“Writing is about soul making for the individual writer, but I believe it can also be about making the soul of the world.”

–Sue Monk Kidd

“It’s a holy thing to be a writer. It is why you want to write your memoir: to remember all of it. The good and the bad. To trust your experience, to have a confidence that your moments and the moments of others on this earth mattered, not to be forgotten, wiped out with the new decree, the better plan. It is a great thing you are doing whatever it is you are remembering. You are saying that life—and its passing—have true value.”

–Natalie Goldberg

This 10-month certificate program in memoir writing takes a unique approach, teaching not only the standard elements of the genre, but applying an archetypal and mythological perspective. Such a perspective seeks to combine the unique aspects of our story with the universal dimensions. In writing with an eye to the unique and the universal, we help our readers reflect upon their own lives as well. Like myth and archetypes, memoir presupposes that there is a certain unity to human experience, that we all share similar hopes, dreams, and desires. When we tell the story of how and where we grew up, who our parents were, how the significant people in our lives influenced us, and what challenges and obstacles we faced, we are locating ourselves within an ancient human tradition of storytelling and meaning-making.

In our opening live session, we’ll begin with an overview of the genre, and consider all of the categories within memoir, such as coming-of-age, grief and loss, illness and recovery, relationship memoirs, etc. We’ll mine your lives for the stories you have to tell, those that bring you to the program, and those you may not have considered before, leaving you with a rich list of memoir-worthy material to write about during the online portion of the course. During the closing session, everyone will be encouraged to read aloud from self-selected pages of their memoir writing with Jennifer celebrating what works well in each piece of writing. Afterward, she will lead the group in taking a backward glance, discussing the insights we experienced and the inroads we made on our individuation journeys vis-à-vis writing our memoirs. We’ll look into the future as well, discuss ways to continue the memoir journey through courses, podcasts, and writing communities. Participants will receive a list of resources, including venues for publishing stand-alone memoir essay pieces of various lengths.

This program welcomes participants who:

• Have always wanted to write a full-length memoir or try their hand at shorter personal reflections
• Have already written memoir pieces and want to bring a depth perspective to their writing
• Have a desire to cultivate a sense of archetypal and mythic consciousness in their writing
• Wish to honor a soul-filled perspective towards creative imagination
• Desire the structure and support a thoughtful writing community can offer

Program Format:

Learn at Your Own Pace with Pacifica Extension’s Virtual Learning Format

The eight monthly learning sessions are designed to be completed on your own schedule within each monthly timeframe and due dates. Each month begins with select recommended readings on the theme (typically 60-75 pages), accompanied by a pre-recorded video presentation and an online discussion forum. In the middle of each month, participants have the option of joining a live 60 minute Zoom discussion of a recommended “memoir of the month” to study issues of content and craft facilitated by Jennifer Leigh Selig. Each month ends with the posting of 2-4 pages of memoir writing by participants for feedback by small groups and Jennifer. Participants may choose to submit pages of an ongoing memoir-in-progress or may produce new material.

 Opening Virtual Weekend exclusively with Jennifer Leigh Selig 

(Conducted live via Zoom)

All Sessions are Pacific Time

Saturday, June 6, 2026, 9:00 am-12:00 pm, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm, PT

Closing Virtual Weekend exclusively with Jennifer Leigh Selig

(Conducted live via Zoom)

Saturday, March 13, 2027, 9:00 am-12:00 pm, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm , PT
Sunday, March 14, 2027, 9:00 am-12:00 pm, PT

All Sessions are Pacific Time

***Attendance to the opening and closing weekend is required.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Participation points will be given for each of the following course components:

• Original discussion post—due by Wednesday of each discussion week (6 points), with two response posts to classmates due by Saturday (2 points each)
• Two to four new memoir pages—due by Wednesday of each pages week (12 points), with two feedback responses to circlemates due by Saturday (4 points each)*
• Closing weekend attendance, March 13-14 (20 points)

Because we all rely upon each other’s timeliness in order to move through program deadlines, no points will be given for late work (sorry!).

