Local authors speak at Creative Writers series in Wiegand Gallery
John Larsen
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: News
The second Creative Writers Series event on March 20, featured two prominent Bay Area authors: Lindsey Crittenden and Rachel Howard.
Crittenden, who was the first to read, chose to read her short story "The Art of Fiction," a story that she prefaced by saying she wrote it to break a period of writer's block while at a conference.
The story interspersed various rules of creative writing with the story of a couple's courtship, juxtaposing the two. Crittenden also read two passages from her memoir, The Water Will Hold You: A Skeptic Learns to Pray.
Howard read two selections from a manuscript for a collection of interrelated short stories. The stories follow a couple throughout 10 years of their life.
The first story Howard read involved a date between the two when they first meet and fall in love. The second story followed their life after marriage and their money troubles.
The event, which normally is held in the main gallery of Weigand Gallery, took place in the small side auditorium in the gallery due to the on going installation of a new art exhibit. And while the turnout was low, according to Jacqueline Berger, who directs the event, it was a great addition to the series.
The first Creative Writers Series, featuring poet Bruce Snider and memoirist and local radio personality Jeff Bell, took place in Weigand Gallery Feb. 28.
Every semester, the Creative Writers Series brings local poets and authors to NDNU to read their work and talk with students.
Snider, the first of the two guests, read works from his book of poetry, The Year We Studied Women. His reading included a series of poems about his father, based on a series of Tarot cards, and a poem on growing up gay in high school, and being the "only boy on the decoration committee."
Bell, who works for KCBS radio, also read from his book, Rewind, Replay, Repeat, a memoir about obsessive-compulsive disorder. His reading spanned sections from throughout his book, detailing his first OCD incident as a child, a gauntlet of therapists, his self-diagnosis, and dealing with OCD on a daily basis.
This latest series was notable in its attendance. At an event which does not always see all the seats set out for guests filled, this particular evening saw a full house, with standing room only left for late-comers.
Crittenden, who was the first to read, chose to read her short story "The Art of Fiction," a story that she prefaced by saying she wrote it to break a period of writer's block while at a conference.
The story interspersed various rules of creative writing with the story of a couple's courtship, juxtaposing the two. Crittenden also read two passages from her memoir, The Water Will Hold You: A Skeptic Learns to Pray.
Howard read two selections from a manuscript for a collection of interrelated short stories. The stories follow a couple throughout 10 years of their life.
The first story Howard read involved a date between the two when they first meet and fall in love. The second story followed their life after marriage and their money troubles.
The event, which normally is held in the main gallery of Weigand Gallery, took place in the small side auditorium in the gallery due to the on going installation of a new art exhibit. And while the turnout was low, according to Jacqueline Berger, who directs the event, it was a great addition to the series.
The first Creative Writers Series, featuring poet Bruce Snider and memoirist and local radio personality Jeff Bell, took place in Weigand Gallery Feb. 28.
Every semester, the Creative Writers Series brings local poets and authors to NDNU to read their work and talk with students.
Snider, the first of the two guests, read works from his book of poetry, The Year We Studied Women. His reading included a series of poems about his father, based on a series of Tarot cards, and a poem on growing up gay in high school, and being the "only boy on the decoration committee."
Bell, who works for KCBS radio, also read from his book, Rewind, Replay, Repeat, a memoir about obsessive-compulsive disorder. His reading spanned sections from throughout his book, detailing his first OCD incident as a child, a gauntlet of therapists, his self-diagnosis, and dealing with OCD on a daily basis.
This latest series was notable in its attendance. At an event which does not always see all the seats set out for guests filled, this particular evening saw a full house, with standing room only left for late-comers.
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