40 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 8-14, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE Carmel resident Ellia Thompson has an unusual occupation that matches her lifelong passion: memories. She is a memoir instructor—a sort of midwife who helps people to write their memories. Her Jewish family escaped Hitler’s Germany and moved to Portugal, where Thompson and her sisters were born. She was 6 when her parents decided to move to the U.S. Perhaps it was her own interesting biography that initiated her interest in other people’s stories. “I was 6, but I remember the journey through the ocean very well,” she says. “I remember me and my sister talking to Portuguese sailors.” The family moved from New York to Denver, then Texas (“terrible place full of prejudice,” she says) and back to New York. Eventually Thompson came to Carmel Valley, finally landing in Carmel. Only then did she begin offering workshops on memoir writing. Until Covid she taught large groups, including at Monterey Peninsula College and for Carmel High School. She still teaches small classes at the Carmel Foundation. During sessions, she uses art as a tension release. Weekly: Why have memoirs become your favorite genre? Thompson: People have stories. Everybody has a story to tell. And when other people tell stories, it reminds you of your own, the ones you forgot. Even if you don’t have it in you to write a memoir, I encourage people to write even a one-page essay and make it a holiday gift to your family. I myself would send little pieces to my family. What exactly is your role in the process? Sometimes a person wants to write a memoir but is not able to do that by themselves. They need guidelines— especially those whose first language is not English. I give them prompts and good ideas and help with increasing their memories. I don’t care much about grammar and punctuation, but if someone wants me to help with the editing process, I can help. But overall, one cannot make a mistake in memoir writing. The only mistake you can do is not [writing]. In addition to a fascinating family story, what else inspired you to do what you do? I went to a wonderful college, Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. It was very inspiring and encouraged curiosity. It offered not only a liberal arts education but envisioned itself as a new kind of college—experimental and devoted to experimenting with social actions. It taught me to make decisions by myself. It’s a very special place. Any other occupation you considered before becoming a memoir midwife? I remember that I wanted to be a teacher. How does a memoir writing workshop look in practice? We meet every Monday and Wednesday. There is a small tuition, $50 per month. We met this morning [Monday, July 29] and I thought that people would not come or would want to talk about the Olympics [laughter]. But no, people really want to know about their heritage, just like I wanted to know about my parents’ story. Only today I received an email from someone from my workshop who finished a memoir. People give me copies of their finished work. I have a bookshelf where I have about a hundred memoirs, including mine. Sometimes I reach for one of my own books and I’m again surprised by what I find there. Memoirs can serve as memory refreshers for years. What happens with finished memoirs? People share them with their families. People self-publish them, make them available through Amazon or organize local book signings. They can also keep them to themselves, to have their own life written down and waiting on the shelf. It seems that you build pretty intimate relationships with your students. They become my friends and they become friends among one another. We read pieces of our memories together. That’s another wonderful thing about meeting and talking about memories. We live in lonely times, when people are disconnected from others. Gathering together and getting to know each other’s stories can be helpful. Anything else you would like to add? Only that it’s a wonderful day today and roses are still saying hello. Stirring Memories As a memoir instructor, Ellia Thompson helps people put their past on paper. By Agata Pop˛eda In addition to helping others craft their memoirs, Ellia Thompson has written her own memoir as well as a few books of poetry. DANIEL DREIFUSS
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