Lisa Ellison is a familiar face at HippoCamp, and for good reason! She is an editor, writing coach, and a wealth of information about mental health that is relevant to creative nonfiction writers. Her break-out session “Writing about Trauma Without Retraumatizing Yourself” will show writers the importance of balancing writing difficult stories with practicing self-care. We asked her a few questions about what’s in store for attendees at this year’s conference.
HM: Tell us a little about your involvement this year at HippoCamp. What can attendees expect from your session?
LE: I’m very excited about my breakout session “Writing about Trauma Without Retraumatizing Yourself.” As a presenter, I believe it’s important to not just present strategies but to explain why they work. That’s why my session begins with a very brief overview of trauma and its impacts on the body and brain. I couple this information with practical tools writers can use to tap into their resilience as they write. While it’s geared toward writers grappling with hard stories, it’s also perfect for writing instructors who want to help their students write mindfully, establish boundaries, and practice the kind of self-care that leads to finished manuscripts.
The strategies I teach are ones I use personally and teach to my students. They were drawn from my years as a mental health counselor and writer who explores traumatic experiences.
HM: Our motto is “memorable creative nonfiction.” Tell us about one of the more recent memoirs, essay collections, or individual essays you’ve read and why it was memorable.
LE: Two months ago, I read Lydia Yuknavitch’s memoir The Chronology of Water. It’s a masterfully rendered story of loss and survival that uses water as an overarching metaphor. Every few days I study another one of her breathtaking sentences and the passages where she writes the body so viscerally that I can physically feel her experience. Master classes could be taught on her use of poetic language, craft, and storytelling.
If you haven’t read The Incredible Shrinking Woman by Athena Dixon, stop what you’re doing and click here!
Athena Dixon’s essay about the pressure for black women to shrink in the face of privilege is a gorgeously written piece. Athena displays incredible vulnerability while also maintaining control of this painful experience. It more than deserved its place as one of the essays in the debut issue of Roxanne Gay’s new magazine Gay Mag.
HM: What made you decide to participate in HippoCamp this year as a speaker? How did your past experiences encourage you to want to come back?
LE: This is my third consecutive HippoCamp. I’ve always been impressed by the quality of the speakers. This year I wanted to contribute to the conversation by sharing one of my passions: how to access the healing power of creative nonfiction.
HM: What’s going to keep you busy between now and HippoCamp?
LE: I have a jam-packed summer. In June, I attended the Writer’s Hotel Conference, a marathon event that included a reading at The Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan and a three-hour agent pitch session (Phew!). Two weeks later, I taught a six-hour retreat on Writing to Forgive, and then in July I’m speaking on The Gifts of Illness. Over the summer, I’ll also teach my amazing Memoir in a Year students and edit client manuscripts. In between my teaching, editing, and speaking gigs, I’ll revise my memoir-in-progress about how traveling with a heavy metal band into post-Bosnian-War Yugoslavia helped me heal after my brother’s suicide.
HM: Since you’ll also be attending the conference, when you’re not wearing your “speaker hat,” what are you most looking forward to learning or doing?
LE: You know you’re at a primo event when scheduling conflicts are inevitable. I’m a huge fan of Nick Flynn’s poetry and memoirs. When HippoCamp announced that he was the keynote speaker I did a little happy dance. Thankfully that’s not one of my many conflicts!
There are so many great sessions, it’s hard not to mention them all. Here are just a few of the items I’ve already highlighted: Linda Lowen’s “Micro Memoir,” Lara Lillibridge’s “Lightening the Load,” the hilarious Elaine Johnson’s “Finding the Ideal Memoir Structure” co-presented with Stephen Ulrich, Joanne Lozar Glenn’s session on “Giving Helpful Feedback,” Dave Pidgeon’s “Finding Truth in Your Family’s Rumors and Legends,” “Writing the Body” with Heather Bryant and Judith Hannam, and “Don’t Call Me Brave,” a panel presentation with Krystal Sital, Amy Jo Burns, and Lynn K. Hall. While it’s not a sexy title, I have tripled starred “Building Your Platform with Instagram” for two reasons. One, Allison Williams is awesome. Two, I’m completely baffled by Instagram. I could go on, but I’ll just end up recreating the schedule.
It wouldn’t be HippoCamp without the Friday night welcome reception featuring the ever-popular potato martini bar. It’s the perfect place to catch up with old writing friends and meet new ones. I can’t wait to see everyone!
HM: Anything else you’d like to share?
LE: I tell every creative nonfiction writer I meet to register for this conference. Most heed my advice. Those who have, thank me. Those who haven’t, plan to attend this year’s conference.
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Thank you, Lisa, for your kind words and helpful advice! We’re excited to welcome you back for another great conference!
Be sure to check out all of these great session and more this year at HippoCamp 2019! Click here to register or to learn more.
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