Santa Monica College Seniors Pen Their Memoirs

December 14, 2012 -- What may be long-ago history for many constitutes vivid memories for members Emeritus College's autobiography writing class at Santa Monica College.

The 29 compelling short memoirs they penned -- or typed on glowing screens -- are now available in the Fall 2012 issue of “Writings from Emeritus.”

The memoirs include the story of a 90-year-old student whose “inner me still dances,” the humorous account of a young Jewish soldier’s meeting with the Pope in post World War II Italy and a Holocaust survivor’s memories of an encounter with the son of a Nazi.

“These stories bring readers into the ‘real stuff of memoir writing: the hard moments, the joy, the pain, the unrequited love, the exultant surprises, and what it all meant,” said Monona Wali, who teaches Emeritus College's memoir writing class.

“The writers of these short stories bring us into the depth of breadth of the human journey,” she said. “Some are experienced writers, and for others, this is their first published story. Together, they provide powerful evidence of why the memoir is such a popular and powerful art form.”

A short story writer and novelist, Wali has also been a documentary filmmaker and screenwriter.  Several of her stories have been published in The Santa Monica Review, SMC’s renowned literary journal.   

A recent story, There Is A Certain Kind of Woman, won the Wordstock 2011 Short Fiction Contest judged by Aimee Bender. She also is a volunteer teacher with InsideOut Writers, an organization that offers creative writing classes for incarcerated youth.

The newly released issue of “Writings from Emeritus.” is the seventh volume of an annual publication from the autobiography writing class.

The journal is available for $7 (checks only) through Emeritus College at 1227 Second Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. For information, contact Wali at mononawali@mac.com

Emeritus College, started in 1975, serves more than 3,200 students annually and offers more than 150  classes and special programs to older adults.