McKenna Dutton
Come one, come all to “Life Makes Art: Three Writers on How Life Experiences Shape Writing”—a panel discussion featuring three Wisconsin writers coming together to talk about, you guessed it, how their life experiences have shaped their work. Join in on the excitement on April 13th at 6:30 PM at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library!
Eau Claire writer-in-residence Ken Szymanski is excited to moderate this event.
“We have three diverse authors, a panel discussion, and there'll be some readings as well,” Syzmanski says, “so I think it’ll really give people the idea of how the authors write about their personal experiences and we get to hear examples of that.”
The “Life Makes Art” discussion is an attempt to connect community members with local writers. It’s also a way for people in the community’s budding writers to learn from experienced writers about their process. It’s a change from the usual one-presenter craft talk model.
““It’s different from a [craft talk and Q&A] with one author because hopefully you’re getting three different perspectives that can challenge each other and play off of each other.””
“It's different from a [craft talk and Q&A] with one author because hopefully you’re getting three different perspectives that can challenge each other and play off of each other,” Szymanski says. “As the moderator, I’ll throw myself into the mix and hopefully we’ll get a lively discussion rather than a lecture.”
One of the three panelists is Cathy Sultan. She is the author of seven books ranging from fiction to nonfiction. Some of her work includes: An Ambassador to Syria, The Syrian and Damascus Street. Sultan expresses that being able to collaborate with her fellow Eau Claire writers is an exciting opportunity.
“Just being able to talk with fellow writers I find that very energizing and intellectually stimulating,” Sultan says, “I think my fellow authors at the event feel the same way...”
The two other panelists are Patti See and Bruce Taylor. Patti is the author of Here on Lake Hallie: In Praise of the Barflies, The Fix-it Guys, and Other Folks in Our Hometown. See is also an academic advisor and teaches an honors class in creative nonfiction at UWEC. Bruce Taylor is a poet, an emeritus English professor at UWEC, the city’s former poet laureate, and has published several collections of poetry, including Pity the World and The Longest You’ve Lived Anywhere.
And so, we invite you again: come one, come all, to this lively exchange on writing life experiences featuring Cathy Sultan, Patti See, and Bruce Taylor. Mark your calendars for April 13th at 6:30 at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library!