Hannah Andrews, author of “Skateaway,” Winner in the 2021 San Diego Memoir Showcase. Interview by Laura Engel, SDMWA Board President
LE: Congratulations on being a winner in the Showcase. In a nutshell, tell us about your winning memoir piece for the 7th Annual San Diego Memoir Showcase.
HA: Thanks! It’s such an honor. My piece is a pretty light-hearted look back at a heavy moment in my life–it’s a sort of tragic comedy. It’s about being twenty-five and full of hopes and dreams that get pretty much demolished. It’s set in 1995 and is very “emo” and has a sprinkling of pop culture.
LE: What has been your experience taking classes/workshops and writing a memoir in San Diego?
HA: I love it. I’ve taken several workshops and am enrolled in the certificate course for Memoir, so I’ve spent most of this year with Marni Freedman and Tracy Jones. I’ve learned so much. I also have taken some classes with Judy Reeves and sometimes do her Thursday writers’ prompts too.
LE: The last two years have been unsettling in so many ways. Hannah, do you think that affected your writing?
HA: Because the classes were moved online, I’ve actually had time to take more of them, and certainly, during the initial lockdown, I had no excuse NOT to write. I’m thankful there were so many Zoom classes, and writing was therapeutic during everything that happened in the last couple of years.
LE: What are you excited about when it comes to participating in the 7th Annual San Diego Memoir Showcase??
HA: I have always loved theatre, so I’m just really tickled to see my words read/spoken onstage.
LE: We are so excited for you, Hannah, and cannot wait to see your story performed on stage at the Conrad in La Jolla on December 7th!