In order to be awarded the certificate, participants must accumulate 80% of the participation points (208/260), which can include optional points for participating in any live optional Zoom “Memoir of the Month” calls (4 points).

Monthly Learning Session Schedule & Topics:

MONTH	TOPIC	OPTIONAL MEMOIR OF THE MONTH ZOOM DATE
July	The Archetype of the Storyteller: “Making Sense of the Senseless,” and Other Reasons We Write (and Read) Memoir	Wednesday, July 15th, 2026, 5:00-6:00 pm PT hooks, bell. (1996). Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood.
August	The Archetype of Structure: Story as Flesh, Structure as Bones	Wednesday, August 12th, 2026, 5:00-6:00 pm PT Harjo, Joy. (2012). Crazy Brave: A Memoir.
September	The Archetype of Truth: To Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth(?)	Wednesday, September 16th, 2026, 5:00-6:00 pm PT Moore, Judith. (2006). Fat Girl.
October	The Archetype of Memory: Imaginal Remembering and Other Depth Psychological Approaches to Embodying and Enlivening Our Memories	Wednesday, October 21st, 2026, 5:00-6:00 pm PT Doty, Mark. (1999). Firebird: A Memoir.
November	The Archetype of Voice: “Psyche Equals Voice,” Or How to Write Pages That Sing With Soul	Wednesday, November 18th, 2026, 5:00-6:00 pm PT Williams, Terry Tempest. (2012). When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice.
December	The Archetype of the Caregiver: Whose Story Is It? Writing Sensitively About Others in Our Lives	Wednesday, December 16th, 2026, 5:00-6:00 pm PT Grealy, Lucy. (1994). Autobiography of a Face.
January	The Archetype of Image: The Power of Metaphor and the Potential of Key Images	Wednesday, January 27th, 2027, 5:00-6:00 pm PT Ensler, Eve. (2013). In the Body of the World: A Memoir.
February	The Archetype of Transformation: The Alchemy of Memoir Writing	Wednesday, February 24th, 2027, 5:00-6:00 pm PT Hoffman, Richard. (1995). Half the House: A Memoir.

* Memoir of the Month calls take place on Zoom for 60 minutes from 5:00-6:00 pm Pacific Time. Everyone is welcome to attend, even if you haven’t read the books to be discussed (but of course it’s better if you have!). Each memoir is chosen to align with the module’s content focus, and attending is a great way to deepen your appreciation for the craft. Sessions will be recorded as well.

All of the live Zoom sessions will be recorded and made available to everyone registered for the program.

Required Books:

• Barrington, Judith. (2002). Writing the Memoir: From Truth to Art (2nd ed
• Karr, Mary. (2015). The Art of Memoir.
• Kephart, Beth. (2013). Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir.
• Maran, Meredith. (Ed.) (2016). Why We Write About Ourselves: Twenty Memoirists On Why They Expose Themselves (and Others) In the Name of Literature.
• Selig, J.L. ( 2024). Deep Memoir: An Archetypal Approach to Deepen Your Story and Broaden its Appeal. Mandorla Books.

NOTE: Please read pages 1-18 in Jennifer’s Deep Memoir book before the opening online session.

Recommended Books:

• DeSalvo, Louise. (2000). Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives.
• Dodson, Daphne. (2017). Imaginal Remembering: Our Soul’s Journey Through Memory and Imagination.
• Goldberg, Natalie. (2009). Old Friend From Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir.
• Murdock, Maureen. (2003). Unreliable Truth: On Memoir and Memory.
• Murdock, Maureen. (2024). Myth Making: Self-Discovery and the Timeless Art of Memoir.
• Selig, Jennifer Leigh, with Deborah Anne Quibell and Dennis Patrick Slattery. (2019). Deep Creativity: Seven Ways to Spark Your Creative Spirit.