Earlier this week I got word that Hannelore (Hanna) Bratman, a writer in the memoir-writing class I used to lead at the Chicago Cultural Center, had died Monday, just short of her 104th birthday. Hannelore had age-related macular degeneration and found out about my “Me, Myself and I” writing class decades ago from volunteers who […]

I am pleased to introduce Andrew Bendelow as our guest blogger today. A retired school teacher, Andrew joined our weekly Zoom class this past year and generously agreed to share this little ditty — a fresh look at a classic holiday story — with you Safe & Sound readers. It’s a Wonderful Lie by Andrew […]

I’m delighted to introduce Gretchen Hane as our guest blogger today. Born into a Quaker family, Gretchen lived in a small village in Michigan called Newaygo during her formative years. After graduating in 1964 from Earlham College (a Quaker school in Indiana) she moved to Chicago, earned a Master’s Degree in teaching at Northwestern University, […]

Good news! Soon all of the memoir-writing classes I lead will be back in session, which means our “Senior Class” feature will be back in full swing, too. I’m getting the ball rolling by introducing Al Hippensteel as our guest blogger today. After a long career in the printing industry, Al retired, appropriately, here in […]

The two memoir-writing classes I lead in person are both starting up again this week after a month-long break. I don’t give writing prompts during breaks, but I encourage writers to write about whatever they’d like and read it at the first class of the new six-week session. Mel Washburn came back with this fast-paced, […]