Janell Strube author of “Taking My Blonde Daughter to a Black Lives Rally”, Winner in the 2020 San Diego Memoir Showcase. Interview by Laura Engel, SDMWA Board President
LE: Congratulations Janell on being a winner in the Showcase. In a nutshell – tell us about your winning memoir piece for the 6th Annual San Diego Memoir Showcase.
JS: My memoir piece is about taking my blond daughter to a black lives matter rally and what I learned about myself as a result. What has been your experience taking classes/workshops and writing memoir in San Diego?
LE: What has been your experience taking classes/workshops and writing memoir in San Diego?
JS: I would call it an addiction and a life-saver. Life saving because I found a community to support my writing. Addiction because I could literally take classes every week and I am sorry I have a day job that interferes.
LE: This year has been unsettling in so many ways. How do think that has affected your writing?
JS: It has 100% impacted my writing. Eight people I know have died from COVID and that is heartbreaking, but in February I had begun to count the people that were dying from racist acts. From the time that I could write, I have written poetry about racism in my life, but because of the events of this year, I am stepping out of the shadows to write about it before a broader audience. I have heard some of the cruelest things said as a result, but I am ready to stand tall and keeping telling my story.
LE: What are you excited about when it comes to participating in the 6th Annual Memoir Showcase?
JS: It’s completely humbling that my piece was chosen. It was a hard piece to write, and a hard to hear spoken aloud, but I am thankful that my efforts as a poet and a writer have been affirmed.
LE: What advice would you give new memoir writers?
JS: Four years ago, a writing coach told me to stop writing the novel I was working on and to write this story instead, but this story was too painful for me to write. My poetry editor has also often told me to go deeper. At a certain point, it has gotten so that I can’t focus on writing anything else. So, I would say, take a deep breath, go find your earliest writing and the writing you have hidden all over the house. Your words are all there, waiting to be poured out.
LE: Thank you so much for your wonderful advice. We cannot wait to see your words performed on stage at the 6th Memoir Showcase on Dec. 5th at 7 pm.