SEMINAR | Bearing Witness: Writing About Place
April 27 @ 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
LIVE ON ZOOM | Sunday, April 27 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm EDT
All Genres
As our planet faces mounting threats, readers crave work that deepens their connection to nature. Learn how to move them as you honor a landscape you cherish.
Writing can help us bear witness to places transformed by extreme weather, disaster, or development. It can reconcile us to change while strengthening our bond with the land and its inhabitants.
Bearing Witness: Writing About Place will guide you in crafting vivid, emotionally resonant depictions of a beloved landscape. We’ll explore techniques for immersing readers in place-based experiences and capturing the deep personal and ecological shifts unfolding before us. By the end of this seminar, you’ll have a draft ready to evolve into a story, essay, poem, or longer work—one that speaks to the place that speaks to you.
Writers of all levels and genres are welcome. We’ll foster a spirit of curiosity and generosity—no formal critique, just shared inspiration.
In this seminar, you will learn to:
✅ DEPICT a cherished landscape in vivid, compelling ways
✅ CONVEY place-based experiences and emotions that resonate deeply
✅ EXAMINE the personal and profound impact of environmental change
✅ DEVELOP a draft for an essay, poem, story, or longer work
This seminar is ideal for writers who:
🌿 Have ideas for environmental essays, poems, or stories but don’t know where to start
🌿 Want to publish powerful work about a landscape they love
🌿 Admire place-based writing and are eager to create their own
Closed captioning is available. ✔
Think you might miss part of the class? No worries, there is a replay. ✔
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR
TAMARA DEAN is the author of Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless, published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2025. Her work has appeared in The American Scholar, Creative Nonfiction, The Georgia Review, The Guardian, Orion, The Southern Review, and elsewhere. She’s also the author of The Human-Powered Home. Her essay “Safer Than Childbirth” received a 2024 Pushcart Prize Special Mention and “Slow Blues” was named a 2021 National Magazine Award finalist. She teaches writing independently and through writing centers across the nation.
Testimonials from past students:
“Inspiring, encouraging and challenging. Tamara’s classes create a space that gives you courage to explore deeply, elevate your work and write from the heart.” — Suzanne O.
“Tamara was one of the best instructors I have ever had, and I’ve taken several workshops. She had such a wonderful mix of kind presence, outstanding knowledge that can be applied to any level in which we find ourselves, and yes, encouragement! I can still hear her voice, her shared pearls of gold.” – Karen D.
“After my first class with Tamara, I went to her website and signed up for more because it’s rare to find a writing teacher with such precise, helpful tips and prompts. Her craft lessons were exactly what I was looking for: organized, clear and to the point. Her class material is a rich resource that I will continue to rely on while strengthening my writing.” — Wendy A.
“In a caring and respectful way, Tamara provides an enjoyable deep dive into the craft of writing. Her workshops are clear enough to be useful for beginners and substantial and intelligent for seasoned writers. I had numerous revelations taking me to a deeper understanding of what I am trying to write.” — Ursula R.
“The class was encouraging. Tamara has a very professional, comforting, calm way about her. Her voice is amazing. 🙂 I most appreciated the tips on keeping the writing going, especially the ones she shared on the handout, and some of the metaphors/visualizations about writing that she and other participants shared.” – Molly P.
“Every course I’ve taken with Tamara Dean has been invaluable to my writing journey. I love the way she talks about writing! It’s both craft-centered and inspirational: ‘Do the work!’ AND ‘This is why we do the work.’” —Jennifer G.
THE FINE PRINT
We understand that life can get in the way of your plans. We want you to be able to get the most out of your course, and our refund policy is designed to balance your need for flexibility with our deadlines and obligations to our teachers.
Before the class, you may request a full refund.
Please keep in mind that no refunds or credits will be issued after class begins.
Questions? Please email Info@craft-talks.com