Life & Words: A Memoir Reading & Writing 4 MasterClasses with author Yonatan Berg

Life & Words: A Memoir Reading & Writing 4 MasterClasses

Why tell your story?

We all love to tell stories - over a drink, across a dinner table, or in the quiet of the night. But why do you want to tell yours? Is it to preserve a face that is fading? To understand a choice made years ago? Or to finally find the thread of meaning in the chaos of the past?

This masterclass is designed for those who want to acquire and improve the tools of memoir and turn personal experience into something enduring.

Who are we? From what places, faces, and moments are we composed? How can we revisit childhood, youth, and adulthood - the most pivotal moments of our lives? Through the dual acts of reading and writing, we find the answers. Books grant us inspiration and a glimpse into the lives of others, and through them, we see our own lives more clearly. Writing allows us to return to those lives - to understand, preserve, and ultimately, transform them.

In these sessions, we will read masterworks of world literature and memoirs to provide a foundation for writing our own lives. Through writing exercises and close personal feedback, you will gain the tools to discover and use family and personal memories to redesign your story on the page.

The Curriculum: Four Masterclasses in Memoir

Session I: Writing Those Closest to Us - June 2

Date & Time: June 2 | 19:00 – 21:00 (Includes a 10-minute break)

Case Study: The Details by Ia Genberg.

The Focus: The author reconstructs her own world by describing specific, pivotal figures - a close friend, a partner, a family member.

The Skill: We will learn how to describe the people in our lives to better understand ourselves and the profound importance of our relationships.

Session II: Blending Testimony and Story - June 9

Date & Time: June 9 | 19:00 – 21:00 (Includes a 10-minute break)

Case Study: The Color of Water by James McBride.

The Focus: McBride follows his mother's life to confront questions of identity, heritage, and social divides.

The Skill: He weaves factual interviews into a deeply personal narrative. We will explore the delicate balance of blending objective testimony with the creative power of the imagination.

Session III: The Outside Perspective - Jun 16

Date & Time: June 16 | 19:00 – 21:00 (Includes a 10-minute break)

Case Study: Youth by J.M. Coetzee.

The Focus: The Nobel Prize winner chooses a unique path: describing his younger self in the third person ("He"). This distance allows him to observe his own struggles with startling clarity.

The Skill: We will learn how to look at our own lives "from the outside" to describe them with depth and honesty.

Session IV: Weaving Life Eras Together - June 23

Date & Time: June 23 | 19:00 – 21:30 (Includes a 10-minute break)

Case Study: Yoga by Emmanuel Carrère.

The Focus: Carrère moves seamlessly from a meditation retreat to a mental health crisis, from a Greek island to a moment of profound beauty.

The Skill: In our final session, we will learn how to take disparate events from our lives and weave them into a single, cohesive narrative.

The Small Details

Dates: Tuesdays in June: 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd.

Please note that individual sessions are not available for purchase; registration is for the full four-session course only.

Time: 19:00 – 21:00 (Sessions 1-3) and 19:00 – 21:30 (Session 4).

Location: The Book Nook, Singel 82, 1015 AC Amsterdam.

Group Size: Intimate group (maximum 12 participants) to ensure personal attention for every story.

Masterclasses require a minimum of 6 participants to ignite. Without critical mass,  the session will be rescheduled or fully refunded.

On the House: Coffee, tea, water, and small snacks are provided.

Private Sessions: Participants have the option to continue their writing journey privately with Yonatan following the masterclass.

Questions? You are welcome to contact the writer directly at younatanb@gmail.com

About the Facilitator Yonatan Berg

Yonatan Berg is a celebrated poet and author, and the youngest recipient of the Yehuda Amichai Poetry Prize. He has published five books of poetry, two novels, and a memoir. His work, which explores themes of history, identity, and the Mediterranean landscape, has been translated into several languages, including English, German, and Italian. A seasoned educator and a central voice in contemporary literature, Yonatan brings a unique blend of technical expertise and emotional depth to his masterclasses, helping writers find the "literary gold" in their personal histories.

A Note from Think & Drink

This masterclass is an opportunity to join a small, curated group of curious minds and dive deep into the architecture of memory. Whether you have a manuscript in a drawer or just a collection of memories you aren't ready to lose, you are welcome here.