"In this episode, The Franklin Senior Center writers group presents stories and poems about growing up playing baseball, being a mother in a hockey family, the dawning of Spring, how meatloaf saved Zenobia's life and much more.
This episode aired on Franklin Radio for April 2022"
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| Senior Story Hour - WFPR: Baseball, Hockey, Spring, Meatloaf and So Much More (audio) |
"In this episode, the Franklin Senior Center writers group presents stories and poems about growing up playing baseball, being a mother in a hockey family, the dawning of Spring, how meatloaf saved Zenobia's life and much more.
This episode aired on Franklin Radio for April 2022. "
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| wfpr.fm: Episode 040 - Baseball, Hockey, Spring, Meatloaf And So Much More (audio) |
"Mary Dickins had been a spectator at poetry nights before and knew “the poetry clap”. She mimes a polite tapping of fingers. But when she made her debut as a performer at the age of 62 at the legendary Bang Said the Gun night in south London, “it was so anarchic and wild – like nothing I had seen before”. The audience stamped feet, shook shakers. “It felt transformative. I thought: ‘I’ve got to have more of this.’”
Even though Dickins says she “constantly has impostor syndrome – I always feel that I’m going to be found out”, becoming a performance poet has given her a place on a stage of her own making.
All her life she has written, mostly without being seen or heard. Her mother died when she was nine, and, after she went into a care home at 13, Dickins’ writing “stayed in notebooks”. “Never really took it anywhere,” she says (she has a habit of eliding the personal pronoun, as if she might be an impostor in her own sentences)."
If this inspires you to write, there are opportunities around to do so. For example, the Senior Scribblers meet weekly at the Senior Center on Wednesdays (once a month to record at the Franklin TV Studio). If interested, call the Senior Center or let me know (I am part of the group).
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| Mary Dickins: ‘The sillier I allow myself to be, the better the writing is.’ Photograph: Teri Pengilley/The Guardian |
"In this episode, the Franklin Senior Center writers group presents stories and poems about nature, boot camp, Falmouth MA, discussion on language and prose, life and spirituality, the dark times during the height of COVID-19, and running cross country."
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| wfpr.fm: Senior Story Hour - November 2021 |
FM #579 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 579 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Franklin author Susan K Hamilton. Susan has just published her second fantasy novel, The Devil Inside.
We talk about Susan’s Franklin story. How her interest in writing was instilled early on but she really only started exploring this while in college. Her two most recent publications were in the realm of fantasy albeit different from each other. Her next work might be something in women’s literature..
The recording runs about 33 minutes, so let’s listen to my conversation with Susan outdoors on the Town Common
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Susan K Hamilton’s web page https://www.susankhamilton.com/
The Devil Inside -> https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Inside-Susan-K-Hamilton/dp/1950301206/
The Shadow King -> https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-King-Susan-K-Hamilton/dp/1947848984
The Writing Bloc writing group mentioned during our conversation -> https://writingbloc.com/
NYC Midnight writers challenge -> http://www.nycmidnight.com/
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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.
This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.
How can you help?
If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors
If you don't like something here, please let me know
Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.
For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/
If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com
The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"
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| Franklin author Susan K Hamilton (courtesy photo) |
The Franklin Senior Center reads short stories, essays, poems and more. This episode aired on Franklin Public Radio for May 2021.
Audio link = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a0aee039-8203-4172-8edb-087c70547974
Friday: 11 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM = “Senior Story Hour” – Senior Center Scribblers Group Original writing presented by the authors Listen each week on the air at 102.9 FM, and online at our website, wfpr.fm
The Franklin Senior Center reads short stories, essays, poems and more. This episode aired on Franklin Public Radio for April 2021.
Audio link = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/e93d98b9-5ba6-4146-83ea-842209526130
Friday: 11 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM = “Senior Story Hour” – Senior Center Scribblers Group Original writing presented by the authors Listen each week on the air at 102.9 FM, and online at our website, wfpr.fm
The Franklin Senior Center reads short stories, essays, poems and more. This episode aired on Franklin Public Radio for March 2021.
Audio link = https://player.captivate.fm/episode/ae5d74e9-5862-4223-86c5-f3665477b467
Friday: 11 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM = “Senior Story Hour” – Senior Center Scribblers Group Original writing presented by the authors Listen each week on the air at 102.9 FM, and online at our website, wfpr.fm
by Pete Fasciano, Executive Director 04/11/2021
When?
Members of our writer’s group were popping into our Zoom meeting, and that was the first question – right after the HiHowarya.
