Whether you’re writing memoir, historical fiction, literary journalism, or docupoetics, incorporating research may be a crucial component of your writing project. But how do you transform your research from raw factual nuggets into an exciting and dynamic story? Together we’ll strategize, write, and read excerpts from exemplary work by Kate Zambreno and Ocean Vuong. You won’t need to come with your own research and writers of all skill levels are welcome.

Katie Bennett is a writer and musician from West Philly. She’s a mentor for PEN America’s Prison and Justice Writing Program and she has an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University-Camden. Her writing has appeared in Lit Hub and Your Magic, she was a finalist for the 2022 Lighthouse Writers Emerging Writer Award, and she has received scholarships from A Public Space and the Hudson Valley Writers Center. Her songwriting has been featured in Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Spin. You can learn more about her projects and sign up for her newsletter on Instagram @katiepbennett