Women's Writing Circle
A place to share our stories ...
Books, Events and Services
Circle Read Arounds
So You Want To Write A Memoir
A PORTRAIT OF LOVE AND HONOR
Preview — Again In a Heartbeat
Reviews — Morning at Wellington Square
The Life Unexpected: An Anthology of Stories and Poems
Talks on Memoir
From Readers of Again In a Heartbeat
Spiritual Memoir Leads To Self-Discovery
In her new memoir, Self and Soul: On Creating a Meaningful Life, Lorraine Ash eloquently writes about her search for meaning after the stillborn birth of her only child, a daughter. She asks: What does it all mean? What matters in life? How do we reconcile faith in light of unknowable and often senseless tragedy?
Sharing our stories is an act of generosity and spirituality. That's why we light the candle before our Women's Writing Circle read around. The light illuminates the sacred container; the "magic" that storytelling evokes.
In this essay, Lorraine discusses how penning memoir with the hindsight of midlife maturity leads to self-discovery. As part of the WOW! (Women on Writing) tour for Self and Soul, please welcome Lorraine to the Women's Writing Circle.
Some years ago, I sat around a table with eight other essayists at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the door open, the salty smell of the ocean entering the room. The writer next to me, a blond gay man pushing forty years old, shared an essay he wrote in response to a writing prompt.
Steve wrote about his high school days and his first sexual experiences with another gay man, who directed the singing or acting troupe to which Steve belonged. For years, he'd thought fondly of their trysts but, later in life, he realized that he'd been too young and that his mentor should have resisted - not indulged - his impulses. As a middle-aged man, Steve felt he'd been used in the relationship, not loved.
"The director was about thirty-seven when it happened. When I turned the same age, I realized what he had done," Steve told us with a look of befuddlement, anger, and amazement on his face.
Thick, full context
By midlife, we've done enough living, and had so many diverse experiences, that we can see patterns in human behavior. We've had encounters with people older and more experienced than we were. We looked up to some and struggled with others. But it isn't until we achieve their age that we can fully grasp their effects on us.
Writing memoir at midlife is an act of becoming fully conscious through storytelling. The past needn't claim us, or mire us in its traumas or challenges. Science has shown us that a memory is reconstructed from different parts of our brain. When we write a memoir, we weave new insights into old memories, changing them and helping us decide what to do next.
Authoring the future
In writing, we tell, first ourselves, where we've been, even as we realize we are the older people now, capable of authoring our own lives and mindful we are playing key roles in the lives of those around us. That way, we're less likely to become a person who unwittingly shows up as a problem twenty years from now, in someone else's book.
As Jan Rubin, memoir teacher, wrote in her book Looking Back, Moving On: Memoir as Prologue: "Our autobiographies, begun with the intention of leaving behind a record of who we were, become an instrument for discovering who we are as a first step into moving forward in our lives."
What questions come up for you in midlife? Does a particular memory, even years old, pop up? Does a statement you once heard enter your thoughts, unbidden? At this time of life memories and thoughts surface so they can be resolved. How might you begin to reckon with yours on the page?
Your comments and observations are most welcomed and appreciated.
Self and Soul: On Creating a Meaningful Life is available as a digital audiobook. Find it at Audible.com and Amazon.com as well as in the iTunes store.
Lorraine Ash, M.A., is a New Jersey author, award-winning journalist, essayist, book editor, and writing teacher. Self and Soul: On Creating a Meaningful Life, her second book, is available in a variety of formats and online stores, all presented here, http://lorraineash.com/selfsoul.htm . Reach Lorraine at www.LorraineAsh.com, www.facebook.com/LorraineAshAuthor , or @LorraineVAsh.