In the pecking order of that whowhatwhenwherewhy key info, ‘when’ tends to float somewhere in the middle of the pack. But, as the word came down that the Senior Center was starting to set plans in place to reopen, that was the first question on everyone’s lips. When?
Now ‘When’ is the kind of question that can telegraph the questioner’s state of mind.
Clearly, they were all about state ‘A’. When? How soon? Now? (Oh, please let it be so.)
Well – we don’t quite know yet. But, soon. (Fingers crossed.)
It speaks to the notion that getting together – socially engaging IRL (in real life) or ITF (in the flesh) is something that we all deeply dearly miss.
The Senior Center’s reopening raised another question for me. How do we help those who can’t physically attend? I believe that Zoom meetings are not just a service, but a societal game-changer – a social phenomenon wrought by technology.
I foresee Zoom engagement as part of many Senior Center gatherings ongoing, and we at Franklin●TV are researching how best to assist and achieve that end. We have been investigating the best video systems and tools to make this possible and ensure that Senior Center gatherings and events are more easily accessible to all.
Our Senior Center Writer’s Group convenes every week on Wednesdays at 1pm. If you would like to participate in our weekly gatherings and scribblings (and we would be thrilled to have you), just let us know at: info@franklin.tv
And – as always –
Thank you for listening to wfpr●fm.
And, thank you for watching.
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| Franklin TV: When? (Oh, I do hope it’s soon.) |
"Easy Write teaches students to write proficiently and will give them an advantage on tests, essays, research papers, and the SAT.
The workshops teach students writing skills not ordinarily taught in a traditional English class."Information on the workshops can be found online
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| Easy Write schedules writing workshops at FHS - registration is open |
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| Franklin Public Library: Resume Writing Workshop - May 21 |
"Susan Hamilton can trace her beginnings as a serious writer to a particular college assignment.
“My freshman writing professor challenged us to write ‘something creative,’” she says.
Until then, most of her writing was for school. This time, the assignment was a tipping point.
“I enjoyed the story I wrote so much, I set out to write a novel,” the author shares."
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| SUSAN K. HAMILTON |
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| SUSAN K. HAMILTON |
"In our continuing efforts to inspire and promote voices in girls’ and women’s sports, the Awesome Sports Project is excited to launch the Awesome Sports Writing Contest. Male and female writers of all ages and level of writing experience are welcome, but the submission must be nonfiction and about girls’ and women’s sports. The work must be previously unpublished in any form.
The reading fee is $7 per entry, and will help us with the cost of running of the contest – please contact us if the fee is an obstacle to participation. Multiple submissions from a single writer are welcome. We also look forward to reading international submissions, but all writing must be in English. There is a 3,000-word limit, with no minimum."More about the writing contest can be found online
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| "If I could tell my seven-year-old self one thing it would be to refuse to shrink" |
"This is our first year trying the Patriots Pen (grades 6-8). We've done the Voice of Democracy for several years. Our post winners are honored at our annual dinner in March, Rep. Roy is usually in attendance and sits with the winners and their family. They are presented with a small cash prize, a certificate signed by the Speaker of the Mass House, and a certificate from the Post.
Post winners advance to the district competition (Franklin Post 3402 is a part of Norfolk District 5, which covers Norfolk county VFW Posts). District winners advance to the state level competition. And the state winner goes to nationals in D.C.
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| VFW's Patriot's Pen essay contest |
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| Create and Manage a Gmail Account |
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| creative writing workshop |
When writing, your hand is used to form the shapes of the letters, therefore engaging your brain in the process. Handwriting requires a hand-eye coordination. As you write, your brain must work to recognize and remember the shape of the letter. This method exercises your brain and keeps it sharp and fast, especially as you get older. When you type, you are repeatedly striking corresponding key, which does not bring about the same effect in the brain. Typing involves less brain activity, and therefore doesn’t bring about the same results in the thought process.
Next time you take notes, close your laptop cover and use pen and paper; you will retain more information and you will keep your brain healthy.
See more at: http://pantherbook.org/news/2014/10/05/its-right-to-write/#sthash.hZqGjbfE.dpuf
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| Pantherbook article on using pen/pencil for notes |
John Taylor Gatto’s article, The Curriculum of Play, is visionary in its scope, and deeply validating for anyone who believes in the kind of education that takes place when children are free and at play. Perhaps I am so drawn to it because I’ve spent so much of my life, since 1971 and the publication of my Interplay Games Curriculum, and the years of teaching and training that led up to it. Nevertheless, dear Deep Funster, I decided to assume that at least some of Gatto’s article would be as affirming to your beliefs as it was to mine. I am not in total agreement. But if I were, it probably wouldn’t be as much fun to read.
