The Memoir Project is a program that ran in the Fall of 2010 offering formal instruction and coaching to seniors interested in learning the craft of memoir writing. With the help of a skilled instructor and individual coaches, the participants captured their personal stories of life on Nantucket and turned them into coherent narratives of lasting value. The course was available to anyone 65 years or older who was physically capable of writing fluently in English and who had a substantial history with the Island. At the end of the course these stories were published, along with photographs, in a bound collection called, The Little Gray Isand. It is available for sale at: Bookworks, Mitchell’s Book Corner, The Whaling Museum, Murray’s Toggery, Bartlett’s Farm, and Nantucket Bake Shop. All proceeds from sales of the book go toward funding the next memoir workshop, which we hope will result in volume II of the memoir anthology.

A related goal of The Memoir Project is to give seniors a meaningful artistic experience that adds value and purpose to their lives. For seniors whose family members live off-island and whose social lives may be limited, the social aspect of the project is especially important.

The class met weekly beginning Friday, September 10th, 2010 and ending October 29th (eight sessions). There was a choice of morning or afternoon session with a maximum of 12 students in each class. All classes were held at the Atheneum. A light lunch was served following the morning session and tea was served after the afternoon class.

The course was offered for the nominal fee of $65.00, to defray the cost of meals and materials. The fee was waived for individuals who represented that they could not pay it. The ability to pay did not influence acceptance into the class, and we took people at their word regarding their ability to pay.

Nantucket Writers Studio worked in partnership with Grub Street, the Boston writing and literary center that created The Memoir Project for the City of Boston in 2006. The Nantucket Atheneum served as host for this project.