The problems of modern illness are the craft problems of illness narratives. Overly technical language, periods of disorientation, the inextricability of one ailment from the next, and the onerous play-by-plays of treatment can make drafts of illness narratives challenging to read and even more challenging to revise. 

In this Examined Life Conference pre-conference workshop in Iowa City, IA, we’ll use published illness writing as our launching pad for exploring how to successfully manage the chronology and scope of modern illness experiences. We’ll practice framing the same story in different ways, glimpsing how our individual stories might make meaning for readers. We’ll talk about the possibility of collage structures for the illness essay. And we’ll talk about the importance of illness essays in the culture: why these stories are so worth telling at this moment. 

Participants will receive a few readings ahead of time, and should arrive ready to engage their own illness experiences in writing and conversation.

Registration information will be posted in the coming months.