Lit Fest - Lighthouse Writers Workshop 2026

Memoir and personal essay may seem far removed from the world of Google Scholar, articles with citations, surveys, news databases, historical archives, theoretical texts, and other resources frequently used by academic researchers. As a memoirist and essayist who also just published a scholarly book, I’ll lead you through a diverse toolbox of research resources, as well as discuss ways that epistemology can add depth, surprise, and gravitas to your personal writing. Research often illuminates the "So What?" of a memoir. You'll also get some practical, judgement-free advice on generative AI and chatbots, and how they can help, hurt, expand, and /or limit your research process. We'll embark on a research journey to add a new dimension to your work-in-progress by the end of this workshop.