SJF: Congratulations on being selected as the SDMWA ‘Member of the Month’! How and when did you discover SDMWA? Please tell us about your involvement.
DR: I was involved as a member since the beginning, I think. After finishing Marni Freedman’s Memoir Certification Class in 2017 there were many of us that wanted to stay involved together in some way.

SJF: Describe your upcoming memoir…
DR: The working title is Grit & Glue: A Memoir of Transformation for a Ship & a Soul (or The Elixir Project: A Memoir of Nautical Transformation)

Leaving my spiritual commune in Oregon after discovering it was filled with the misuse of power, lies and manipulation, my husband and I moved to Kauai to rebuild an old boat without any training or prior knowledge of boatbuilding. I learned to sail and navigate across the ocean from the Hawaiian Islands to the Pacific Northwest. Simultaneously I travelled an inner journey from feeling spiritually lost and disillusioned to becoming fully present in this world. It is an adventure story about construction set-backs, conquering impossible tasks with ingenuity, and finally facing life threatening experiences in gales, debilitating seasickness, and a skipper washed overboard. Concurrently it is the story of remembering my spiritual journey through teen years, reading metaphysical literature, relationships, yoga and rebirthing finally finding a spiritual teacher and living in a commune. The successful completion and integration of such experiences gave me tremendous gratitude for my life and a faith-filled self-confidence that has enabled me to navigate the life challenges I faced in the years following The Elixir Project.

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”  – Jacques Cousteau

“If you live a life of make believe, your life isn’t worth anything until you do something that does challenge your reality. And to me, sailing the open ocean is a real challenge, because it’s life or death.” – Morgan Freeman

SJF: Besides working two jobs, you recently volunteered for the inaugural San Diego Writers Festival. Thank you so much! What was your role as a volunteer?
DR: I was the room manager for one of the conference rooms, the room where the pitch fest was held. It turned out to be a wonderful experience interacting with agents and writers as well as working closely as a team with fellow volunteers. It was kind of like speed dating, those two hours of the pitch fest. There were also four other presentations in that room that day. Being able to speak with the presenters before and after their talks was inspiring and I feel like I made new friends in the writing community.

SJF: What are some of your favorite memoirs (or movies based on memoirs)?
DR: Like everyone else, I loved Cheryl Strayed’s “Wild.” I just finished “Educated” by Tara Westover, and appreciated her use of language as well as the depth of her story. As an educator myself, her conclusions come close to home for me.

SJF: How has SDMWA helped you? What have you received as a member?
DR: SDMWA has been a huge help in educating me about writing, publishing in all its variations, publicity and marketing. And, even more importantly, it has been good to watch my fellow writers keep pushing forward and getting their work completed and published. This keeps me motivated and inspired to keep going myself, despite what a huge undertaking it is turning out to be. We learn so much from each other.

SJF: Many thanks, Deborah!

Learn more about Susan J Farese
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