Author Archives: first person productions
Barbecue Bellbottoms
By Marlene Samuels It was 1980 and although I’d been in the Ph.D. program for one week, I spotted him on day one. His good looks and muscular physique were total contradictions to that academic “geek” stereotype. Without a doubt, … Continue reading
Mailbox
By Virginia Amis I sometimes think about what happened on that winter day in 1966. The day’s air stung my ten-year-old cheeks even though I’d bundled up with a hat and scarf. I stood on the sidewalk, facing the front … Continue reading
Anniversaries
By Joshua Feyen The Moth is a storytelling event-based non-profit founded in 1997 in New York City by friends who missed the feeling of sultry summer evenings in the South, where friends would gather to spin tales while moths swarmed … Continue reading
Travels with Taste Part 2: Reflections on the Greatest Little Travel Company You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
By Sarah White This post is the second of a two-part series in which I reflect with Cathy Fleming, founder of Viaggi di Gusto (“Travels with Taste”) on how she found the best work of her life—and how we might … Continue reading
Travels with Taste: The Origins of the Greatest Little Travel Company You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of
By Sarah White So many people wish they could make a business out of doing a thing they really love. My friend Cathy Fleming does just that. This interview is the first of a two-part series in which I reflect … Continue reading
My Problem With the Universe
By Patricia LaPointe, originally published on Medium What’s this? The universe sent me a gift? There was supposed to be only one. The universe decided two would be better. Susan was expected. Jennifer was the gift. The universe must not … Continue reading
Reverse Jacks
By Virginia Amis We mingled in groups, some whispering, others laughing openly, then catching themselves. The banquet room windows allowed a view of oak and spruce trees growing on undulating hills where paths wound and disappeared. Someone remarked that the … Continue reading
Upcoming workshops & events in Madison
This morning, my “Upcoming Workshops” email went out to the mailing list I’ve compiled over the years from people who have attended my workshops and talks. I thought I’d share that info here, as well. Everything I have on the … Continue reading
Let’s Make 2023 the Year of the Reminiscence Writer
If you’ve been a reader of this blog for a while, you know how passionate I am about motivating people to write about their lives. The benefits are many: Individuals gain a satisfying skill, explore the meaning of their life … Continue reading
A Special Band from a Small School
By Violet Moran Vernon Mauritson, nicknamed Mort, wasted no time in recruiting me when I transferred from a one-room country school and entered seventh grade in the town of Sunburst, Montana in 1946. He made band sound like a great … Continue reading
True Stories Well Told 