Author Archives: first person productions
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Oxford Morning After
It’s that universal conference attendee feeling–glad it’s over, sad it’s over! “Global Reflections on Narrative” ended w/ incredible panels that suggested many cultural uses of life stories… For entertainment, for education, for bringing about political and social change. As with … Continue reading
True Stories Well Told 
Storytelling: Global Reflections on Narrative:: A Highly Unusual Conference Format
Ponder this: 70+ people invited after submitting 300-word proposals to present 20 minutes (basically a TED Talk) on something related to the announced conference theme. People from 23 countries come to Mansfield College, Oxford, rooming in the dorm. Those presentations … Continue reading →