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Upcoming Workshops in May: 2-Hour Guided Autobiography Introductory Workshops, and Fiction Writing Essentials
Ready, set … write! I’ve got two 2-hour Guided Autobiography workshops coming up in May, one in-person and one online.
Join us in May for one of two 2-hour Guided Autobiography workshops.
“Storytelling is healing. As we reveal ourselves in story, we become aware of the continuing core of our lives under the fragmented surface of our experience. We become aware of the multifaceted, multi-chaptered ‘I’ who is the storyteller. We can trace out the paradoxical and even contradictory versions of ourselves that we create for different occasions, different audiences… Most important, as we become aware of ourselves as storytellers, we realized that what we understand and imagine about ourselves is a story. And when we know all this, we can use our stories to heal and make ourselves whole.”
—Susan Wittig Albert, Writing From Life
Guided Autobiography centers on thematic journaling, with participants writing on a selected theme for the workshop. Courses and condensed workshops include handouts, thought- and conversation-generating ideas and suggestions, ice breakers, and the pleasures of bonding with the group members while we explore the stories we’ve told with our lives.
The journey toward ourselves begins with a sentence. We are the ‘I’ in storytelling. Participants will receive the workshop outline (PowerPoint), complimentary folder, yellow writing pad, and pen. -
The Weekly Readlines April 5
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
The right indulged in another manufactured freakout, this time over the White House Easter egg hunt, and Biden’s observation of the Trans Day of Visibility. The egg hunt has had the same rules about not including religious imagery for 45 years, and trans visibility day has been on March 31 since it began in 2009. Meanwhile, Trump escalates his fusion of politics and Christian nationalist grievance, declaring that election day will be ‘Christian Visibility Day.’ As if anyone could miss the most ubiquitous religion in America.
Costo weighs in on the weight-loss game with its new $179 three-month plan, in partnership with Sesame, its healthcare vendor. You can sign up after snagging their super popular $1.50 hot dogs with a whopping 700 calories. Seems like the perfect combo.
Disney shareholders rejected a push for an anti-trans policy in an explosive annual meeting, and the Talented Mr. Ripley got a remake on Netflix that has everyone calling it a masterpiece.
SMALL PLATES AND FINGER FOODS
LGBT Adults More Likely To Experience Discrimination In The Exam Room – MSN
A Queer Muslim HIV-positive Journey – POZ Magazine
Joe Biden Calls Trans People “Fabric Of Our Nation” In Trans Day Of Visibility Proclamation
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Biz Bites: How to Give a Great Book Reading (Courtesy Mystery Writers of America-NY)
I personally love doing book events, especially the Q & A portion where I engage with the audience. Have you wondered what some basic tips are for giving a good reading? Check out this slideshow with helpful suggestions from the Mystery Writers of America-New York chapter. (I’m on the board, fyi.) See you at the next book event!
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Savvy Senior: Best Cell Phones for Seniors
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you recommend some good cell phones for seniors? My 79-year-old mother needs to get a new mobile phone and has asked me to help her find one that she would like.
Searching Daughter
Dear Searching,
For older adults, choosing a cell phone is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Some seniors love the latest high-tech smartphones with high-megapixel cameras, while others prioritize simple phones with basic functions. So, the best cell phone for your mom will depend on her comfort with technology, priorities and budget.
Best Cell Phones
To help identify the best cell phones for older adults, I consulted Wirecutter, a product testing and recommendation service from The New York Times who recently tested 18 cell phone models.
Their testing focus was on three different areas, including best phones for older adults who are comfortable with technology and want to upgrade to a full-featured smartphone with robust accessibility settings; best cell phones for seniors who are not tech-inclined or who prefer a smartphone with fewer features, as well as those who are experiencing vision, hearing, or dexterity issues; and best cell phones for elderly seniors who need specific accessibility features due to physical or cognitive issues. Here are their top choices based on their tests.
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New Release: Jean Ryan’s Luminous Poetry Collection, ‘A Day Like This’ Now Available
I’ve been a fan of Jean Ryan’s superb writing for quite a few years now, and what could be more exciting than a new collection of her poetry? I ordered this the instant I knew it was available. Jean is a writer’s writer, whether it’s short stories, novels, astonishing nature essays, or poetry. And she’s an excellent painter, too! Poetry is the foundation of so much of what we call good writing, and Jean delivers. I’ve been devouring her poems one by one, and now they’re available in a single volume. Buy it here.
In the title poem of Jean Ryan’s luminous new collection, her speaker sees swallows slicing the air, observing, “Short dark arrows, they never miss, their flight too swift for error.” I can’t think of a more apt description for A Day Like This, in which poem after poem so vividly penetrates to the core of lived experience. Ryan’s poems have an ease of movement and transparency of structure I find most enviable. She has a special gift for finding what remains fresh and particular inside the ancient stuff of poetry. This is a gorgeous book, powerful and assured, written by a poet who is elegant, concise, honest, and warm-hearted in her approach. I can’t recommend it enough. A quietly masterful work.
