Monthly Archives: March 2011

Another contest: Story Circle Network

Posted on March 31, 2011 by first person productions

I’m a member of–and occasionally teach for–Story Circle Network, a community for women with stories to tell. I just got word that the Susan Wittig Albert LifeWriting Competition is open for 2011. Deadline is June 30 for up to 1200 … Continue reading →

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Have Your Life Story Published with Glamour’s Contest

Posted on March 30, 2011 by first person productions

News flash–$5000 goes to the winner of Glamour Magazine’s “My Real-Life Story” essay contest. Essays of 2500 to 3500 words are due by August 15. Find out more here…. A notice about the contest on About.com says, “A panel of … Continue reading →

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Book review: A Week at the Airport

Posted on March 26, 2011 by first person productions

By happy coincidence, I had Alain de Botton’s A Week at the Airport on my reading stand at the same time April Manning posted on her blog a fantastic musing on how she loves the airport. I love airports too. My ears … Continue reading →

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“Five Stages of Memoir”

Posted on March 23, 2011 by first person productions

Reading the New York Time’s Book Review from Sunday, March 20, I came across this sentence written by Susan Cheever, the opening line of her review of John Darnton’s Almost a Family. “We are all familiar with the five stages … Continue reading →

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Maria from the Sewing Room

Posted on March 20, 2011 by first person productions

by Linda Lenzke This narrative poem is a departure from the memoir-based prose you typically publish. I’m discovering that my recent poetry is taking on a a more prose-like narrative style. It was written in response to a prompt from my … Continue reading →

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The Mother Trip

Posted on March 18, 2011 by first person productions

By Sarah White The spring I was 10 – 1967 – my mother went to England for two weeks. Before she left she attempted to train me to take over her job as mother. Instead she made me a feminist. At that … Continue reading →

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!%#@*! Writing Prompts

Posted on March 15, 2011 by first person productions

Writing prompts. Every memoir teacher uses them, pretty much. But secretly, I hate most of the writing prompts I’ve seen. Before I go into my rant (and dilemma), let me give you some examples. The first of this curious form … Continue reading →

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Excerpt from “I Went Away, But Then I Came Home Again”

Posted on March 12, 2011 by first person productions

by Chris Connolly The opening pages of this chapter were written in response to a writing prompt from Sarah White’s UW mini-course “Start Writing Your Memoir.” This is unedited first draft copy. -Chris I’m trying something different here. Chris is … Continue reading →

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Working on my memoir…

Posted on March 9, 2011 by first person productions

I’ve just returned from a weekend in a cabin on the Lake Superior shore, alternating work on my memoir with walks in the snowy woods. Each morning began with coffee and scribbling on a legal pad in front of the wood … Continue reading →

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Book review: Jeannette Walls’ “Half Broke Horses”

Posted on March 8, 2011 by first person productions

This weekend I finished reading Jeannette Wall’s Half Broke Horses. Good book. Walls captures Lily’s voice, the sound of the person she describes as “a tough, leathery, woman who always yelled…”  The tone of voice in the novel, written in … Continue reading →

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