Upcoming Events: Where You Can Find Us
Here’s a look at our upcoming online events, plus third-party event where you can find our authors and editors! [You may also view past events by using the month view and scrolling back.]
Deep Dive: Postmarked: Modern Takes on the Ancient Art of Letters (Brenda Miller)
Deep Dives are intensive/generative 90-minute workshops, with two options to choose from each day during HippoCamp Weekend; these are NOT included in the main ticket package and require separate registration. Registration is limited to 20 attendees; we suggest signing up early.
About the Session
Remember the joy of finding a handwritten letter in your mailbox? Letters used to be our primary form of communication, but they’ve fallen out of favor in the technology age. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll:
- explore the literary power of letter writing in our modern lives
- examine how authors often used letters to elucidate not only their everyday lives but also to grapple with the complexities of their work
- study contemporary authors, who employ the letter form as a structural device for their stories. We’ll even turn to oral storytelling in podcasts such as This American Life and Letters Live!
- analyze how writers use the letter form to create intimacy, reveal historical context as well as personal details, and provide a container for difficult subjects
In a supportive, encouraging environment, participants will then engage in short, guided writing exercises designed to draft personal stories in letter form. These could be real letters one would send to a particular recipient, or they might be autobiographical essays using the letter form as a literary device.
Brenda Miller’s most recent book is Love You, Bye: A Daughter’s Journey in Essays and Poems (Skinner House Books, 2026). She is the author of six essay collections, including A Braided Heart: Essays on Writing and Form. She co-wrote, with Suzanne Paola, the popular textbook Tell it Slant, and her work has received seven Pushcart Prizes.
TICKET INFO
You may register for this event a la carte, independent of the full HippoCamp Online Weekend. (But if you would like to attend other sessions or the entire event, you can learn more here.)
This session is limited to 20 attendees for optimal engagement with speaker and each other; we suggest signing up as early as possible to secure your seat. Note: Deep Dives are using the Zoom meeting format where all attendees will be on screen.
