Friday, August 24, 2018

Pen and Paper - Always!



Despite the heavy smoke that blankets the Pacific Northwest, Coupeville is a gem. I am grateful to Debbie Lagassé of Sno-Isle Libraries for inviting me to present and to the dedicated writers who attended my memoir workshop.
Light traffic and a ferry allowed an early arrival. I wandered the small town and dock, ate at the hotdog stand, and gawked at the deer and fawns on the beach.
The two-hour workshop seemed to end before it started with lots of sharing of ideas and experiences. In conversation afterwards, Kevin Fristad, author of Dead Geese Flying, mentioned carrying a notecard and pen to jot ideas as they surface. We shared a laugh when I pulled out my tiny notebook. Reminder to writers: Carry pen and paper always!

Friday, August 17, 2018

Hello Coupeville!


The thing about the Pacific Northwest is that there’s water everywhere, and where there is water, there are islands. These islands of Puget Sound – Anderson and Fox, Vashon-Maury, Blake and Bainbridge, Whidbey and Camano, Guemes and Fox – to name just a few, are gems, each with its own island identity and small towns. 

I’m not a regular ferry commuter like many in the area, and I don’t visit the islands as often as I’d like. The islands and the ferries needed to reach many of them can confuse, yet the pull to explore is strong. So, when Coupeville Library invited me to lead a memoir-writing workshop, I did a google search to figure out where it was, how to get there, and what I could learn about the area. I was intrigued by this town of 1,831 residents on Whidbey Island. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:

Coupeville is a historic district is within the federal Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. The reserve was established by Congress in 1978, as the first and now one of the largest National Historical Reserves in the nation.[8] Its 22 square miles (57 km2) also encompass farmlands, Fort Ebey State Park, Fort Casey State Park, shorelines and beaches, parks, trails, and 91 buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Of course, those of you who live there already know the facts and the appeal. I look forward to exploring your town and island next Monday, August 20.

If you’re a reader or a writer, if you have an idea for a memoir and need some help getting started, or if you’ve got a work in progress, please join me at the Coupeville Library.

Writing Memoir: What? Why? How?
Coupeville Library
788 NW Alexander St
Coupeville, WA 98239-0745
Monday, August 20, 2018

1:30 to 3:30 p.m.