ABOUT
Laura
In 2021, I graduated with an MFA degree in Creative Writing from the Rainier Writing Workshop, a three-year low-residency MFA program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. In that program, I completed two manuscripts tied to my exploration into how my grandmother and her two sisters survived the Armenian Genocide. My critical paper explores how authors write into silence, the private silence of untold stories and the public silence of suppressed stories. In my creative thesis, a hybrid memoir, family photographs, primary documents, and historical fact intersect with memories and speculation to create a personal story within the larger public archive.
WORK IN PROGRESS
Matilda’s Silence: The Search For My Armenian Family’s Story
My grandmother Matilda Haigazn survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923, which took one and a half million Armenian lives, men, women, and children. Matilda rarely spoke of her experiences and the family she left behind in Turkey. Not knowing what happened has always haunted me. This manuscript is my investigative journey to find my extended family and their story, including the historical context in which their lives took place.
Blog
What Are You Training For?
A few years ago, in my late fifties, I became concerned with some aging-related upper body muscle loss. But every time I tried to strengthen my upper body, I’d hurt myself. Low-level neck, back, and shoulder issues grew worse. Pain is a great motivator and I started...
DEATH DOESN’T TAKE A HOLIDAY
This month, the holidays notwithstanding, I’m thinking about death. Actually I’ve been thinking about death all year. Thinking about death is not a joyful occupation but, for me, it hasn’t been a depressing one either. Thinking about death has felt necessary. The...
Want/Need. Author/Narrator. The Complexity of Craft.
I am perpetually working on my narrator’s arc in my family memoir, Matilda’s Silence: The Search For My Armenian Family’s Story. The narrator’s arc is how the narrator changes throughout the story. The narrator’s arc is important but I’ve focused more on finding...