Tag: Philadelphia
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Philadelphia Push To Publish, Lessons in Courage from a Writing Conference
Funderburg went on to read a passage from her recently published memoir, which I have not yet had an opportunity to read, called “Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home: A Memoir.” It’s about discovering her relationship with her father while he was dying of cancer. The passage was rich in imagery,…
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Fiction built on a foundation of real life
Fiction seems entirely different from memoirs. And yet, when I carefully compare the two forms, I discover they are intimately connected, each breathing life into the other. A good memoir is more than just a raw dump of facts. It generates dramatic tension by using fiction techniques like suspense and character development. And the support…
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My Day at a Writer’s Conference – or – The Benefits of Showing Up
The keynote speech turned out to be invigorating and freeing. Beth Kephart, whose work I did not know, started as a memoir writer, who, as her career proceeded, extended her writing to other forms, most recently winning awards as a young adult novelist. As her writing skills and interests develop, Beth follows her creative compulsion…
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Listening Is An Act of Love
by Jerry Waxler Last week, when I was visiting WHYY studio in Philadelphia I saw the mobile StoryCorps van and interviewed facilitator Mike Rauch about what StoryCorps does. It intrigued me so much, I went back to Philly last night to hear Dave Isay the founder of StoryCorps speak at the National Constitution Center. He…
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Creative brain jam in Philly ties it all together
by Jerry Waxler I went to Philadelphia last week to see a few people sit at a table and chat. The promoters called it a “panel discussion.” To me it was as good as a rock concert. The panelists entertained the audience by sharing themselves, using words instead of musical notes. The occasion was another…
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Memoirs Start Last Night
by Jerry Waxler You start making memories every day. Last night for example, I went to a dramatic reading in Philadelphia. Jerry Perna’s play was dramatically read by himself and several actors, as part of a joint effort to provide actors with opportunities to express their craft. The reading was being produced for a live…
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