Exploring Family Histories Through Creative Writing

An Interactive Workshop

Materials housed in both public archives and private family collections can provide important windows into the lives of our ancestors—and by extension, ourselves. For example, the poet Lauren Russell’s 2020 book, Descent, speaks into the gaps in the diary of her great-great-grandfather, a Confederate Captain, and imagines the voice of her great-great-grandmother, Peggy Hubert, whom he once enslaved. As we celebrate the 160^th anniversary of Emancipation in Maryland, we will explore how to write with family artifacts and documents and into gaps in the archival record. Participants are asked to bring a historical object of inquiry (perhaps a journal, family heirloom, photograph, or letter). With this archival material as a starting point, Russell will guide participants through a series of creative exercises to generate a work of poetry or flash fiction.

Please note that there is limited accessibility to reach the Wine Cellar, where the program will be hosted.  If you require more information, please email museums@jhu.edu

For detailed directions, click here