Memoir Writing a focus of “The Color of Water” Community Read in March
People have the opportunity to share their own memoirs as part of the month-long community read in March of James McBride’s "The Color of Water," sponsored by the local literacy coalition, Geneva Reads. A memoir writing workshop is scheduled on Wednesday, March 10 from 6 to 8:30 p.m at the Geneva High School Library. Finger Lakes Times is running a memoir writing contest with a deadline of March 15. Both are free and open to the public.
The memoir workshop on March 10, is led by Author Eileen Loveman. It is a hands-on workshop on writing personal memoir. Eileen Loveman is a weekly columnist for the Williamson Sun & Record, under the byline STORIES FROM THE LAKE, also found online at www.eileenloveman.blogspot.com. Register by contacting Beth Horn, Adult Services Librarian at Geneva Public Library, at 781-2935 or at bhorn@pls-net.org.
The Finger Lakes Times is sponsoring a memoir writing contest as well. Local residents are encouraged to draw on the themes in "The Color of Water" and tell their stories. The deadline for the Finger Lakes Times contest is March 15.
Submissions should be no longer than 600 words and either e-mailed to fltimes@fltimes.com (with “Memoir Contest” in the subject life) or mailed to 218 Genesee St., Geneva, 14456.
Contest submissions will be judged by the Finger Lakes Times in two categories — adult and high school. Adults should include their name, age, address and telephone number. Students should note their grade, age and school. Winners will be published in the Finger Lakes Times on Sunday, March 28. Prizes include $100 for first place and $25 prizes for runners-up.
"The Color of Water" is a memoir by James McBride that pays tribute to his mother and explores how the issues of family, race, and religion shaped his mother’s life as well as his own. Ostracized by her family and white society in Segregationist Virginia for her marriage to Andrew Dennis McBride and to Hunter Jordan, both black men, Mr. McBride’s retraces his mother's story and discovers his own that is honest, lyrical and inspiring.
The author, James McBride, visits on April 5 and appears at the Albright Auditorium on the campus of Hobart & William Smith Colleges at 7 p.m.
City of Geneva Mayor, Stu Einstein, proclaimed the month of March Community Read Month, dedicated to the memory of Librarian Linda Blackwell.
A discussion of The Color of Water is planned at the Geneva Public Library on Sunday March 14, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. On March 21, the Geneva Human Right Commission presents "Parents Are From Mars, Kids Are From Venus: The Game Show" at the Geneva Community Center Black Box Theater from 1:00-3:00 p.m. The program features a panel of parent-child couples who are pitted against each other in a game show format to determine what they know (or don’t know) about their shared cultural heritage. All programs are free and open to the public.
Copies of "The Color of Water" are available at the College Store at Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Wegmans in Geneva and Baroody’s.
Sponsors for the Community Read includes Geneva Reads, the City of Geneva, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Geneva City School District, the Geneva Community Center, Ramada Inn, Finger Lakes Times, Geneva Public Library, and the Geneva Human Right Commission, and the African American Men’s Association. Additional support was provided by Lyons National Bank.
The Geneva Reads Coalition is a partnership between schools and libraries, government and community agencies, and others in Geneva, to raise the level of literacy in people of all ages and to increase the importance of reading and the reader in the community. Additional information is available at www.genevareads.org.