Conference faculty\, for a 5-week online course inspired by her upcoming Hay House book\, “Artistic Badassery: How to Unblock and Become a Creative Force of Nature.“ \nThrough lively discussions\, neuroscience-based tools\, and fun exercises\, Marni will help you quiet your inner critic\, unlock your creative flow\, and write with confidence. You’ll learn to: \n\nStep into the Three Mindful Creative States—Allow\, Trust\, and Play—to deepen and enliven your writing practice\nRecognize and silence The Five Faces of the Inner Critic\nUncover your Creative Flow Style for writing that feels effortless\nShape-shift to move past writer’s blocks and stuck spots\nConnect with your Creative Guides to inspire your storytelling\nLearn evidence-based writing practices that will continuously spark the unstoppable force behind your writing\n\nIgnite your creativity and connect with Conference faculty before you even arrive in San Miguel this February! \nCost: $395 \nCourse dates: \nFridays\, October 10 – November 7*\n9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Pacific time / 10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. San Miguel time \nFriday\, October 10\, 2025\nFriday\, October 17\, 2025\nFriday\, October 24\, 2025\nFriday\, October 31\, 2025\nFriday\, November 7\, 2025 \n*Note: Sessions will be recorded so you can catch up on class if you need to miss one throughout the five-week series.  \n\n\nRegister Here\nAbout Marni Freedman:\nMarni Freedman (BFA\, LMFT) is an award-winning writer and therapist specializing in supporting artists. She began her career with the Disney-produced film\, Playing Mona Lisa. Marni is the Founder and Executive Director of the San Diego Writers Festival and serves as the Programming Director of the International Memoir Writers Association. \nAt the 2026 San Miguel Writers’ Conference\, Marni will be teaching two powerful workshops\, Memoir 101 – How to Write Your Life (on Wednesday\, February 11th) and Writing the Breakthrough Self-Help Book (on Friday\, February 13th). \nLearn more about Marni here.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/san-miguel-writers-conference-how-to-unblock-and-become-a-creative-force-of-nature-with-marni-freedman-virtual/
LOCATION:ZOOM Online\, CA\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251011T143000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251011T163000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20251006T171757Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T171757Z
UID:3465-1760193000-1760200200@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Naked Writing For Memoirists
DESCRIPTION:Memoir writing comes alive when we drop into raw\, unfiltered truth — the kind that moves both writer and reader to tears\, laughter\, and recognition. But one of the hardest parts of memoir is not just writing those truths\, but daring to share them. \nIn this one-hour workshop\, Marijke McCandless\, award-winning author of Naked in the Now\, invites you to practice Naked Writing — a form of freewriting that quiets the inner critic and opens the door to surprise. Through simple\, open-ended prompts and timed exercises\, you’ll explore what’s waiting beneath the surface and allow your natural voice to emerge without striving for perfection. \nWe’ll also practice the art of sharing raw\, unedited words in a supportive space. By exposing our imperfect selves and listening with presence to others\, we discover courage\, connection\, and community. \nBring pen\, paper\, and a willingness to be surprised.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/naked-writing-for-memoirists/
LOCATION:CA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/NEW-Naked-Writing-Marijke.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251114T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251114T210000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20251016T174533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251017T203944Z
UID:3481-1763146800-1763154000@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:11th Annual Memoir Showcase
DESCRIPTION:Save the date: \nThe 11th Annual Memoir Showcase theatrical performance will be at 7 p.m. on Friday\, November 14\, at the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre in UTC. \nThe International Memoir Writers Association proudly presents the 11th Annual Memoir Showcase\, an unforgettable night of brazen\, short\, and compelling true stories inspired by the theme “No\, Really\, I’m Fine.” Actors bring our winning writers’ five-page memoirs to life on stage—from a midnight border crossing from a war-torn Bosnia and a sex cult in Japan\, to witnessing a bank robbery\, eating spacecakes in Amsterdam\, and more! Touching\, powerful\, funny\, and just plain brilliant. One night only!\nGet your tickets HERE
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/11th-annual-memoir-showcase/
LOCATION:David and Dorothea Garfield Theatre\, 4126 Executive Dr.\, la Jolla\, 92037\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Presents-the-11th-Annual-Memoir-Showcase-3.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251206T143000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251206T160000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20251201T185620Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T190003Z
