FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Arlene E. Daily
Pearl S. Buck International
Phone: 215-249-0100, X 146
Email: [email protected]
Noted Authors, New Classes, Writers Conference and More
Offered at Pearl S. Buck Writing Center March through October
[Perkasie, PA] – Every year since 2010, the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center—one of the many offerings at
the National Historic Landmark home of Nobel and Pulitzer prize winning author Pearl S. Buck—has
grown exponentially, with more classes, workshops and contests to inspire writers and readers. The justannounced 2017 schedule proves that the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center is continuing its stellar growth.
Noted authors and creative subjects fill the 2017 schedule of events, all of which will occur from March
through October at Pearl S. Buck International, 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA. Here the highlights:
Classes
“Write a Novel in a Year”
Author Anita Nolan will discuss the various considerations of writing a novel, including characterization,
plotting, pacing, conflict, showing vs. telling, voice and theme, as well as submission and publishing
considerations in her class, “Writing a Novel in a Year,” held the fourth Saturdays, 9:30-11:30 am, in the
Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
This workshop series is suitable for adults considering writing a novel or currently working on one,
whether it is for adults, middle grades or young adults. A Yahoo group will be utilized to share notes,
writings, and critiques.
Anita Nolan writes middle-grade, tween, and young adult novels. She has written a book for an
educational publisher and served as editor of magazines for children’s writers, the food industry and the
commercial real estate market, as well as for an e-publisher.
A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Anita has spoken at writing
conferences throughout the northeast and launched the “Write a Novel in a Year” class at the Pearl S.
Buck Writing Center. Nolan is a resident of Bucks County. Website: http://www.anitanolan.com/
4th Saturdays, 9:30-11:30 am: 3/25, 4/22, No May class, 6/24, 7/22, No August class, 9/23, 10/28.
$150
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
“Creative Writing is Needed for ALL Writing”
Orlando R. Barone, a noted op-ed writer, script writer, poet and author of well-regarded college texts,
whose op-ed pieces appear regularly in The Philadelphia Inquirer, will lead “Creative Writing is Needed
for ALL Writing,” an inspiring course about how to make all writing engaging. The course will run on the
second Thursdays from March through October, 6 to 8 pm, in the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S.
Buck International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
No reason exists for any writing to be dull, including business reports and personal blogs. Prose need not be
prosaic. Poetry need not be pretentious. This will be an experience in writing to inspire and captivate.
Students will use samples of their own work to investigate the keys to engaging readers in their own words.
Every session dedicates a portion of time to actual writing samples of participants with feedback from
Barone and other writers. He will cover the following Creative Writing topics in individual sessions:
 Creative writing is the only kind – explores the creative nature of all writing
 Sentence, paragraph, verse – what brings the English language to life
 The backbone of language – how metaphors, similes, analogies, synecdoche, and other figures of
speech enhance writing
 Write with authority and power – appealing to the intellectual and feeling centers of a reader
 What it means to create a complete piece in any form of writing — nonfiction, fiction, and poetry
Barone, a resident of Doylestown, is on the graduate faculty of the Fox School of Business where he
teaches effective writing in his highly-rated course on business skills. He is also an instructor and
leadership coach at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
2nd Thursdays, 6-8 pm: 3/9, 4/13, 5/11, 6/8, 7/13, No August class, 8/10, 9/14, 10/12.
$150
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
“Writing Short Stories in a Year”
Author Sandra Carey Cody, will present a “Writing Short Stories in a Year” at the Pearl S. Buck Writing
Center. The course will run on the third Tuesdays from March through October, 1 to 3 pm, in the Pearl S.
Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
Short Story writing points to be covered include: type of story, desires of your character, hurdles for your
character, choosing a setting, what the dialogue reveals about your character, different voices for
different characters, a character’s body language, and balancing dialogue/narrative and action/reaction.
Cody is the author of the Jennie Connors/Riverview Manor mystery series (Left at Oz, Put Out the Light,
Consider the Lilly, By Whose Hand, and Lethal Journal), the standalone mystery, Love and Not Destroy,
and a number of short stories.
