Past Updates
September Update
The world changes every day. But in my corner of it, there have been great changes since I last posted. A pair of tornadoes tore through 19 Western Massachusetts communities on June 1, leaving a 39-mile path of destruction.
As a writer, I'm tempted to go back and find new words to replace "tore" and "destruction" in that sentence - don't they seem cliché in a piece about a tornado? But I'm here to say the first is exactly what happened, and the second was definitely what was left behind. I'm out in nature every day and now have a whole new respect for what it can conjure and do. Brimfield and Monson, towns bordering mine, were among those hard hit, and their proximity has had me thinking - and writing - about how unfortunate so many were on that day, and how fortunate were others, including my family and me. Throughout the region, volunteers continue to be needed. An area-wide cleanup day will be held Sept. 11. Details, for both volunteers and property owners, are at here.
Tommy and I had our own world tilt in another way on July 23, when singer-songwriter and author and just good, good guy Bill Morrissey died suddenly. The news was a punch to the gut. Bill was dear soul whose music (http://www.billmorrissey.net/) and friendship we loved for so long. You can read Tommy's recently published piece on Bill. And mine.
Writing is a way Tommy and I mourn, celebrate, think and deal in general. I know it's greatly helped me through much in my life, and on Sept. 20 at Monson (Mass.) Free Library, I'll be offering a free writing workshop for anyone affected by the tornadoes. We'll take a look at literature addressing loss and change, talk about the process of addressing tough subjects on paper, and do some writing exercises that might get subsequent work started. Here's a flyer the library created on the event. If you're at least 16, and were affected in any way by the tornadoes, please come to Monson that night.
There'll be more opportunities for writing information and inspiration when Bay Path College holds Writers' Day IV on Oct. 29. To take place from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the campus' D'Amour Hall for Business, Communications and Technology, 588 Longmeadow St., Longmeadow, Mass., the event is open to writers of all genres and levels. Speakers will be agent and author Jeff Herman, on publishing; agent and author Deborah Levine Herman, on spiritual writing and publishing; Richard Hoffman, on poetry; Mike Dobbs on freelancing; Rich Michelson on writing for children; and Adam Braver, on historical fiction.
Talks will run 75 minutes and are priced at $45 for one, two for $85 or three for $110. Private five-minute consultations with Jeff Herman or Deborah Levine Herman, are $50 and must be scheduled in advance.
Coffee will be served. Participants should bring lunch or dine at a local restaurant.
Two talks will be offered simultaneously, beginning at 9:30, when Jeff Herman, renowned agent and author of the perennial bestseller "Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents," will give a talk on publishing secrets, and Deborah Levine Herman will present "Spiritual Writing: From Inspiration to Publication."
At noon, poet, memoirist and PEN New England Chair Richard Hoffman will speak on "Making a Life (Not a Living!) of Poetry, or How Do I Know What I Think Till I See What I Say?" At the same time, G. Michael Dobbs, editor of the area's well-known Reminder Publications, will talk about freelance writing for a variety of publications.
At 2 p.m., Richard Michelson, the author of 15 acclaimed books for children, will discuss writing for young people. Also at 2, Adam Braver, whose books including "Nov. 22, 1963" use an historical event or person as a jumping off point or facet, will speak about the historical novel.
Books by all authors will be sold at the event and authors will sign before and after their talks.
Please register today.
Earlier that month, I'll be speaking at Welcome Table Press' symposium "In Praise of the Essay: In Practice and Form" Oct. 15 at Fordham College in New York.
The honoree will be Philip Lopate. Speakers will include Robin Hemley, Barbara Hurd, Helen Benedict, Joshua Wolf Shenk, and Matthew Swanson & Robbi Behr (creators of Idiots' Books). A panel on teaching the essay will feature presentations by Richard Hoffman, Patrick Madden, Suzanne Menghraj, Robert Root and Dustin Beall Smith. With readings by Amy Leach, E. J. Levy, Shelley Salamensky, Jerald Walker, and Ryan Van Meter. And a Q&A with editors from Best American Essays, Cabinet, Creative Nonfiction, Defunct, Fourth Genre, Graywolf Press, The Pedestrian, River Teeth, Sarabande Books, and more.
To register, please visit go here.
From there I'll be headed to Lynchburg, Virginia, where I'll spend a month as visiting writer at Randolph College. I'm excited about the invitation, to work with students on the topic of research, and to spend time in a part of the country new to me.
Wherever I'm traveling, I'll continue to make progress on my book about Mags Riordan and the Billy Riordan Memorial Clinic in Malawi. I recently finished up a series of related interviews in Ireland. Here's a photo of one of my tougher writing days...
While at the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast MFA residency in July, I got started on a new novel. Nothing like a good idea, and being around lots of great writers, to get a new project started.
I continue to contribute regularly to www.obit-mag.com Do check it out for fascinating essays regarding both death and life.
I look forward to the September release of Kate Whouley's strong and important memoir, "Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words: Travels with Mom in the Land of Dementia." Her previous book, "Cottage for Sale, Must be Moved," is among my favorites and I was honored to read an advance copy of "Remembering" earlier this year. Here's the comment I provided her publisher, Beacon Press:
"Remembering the Music, Forgetting the Words" made me want to go hug my mother. It also made me want to go hug Kate Whouley for her generous, fearless and spot-on recounting of a mother-daughter relationship during its most tragic yet poignantly beautiful final years."
A launch party will be held Sept. 10 at the wonderful Titcomb's Bookshop in East Sandwich, Mass - visit this page and email Kate if you will be attending.
"Important and strong" can also be applied to the spectacular Liz Peavey's writing about her mother, and her mother's "stuff," treated with both humor and poignancy in the one-woman show "My Mother's Clothes are Not My Mother."
Elizabeth Searle's new novel, "Girl Held in Home," will be released soon - I can't wait for this take on a real-life story that happened just across the road from this author who created "Tonya and Nancy: The Rock Opera,"( http://www.tonyaandnancytherockopera.com/), which Tommy and I recently rocked out to in Cambridge. Check out the book trailer for Girl on YouTube and attend the launch at Newtonville Books in Newtonville, Mass., on Sept. 27.
Congratulations to other friends with recent work out, including:- Shara McCallum, "This Strange Land," a collection of more of her stunning poetry
- Jeff Kass, "Knuckleheads," an unforgettable report from the front of the classroom
- JoAnn Murphy, her long-awaited website on her work including guided imagery for use in the classroom, and for use by us all.
- Karol Jackowski - Find Karol's uplifting essays regularly at www.wholelivingdaily.com. Here's a sample.
What are you reading?
Right now I'm nearly finished with Helon Habila's "Waiting for an Angel," connected short stories that are connecting with me even though I've never set foot in the setting of Lagos, Nigeria. I'm delighted to discover this skilled and accomplished author, who once was an arts editor for a daily paper (love daily papers) in Lagos, and currently teaches at George Mason University.
Thanks, Helon, and thanks, everybody!
Suzanne