UID:3518-1765031400-1765036800@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Interactive writing workshop with author\, editor\, and healing instructor Matthew Pallamary
DESCRIPTION:Matthew J. Pallamary is an award-winning author\, editor\, and shamanic explorer whose works have been translated into six languages. His historical novel Land Without Evil won a San Diego Book Award and inspired an Emmy-nominated PBS episode. His nonfiction collaboration The Infinity Zone earned first place in the International Book Awards\, and his memoir Spirit Matters won the San Diego Book Award for Spirituality. Over his prolific career\, Matt has published numerous acclaimed novels and story collections exploring visionary states\, consciousness\, and the mystical intersections of science and spirit. He has appeared on Coast to Coast AM and other national programs\, and has taught writing and shamanism workshops across the U.S. for more than three decades\, including at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference\, where he serves as ombudsman. He is Editor-in-Chief of Mystic Ink Publishing and continues to inspire readers to explore the frontiers of imagination and awareness.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/interactive-writing-workshop-with-author-editor-and-healing-instructor-matthew-pallamary/
LOCATION:ZOOM Online\, CA\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251212T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251212T183000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20251202T005706Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251202T005706Z
UID:3524-1765560600-1765564200@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Book Launch for Babymaker by Vincent Schroeter
DESCRIPTION:Join December Member of the Month Vincentia Schroeter for her book launch and art show! Vin will be interviewed by Marni Freedman.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/book-launch-for-babymaker-by-vincent-schroeter/
LOCATION:San Diego Writers\, Ink\, 2730 Historic Decatur Rd. #202-204\, San Diego\, CA\, 92106\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-01-at-4.55.56-PM.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260117T120000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260117T140000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20251231T010814Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T020335Z
UID:3542-1768651200-1768658400@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:New Year’s Vision Board Workshop
DESCRIPTION:The IMWA and SDWF are inviting you to a special community workshop:\nVision Boards\, Inspiration & Rejuvenation\nSaturday\, January 17\, 2026 (see Zoom link below)\n12 p.m. PT on Zoom (Just this once\, we are gathering at noon.)\nWe’ll start with a short presentation on Unblocking Creatively in 2026\, then shift into a relaxed\, supportive create-and-craft session where you can build your vision board and set your creative intentions for the new year.\nChoose your format:\n\n\nPhysical vision board: Have on the ready pens\, paper\, pictures\, markers\, and anything else that inspires you (magazines\, glue\, scissors\, stickers\, etc.).\n\n\nDigital vision board: We’ll share links on Saturday to help you get started dreaming up your creative new year.\n\n\nCommunity share:\nDuring our crafting time\, we’ll open the floor for anyone who’d like to share a short inspirational saying\, poem\, or phrase.\nWe’d love to see you there—and please feel free to invite a friend. This workshop is open to the whole community.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/2026-new-year-workshop/
LOCATION:ZOOM Online\, CA\, United States
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260122T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260122T200000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20260108T183127Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260108T183907Z
UID:3552-1769108400-1769112000@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Talk and Book Signing with Author Janell Strube
DESCRIPTION:Join Author Janell Strube in conversation with Marni Freedman\, editor\, writing coach and cofounder of the San Diego Writer’s Festival discussing Janell’s new novel\, Adelaide: Painter of the Revolution. \nJanuary 22\, 7:00 PM \nBarnes & Noble\, Encinitas\n1040 N El Camino Real Drive. \nEncinitas\, CA 92024 \n  \nIn a world where women are seen but rarely heard\, Adélaïde Labille-Guiard refuses to be silenced. \nThe daughter of Parisian shopkeepers\, Adélaïde dreams not of marriage or titles but of earning a place among the masters of French art. With Queen Marie Antoinette on the throne and a spirit of change in the air\, anything seems possible. But as revolution brews and powerful forces conspire to deny her success\, Adélaïde faces an impossible choice: protect her life—or fight for a legacy that will outlast her. \nInspired by the true story of one of the first women admitted to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture\, Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution is a sweeping\, evocative portrait of ambition\, courage\, and resilience in the face of history’s fiercest storm. \n  \n  \n  \nJanell Strube makes a mean barbecue sauce. She’s also a world