April Member of the Month, Mary Coleman. Q & A with Laura Engel
LE: Please tell us a little about yourself and your writing
MC: I’ve always loved writing and the freedom I felt when creating my own stories when growing up. After earning a M.A. in English from San Diego State University, I spent ten years as a tenured English professor at San Diego City College until a massive stroke forced me into disability retirement. At that time, I thought my ability to write was lost forever, but creative writing and journaling ended up being crucial to my healing and acceptance of the challenges I now faced.
LE: How did you discover SDMWA?
MC: I participated in San Diego Writer’s Ink Fall Writing conference where I learned about SDMWA and Marni Freedman’s Memoir Writing Certificate Program, which I enrolled in the following January. I have learned so much from Marni and regularly attending SDWMA meetings.
LE: Have you been taking writing classes/workshops and are you in any writing groups? If so, where and have they made a big impact on your writing?
MC: I completed the Memoir Writing Certificate program in December, 2019 and enrolled in Tracy’s 10am read and critique group the following January. Participating in this group has significantly improved my writing. I’ve formed a bond with all of the members. They keep me focused on reaching my writing goals, and their feedback helps take away the guesswork about what is and is not working in my memoir.
LE: Please tell us about what you are working on now
MC: Currently, I am working on completing the first draft of my memoir. It is about learning to live as a disabled woman after having a debilitating stroke at age 39, losing my mother to lung cancer, just 5 weeks later, and the long recovery journey that came with both events.
LE: What are some of your favorite memoirs? Favorite authors
MC: My favorite memoir– I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou and Favorite authors- Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Octavia Butler
LE: Any advice for new writers?
MC: Take it one word, or sentence, at a time and be open to learning as much as you can in the process. You’ll be surprised by what you can accomplish. Also, find a strong support group to help keep you accountable and motivated.
LE: Thank you Mary!