Posted by Susan G. Weidener at 7:33 AM
Labels: memoir, midlife Lorraine Ash, spiritual memoir, Women on Writing, women's writing
SUSAN G. WEIDENER
An experienced book editor, journalist and author, Susan received her BA in Literature from American University and her MS in Education from the University of Pennsylvania. Her memoirs, Again in a Heartbeat, and its sequel, Morning at Wellington Square, have received critical acclaim. Her novel, A Portrait of Love and Honor, is based on a true story. A former staff writer with The Philadelphia Inquirer, Susan started the Women's Writing Circle in suburban Philadelphia to empower women to write and find voice through memoir, fiction and poetry. The group offers critiques, read arounds, networking and book authorship opportunities. Susan also offers writing workshops and teaches memoir and fiction. She lives in Chester Springs, PA. She can be reached at sgweidener@comcast.net
2017 BLOGGING AWARD
BUY NOW (click on cover)
Membership and Session Fees
Full Membership $145.00 USD Half Membership $100.00 USD Writing Workshop $40.00 USD Critique $30.00 USD Single Read Around $25.00 USD Book purchase $15.00 USD
AUTHOR SUSAN G. WEIDENER
The Writer's Corner
Videotape: Interview With Susan About Memoir
Breaking the Rules of Writing
A Marriage of Fact and Fiction
Interview on How Memoir Changes Relationships
Interview - A Portrait of Love and Honor
Interview on Slants of Light
KIRKUS REVIEW - SLANTS OF LIGHT
Memoir Writer's Journey Interview With Susan
Memoir and Fiction - Choices
NAMW Guest Blog - Writing About My Mother
Susan's "Gutsy Story"
Susan's Interview On Honesty in Memoir
Susan's Radio Interview on the Avid Reader
Videotape: Slants of Light Author Panel
A Writer Waits to Find the Words: A Memoir Moment
Writing is my work, my pastime, my job. With writing, all the rest falls into place. Lately, though, finding words to describe what I feel r...
Writing and Wellness - A Guest Post By Randy Rolfe
This past month I met Randy Rolfe through Women's Business Connection , an empowering organization for women entrepreneurs in Cheste...
On Writing Book Discussion Questions
Should discussion questions be included in your new book? Do book discussion guides encourage book clubs to select a book? And, just a...
The "Sanctuary" That Is Writing
"H old fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams g...
Family 'Myths' That Stymie the Memoir Writer
The memoir writer has the unenviable task of breaking through the family myths to get to the heart of her story and the people who populate...
Nicholas Sparks Evoking Emotion
"Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it." ~ A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. When I wrote my memoir abou...
Guest Blog - Journey Of The Heart
As we share our stories and journeys, I am pleased that Kathleen Pooler has written our first guest blog. I hope this is the beginning of ...
Slants of Light — A Collaboration
 "None of us is as smart as all of us." Japanese proverb Harriet, Susan and Edda A year to the date ...
Inner Monologue - Writing Prompt
June is here and with it comes the Circle read-around. As always, this is a chance to share our stories and become connected to our "...
A 'Gutsy' Indie Author's Adventure
This is the third in an occasional series featuring authors from around the world. I met Sonia Marsh through an independent author'...
Blog Archive January (1) December (2) November (2) October (3) September (3) August (1) July (4) June (1) May (4) April (2) March (1) February (1) January (1) December (3) November (2) October (2) September (2) August (3) July (4) June (3) May (2) April (2) March (4) February (3) January (3) December (3) November (4) October (4) September (4) August (3) July (4) June (4) May (3) April (3) March (4) February (1) January (4) December (3) November (4) October (4) September (4) August (4) July (4) June (5) May (2) April (4) March (4) February (5) January (5) December (4) November (4) October (5) September (2) August (5) July (3) June (4) May (5) April (3) March (3) February (4) January (4) December (3) November (5) October (4) September (4) August (6) July (5) June (6) May (5) April (4) March (5) February (4) January (4) December (5) November (2) October (4) September (5) August (4) July (4) June (5) May (5) April (5) March (5) February (4) January (2) December (5) November (4) October (4) September (5) August (3) July (7) June (5) May (4) April (6) March (7) February (7) January (6) December (3) November (6) October (2) September (5) August (3) July (2) June (3) May (4) April (4) March (4) February (5) January (5) December (6) November (3) October (4) September (4) August (3) July (3) June (5) May (5) April (8) March (6) February (6) January (6) December (6) November (4) October (3) September (5) August (8) July (9) June (8) May (3) April (3) March (8) February (4) January (3) August (2)
LIKE THE CIRCLE ON FACEBOOK
Leila Summers, author of "It Rains In February" - What Inspired My Memoir
This is the second in a series of occasional guest posts by authors and writers from around the world. I asked Leila Summers if she wou...
Crafting Memorable Scenes and Writing With Intent
Writing is no easy task, although sometimes it can flow, especially when a woman's voice and her life experience are encouraged in a s...
Every Writer Needs A Bit of "Paris"
For the past three and a half years my days have gone something like this: writing and publishing two memoirs, collaborating on an antholog...
About the Authors - Kimberly
"When we start at the center of ourselves, we discover something worthwhile extending toward the periphery of the circle." An...
2010-2020 Susan G.Weidener content copyrighted. All rights reserved. Awesome Inc. theme. Powered by Blogger.