Teacher, author Nan Phifer to instruct writing workshop at downtown library | Arts & Culture

The Downtown Eugene Public Library will host a writing workshop titled "Playful & Profound Letters for Memoirs & Life-Review" on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required for limited spaces: call 541-682-5450.

Nan Phifer, author of "Memoirs of the Soul: A Writing Guide," will lead adults in writing letters to review life events from a new perspective. Phifer teaches widely. She is affiliated with the Oregon Writing Project at the University of Oregon and serves on its Advisory Board.

According to Phifer, "the workshop will be both mirthful and poignant." She explains, "In the same way that good comedy has a serious underside, playful writing seems to glint off shiny surfaces but actually springs from a deeper place. Light-hearted letters often are the convex side of a subject holding significant content. Like Shakespeare's fools, such letters often belie wisdom and shouldn't be dismissed as less important than ponderous letters -- furthermore, they're fun to write."

For more information, contact Eugene Public Library: 541-682-5450 or http://www.eugene-or.gov/library.