traveler\, a baker\, and a bicyclist. But when she writes\, her identity as an adoptee often steers her attention to topics of alienation\, erased history\, and displacement. \nIn 2024\, a personal essay of hers was published in the anthology Adoption and Suicidality. Her work has also appeared in Shaking the Tree: brazen. short. memoir and A Year in Ink. Her short memoir\, “Taking my Blonde Daughter to a Black Lives Matter Rally\,” was selected for the 2020 San Diego Memoir Showcase\, an annual live storytelling event. \nWhile much of her writing is personal\, she enjoys the freedom that comes with crafting fiction. Her desire to learn about forgotten female artists who shaped the French revolutionary period motivated her to write Adélaïde: Painter of the Revolution. \nWhen not crunching numbers as a tax executive for a hotel chain\, she can be found hanging out with Shiloh the Wheaten and plotting her second book.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/author-janell-strube-book-launch/
LOCATION:CA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/0-3.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260207T143000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260207T163000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20260205T190107Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260205T190107Z
UID:3568-1770474600-1770481800@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Writing About Motherhood and Adoption
DESCRIPTION:Motherhood comes in many forms—through birth\, adoption\, foster care\, and reunion. This Saturday\, five remarkable memoir writers share their deeply personal adoption stories: a birth mother\, adoptees\, and an adoptive parent opening up about the courage it took to write what they lived. Join us for an honest conversation about family\, secrets\, healing\, and the challenges all memoir writers face when writing about motherhood in its many complicated forms.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/writing-about-motherhood-and-adoption/
LOCATION:CA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/unnamed-14.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260307T143000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260307T160000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20260226T180921Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T180921Z
UID:3582-1772893800-1772899200@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Eat Your Words
DESCRIPTION:Join award-winning poet and author\, Jane Yevgenia Muschenetz\, for a short reading and generative writing workshop around food and memory.  Enjoy a poetic taste test and explore how your own stories about food can invite delicious and evocative writing.\n\nAbout Jane:\nJane Muschenetz arrived in San Diego as a Jewish child refugee from Soviet Ukraine. She’s been recognized for excellence in poetry performance by the County of San Diego and most recently won the 2025 National Federation of Press Women Communications Award in Creative Verse and the 2025 War Poetry Postcard Prize from Middlewest Press. Jane’s words appear in MIT Technology Review\, KPBS\, Spoken Word Paris\, and numerous other publications. Jane is the Poetry Director for the San Diego Writers Festival and Partnerships Director for San Diego Poetry Annual. Connect with Jane at www.PalmFrondZoo.com.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/eat-your-words/
LOCATION:CA
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Eat-Your-Words-March-7-Memoir-Zoom-v2.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260328T090000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260328T170000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20260226T181511Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260226T181511Z
UID:3586-1774688400-1774717200@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:San Diego Writers Festival
DESCRIPTION:Join us for the 7th Annual San Diego Writers Festival.\nThe San Diego Writers Festival is a free\, community-based event designed to celebrate the power of writing and storytelling.  \nStories transform both the teller and the listener. In whatever form you welcome a story into your life—by reading a memoir or graphic novel\, listening to a podcast or a poetry reading\, watching a movie or play or going to the theater—stories are our pathways\, our links\, our bridges to one another. \nAt the San Diego Writers Festival\, we ask two important questions: What if there was a place where all stories could be nurtured and heard? What if we opened up our community to stories from those who have been under-served\, disenfranchised\, or neglected? \nWe invite you to join us on our mission to hear one another\, be educated and illuminated by one another\, and inspired by one another—one story at a time. \n\n2026 Keynote Speaker\n\n\n\n\nJodi Picoult is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of thirty novels\, including By Any Other Name\, Mad Honey (co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan)\, Wish You Were Here\, The Book of Two Ways\, A Spark of Light\, Small Great Things\, Leaving Time\, and My Sister’s Keeper\, and\, with daughter Samantha van Leer\, two young adult novels\, Between the Linesand Off the Page. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.\nwww.sandiegowritersfestival.com
