In this gathering with memoirist Ellen Blum Barish, you are invited to gently explore the unique imprint someone dear has made on your life. Together, we’ll open space for memory, feeling, and reflection—considering not just who they were, but how they continue to shape who you are becoming.
What does that inner legacy look like? What does it feel like in your body, your language, your creative spirit?
Through shared readings from memoir and personal essays, warm conversation, and guided prompts, you’ll begin crafting a piece of writing that honors this personal inheritance. You’ll leave with the beginnings of a meaningful story—one that brings your loved one forward in a way only you can.
This event will be recorded and sent to participants. We encourage live attendance for you to get the most out of the experience.
Ellen Blum Barish is the author of the spiritual memoir Seven Springs (Shanti Arts, 2021), the essay collection Views from the Home Office Window (Adams Street Publishing, 2007), and a contributor to Chicago Storytellers From Stage to Page (Chicago Story Press, 2020). You can find her personal essays in Tablet, Lilith, Brevity’s Blog, Full Grown People, Literary Mama, and The Chicago Tribune and hear them on Chicago Public Radio. She founded the literary publication Thread, which earned four notables in Best American Essays. Ellen has taught writing at Northwestern University, Chicago-area synagogues, and writer’s studios, including Story Studio Chicago and Lighthouse Lit Fest. She works privately with writers on essay collections and memoir.
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