We’ll discuss writing about positive experiences and love from a place of depth, examination, self-critique and balance. We have many craft talks and essays on writing through trauma, and this will look at essay-writing from a flipped perspective, learning to shade experiences that may seem “fluffy” or irreverent on the surface into balanced, nuanced stories that leave us with what we need from any successful essay: a multi-dimensional snapshot of the human experience, and some level of hope.

Tabitha Blankenbiller is an essay writer living a smidge outside of Portland, Oregon. Her essays have appeared in Tin House, Salon, Catapult, The Rumpus, Longreads, Narratively, Hobart, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Serious Eats, and a number of other venues. She teaches pop culture writing with Catapult and Skillshare. Her debut collection EATS OF EDEN was released from Alternating Current Press in 2018. Visit her website www.tabithablankenbiller.com, and follow her on Twitter @tabithablanken.