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/san-diego-writers-festival/
LOCATION:Coronado Public Library\, 640 Orange Ave\, Coronado\, CA\, 92118
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-26-at-10.12.20-AM.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260401T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260401T210000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20260330T212217Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260330T212449Z
UID:3591-1775071800-1775077200@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Anne Lamott and Neal Allen on "Good Writing" in conversation with Marni Freedman
DESCRIPTION:Join bestselling author Anne Lamott and writer-spiritual coach Neal Allen in conversation with Marni Freedman for an inspiring and entertaining evening that will change the way you think about language. \nTICKETS  \nTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER \n36 ways to improve your writing \nTwo writers show you how to turn a worthy sentence into a memorable one. Starting where The Elements of Style leaves off\, Good Writing can improve your book\, your essay\, your memo\, your blog post\, speech\, or script. These essential rules for persuasive language work on any type of writing\, and anyone can learn them quickly. \nEach rule is accompanied by examples and a lively pair of essays\, the first by Neal Allen\, who developed the list of tips over the course of his journalism and corporate careers; the second by his wife\, Anne Lamott\, acclaimed author of Bird by Birdand nineteen other nonfiction works and novels. The authors don’t always agree on the specifics\, but they are passionate about making better sentences. \nAs Neal writes\, “These rules economize\, favor the plainspoken and the specific\, keep the reader’s attention sharp\, and in other ways show respect for the audience’s time and desire for novelty.” \nSome rules are fundamental: Use strong verbs. Remove the boring stuff. Twist clichés. Some are more subtle: Draw on all five senses. Give your sentence a finale. Along the way\, Good Writing addresses practicalities such as finishing projects despite challenges\, trusting editors\, and knowing when to break the rules to serve your story. \nWhether you’re a novice writer or a seasoned author\, this entertaining guide will revolutionize your approach to crafting sentences.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/anne-lamott-and-neal-allen-on-good-writing-in-conversation-with-marni-freedman/
LOCATION:Balboa Theatre\, 868 Forth Ave.\, San Diego\, 92101\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/New-York-Times-Bestseller.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260502T143000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260502T163000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20260414T181942Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260414T181942Z
UID:3610-1777732200-1777739400@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Interview with New York Times bestselling author Annabelle Gurwitch
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a powerful and deeply human conversation as Annabelle Gurwitch\, New York Times bestselling author\, sits down with Tracy J. Jones and Marni Freedman to discuss her bold and unforgettable memoir\, The End of My Life Is Killing Me. \nWith wit\, irreverence\, and surprising tenderness\, Gurwitch turns the traditional “cancer warrior” narrative on its head\, embracing what she calls the “cancer slacker” philosophy—choosing joy\, humor\, and presence over perfection and pressure. This conversation explores how storytelling can hold both grief and laughter\, how meaning is found in the ordinary\, and how memoir can illuminate even life’s most uncertain chapters. \nExpect insight\, honesty\, and moments that will stay with you long after the conversation ends.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/interview-with-new-york-times-bestselling-author-annabelle-gurwitch/
LOCATION:ZOOM Online\, CA\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20260606T143000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20260606T160000
DTSTAMP:20260606T232142
CREATED:20260514T205154Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T205154Z
UID:3640-1780756200-1780761600@sdmwa.org
SUMMARY:Writing About Trauma with Mimi Nichter
DESCRIPTION:Join the International Memoir Writers Association on June 6 for a powerful conversation with Mimi Nichter on “Writing About Trauma.” \nA finalist for the 2026 Tucson Festival of Books Literary Award in Nonfiction\, Mimi will discuss her gripping memoir\, Hostage\, which recounts surviving the 1970 hijacking of TWA Flight 741 and the lasting impact of trauma\, silence\, survival\, and resilience. \nThis promises to be an unforgettable discussion about transforming painful experience into meaningful memoir — and how storytelling can become part of the healing process. Join us.
URL:https://sdmwa.org/event/writing-about-trauma-with-mimi-nichter/
LOCATION:ZOOM Online\, CA\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://sdmwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Awakening-the-Creative-Spirit-Instagram-Post-Square-Facebook-Event-Cover-29.png
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