Cleyvis Natera

Braid It, Then Twist It: How Creative Nonfiction Writers Elevate Personal Stories Into Illuminating Works of Art

Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. 

This seminar will focus on providing creative nonfiction writers with strategies to elevate personal stories into compelling narratives that braid in expansive, universal themes for maximum impact and lasting resonance. We will focus on two examples of braided essays: “Woven” by Lidia Yuknavitch and “Paloma Negra” by Xochitl Gonzalez. These two essays provide examples of how creative nonfiction writers use structure to imbue their personal narratives with powerful themes that elevate personal experience, transforming it into illuminating, surprising works of art.

Required Reading (in Reader):

Gonzalez, Xochitl. "Paloma Negra." Ninth Letter, https://ninthletter.com/feature/gonzalez. Accessed 6 May 2025.

Yuknavitch, Lidia. "Woven." Guernica, 3 Aug. 2015, https://www.guernicamag.com/woven.