Saturday Morning Writer's Clinic

Two local authors will speak to their fellow writers beginning at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 13, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

This event is free of charge and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Animal Characters – Constance Adler

This workshop will focus on the presence of animal characters in fiction. Some questions to consider: Are they necessary? Do they advance the story or are they just set dressing? A foil for the human’s inner life? Do the animals get to have a say in what happens? We will look at the how to include an animal's point of view in a story without succumbing to sentimentality or projection. Come prepared to do your own writing in response to a prompt.

Constance Adler is the author of the novel Sight Unseen and a memoir My Bayou, New Orleans Through the Eyes of a Lover. Her stories appeared in River Teeth, Oxford American, Gambit Weekly, Utne Reader, Peauxdunque Review, and Blackbird. Words & Music Literary Festival honored her story “Look” with a First-Place Award for Creative Nonfiction. Sewanee Review placed her story “Mother’s Little Helper” as a Nonfiction Award finalist. She lives near Bayou Saint John in New Orleans.

Memoir – David Armand

David Armand will discuss some of the basic principles for those who want to write memoirs: It’s not all about you; memoir is not the same as autobiography, memoir time is psychological, not chronological; just like fiction, memoir needs a story arc; and one should write towards the squishy meaning that good writing shows vulnerability.

From 2017 to 2019, David Armand served as Writer-in-Residence at Southeastern Louisiana University where he holds the Leola R. Purcell Endowed Professorship in English. In 2010 he won the George Garrett Fiction Prize for his first novel, The Pugilist’s Wife. He has since published three more novels, four collections of poetry and a memoir. Armand is the 2022 recipient of the Louisiana Writer Award which is presented annually by the Louisiana Centre for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana which recognizes outstanding contributions to Louisiana literary and cultural life.

Program inquiries should be directed to Chris Smith, Adult Programming, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.

Held the second Saturday of each month, the Saturday Morning Writer's Clinic consists of two sessions - one at 9:30 a.m. and one at 11 a.m. - which feature an author who speaks on some aspect of writing - plot, dialog, characterization, etc. Free of charge and open to the public.