A warm welcome to all of our subscribers! This is the GAB Gazette, a highlight reel from the world of Guided Autobiography for June 2024.
Contents
Announcements: The Worldwide Reach of GAB
Board Update: Steven Weisberg
Featured GABBER: Janet Ferguson
Member Shoutout: Emma Fulenweider
Article Roundup: Birren Center Resources, A Simplified Version of GAB?
Community Poll: How have you used your GAB training?
The first GAB class (March 2024) since the 2019 COVID shutdown in the Hillsborough County Library system in Valrico, Florida. Instructors: Valerie Perry, Iowana Whitman-Tims, Lori Smith, Jean Morciglio. Mona Posinoff.
Message from Cheryl
We are moving from the “Cheryl Training GAB instructors” online format established in 2009 to the Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in 2024. We acknowledge that change can be challenging, and there may be some growing pains along the way. While we may lose some members during this transition, we believe those who choose to stay will find valuable resources and new programs to enhance and support your roles as GAB instructors.
To all of you who have gained personally and professionally through the Guided Autobiography process initiated by Jim Birren in the 1970s, the new Birren Center offers an opportunity to expand your GAB repertoire. You will be able to experience new courses and training and learn from each other in innovative and creative ways. While we anticipate some initial glitches, as evidenced by the recent series of emails on the GAB Google group, we are committed to addressing them. Your input and ideas are crucial to this growth, and we encourage your active participation.
We invite anyone interested in collaborating with us to join this grassroots effort. Although we cannot specify the exact date for the final transition and the opening of the members’ area on the new website, rest assured that you will receive ample notice. Meetings will be scheduled to teach you how to navigate the change and access the new opportunities available.
We look forward to working with you as we continue to follow Jim Birren’s vision to launch GAB to new heights.
Best, Cheryl
Announcements: The Worldwide Reach of GAB
On May 29, 2024, an international class of eight new GAB instructors received their certificates. Pictured above: (top row, left to right) Heather Alicia Knox, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico; Cheryl Svensson, Director, Birren Center; Kimberly Lee, Woodland Hills, CA, USA. (Middle row, l to r): Beatriz Enriquez, Guadelajara, Mexico; Cheryl Caitlin, Shaysville, UT, USA; Sheri Kohlman, instructor. (Bottom row, l to r): Alice Gaddi-Roselo, Quezon City, Philippines; Heidi Thorson, instructor; Julia Werner, Berlin, Germany. Pictured below: Diego Lienez, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, and Tracy Larson, Prince George, BC, Canada.
Board Update
Steven Wiesberg is the Birren Center’s newest Board member. A 2012 GAB grad, Steven was inspired by the theme-based structure and how it offers a channel for self-reflexive memoir writing. “As a Board member, I’d like to develop collaborations with established institutions to bring Dr. Birren’s inspired life work into local communities through the network of GAB graduates,” he says.
Featured GABBER: Janet Ferguson
by Jana Rae Corpuz
“I discovered Guided Autobiography through the book Telling the Stories of Life Through Guided Autobiography Groups by J.E. Birren and K. Cochran while I was working at the Lifelong Learning Centre at Bermuda College,” Janet recalls. “I was on the lookout for ways to help our members, who are all over 55, write about and celebrate their lives.” Bermuda College is a community college in Paget Parish, Bermuda.
The book inspired Janet to get her GAB certification in 2023. Since then, she has created an innovative adaptation of GAB that is now an established course offering at the Lifelong Learning Centre.
“I have taught ‘Tasting the Past – Flavors of Memory,’ a four-week two-hour class that was offered in March-April 2024. The intention was to introduce folks to the GAB experience by offering a food/cuisine approach that would attract a diverse group of attendees,” Janet explains.
In a small island community, food/cuisine offered an accessible, common area of lived experience. “We all eat, and in many ways food/cuisine is a significant cultural and social marker.” And, says Janet, the class became a “wonderful way to introduce and ‘taste’ the magic of guided autobiographical writing.” There was no requirement to be an experienced cook or to share recipes because the focus “was on memories of food and cuisine in the context of personal, collective, and community lived experience.”
Janet sees GAB as a journey that connects people from different life paths. “I love seeing the unique and rich stories that our mature participants share,” she says. “Everyone's life story is different, and it's like going on a new adventure with each class.”
The seven participants in Janet’s class “experienced moments of surprise, joy, and sadness,” which is no surprise to most GAB teachers. However, she was a bit surprised that they all left “wanting to write ‘food memoirs’ for cross-generation sharing of memories and legacies.”
On the final day, the class shared selected readings of stories and celebrated with an array of special dishes and treats.
You can find Janet on the GAB network page, as well as on LinkedIn and Facebook.
Member Shoutout
Emma Fulenwider has joined WordServe as a literary agent. A former Board member, Emma will focus on adult nonfiction and Christian titles.
Article Roundup
Birren Center Resources The Birren Center website offers a trove of resources and articles that can expand and support your knowledge of GAB. Here’s one you might want to take a look at: Telling Their Life Stories, Older Adults Find Peace in Looking Back (By SUSAN B. GARLAND DEC. 9, 2016, New York Times)
A Simplified Version of GAB? Can a simplified version of GAB benefit community-dwelling older adults? A report published in the International Journal of Reminiscence and Life Review in January 2024 suggests that a 4-week simplified version of GAB is effective and accessible in various settings.
Community Poll: How have you used your GAB training?
Have you conducted a GAB class online or in person? Have you collaborated with another GAB instructor to conduct a class? If you haven’t put your training to use, what is the reason?