Listen to writers
Turns out, it really is true. We all get 15 minutes of fame. Unless we are in a writing group that has to split that 15 minutes by the twelve of us, in which case our fifteen minutes is down to around 2.5 minutes per person. [I know the math is all wrong, but bear with me.]
And that’s exactly how long my very first reading will be, this coming Sunday at Malaprop’s Bookshop in Asheville – 2.5 minutes or, if I think my teacher isn’t watching his watch, I’ll stretch it to a full 3 minutes.
If you’re in the Asheville area, I hope you’ll come; if not, send vibes. This is a first for me. And ever since Emma suggested that I try really hard not to put people to sleep with my monotone voice and after a colleague suggested I should wave my arms around more when I speak or train, I’ve been practicing for this moment: gesticulating wildly while shrieking. It’s a fine look for me. Add the stems I’m walking on (and I use the word "walking" with some hesitation) and I cut a fine figure.
But don’t take my word for it. Come by at 3pm on Sunday, November 19th. I will be in the presence of writers whose words make me still, they are so good. I’ll try to keep up. They have helped me think about my writing in amazing ways, and ours is a significant teacher. I think I’ll wear a beret and wear a monocle and mutter about Malcolm Lowry or volcanoes or something frighteningly erudite and literary. And no matter what, I’ll be the one moving my arms. Details follow.
Writers at Home Series Continues with Readings by Great Smokies Workshop Students
UNC Asheville’s 2006-07 Writers at Home Series continues with readings by members of Sebastian Matthews’ Great Smokies Writing Program fall memoir workshop at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood St. Writers at Home is part of the Great Smokies Writing Program, a consortium of Western North Carolina writers and UNC Asheville. The event is free and open to the public.
Matthews, a noted prose and poetry author, has led the “True Stories: A Creative Nonfiction Workshop” since September. The workshop participants are beginning and experienced writers, who experiment with a variety of nonfiction forms, including personal essay and memoir. Members of the class include Leslie Armstrong, Danny Bernstein, John Clabaugh, Patti Digh (yee-haw!), Angelia Flanagan, Laurel Hunt, Sid Jordan, Roberta Martin, Lori Miller, Neela Rao, Virginia Redfield and Brooks Townes.