—Erin Belieu, author of the poetry collections Come-Hither Honeycomb, Black Box, Slant Six, and One Above and One Below
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One Thing or Another: Cats, Kittens And Chaos
By Mark McNeaseWe recently lost another beloved cat, if you can refer to ending their lives as mercifully as possible that way. It’s both a euphemism and a truism: the space where Peanut had been for over five years is empty now. I left the soft orange runner on the floor by the kitchen sink where she ate, separately from our other girl Wilma. It reminds us of her, and it will always be where she had been. I’m also turning her litter box into a flower garden, with her name on a small marker. But she is gone, and it’s a sadness that will remain as long as we remember her.
We’ve said goodbye this way to five other cats over the past 17 years, and it never stops being one of the most difficult experiences we accept into our lives in exchange for sharing them with animals. The only thing more I’ll say about it is that it always feels like a betrayal of their unwavering trust, and yet we are entrusted too with making sure they don’t suffer more than dying inflicts on them already. It’s a terrible guessing game.
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Profiled in River Towns Magazine!
Dreams keep coming true as long as you keep dreaming! This is my profile in the spring issue of River Towns magazine. Huge thanks to my husband, Frank Murray, for making this happen. There are benefits to marrying your publicist!
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GAB Gazette Features Guided Autobiography Instructor Steve Dolainski
Featured Guided Autobiography instructor Steve Dolainski, who introduced me to GAB. My own workshops and courses start this spring.
https://birrencenter.substack.com/p/featured-gabber-stephen-dolainski?utm_medium=email
“Stephen Dolainski was drawn to GAB after learning about it through friends in Oregon in 2022.
“I did some research on GAB and, as a long-time adult educator and writer/editor, I was intrigued with the concept and the methodology. I immediately knew that GAB was something for me to explore,” he said.
After taking the the training in November 2022, he wanted to work with LGBTQ seniors.
“When I received certification, I contacted the Los Angeles LGBT Center and proposed forming a GAB class,” he said. “In 2023, we offered three GAB 1 classes and one GAB 2 class. More classes will be offered in 2024.”
Stephen loves teaching GAB and talks about how it how much it benefits writers by sharing their truth.”
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Home Advantages: Best Vegetables for Planting in Early Spring
Narration provided by Wondervox (in a fun British accent).
Home Advantages is a semi-regular feature highlighting our efforts to keep up a small house in the New Jersey woods, whether it’s redoing a vegetable garden or unclogging a bathroom sink! Follow along this year as I undertake small improvements here and there, and show you how you can, too! – Mark
By Mark McNease
Cool-weather vegetables are calling
If you’re itching to start planting, March is a great time to begin, with several hearty, cool-weather loving vegetables looking for the nearest garden. Lots of vegetables thrive in the cool, moist conditions of early spring, and they can provide delicious and nutritious harvests you can tell people you grew yourself! Here’s a short list of some of the best vegetables to plant in March, along with tips on how to care for them.
Onions
Onions can be planted in March, and they’ll reward you with pungent and flavorful bulbs later in the summer. You can start onions from seeds, sets, or transplants, depending on your preference and availability. Onions prefer a sunny location with fertile and well-drained soil, and they need regular watering and weeding. They’re ready to harvest when the tops fall over and turn brown, usually in July or August. You can store them in a cool and dry place for several months, or eat them as you go along.
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A Mug Shot Worth Having: Mystery Writers of America-NY Board Members
If you just keep at it, something new and exciting is always just around the corner. I never imagined I’d be on the board of anything, but here I am, in exceptionally good company. You can see all of the Mystery Writers of America-New York chapter board members at our website.
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Savvy Senior: How to Get ‘Extra Help’ Paying for Prescriptions
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
Does Medicare offer any financial assistance programs to help seniors with their medication costs? I recently enrolled in a Medicare drug plan, but I take some expensive medications that have high out-of-pocket costs and need some help.
Living on a Shoestring
Dear Living,
Yes, there’s a low-income subsidy program called ‘Extra Help’ that assists Medicare beneficiaries on a tight budget by paying for their monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments related to their Medicare (Part D) prescription drug coverage.
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New Nature Paintings from Jean Ryan, Artist, Author and Poet
Jean Ryan has been a friend of mine for quite a few years now. Her writing and her painting always leaving me astonished that so much talent can reside in one person. She painted a commissioned portrait of our beloved cat Peanut when we first welcomed her to our home. Peanut left this world three weeks ago, and Jean’s painting of her hangs by our front door, where she always came running to when we got home.
Check out Jean’s artwork at her website.
Check out her short story collection Lovers and Losers on Amazon here, and her novel Lost Sister here.
And what better accompaniment to her paintings than her marvelous book of nature essays, Strange Company, here and on Audible! -
I’m Now a Certified Guided Autobiography Instructor!
And we’re off! My 2-hour Fiction Writing Essentials online workshop is filling up, and I’m putting together a 2-hour Guided Autobiography Introductory workshop I’ll be offering online and at several in-person locations.
Anyone attending who wants to dive deeper can sign up for the 6-week classes once I have them scheduled (YourWritePath.com). 2024 is turning out to be everything I’d hoped it would. And we have a new cat! James, our first male, and our youngest: 10 months old, a bed cat, an attention seeker, and he gets along great with Wilma (still my baby at 9).