NEW FEATURE: See sidebar for a list of memoirs and memoir-related books recommended by workshoppers. I welcome additions to this section.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS ...

The following workshop listing was updated May 5, 2008:

Sunday, September 21, 2008 - Your Past as Story: Inspiration for Life Writing. Words Alive Literary Festival, York Region. Check back here soon for details.

FULL Mondays, June 2, 9, 16 and 23, 2008 - 1 to 3 p.m. - Writing Your Memoirs: An Introduction. North York Central Library, Canadiana Department, Toronto. In early April, registration details will appear in the SPRING issue of the TPL's "What's On," or visit www.torontopubliclibrary.ca and search "Programs and Events." Note: The NYCL respectfully requests that those who have taken part in one of my previous workshops at this library do not re-register.

Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Introduction to Memoir Writing. East End Writers' Group. For details or to register, contact EEWG: www.samcraw.com/Articles/EastEndWriters.html (also under Links).

ENDED Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 2 to 4 p.m. - Writing About Your Life. Unionville Public Library, Markham. $25. To register: (905) 513-7977.

ENDED February 11, 2008 - Online; 8 weeks. Advanced Memoir Writing Workshop. Usual prerequisite is one of my introductory workshops (live or online), but those with some writing experience will be considered. CDN$99.

Unless otherwise stated above, register by contacting lattamemoirs@gmail.com.

MORE ...

Tailored workshops: Some full-day (and occasional half-day) workshops are tailored for small groups of 6 to 8 at Varley Art Gallery in Unionville, or elsewhere in the Greater Toronto Area by special request. Workshops generally run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including light lunch; registration fee $120.

Online courses and workshops: These are open to international participants who write in English. I have welcomed writers from the United States, England, Mexico, South Africa, and Australia. Introductory and advanced online workshops are limited to 4 to 6 participants.

Additional Services: Are you working on a personal writing project and wanting professional guidance regarding your editing or publishing options -- your next step? Personal consultations: These may be arranged in the Markham area for $60/hour (minimum 2 hours). E-mail consultations: For a fee of $80 I will reply in writing to two e-mail queries about your project (limit of three questions per e-mail). In each case, consultation time will be arranged once payment is received. Please note: I do not provide editing as part of a consultation.

Let me know! My DRWW workshops run when spaces are filled. If you would like to participate in an online or live workshop, e-mail me with your name and writing level (beginners welcome!), and your preference for weekday or weekend. Note that I do not schedule workshops in July or August but am currently taking names for Fall 2008.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Call for Stories of Wartime Memories, from Kristen den Hartog and Tracy Kasaboski

The following is from author Kristen den Hartog, co-author of The Occupied Garden, which I recently edited.

***

As you know, The Occupied Garden, the book my sister Tracy Kasaboski and I have written, is due out in March, and we are very excited about its release. Early in March, we'll be launching a website, and one of the components will be a page on which people share their own family stories about the war, along with images they have from that time. We hope to hear lots of stories from a variety of perspectives, but would like also to start with some when the website is launched, which is why I'm contacting you. If you have an anecdote or a longer tale you would like to share, either anonymously or with your name attached, please write it down and send it to me. If the story is fuzzy or full of gaps and questions, that's okay too -- memories and passed-down stories are often that way. An accompanying photograph is not essential, but of course would be appreciated. Our site will have lots of our own family photographs, as well as wartime photos we've found in archives etc.

If you know of someone who might like to contribute, please feel free to forward this email.

Many thanks. I look forward to hearing your stories!

Kristen den Hartog

kcdh@magma.ca

Posted by ALLYSON LATTA at 6:54 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Allyson Latta presents "Get It Published," Jan 31, 2008

Allyson Latta of Days Road Writers' Workshops will make a one-hour presentation, "Get It Published," at the Jess Hann Branch of the Oshawa Public Library, Thurs, Jan 31, at 2 p.m. The library is located at 8-199 Wentworth Street W., Oshawa, ON, L1J 6P4. Admission is free.

For information, contact Joseph Sansalone, Branch Supervisor, 905-728-2441 ext. 5862, or jsansalone@oshawalibrary.on.ca

Posted by ALLYSON LATTA at 1:41 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Still Life with Laughs: An Interview with Richard Scrimger

To check out my interview with author Richard Scrimger, including tips for writers, click on "Still Life with Laughs" under Links. Allyson Latta

Posted by ALLYSON LATTA at 10:02 AM 1 comments
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The image on my business card is a sketch of Sprucelawn, my childhood home on Days Road in Kingston, Ontario. The house was built in the 1860s by the Day family, descendants of United Empire Loyalists. It holds a special place in my memory. Artist: J. Latta-Goddard.

Memoirs & Biographies to which I've Contributed as Editor

  • Butala, Sharon - The Girl in Saskatoon
  • Clarke, George Elliott - George & Rue
  • De Vries, Maggie - Missing Sarah
  • Dossa, Parin - Place, Voice, and Social Suffering: Narratives of Iranian Women in the Diaspora
  • Echlin, Kim - Elizabeth Smart: A Fugue Essay
  • Engels, Mary-Lousie - Rosalie Bertell: Scientist, Eco-Feminist, Visionary
  • Fawcett, Brian - Virtual Clearcut
  • Findley, Timothy - Journeyman (Bill Whitehead, ed.)
  • Foran, Charles - The Last House of Ulster
  • Fraser, Sylvia - The Green Labyrinth
  • Garrett, Leslie - Record Breakers: True Stories of This Century's Incredible Kids
  • Geddes, Gary - An Impossible Journey from Kabul or Chiapas
  • Gray, Charlotte - Flint and Feather
  • Hehner, Barbara, ed. - The Penguin Book of Canadian Biography for Young Readers, Volume II, 1867-1945
  • Hill, Lawrence - Black Berry, Sweet Juice
  • Howard, Blanche & Allison, eds. - A Memoir of Friendship
  • Humphreys, Adrian - The Enforcer
  • Kasaboski & den Hartog - The Occupied Garden
  • Kingwell, Mark - Catch and Release
  • Lau, Evelyn - Runaway: Diary of a Street Kid
  • Mallick, Heather - Cake or Death
  • Mallick, Heather - Pearls in Vinegar
  • Mallick, Heather - The Pillow Book of Heather Mallick
  • Manley, Beverley - The Manley Memoirs (Jamaica)
  • McClung, Nellie - The Stream Runs Fast (2007 edition)
  • Nemat, Maria - Prisoner of Tehran
  • Powning, Beth - Edge Seasons
  • Robertson, Heather - Measuring Mother Earth
  • Robinson, Laura - Great Girls: Canadian Profiles of Awesome Athletes
  • Ryan, Selwyn - Eric Williams: The Myth and the Man (Jamaica)
  • Stone, Rosemarie - No Stone Unturned (Jamaica)
  • Tamaki, Mariko - Fake ID
  • Tobin, Brian - All in Good Time
  • Ward, Robert - All the Good Pilgrims
  • Whelehan & Carter, eds. - My Wedding Dress