How do we write about the ones who shaped us from the start? The unchosen, chaotic, destructive, brilliant and bruising thing we call family? Through fiction, nonfiction, and drawn works, we will look at the time-honored tradition of writing about the ones who are simultaneously closest and furthest from us. Breaking down the craft techniques used by Toni Morrison, Alison Bechdel, Susan Minot, Junot Diaz and others, we will experiment with our own tellings, learning how to capture the dynamics and intricacies of family life.