Free Workshop and Reading with Claudia Love Mair on Sept 5

We’ve got another great workshop and reading combo for you! On September 5, Join WMMT and Roadside Theater for a FREE evening with Claudia Love Mair, critically acclaimed author of Don’t You Fall Now: A Memoir (2018, NewSeason Books) among other titles. Claudia Love will lead a workshop on writing to process grief and trauma and will read from Don’t You Fall Now, which exemplifies writing about trauma.

When: September 5, 2024 | Workshop at 6:00 p.m. | Reading at 7:15 p.m.

Where: Groundswell, 229 E. Main Street, Whitesburg, KY 41858 (the old post office)

The evening will begin at 6:00 pm with Claudia Love’s workshop titled “Writing the Hard Stuff,” which will be a generational workshop on using writing to process grief and trauma. This portion of the evening is free, but does require registration.

Next, at 7:15 pm, Claudia Love will read from her memoir Don’t You Fall Now, which exemplifies writing about trauma. This hauntingly beautiful family memoir tells the story of how the author’s eighteen-year-old son, Kamau Burney, survived a jump from a six story parking structure near the campus of the University of Kentucky. Kamau landed face first, shattering all the bones in his face, along with breaking his hip, clavicle, and neck. His survival was a miracle. Mair’s story is a lyrical exploration of what it means for a mentally ill mother to care for a mentally ill and brain injured son. Told in sparse prose, the chapters are intentionally short, meditative, and intense. The result is a riveting story that is raw, real, and ultimately hopeful.

A huge thanks to Cowan Community Center, Kentucky Foundation for Women, and the Read Spotted Newt for partnering with us on our summer literary event series! Save the date for remaining events in this incredible series:

Claudia Love Mair - September 5

Ondine Quinn - September 26