Central ND News

April 22, 2025

The Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library is set to hold a writing workshop led by the acclaimed author Jill Kandel. Participants will explore methods to make memoirs engaging and creative. Kandel will focus on the distinction between diary and memoir writing. Additionally, she will offer insights on utilizing details, thematic writing approaches, and techniques to captivate readers.

Attendees will benefit from a one-hour instructional segment followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session, offering a chance to gain deeper insights into memoir writing. Books by Kandel will be available for purchase and signing post-event.

Kandel's essays have been published in notable literary reviews such as The Missouri Review, Gettysburg Review, Pinch, and Brevity. Her essay collections appear in “The Best Spiritual Writing 2012” and “Becoming: What Makes a Woman.” She authored “So Many Africas: Six Years in a Zambian Village,” a prize-winning work, and “The Clean Daughter: A Cross-Continental Memoir,” recognized by the Library of Congress as a 2024 Great Reads Book.

Kandel also teaches memoir writing at the Fargo Fine Arts Club, lectures at North Dakota State University Writing Classes, and runs a weekly writing club. She continues to enjoy writing and teaching others about memoir crafting.

The workshop will take place on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library, Meeting Room B, from 10:00 AM to Noon. The event is free and open to all ages. Media personnel are welcome.

For more details, interested individuals can contact Mac Kemmer, the Adult Services Program Coordinator at the library. Additional resources are available on the library's website and social media platforms.

This communication was sent by Kevin R. Tengesdal, Public Information Specialist at the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library.