Author Archives: first person productions

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About first person productions

My blog "True Stories Well Told" is a place for people who read and write about real life. I’ve been leading life writing groups since 2004. I teach, coach memoir writers 1:1, and help people publish and share their life stories.

Just the Way of It

By Doug Elwell She pushed away, “Let me fix you some breakfast before you go.” She dropped a piece of paper and a pen in front of him, “Put your information down.” When he finished, he tore the paper in … Continue reading

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The Long Shadow of Shame

“…shame relates to self, guilt to others.” Joseph Burgo, Ph.D. in a 2013 issue of Psychology Today. The Red Hot Chili Peppers song Under the Bridge has a refrain that goes, “I don’t ever want to feel / like I … Continue reading

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Why Our Stories Matter

By Sarah White I pull a battered blue folder off my shelf. In marker, I have printed “FIRST MONDAY FIRST PERSON” on the cover. I open that battered blue folder and look for my notes from our August meeting, the … Continue reading

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How it is Now, Living Alone

By Sariah Daine Yes, there is a freedom that comes with living alone. I can come and go as I please, eat when and what I desire, sleep when I want, whether the dishes are done or not, use the … Continue reading

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My “Aha!” Moment

By Melodee Currier There are a variety of reasons people go to high school reunions.  Some want to catch up with old friends they haven’t seen in years, some want to see and be seen, and some are looking for … Continue reading

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My Good Life Just Got Even Better

By Kaye Ketterer This particular Tuesday was no different than most.   I took the bus into work and felt good about life as this was my last week of work. I had been planning for the last year and a … Continue reading

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James Birren: “Ask participants to draw a visual map of their spiritual journey”

This summer I’ve been teaching a Guided Autobiography class following the curriculum laid out by Dr. James Birren, as faithfully as a new bride in the kitchen with her first cookbook. This is the core curriculum that over the years … Continue reading

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Is It Strange that I Put Garam Masala in My Chocolate Cake?

By Kelly Sauvage Angel Is there any question that we literary sorts get a little, how shall we say, “balmy” after spending day upon day, week upon week and, bless our little hearts, year upon year, tapping away at our … Continue reading

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Book Review: “Wasted,” by Marya Hornbacher

Can Madness write a book? That was the question that led me to Wasted, a memoir about a young woman’s eating disorder. The question arose from a presentation at the recent Storytelling: Global Reflections on Narrative conference I attended in … Continue reading

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Who Has Your Back?

I’ve spent the last year nursing my husband through three hip replacements. (No, he is not that strange anomaly, a biped with three hips–his first surgery required revision.) I’ve had an opportunity to think about “who had our back” multiple … Continue reading

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