Sunshine Place will become a busy hub once again with award-winning short-story writer and educator Oscar Peñaranda conducting a memoir writing workshop starting on February 24. The workshop is for members and non-members of Sunshine Place (Senior Hub) who want to try their hand at writing and discover themselves in the process as they record vignettes of certain events that they may have missed out on because they were busy trying other pursuits in their younger years, like juggling career and motherhood for example.
Also known as “Mr. P,” Peñaranda will be conducting five sessions of two hours each session on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The first classes will consist of introduction, the different types of writing one’s memoir, the purpose of each kind and the definition of memoir writing.
The second session will delve on birth and childhood, followed by the topic of youth and coming of age. Then it will be on to turning points in adulthood, marriage or singlehood, and family.
Each session will be composed of various writing assignments, categories, lectures, and discussions of writings from the class.
The final session will have a culminating activity with each participant (along with members of the family and friends) presenting his or her respective writing. The presentation will be done in various styles like dramatizations, with participants providing their own resources such as scripts, reenactment, speeches, artworks, films, photos and whatever options they may want for the writings produced during the five sessions.
Peñaranda is a recipient of Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas Award, a prestigious award given by the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL). He earned his B.A. in Literature and M. A. in Creative Writing from the San Francisco State University. He helped found the San Francisco Chapter of the Filipino American Historical Society and was its first president.
Sunshine Place (Senior Hub) is a venue for adults to live actively through engaging in classes in arts, writing and many other age-appropraite activtities to keep one’s mind active, boost one’s energy and express one’s soul. It is located at 56 Juper st. Bel-Air, Makati, You may call 856-4144, 8564162, email at seniorhubjupiter@gmail.com or visit www.sunshineplace.com.ph for more information.