Award-winning journalist and biographer Mary Wisniewski discusses the elements of writing a memoir or biography, from gathering research to deciding on how a story should be framed. She will also give tips, and a writing exercise, to show how to use the tools of fiction in writing non-fiction narrative. The three-hour class will include advice on filing Freedom of Information Act requests, effective interviews, and the use of university library resources. Wisniewski is the author of “Algren: A Life,” a biography of Chicago writer Nelson Algren, which won the Society of Midland Authors prize for best biography and the Chicago Writers Association award for best non-fiction. Wisniewski also teaches classes on journaling and other creative non-fiction.

Bring your notepads and pens!