The Ethics of Memoir: A Two-Hour Multigenre Craft Talk with Robert Anthony Siegel (Zoom), Monday, September 22, 2025

Live Seminar Via Zoom Monday, September 22, 2025Class will meet 7PM - 9PM Eastern Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us. Instructor Robert Anthony Siegel is the author of a memoir, Criminals, and two novels, All Will Be Revealed and All the Money in the World. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian Magazine, The Paris Review, The Drift, The Oxford American, and Ploughshares, and has been anthologized in Best American Essays 2023, O. Henry Stories 2014, and Pushcart Prize XXXVI. He has been a Fulbright Scholar in Taiwan, a Mombukagakusho Fellow in Japan, a Writing Fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and a Paul Engle Fellow at the Iowa Writers Workshop. He holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers Workshop. Every memoirist knows that honesty is the great force that powers memoir. But what if that honesty causes distress to family and friends? What does the writer owe to others who appear in their story? And what does the writer owe to the story itself? In this two-hour Zoom seminar, we will explore these and other questions around the ethics of memoir, including: When is it reasonable to protect the privacy of people who appear in your story? Is it okay to change names? Alter other kinds of identifying details? Create composite characters? At what point do changes undermine the integrity of the story? How should you talk to the people in your story about these issues?  How should you negotiate conflicting memories, conflicting interpretations of events? Does anyone have a right to see the manuscript?  What if they ask for changes? Is there ever a reason to consult with a lawyer? When? Though at first glance the ethics of memoir can feel fraught, even intimidating, the truth is that thinking about the people in your story is always a positive step, a way of adding richness and complexity to your understanding of your memoir. Ultimately, this seminar will help you write the story you need to write with greater confidence and freedom. Can't Make It Live?No problem! The session will be recorded and available to watch after the seminar concludes. Course Expectations: Open to all levels of experience and all genres. No preparation needed. Just come to class ready to write, explore, and share. TESTIMONIALS:"Full of richly drawn characters and jolting plot twists—Glasser’s time behind bars is especially chilling—Siegel’s debut novel works both as a parable of how quickly the high and mighty can fall, and as gripping drama. 'Money' well spent." -NEW YORK POST on ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD"Early in this novel, there is a wonderful scene—rich with embarrassment—in which Louis Glasser, the altogether unlikely hero, helps his Harvard-educated son buy a new suit. The son’s fortunes founder, but that’s nothing compared to the perils that overwhelm his father—a lawyer who operates on the margins and becomes the target of a criminal investigation. Siegel’s … portraits (loving and otherwise) of the Glassers, New York prosecutors, and various lowlifes are right on the money." -THE NEW YORKER on ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD"...Well-turned and elegant...Gloriously complex..." -ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION on ALL WILL BE REVEALED"...A richly detailed and seedily seductive narrative." -PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on ALL WILL BE REVEALED"Robert's unique skill as a teacher comes from his enthusiasm not only for talking, which is present in many talented professors, but for listening... He has a reputation for being the best kind of teacher: generous, knowledgeable, demanding, and always at the ready with excellent advice." -former student"The level of discourse was challenging and interesting and I think part of the reason for that was the casual atmosphere of discussion, fostered by Robert. When people are allowed to speak in an open, non-threatening environment, wonderful things happen." -former student PAYMENT OPTIONS: Tuition is $75. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. These options are available at checkout. Instructor: Robert Anthony Siegel Live Seminar Via Zoom Monday, September 22, 2025 Class will meet 7PM - 9PM Eastern Tuition is $75. Contact us HERE if you have any questions about this seminar.