“How to Corroborate Memory When Writing Personal Essays and Memoir” with Mallary Tenore Tarpley
September 23 2026 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM CDT
$59.00 – $119.00
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This Event is for Members only.
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$59 for Members
$119 for Non-Members
PLEASE NOTE: This class recording is now only available for purchase by our members from now until December 31 at 11:59 PM CT. The class recording will be made available to watch (and rewatch) until January 31, 2027. Become a member here.
Memory is both the foundation of memoir and one of its greatest challenges.
This class will teach you how to corroborate memory so that you can write richer, more accurate portrayals of the past in memoir and personal essays. Through a mix of instruction, writing exercises, and discussion, you’ll learn practical techniques memoirists use to corroborate memory, including revisiting places from the past, conducting interviews, and consulting source materials such as journals, medical records, photographs, and other personal archives.
You’ll also learn practical takeaways on how to navigate the malleability of memory, approach the challenges that can arise when excavating painful experiences, and honor both the emotional and factual truth of your work by acknowledging when memories are fuzzy, incomplete, or contested. The instructor will share related insights based on her own work as a published memoirist and the work of others.
TAKE THIS CLASS IF:
- You’re a memoirist, personal essayist, and/or other nonfiction writer.
- You want to portray the past with greater depth, accuracy, and confidence.
- You’re wrestling with imperfect memories, reconstructing scenes from years ago, or wondering how to verify what you remember.
- You need practical tools for corroborating memory and navigating its inevitable gaps.
The deadline to register for this class is Wednesday, September 23 at 5:00 PM CT.
Can’t make it to the live class? No problem! All classes are recorded and made available to students until January 31, 2027.
CONTINUING YOUR WRITING JOURNEY
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
The WLT is committed to making our online classes accessible to all writers including writers who do not have the financial means to pay for programming. Five (5) seats in this class have been set aside for scholarship recipients to attend free of charge. Please fill out this application no later than 2 days prior to the class to be considered for one of the scholarship seats. We do not ask for any corroborating documents; we only ask that you help us understand your situation. If you are selected for one of the available seats you will be notified via email (from wlt@writersleague.org) no later than 24 hours before the start of the class. Please note, each writer is limited to no more than four (4) total scholarship seats per catalog season.
Instructor
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Mallary Tenore Tarpley is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where she teaches a variety of courses on longform feature writing, nonprofit journalism, solutions journalism, personal essay writing, and more.
Previously, Mallary was the associate director of UT Austin’s Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas; executive director the nonprofit Images & Voices of Hope; and managing editor at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies.
Mallary’s articles have been published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and TIME Magazine, among other publications. She has led writing trainings for news outlets around the world and for organizations such as The Poynter Institute, the Society for Features Journalism, and the Writers’ League of Texas.
Her new book SLIP explores the under-discussed complexities of eating disorders and recovery from them. Equal parts memoir and journalism, the book weaves together Mallary's own narrative with perspectives from clinicians, researchers, and others with lived experience. SLIP is the winner of the Association of American Publishers' 2026 PROSE Award for Excellence in Biological and Life Sciences. The Association also selected SLIP as a first-place winner in the Medicine Category and as a finalist in the Outstanding Work by a Trade Publisher Category.
Mallary received a generous grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to support the science-related reporting in the book, specifically around the neurobiological and genetic aspects of eating disorders.
You can keep up with Mallary via her newsletter, "Write at the Edge," which features weekly writing tips and best practices: mallary.substack.com.
Before purchasing, please read all policies as noted below and on our Accessibility and Policies page.
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Anti-Harassment Policy
The Writers’ League of Texas is dedicated to providing harassment-free spaces for everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Violating these rules may result in expulsion from WLT programs without a refund at the discretion of the WLT staff.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- Comments that reinforce social structures of domination (related to gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, age, or religion);
- Sexual images not appropriate for the specific subject of the public discussion;
- Deliberate intimidation or stalking;
- Harassing photography or recording;
- Sustained disruption of discussions or other events;
- Unwelcome sexual attention;
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
Enforcement
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, event organizers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the event with no refund. Event organizers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants. We expect participants to follow these rules during all events and event-related social activities.
Reporting
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Reports can also be made via email at wlt@writersleague.org. We’ll handle any and all reports as respectfully as possible. You won’t be asked to confront anyone, and we won’t tell anyone who you are.
Accessibility Policy
Closed captioning is available for all online classes and special events.
The WLT is committed to making its programs & services accessible to all writers. Please contact us at wlt@writersleague.org or at 512-499-8914 for more information or to discuss accommodations you may need.
Credit Card Transaction Handling Fee Policy
All credit card transactions will incur a 4% handling fee. If you’d prefer to pay by check for membership, a class, or an event, you can use the provided forms on the membership or event pages and mail to: WLT, P.O. Box 14355, Austin, TX, 78704.
Writers’ League of Texas classes and workshops are also funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts – Investing in a Creative Texas. For more information, go to www.arts.texas.gov.