Everyone experiences grief, yet, when we do, many of us are taken by surprise at the intensity of our feelings. We turn to books, music, and friends, seeking navigable paths through our sorrow. Writers, though, do what makes sense to them – they write. Writing about grief can be tricky because it is a universal experience. No one wants to write the book that someone starts to read but then puts down because they can’t relate to the writer’s experience. So the first thing writers grapple with is how to write about something universal. They search for new ways to describe grief and suffering. They carefully interrogate their feelings then reach for creative, non-cliched ways to express their truths. Join moderator Rachel Dickinson and panelists nonfiction writers Nancy Dafoe and Alison Fromme, and poet Eric Machan Howd for an hour-long discussion on their experiences with writing about grief.

For more information about Spring Writes Literary Festival, please visit https://artspartner.org/content/view/spring-writes.