Magical Memoir Moments
Mennonite/s Writing: A Tweet-based Conference Review
Most of you know that my memoir-in-progress is about growing up Mennonite in Lancaster County, PA, in the ’50’s and ’60’s. So what a treat it was to attend a conference at Eastern Mennonite University called Mennonite/s Writing VI: Solos and Harmonies. The organizers Kirsten Beachy of Eastern Mennonite University and poet Julia Kasdorf of…
Daisy Hickman: Interviewer and Reviewer (of Jonathan Franzen's The Discomfort Zone)
There’s an art to interviews. First of all, it helps to be a great observer and listener and to know something about the person and subject under inspection. Most of all, it helps to care. Daisy Hickman fits that bill perfectly. Last week she placed her questions and my answers on her great blog Sunny…
Toni Morrison Turns Back Memoir Contract
By almost any standard, Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison has led an extraordinary life. I’d love to read the story only she could tell about any segment of this story: born 1931 into a working class family in Lorain, Ohio; educated at Howard and Cornell Universities; taught at various universities (the last being Princeton); an editor…
From Fired to Fired Up: Three Waves of Transformation
Did you know that, according to a Gallup Poll, only 32 percent of all employees can say “yes” to this statement: “At work I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.” Are you one of the 32 percent or one of the 68 percent? Perhaps you have been excited about…
Charles R. Hale: New York Storyteller Who Knows How to Polish and Publish Memorable Stories
Meet the most famous Charlie online. If you have never met him before, you’re in for a treat. If you know him well, go ahead and click one more time. He’s the archetypal kid brother, using what he’s got to surprise his older brother. I have watched this video at least five times. I’m in…
Jane Fonda's Popular TED Talk: An Unintended Case for Memoir
Are you 30 or older? If so, you need to watch this talk. If you don’t have 19 minutes now, bookmark this post for later and just read some of the quotes under the embedded video below. It could change your life. The first act in life occurs roughly from conception to age 30. The…