Author Archives: first person productions
Memoir Writers’ Story Night in South Madison Monday November 12
A “Story Night” featuring readings by the South Madison Memoir Writing Workshop will take place Monday, November 12, 6:30 pm, at the Goodman South Madison Branch Library, 2222 South Park Street. For six weeks these fearless, peerless writers laughed, cried, and wrote together. Now … Continue reading
Congratulations to Sheila Spear, “Backyard Hero”
Sheila Spear, a participant in South Madison memoir writing and a contributor to True Stories Well Told, was recognized in October 2012 with the Backyard Hero Award from Community Shares of Wisconsin for her volunteer work with the Wisconsin Network … Continue reading
Book review: “The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human”
News flash! IT’S OK TO READ FICTION! Even if your goal is to write true stories, it’s OK to read fiction! If you’ve read my post on Little Bee, the last novel I read, you know I have an inner … Continue reading
I Loved My ’65 Valiant like Family
A couple of my fearless peerless writers have shared stories about important cars in their lives lately. Thought I’d share mine! In the summer of 1985 I inherited a car. I’m sure it will always be the car I loved … Continue reading
Book review: “United States of Arugula”
Since I’m teaching a cookbook-memoir class right now, I thought I’d background myself with a dip into David Kamp’s book The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation. It was a fun read–a tour that took me from … Continue reading
The Race
By John Haugen-Wente Sharkchow, Wizard, Sandybottom, IronBob, Kneading Water, Ridgerunner. All names I knew well. Part of the WaterTribe. A loose knit group of kindred spirits dedicated to the development of small boats, and human athletic performance. I had been … Continue reading
Book Review: Caitlin Moran’s “How To Be A Woman”
How To Be A Woman by Caitlin Moran came to my attention through a recent piece in the New York Times Magazine that quoted her on breasts: “It doesn’t matter if your breasts sag because the only people likely to … Continue reading
Westside Senior Center Reminiscence Writing starts up September 25
We’re back in our old time slot on Tuesday mornings! We’ll meet for eight sessions* from September 25 to November 13, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Westside Senior Center, 602 North Segoe Road. The workshop offers a “one room school” approach in which beginning … Continue reading
A Place Called Home
By Therese Ladell The family of seven left Chicago, moving to Wisconsin in the spring of 1957. The four bedroom green Cape Cod style house was spacious, on a quiet dead end street at the very edge of the little … Continue reading
True Stories Well Told 
Sarah on the road… back to sharing stories soon
In the last week I have gone to Norfolk for the wedding of my nephew Jesse Zajac (far left in this picture; I am third from left) — don’t we look like a bunch of ambassadors and their wives? … Continue reading →