Workshopper Beatriz Duran publishes her first editorial in the Toronto Star

BEATRIZ DURAN, 34, who took part in my North York Public Library series of memoir writing workshops last spring, is pleased to announce that she has joined the Toronto Star Community Editorial Board. Beatriz hails from Merida, Mexico, and now lives in Toronto. She recently published her first guest editorial (byline Beatrice Duran), "Thousands Take That Leap of Faith," and kindly sent me the link.

Here is her message:

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Hola Allyson,

Hope this message finds you well. I know you have a new workshop coming up. I am sure it will be a great experience for those attending, just like it was for me.

I wanted to share a piece of news ... this past fall I joined the Toronto Star Community Editorial Board. Being part of the Editorial Board has been a great experience. The best part is that anybody can apply. The Star then appoints 12 participants who serve for 1 year. I am very grateful for the opportunity.

I was invited to contribute a column on a topic of my choice, so I decided to share part of my experience living here as an immigrant.

Here's the link:

www.thestar.com/comment/article/622812

Thousands Take That Leap of Faith

I've been writing since I was 18, but it was not until now that I decided to get "serious" about it, partly because my moving here caused me to question my ability to communicate in another language.

Participating in your workshop helped me overcome that "fear" and gave me the confidence to write about my experiences. It also made me think that perhaps the best time to start writing your memoirs is the present. After all, the past is not always that far away :)

Feel free to share this on your blog, it might encourage other writers.

Warm regards,

Beatriz

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