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They f–k you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
–Philip Larkin
"In this five-week class, students are invited to come with open hearts to explore what parenting means to them," says instructor Jenny Pritchett. "We'll consider what it means to be a parent, or a child in relation to a parent or caregiver. Our families of origin shape us, and for those who have children – or those who can't, or choose not to – the idea of being a parent brings fascinating complexity, not least in how we see ourselves."
Together we will reflect on what it means to "father," or to "mother." We will read selections from authors such as Camille Dungy, Frank Conroy, Maggie Nelson, and Angela Garbes by and about all kinds of parents, including disabled parents, parents of color, and queer and trans parents. We will examine our personal histories and our present-day lives, exploring the many dimensions of what having a parent – or being one – means in our modern world.
At the end of five weeks, students will leave with fresh drafts from in-class writing exercises, which will enrich students' understanding of their own lives as parents and/or as children of parents.
About The Writing Salon's In-Person Classes
In-person class schedules are subject to sudden change or cancellation due to Covid. We will communicate any course changes to you as quickly as possible. Masking, social distancing, and other Covid measures will be enforced in accordance with local guidelines. Before your class meets, you'll receive an email from The Writing Salon with more information about your class. If you have any questions about in-person learning, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@writingsalons.com.

Jenny Pritchett has taught creative writing classes since 2006 and writes the popular blog Jenny True: An Excruciatingly Personal Mommy Blog. In 2021 she published You Look Tired: An Excruciatingly Honest Guide to New Parenthood (Hachette). Her debut story collection, At or Near the Surface (Fourteen Hills Press), won the 2008 Michael Rubin Book Award, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and published in Guernica, Salon, Southwest Review, Northwest Review, Boulevard, Best of the Web 2008 (Dzanc Books), and elsewhere. She holds a degree in magazine journalism from Northwestern University and an MFA in creative writing from San Francisco State University. The former managing editor of Fourteen Hills, she has taught or lectured at SFSU, UC Berkeley, California College of the Arts, Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, and the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Saturday, October 15, 10:30am-1:00pm
- Saturday, October 22, 10:30am-1:00pm
- Saturday, October 29, 10:30am-1:00pm
- Saturday, November 05, 10:30am-1:00pm
- Saturday, November 12, 10:30am-1:00pm
Jenny is a rare talent, capable of providing for the students’ wide range of needs, from giving positive feedback and support, remembering the tiniest details of her student’s writing, to elucidating some very abstract concepts.