Barbara Smith
I come from a family of storytellers and the gene was passed on to me. Writing stories and helping people to write theirs has been my passion. As a journalist for over 30 years, I’ve enjoyed telling people’s stories. As a certified writing instructor with the Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies, I now find deep satisfaction in helping others engage and discover how to tell their stories.
For over ten years, I’ve had the pleasure of guiding GAB workshops with participants with age ranges from 30’s through 80’s. A few have had professional writing experience, and some have aspired to publication, but mostly these are people who are curious and find pleasure and discovery in mining memories from their own life histories and writing about them, then sharing their writing in a welcoming, safe and supportive group. The writing itself is personal and rewarding, and very often, in the act of reading, the writer hears it in a new way and makes new connections. This, combined with comments from GAB mates, adds to the sense of discovery and connection. In the Guided Autobiography process, we learn about ourselves and we learn from others’ experiences. The process can be healing and, in many ways, therapeutic.
I hold a B.A. from Scripps College in Claremont and M.A. from UC Davis. As a journalist, my articles and photographs have been published in numerous newspapers and magazines. I’ve studied in Cuernavaca, Mexico and Barcelona, Spain, and traveled throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Central America, engaging with people, sharing stories, and exploring the intersections in our lives. I am a confirmed people (and dog!) person who loves making connections.
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