What does it take to lead a creative life every day? New York Times bestselling author Jami Attenberg will offer a workshop on how to carve out a creative life for yourself. The author of seven novels and the 2022 memoir I Came All This Way To Meet You, as well as the new motivational creativity book 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round, Jami is a “writer’s writer,” with decades of experience in pursuit of a creative life.

This workshop will share ideas and perspectives for putting your own creativity first: How can writers best serve their own creative processes? Where do you go for inspiration? How important is community to our writing lives? And how can you create a life in this business of art? 

This workshop will include a talk, a writing prompt with a group write-along. Jami will also explain the development of the worldwide literary movement #1000wordsofsummer. And bring your questions, too! This will be a welcoming and collaborative environment.

Jami Attenberg is the author of eight books of fiction, including: A Reason To See You Again, Instant Love, The Kept Man, The Melting Season, The Middlesteins, Saint Mazie, and All Grown Up. Her most recent novel is All This Could Be Yours (2019), which was included on the Best of Fall lists from People, Vogue, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, New York, Observer, Bust, Nylon, New York Post, Pop Sugar, and more. She is also the author of 1000 Words: Stay Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Long, an inspirational book based on her grassroots literary movement, “1000 Words of Summer.” The book includes thoughts on the creative lifecycle and the craft and art of writing, as well as original letters of advice and support from dozens of authors.

Attenberg’s memoir I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home (2022), a brilliant, fierce, and funny memoir of transformation. Attenberg—described as a “master of modern fiction” by Entertainment Weekly and the “poet laureate of difficult families” by Kirkus Reviews—reveals the defining moments that pushed her to create a life, and voice, she could claim for herself. What does it take to devote oneself to art? What does it mean to own one’s ideas? What does the world look like for a woman moving solo through it? Exploring themes of friendship, independence, class, and drive, I Came All This Way to Meet You is an inspiring story of finding one’s way home—emotionally, artistically, and physically—and an examination of art and individuality that will resonate with anyone determined to listen to their own creative calling.

About All This Could Be Yours, Emma Cline, author of The Girls, says, “Jami Attenberg’s work is so deeply attuned to humans and our imperfect attempts to love each other. All This Could Be Yours is populated by Attenberg’s pitch-perfect characters; flawed, recognizable people dealing with big topics–death, family, sex, love–and Attenberg handles it all with an expert touch and a keen sense of what, despite all the sadness and secrets, keeps people connected, striving for moments of beauty and tenderness in a dark world.”

Attenberg has written about food, travel, books, relationships and urban life for The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Times, Slate, and others. Her work has been published in a total of sixteen languages.

She lives in New Orleans, LA.

Tickets are $10 and limited. The event is open to all. Registration is required. 

ASL interpretation will be available for attendees.

You can order the author's books from Greedy Reads.

21st Annual CityLit Festival Partners:

Media Sponsor: Baltimore Beat & Bmore Art

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra | Chesapeake Shakespeare Company 

Ivy Bookshop | Greedy Reads | Joyful Signing | University of Baltimore Creative Writing MFA

Hedgebrook - Baltimore Children & Youth Fund | American Academy of Poets | Poetry Foundation

Baltimore National Heritage Area