Brian Morton, Amy Bloom and Our Writing Retreat in Morocco
April is here! The daffodils, forsythia and magnolia trees are blooming. The sun is shining, we have plans for a new writing retreat next fall, and two great books are out.
Brian Morton’s first memoir, Tasha: A Son’s Memoir, is out April 14. Funny, loving, painfully honest and so well-written, this book is a delight, even as it tackles difficult subject matter. Morton writes about his relationship with his mother, a public school teacher in Teaneck, NJ, who overcame major difficulties—depression and the premature death of her husband, a man who only told her he loved her when he was showering and thought he was alone in the house. Tasha did not make life easy for her son. She was a hoarder who refused help, even as she slid into dementia. How Morton navigates the end of Tasha’s life is both hilarious and heart-wrenching. The scenes in which he describes his interactions with Tasha’s caregivers are disturbing, entertaining and instructive. He deftly brings his mother and himself to life on the page. You will love them both. Read our Q&A with Brian Morton below.
We also read, listened to and loved Amy Bloom’s new memoir In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss. Bloom’s husband, Brian Ameche, was an architect and former football player at Yale who developed early onset Alzheimer’s in his sixties. The book begins with their trip to Zurich to end his life through euthanasia. It ends on their wedding day. Bloom narrates the book on Audible. We could not stop listening.
After two years of the pandemic, it’s time to gather in person—overseas! Sweet Lab is thrilled to announce our first ever Sweet Lab Writers Retreat in Morocco! 😬 Dig deeper into your memoir or novel, revise your essays and short stories, gaze at the beautiful Atlas mountains and Ourika Valley, visit Marrakech, inhale the scent of saffron, take a cooking class, and ride a camel. Our writers retreat will give you the time to connect with other writers and do your work. We’ll hike, eat, laugh, and of course, share and discuss our writing.
Details: Three nights in the Atlas Mountains and Ourika Valley, four nights in Marrakech. Two-hour workshops every morning, writing time and optional touring activities in the afternoons, “open mic” readings at night. Limited availability.
