Blog
Teaching Creative Nonfiction with Joy: an Interview with Christina Berke
by Writing Workshops Staff
A week ago
In the quiet moments before her virtual classroom fills with aspiring writers, Christina Berke sets the mood with music, a soft invitation into creative possibility. It's a gesture that speaks to the heart of her teaching philosophy: writing doesn't have to be intimidating, and there isn't just one way to tell your story.
As a Chilean-American writer and trauma-informed educator who has worked with students ranging from 15 months to 95 years old, Berke brings a unique blend of warmth, expertise, and creative adventurousness to her Foundations of Creative Nonfiction 8-Week Generative Zoom Intensive. Her own journey, from years of creative paralysis, believing there was only one "right" way to write, to blossoming into a published author whose work appears in The Sun, Teen Vogue, and Lidia Yuknavitch's Khora, mirrors the transformation she hopes to inspire in her students.
"Once I learned how expansive creative nonfiction could be, I blossomed," Berke reveals in our Meet the Teaching Artist interview.
It's this revelation she's eager to share: that creative nonfiction isn't a monolith but a playground of possibilities, from hermit crab essays to hybrid works, from humor to heartbreak.
In conversation with us, Berke opens up about her teaching approach, her creative inspirations, and why she believes every writer needs to intentionally observe something every day, wisdom gleaned from her mentor, T Kira Māhealani Madden.
Writing Workshops: Hi, Christina. Please introduce yourself to our audience.
Christina Berke: Hi! I'm Christina, a writer and educator who has worked with individuals ranging from 15 months to 95 years, so I bring a range of skills to the virtual classroom. I'm a lover of sour belt candy, sound baths, and travel.
Writing Workshops: What made you want to teach this specific class? Is it something you are focusing on in your own writing practice? Have you noticed a need to focus on this element of craft?
Christina Berke: I wanted to teach this class because I love the idea of offering several ways in with writing nonfiction, especially for new writers. One of the more common struggles I've heard from students is that they get stuck or feel overwhelmed. For my own writing practice, I try to use as many techniques and genres of writing so it feels fuller and more inspiring. It's important to keep an open mind when starting a project. When I was beginning on my own writing journey, I thought there was only one way to write and this stopped me so much that I put it aside for years. Once I learned how expansive creative nonfiction could be, I blossomed. I want this for my students!
Writing Workshops: Give us a breakdown of how the course is going to go. What can the students expect? What is your favorite part about this class you've dreamed up?
Christina Berke: I like to start my classes with a little music, a soft entry to help everyone get into the space and settle in, followed by a low-stakes writing warm up, reading some excerpts from writers I adore, then some writing inspired by that. Students can expect a variety of styles and prompts; some might resonate more than others but the idea is to play, to tap into creativity and see what fits for the piece they're envisioning.
My favorite part of this class is seeing what students write! I love that everyone can be given the same prompt but each person writes something so different.
Writing Workshops: Who was your first literary crush?
Christina Berke: I'm going to stretch this and say Dev Patel, an actor who played David Copperfield in a movie based on the Dickens novel… that counts, right? :)
Writing Workshops: What are you currently reading?
Christina Berke: I usually have a mix going! Right now, it's Tiana Clark's Scorched Earth and Vinh Nguyen's Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse.
Writing Workshops: How do you choose what you're working on? When do you know it is the next thing you want to write all the way to THE END?
Christina Berke: Over the years, I've learned that I can't force what I'm working on. I write both fiction and nonfiction, so it's nice to be able to toggle back and forth because if something isn't feeling ready to be worked on, I can switch to something that is. I've put things away as desktop decor for years. Some stay there but a simple thought can revive others, or maybe one day I wake up and I can't stop thinking about it. Then I know I have to write it all the way. I know to stay with it when it excites me and energizes me instead of depleting me.
Writing Workshops: Where do you find inspiration?
Christina Berke: As a Libra, I'm really into art; I love a beautiful view, a gorgeous book cover, an heirloom flower, an innovative painting. I'm inspired by my writing friends, their thoughtfulness and creativity and passions; by my family and students; by traveling and seeing new towns, meeting people and listening to their stories; eating delicious foods; reading poetry; listening to really good music (CCM student Erin Morton's cover of "Creep" is still giving me chills!).
Writing Workshops: What is the best piece of writing wisdom you've received that you can pass along to our readers? How did it impact your work? Why has this advice stuck with you?
Christina Berke: I feel so lucky to have learned from one of my favorite writers, T Kira Māhealani Madden! If I may share one of her gems: it's to intentionally observe something every day. As a whole, we are so stuck on screens and tuned out of our bodies and senses and life that's happening all around us. But to have a focused moment to remember one of our senses and tuck it away for an idea/word bank makes it feel accessible and helps infuse everyday life with a bit more magic. It's delightfully surprising how often these moments will find their ways into my work at just the right time.
Writing Workshops: What is your favorite book to recommend on the craft of writing? Why this book?
Christina Berke: Oooo, there are so many great ones, but a recent favorite is The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. I was actually in the hospital in India, and this was in my library queue. It turned out to be just the book to help me feel inspired and motivated to get back to writing once I was healthy again. While it's not focused heavily on craft, I found it to be so helpful in thinking about the writer's life as an entire arc, ways to consistently fold in creativity. I've listened to it twice now, and it's one that I'll keep returning to.
Writing Workshops: Bonus question: What's your teaching vibe?
Christina Berke: Warm and inspiring—at least that's what my students tell me :) I really strive to create a class where everyone feels welcome and empowered to take creative risks. It's a gentle approach with lots of options.
Christina Berke's approach to creative nonfiction is like her teaching style: warm, expansive, and full of possibility. Her belief that there's no single "right" way to write—that creativity should feel more like play than pressure—makes her the perfect guide for writers ready to explore the full spectrum of nonfiction storytelling.
Whether you're working toward a memoir, new to creative nonfiction, or simply seeking a fresh approach to your craft, Berke's Foundations of Creative Nonfiction 8-Week Generative Zoom Intensive offers the tools, community, and gentle encouragement to help your stories blossom. This course is your invitation to discover just how expansive creative nonfiction can be.
