Discover and explore extraordinarily rich memoirs and tales from renowned contemporary women writers, including Rebecca Solnit, JoanDidion and Margo Jefferson.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
This in-college course looks at three contemporary memoirs:
Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking (2005)
Negroland by Margo Jefferson (2015)
Recollections of my Non-Existence by Rebecca Solnit (2020).
We will consider the memoirs as literary non-fiction texts, exploring their social and cultural contexts.
All threetexts achieve “…that volatile alchemy that’s integral to all the finest of memoirs: the transformation of an individualstory into something that resonates outside the confines of subjective experience.” (Source: the Independent onNegroland-relevant to all three titles.)
What will we cover?
Joan Didion was one of the foremost American writers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. She was a pioneer of New Journalism, an essayist, novelist, memoirist and screenwriter. The Year of Magical Thinking, winner of the National Book Award, was Didion’s attempt to make sense of family tragedy and how one goes on living. ‘This is a beautiful and devastating book by one of the finest writers we have... Didion has always been a precise, humane and meticulously truthful writer.’ - Zadie Smith
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography,Margo Jefferson’sNegroland “charts the history of the black elite - from the 19th century through the civil rights movement, the dawn of feminism, and into the fallacy of post-racial America.” (Granta 2017)
Rebecca Solnit has written essays on feminism, activism, social change, hope and climate crisis. Recollections of my Non-Existence is a memoir of her journey to selfhood as a woman and as a writer. ‘Spare, yet lyrical, Solnit’s memoir is a powerful portrait of the artist as a young woman’ - Lisa Appignanesi.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
-Recognise the social and cultural framework for each memoir -Develop close reading skills to analyse the memoir form for meaning -Become confident in discussing the memoir as a literary text
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No previous literary study is required, just an interest in literary memoir writing and an interest in discussingthe texts and listening to the views of others.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Short lecture, power point, large and small group discussion. You will be asked to read the texts assigned by the tutor before each class session.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion(2005) Fourth Estate, 2021
Negroland a memoir by Margo Jefferson (2015) Granta Publications 2016
Recollections of my Non-Existence by Rebecca Solnit (2020) Granta Books, 2024
The tutor will supply all other materials.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
The tutor will also be teaching HLT412 Summer Reading Group: Memoirs and Diaries of Women, starting in May 2027. Please find other Literature courses at www.citylit.ac.uk/courses under Culture, History and Humanities.
Patricia Sweeney is Programme Coordinator for Literature at City Lit. She has been working in the university and adult education sectors for over 20 years, with specialist teaching interests in American cultural studies, modern and contemporary British and American fiction, drama and film adaptation. In addition to her work at City Lit, Patricia has taught Literature courses for the Open University, Literature, Drama and Film courses for Birkbeck, University of London and contributed to MA and PGCE courses at the Institute of Education, University College London.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/women-with-a-view-memoirs-and-tales3047251Women with a View: Memoirs and Taleshttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/demystifying-poetry-hlt354-1080.jpg189189GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Literary non-fiction228511771187127651228511771187<p>Discover and explore extraordinarily rich memoirs and tales from renowned contemporary women writers, including Rebecca Solnit, JoanDidion and Margo Jefferson. </p>003047227Women with a View: Memoirs and Tales189189https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/demystifying-poetry-hlt354-1080.jpgInStockDaytimeThuKeeley StreetAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-11-12T00:00:00+00:00BeginnersNov 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT258189189Women with a View: Memoirs and Tales151123189Patricia Sweeneywomen-with-a-view-memoirs-and-tales/hlt258-2627<p>Discover and explore extraordinarily rich memoirs and tales from renowned contemporary women writers, including Rebecca Solnit, JoanDidion and Margo Jefferson. </p>0000-Available|2026-11-12 00:00:00<p>This in-college course looks at three contemporary memoirs: </p><p>Joan Didion’s <em>The Year of Magical Thinking </em>(2005)</p><p><em>Negroland</em> by Margo Jefferson (2015)</p><p><em>Recollections of my Non-Existence</em> by Rebecca Solnit (2020). </p><p>We will consider the memoirs as literary non-fiction texts, exploring their social and cultural contexts.</p><p>All threetexts achieve “…that volatile alchemy that’s integral to all the finest of memoirs: the transformation of an individualstory into something that resonates outside the confines of subjective experience.” (Source: the <em>Independent </em>on<em>Negroland</em>-relevant to all three titles.)</p><p>Discover and explore extraordinarily rich memoirs and tales from renowned contemporary women writers, including Rebecca Solnit, JoanDidion and Margo Jefferson. </p><p>Joan Didion was one of the foremost American writers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. She was a pioneer of New Journalism, an essayist, novelist, memoirist and screenwriter. <em>The Year of Magical Thinking</em>, winner of the National Book Award, was Didion’s attempt <em></em>to make sense of family tragedy and how one goes on living. ‘This is a beautiful and devastating book by one of the finest writers we have... Didion has always been a precise, humane and meticulously truthful writer.’ - <em>Zadie Smith</em></p><p>Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography,Margo Jefferson’s<em>Negroland</em> “charts the history of the black elite - from the 19th century through the civil rights movement, the dawn of feminism, and into the fallacy of post-racial America.” (Granta 2017)</p><p>Rebecca Solnit has written essays on feminism, activism, social change, hope and climate crisis. <em>Recollections of my Non-Existence </em>is a memoir of her journey to selfhood as a woman and as a writer. ‘Spare, yet lyrical, Solnit’s memoir is a powerful portrait of the artist as a young woman’ - <em>Lisa Appignanesi. </em></p><p></p><p>-Recognise the social and cultural framework for each memoir<br>-Develop close reading skills to analyse the memoir form for meaning<br>-Become confident in discussing the memoir as a literary text</p><p></p><p>No previous literary study is required, just an interest in literary memoir writing and an interest in discussingthe texts and listening to the views of others.</p><p>Short lecture, power point, large and small group discussion.<br>You will be asked to read the texts assigned by the tutor before each class session.</p><p><em>The Year of Magical Thinking</em> by Joan Didion<em> </em>(2005) Fourth Estate, 2021</p><p><em>Negroland a memoir</em> by Margo Jefferson (2015) Granta Publications 2016</p><p><em>Recollections of my Non-Existence</em> by Rebecca Solnit (2020) Granta Books, 2024</p><p>The tutor will supply all other materials.<br></p><p>The tutor will also be teaching HLT412 <em>Summer Reading Group: Memoirs and Diaries of Women</em>, starting in May 2027.<br>Please find other Literature courses at www.citylit.ac.uk/courses under Culture, History and Humanities.</p>LiteratureLiterary non-fictionvirtual151189123HLT258NONEThu12/11/26 - 17/12/2615:00 - 17:0015:0017:006 sessions (over 6 weeks)65-10 weeksWeekdayKSKeeley StreetPatricia SweeneyBeginnersAvailable courses2026-11-12T00:00:00+00:00DaytimeNov 2026Culture, history & humanities189189Women with a View: Memoirs and Taleswomen-with-a-view-memoirs-and-tales/hlt258-2627<p>Discover and explore extraordinarily rich memoirs and tales from renowned contemporary women writers, including Rebecca Solnit, JoanDidion and Margo Jefferson. </p>0000-Available|2026-11-12 00:00:00<p>This in-college course looks at three contemporary memoirs: </p><p>Joan Didion’s <em>The Year of Magical Thinking </em>(2005)</p><p><em>Negroland</em> by Margo Jefferson (2015)</p><p><em>Recollections of my Non-Existence</em> by Rebecca Solnit (2020). </p><p>We will consider the memoirs as literary non-fiction texts, exploring their social and cultural contexts.</p><p>All threetexts achieve “…that volatile alchemy that’s integral to all the finest of memoirs: the transformation of an individualstory into something that resonates outside the confines of subjective experience.” (Source: the <em>Independent </em>on<em>Negroland</em>-relevant to all three titles.)</p><p>Discover and explore extraordinarily rich memoirs and tales from renowned contemporary women writers, including Rebecca Solnit, JoanDidion and Margo Jefferson. </p><p>Joan Didion was one of the foremost American writers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. She was a pioneer of New Journalism, an essayist, novelist, memoirist and screenwriter. <em>The Year of Magical Thinking</em>, winner of the National Book Award, was Didion’s attempt <em></em>to make sense of family tragedy and how one goes on living. ‘This is a beautiful and devastating book by one of the finest writers we have... Didion has always been a precise, humane and meticulously truthful writer.’ - <em>Zadie Smith</em></p><p>Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography,Margo Jefferson’s<em>Negroland</em> “charts the history of the black elite - from the 19th century through the civil rights movement, the dawn of feminism, and into the fallacy of post-racial America.” (Granta 2017)</p><p>Rebecca Solnit has written essays on feminism, activism, social change, hope and climate crisis. <em>Recollections of my Non-Existence </em>is a memoir of her journey to selfhood as a woman and as a writer. ‘Spare, yet lyrical, Solnit’s memoir is a powerful portrait of the artist as a young woman’ - <em>Lisa Appignanesi. </em></p><p></p><p>-Recognise the social and cultural framework for each memoir<br>-Develop close reading skills to analyse the memoir form for meaning<br>-Become confident in discussing the memoir as a literary text</p><p></p><p>No previous literary study is required, just an interest in literary memoir writing and an interest in discussingthe texts and listening to the views of others.</p><p>Short lecture, power point, large and small group discussion.<br>You will be asked to read the texts assigned by the tutor before each class session.</p><p><em>The Year of Magical Thinking</em> by Joan Didion<em> </em>(2005) Fourth Estate, 2021</p><p><em>Negroland a memoir</em> by Margo Jefferson (2015) Granta Publications 2016</p><p><em>Recollections of my Non-Existence</em> by Rebecca Solnit (2020) Granta Books, 2024</p><p>The tutor will supply all other materials.<br></p><p>The tutor will also be teaching HLT412 <em>Summer Reading Group: Memoirs and Diaries of Women</em>, starting in May 2027.<br>Please find other Literature courses at www.citylit.ac.uk/courses under Culture, History and Humanities.</p>LiteratureLiterary non-fictionconfigurable
127651187Literary non-fictionhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/literature/literary-non-fiction1/2/285/1177/1187/127651/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Literary non-fiction
