Mira Ptacin is an award-winning memoirist, narrative journalist, editor, and book doula.
About
Mira Ptacin is a literary journalist, memoirist, New York Times best-selling ghostwriter, editor, and professor of creative writing. She is the author of the award-winning memoir Poor Your Soul (Soho Press, 2016), which was named a best book of the year by Kirkus Books, where it received a rare “starred” review. She’s also the author of the genre-blending book of feminist history, memoir, and ethnography, The In-Betweens: The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna (Liveright-W.W. Norton, 2019), which the New York Times lauded as the best book to read during a pandemic. Mira’s writing frequently appears in the New York Times, New York Times Book Review, Vogue, Poets and Writers, Harper’s, Tin House, LitHub, and more. She received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, where she was editor-at-large of their literary magazine, LUMINA. Mira lives on Peaks Island, Maine, and is currently working on her next book.
Press & praise
upcoming events & classes
Down East Adventures:
The Art of the Tiny Truth: A Flash Nonfiction Workshop
Rangeley, Maine
October 19-21, 2025
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Maine Media Workshops
Truth, Unbound: Short and Long-form Memoir Workshop
September 22-26th, 2025
Rockport, Maine
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Maine Writers and Publisher's Alliance presents
Beneath the Iceberg: a memoir workshop
Saturday, July 19th, 2025
10 -5 p.m.
Mechanics Hall, Portland Maine
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Writer's Hotel 2025 Mini MFA Conference
Entering Through the Side Door craft lab
Sebasco Harbor Resort,
Phippsberg, Maine
June 6th, 2025
Writer's Workshops Presents
Paper, Memory, and Light: Writing Through Grief
a Micro-Memoir Flash Nonfiction 4-Week Generative Zoom Workshop
begins June 2, 2025
Writer's Workshops Presents
To Catharsis & Beyond: How to Write Flash Nonfiction
a Micro-Memoir Flash Nonfiction 4-Week Generative Zoom Workshop
begins May 6, 2025
Institute of Contemporary Art
Artist talk
Saturday, March 22, 2025
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. eastern
Institute of Contemporary Art
522 Congress Street, Portland, Maine
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"What Haunts You?"
in conversation w/Anne Elizabeth Moore, Colby College English Department, and the Jennifer Jahrling Forese Writer-in-Residence program
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
5 p.m. eastern
Greene Block + Studios, 18 Main St, Waterville, ME
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Flash Nonfiction
(private)
generative workshop
Theme: GREEN
Sunday, March 16, 2025
3-5:30p.m. eastern
email mira.ptacin (at) gmail for more information
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Writer's Workshops Presents
To Catharsis & Beyond:
a Micro-Memoir Flash Nonfiction 4-Week Generative Zoom Workshop
begins March 3, 2025
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Maine media workshops
Writing Grief Workshop(online)
Jan 13, 2025 - Feb 5, 2025
over 8 sessions (Mondays & Wednesdays, 1-3pm ET)
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To Catharsis & Beyond: a Micro-Memoir Flash Nonfiction 4-Week Generative Zoom Workshop
Thursdays, 6-8p.m. eat
starts November 7th
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A Glittery Literary
(Glitt-erary?)
Fundraiser for Incarcerated women in Maine
NOVEL BOOK BAR
Saturday, November 3rd
Doors 6:30, starts 7pm sharp!
643 Congress Street, Portland, maine
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PHANTOM pages:
a literary halloween bash
thursday, October 30th
7:30 - 10:30 p.m. (doors open 7 p.m.)
Mechanics Hall
519 Congress Street, Portland, maine
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Down East Adventures
Memoir Writing workshop
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October 20-22nd
Rangeley Inn
Rangeley, Maine
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Mwpa's
Flash prose writing workshop
The Art of the Tiny Truth
Saturday, October 19th
11-4 p.m.
Mechanics hall
519 Congress street, Portland, Maine
REGISTER HERE
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Maine Lit Fest
"storytelling in Magazines"
Featuring Jaed Coffin (author of Roughhouse Friday), Michael Paterniti (author of Love and Other Ways of Dying: Essays), and Vanity Fair’s Senior Editor Keziah Weir (author of The Mythmakers)
Friday, October 11th 7-8:30p.m.
Mechanics Hall, Portland Maine
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A Bizarre Victorian Bazaar:
An Exhibition of Oddities & the Obscure
October 5 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Victorian Mansion
109 Danforth Street
Portland Maine
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"The Cliffs"book launch
In Conversation with author
J. Courtney Sullivan
Thursday, July 25th at 2p.m.
Cape Arundel Inn and Resort
Kennebunkport, Maine
To Catharsis & Beyond: a Micro-Memoir Flash Nonfiction 4-Week Generative Zoom Workshop with Mira Ptacin, Starts Tuesday, July 9th, 2024
Flash Nonfiction Writing
"The Skin I'm In"
Sunday, June 23rd, 2024
3-5:30 eastern via ZOOM
Beneath the Iceberg: A Hybrid Introduction to Memoir Saturday, April 20th, 2024
10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
To Catharsis & Beyond: a Micro-Memoir Flash Nonfiction 4-Week Generative Zoom Workshop with Mira Ptacin, Starts Tuesday, April 16th, 2024
Jan. 18 - Feb. 6, 2024
Maine Media Workshops
Wednesday, April 26
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Print Bookstore, 273 Congress St., Portland
Tuesday, May 2
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Bunker Brewing Co, 17 Westfield Street, Portland
May 5 - May 7
The Rangeley Inn, Rangeley Maine​
June 26 - June 30
Maine Media Workshops
70 Camden St., Rockport
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