Loved. Lost. Found. The Reading

image: Loved. Lost. Found. the anthologyLast Saturday, nine women and men over the age of 70 gathered in front of a room at Harwood Place in Wauwatosa to share essays and poems they’d written during the past year.

They looked entirely at ease, despite the looming podium and microphone. I, on the other hand, trotted back and forth before the event began, shuffling papers, asking if anyone wanted water, working up a good sweat and rapid pulse. I could have used some of their serenity (even if they were faking it).

But while our levels of anxiety differed and our ages spanned miles apart, there was so much more that connected us that day.

Jacqui Banaszynski says, “Stories are parables. . . . Stories are history. . . . Each one stands in for a larger message…a guidepost on our collective journey.” When people gather together, writers or not, it doesn’t matter where we come from. Our stories–our histories–connect us. Each of us is daughter or son, husband or wife, old hat at this or novice at that. In the essays and poems read from the podium last Saturday, we heard about first loves, found objects, and failed knitting attempts. I am generations apart from the Harwood Place Writers, but I can relate.

This event is one of the highlights of my year and one of the reasons I continue to lead their class. These writers come to the table every month with open minds, tales to share, and a genuine fellowship that begins with a smile.

IMG_3285Congratulations to the Harwood Place Writers on another year of fantastic stories!

 

For Your Wednesday Listening: The Videos are Up.

I’m nearing the end of a two-week vacation, and while I brought notebooks and pens and laptop, little writing has been put to paper. So, today’s post is short and sweet: an invitation.

April 26th feels like ages ago, when I took the stage for the Listen to Your Mother Milwaukee show and shared my story. Today, the LTYM 2014 videos have gone live. Even if you couldn’t make the show in Milwaukee–or in any of the other 31 cities–you can still listen. Here’s the link to mine, “Little Legacies:”

But, don’t stop there. Click HERE to watch all the amazing women in the 2014 LTYM collective.

Thank you again to Alexandra Rosas and Jennifer Gaskell for including me in such a wonderful group.