Prose Writers Showcase, June 3

Sponsored by the Hudson Valley Writers Guild at the Albany Public Library Washington Ave. Branch. Bob Sharkey, Board member of the Guild, gave a general introduction including the fact that this series started just before the pandemic hit, & we all know what happened then! The individual readers were introduced by Moriah Hampton.

Richard Matturro, who has published 6 novels, as well as worked as a writer for the Albany Times Union, & taught literature at UAlbany, read first. He had a CD for sale titled Niobe, a goddess from Greek mythology. The section he read was titled “Porch of the Maiden,” a ghost story in which Nancy, a writer of YA fiction is visited by the ghost of a writer in Hell (“all writers go to Hell” he says). He tells her this is a project in which dead authors visit living authors to advise them on their craft, the inherent humor of the tale in the pairing of the authors. While an unconventional story in its premise, it was actually the more conventional of the works presented today, basically a tale with a beginning, middle & an end, if somewhat elongated finale.

Heather E. Schwartz’s response to the COVID pandemic was to make changes in her writing, as well as herself & her attitude toward writing. She described the genesis of her book, How to be Ridiculous: 28 Tips for a Brand-New You! (Troy Book Makers, 2023) as being the result of reading celebrity writing, decided to go from shy to self-promotion. She read sections based on random numbers called out by audience members, the advice is humorous, sometimes silly, sometimes self-deprecating, & great fun.

Mary Murphy’s work was still another turn in genre & sensibility. She read 2 short pieces of memoir writing. The first, titled “Public Information," was about working as a Public Information Officer for her college when she was a student when a student on the Crew team drowned, which was moving enough, but the follow-up/coda about getting an intense emotional reaction when she performed the story as a theater piece. “New Friends” as about picking up Barbie dolls & outfits, triggering a memory of her daughter playing Barbies with a male friend, the piece a gently defiant statement on gender identity.

Check out the website of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild for information about local literary events, & writers (in all genres). You can also sign up for the Guild’s weekly email, if you are not already on their list, become a member of the Guild, & make a donation to support the work of the Guild. Tell ‘em I sent you.