Victoria Zackheim

Instructor Biography:

M.A., editor of six anthologies of personal essays including The Other Woman, For Keeps, The Face in the Mirror, He Said What?, Exit Laughing and Faith, and author of The Bone Weaver, a novel. Ms. Zackheim’s documentary, Where Birds Never Sang: The Ravensbruck and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camps aired nationwide on P.B.S. She is a 2010 San Francisco Library Laureate.

Instructor Statement:

Do you remember hearing that story about Great-Uncle Joe and his acts of bravery during the war? Or how Grandma Belle fell in love with a high-wire artist and ran off to join the circus? And what about that "thing" you did when you were a teenager...and never told a soul! My purpose in this course is to help you unearth those bits of family (or personal) lore from the reaches of your memory and turn them into a personal essay…which can also be part of a memoir. Whether you decide to expand upon those vignettes or delve into something completely different, I'm here to answer your questions and help you through any rough spots. We will talk about your characters (mainly you) and how to write about them so that your readers know them and care about who they are. Working together, we expose the possibilities of your essays. I suggest, cajole, prod and perhaps annoy...and you write!

Our Students Say it Best: “I signed up for this course simply wanting to try out a personal essay writing course and UCLA Extension has a good reputation. Boy, did I hit the jackpot! Victoria Zackheim is not only an amazing instructor; she is an inspirational human being. Taking this class has honestly been a life changing experience for me.” --- Writers' Program student

“Victoria's broad experience as a writer, editor and dedicated teacher was evident in the course. Her monitoring of our discussions seemed constant and her responses almost immediate. She is an excellent, no-nonsense communicator.” -- Writers' Program student