Writing & Publishing Memoir: A Reading and Discussion with authors Gina Troisi and Susan E. Casey
On Wednesday, April 28, 2021, from 7:30 - 8:30 pm CST, I'll be hosting writers Gina Troisi, author of The Angle of Flickering Light ( Vine Leaves Press, 2021), and Susan E. Casey, author of Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief (Library Tales Publishing, 2021) They'll read brief passages from their books and talk about their respective paths from idea, to writing, revising (and revising and revising...), and the journey to print publication. There will be time allotted for Q & A.
Join us on Zoom
Meeting ID: 850 8494 0291
Passcode: memoir
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ABOUT THE BOOK: The Angle of Flickering Light is a memoir about parental deception and infidelity; it explores what it means for a girl to run recklessly into womanhood, clinging to any version of love, making temporary homes for herself again and again. As a girl, Gina Troisi struggles with eating disorders and addiction, and when she reaches adulthood, just as she finally begins to glimpse a better life for herself, her grandfather, who has been a surrogate father to her, becomes terminally ill, and she falls in love with John, a stranger who is utterly familiar, but who is addicted to heroin. She moves from New Hampshire to California, crossing the country in an attempt to alleviate her self-destructive tendencies, but she finds herself pulled back to New Hampshire, to John, a man with whom, despite his struggle, she cannot not deny the sense of home she feels. But will she ever find home within herself?
BIO: Gina Troisi is the author of the memoir, The Angle of Flickering Light (Vine Leaves Press, 2021). Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies, including Fourth Genre, The Gettysburg Review, Fugue, Under the Sun, Flyway: Journal of Writing & Environment, and elsewhere. Her stories and essays have been recognized as finalists in several national contests, including the 2020 Iron Horse Literary Review Trifecta Award in Fiction, the 2018 New Letters Publication Award in Fiction, American Literary Review’s Creative Nonfiction Contest, 2018, and others. She has taught classes and workshops in both traditional and nontraditional settings, including writing workshops for female adult survivors of sexual assault. She lives in coastal Maine.
ABOUT THE BOOK: Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief is about love, loss, grief, and the journey toward hope and reclaiming joy. Rock On focuses solely on sibling loss because it’s a tragedy author Susan Casey experienced in her own life. Susan shares her journey, capturing the bond between her and her brother, the shock over his sudden death, and the emotional three-week trip to Asia. When Susan returned home, she was faced with unimaginable grief. In her effort to heal, she interviewed others all over the world that had lost a sibling. Brothers and sisters shared their stories with a vulnerable and open heart, and these stories helped to nudge Susan, step by step, out of the deep river of grief.
BIO: Susan E. Casey, MSW, MFA, is an author, a licensed mental health clinician, a certified bereavement group facilitator, and a certified life coach. Throughout the past 25 years, Susan has worked in hospice, in-patient, and home-based settings with teens and adults, and taught numerous courses to executive leaders and clinicians.
Currently, Susan works for a measurement-based care organization, providing clinical coaching to therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists countrywide to improve mental health outcomes for youth and adults. Susan also teaches an 8-week online grief and loss course for those who have lost a sibling.
Susan’s blog on her website, susanecasey.com, chronicles her grieving process following the death of her younger brother. Her fiction has won numerous awards, including first place in the PEN/Nob Hill Literary Contest and Green Writer’s National Literary Contest. Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Sibling Grief is her first work of nonfiction published on February 14, 2020 by Library Tales Publishing. Rock On won 1st place in general nonfiction in the Royal Dragonfly book contest and was a finalist in the Best 2020 Books American Fest national book contest and the Book Excellence national book contest. Both Susan’s professional and creative work have been guided by her deep belief that every individual has purpose and inherent strengths and deserves the opportunity to reach their own unique potential. Susan lives in Maine with her husband Steve and mini aussiedoodle Rocky.