Cody grew up in the St. Louis area and attended Washington University. She has lived in Bucks County for
more than half her life. Website: http://sandracareycody.com Blog: http://birthofanovel.wordpress.com
3rd Tuesdays, 1-3 pm: 3/21, 4/18, 5/16, 6/20, 7/18, No August class, 9/19, 10/17.
$150
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
“Writing as a Platform for Social Change”
The message to students in this class is: no matter what you write—blogs, poetry, novels, letters to the
editor, church bulletins—your work can be a catalyst for change in the world. Whether you want to send
a message or cry out for justice, the world needs your words right now. Author Susan Wagner will lead
the course which will feature guest speakers sharing what it takes to craft language that sways the social
conscience. The course will run on the third Mondays from March through October, 6 to 8 pm, in the
Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
Guest speakers and participants will share their thoughts on the issues they are passionate about. Students
will be encouraged to let their desire for justice drive them to find their most authentic voice. They will go
home with inspiration and ideas about how to incorporate their passion into their work. If we provide
opportunities for diverse thought and people to come together, we can change the world. As Pearl Buck
said, “we are one nation … and that doesn’t mean we give up on our nationhood or our differences.”
Susan Wagner is a published author who has taught both professional and creative writing. A graduate of
Gwynedd Mercy University and an active member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Sue also
serves on the planning committee for the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center and is an editor of its Writers’ Guild.
3rd Mondays, 6-8 pm: 3/20, 4/17, 5/15, 6/19, 7/17, 8/21, 9/18, 10/16
$150
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
“Journaling and How to Use it in Your Other Writings”
Emmy-winning writer and journaling expert Janet Ruth Falon will teach “Journaling and How to Use it in
Your Other Writings” for the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center. The class will meet on the fourth Mondays
from April through October, 1-3 pm, in the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck International, 250
Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
The goal of this class is twofold: First, students will learn the basics of vital journaling, which will present
new information and exercises that will expand the process of journaling for even the most committed
journal keeper. Then participants will learn how to take information and ideas recorded in their journals
and incorporate them into more public writing, such as memoirs, personal essays, poetry, etc.
Janet Ruth Falon is an award-winning former newspaper reporter and magazine editor. She is the author
of four books, and has written for prestigious publications such as The New York Times and The
Philadelphia Inquirer. A journaling expert, she wrote The Jewish Journaling Book (Jewish Lights, 2004).
Falon teaches a variety of writing classes at The University of Pennsylvania and won a local Emmy for the
writing she did for WHYY-TV. She lives in Elkins Park. Website: http://janetfalon.com
4th Tuesdays, 1-3 pm: 4/4, 4/25, 5/30, 6/27, 7/25, 8/22, 9/26, 10/24
$150
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
Reading/Discussion Groups
Short Story Discussion Group
“The Lovers, And Other Stories”
The Pearl S. Buck Writing Center is hosting a short story discussion group focusing on the book The
Lovers, And Other Stories on the second Tuesdays from March through October, 10-11:30 am, in the
Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
In this collection of short stories, Nobel Prize Winner Pearl S. Buck explores a series of marriages and love
affairs in various states of disarray. Sensitive to the changes taking place in the lives of mid-twentiethcentury American women, she contemplates the possibilities of success in marriages where talented,
strong-willed wives choose to pursue careers, have second thoughts about the men they have married,
or re-connect with partners they’ve divorced and rediscover the love they knew when they were young.
Quirkiest among the stories is “The Man Called Dead,” a tour de force in which an old love is brought
back to life by an obituary’s mistaken report of the death of the main character. In writing these stories,
the author is by turn a romantic, a feminist, an advocate for the young and a proponent of family values
and decency. This collection was unpublished in Ms. Buck’s lifetime. Discussion leader: Carol Breslin,
Ph.D., Professor Emerita in English, Gwynedd Mercy University.
March 14
April 11
May 9
June 13
July 11
August 8
September 12
October 10
Introduction to the Collection; “Answer to Life”
“Answer to Life” Continued
“Miranda”
“The Kiss”
“The Man Called Dead”
“Next Saturday and Forever”
“The Lovers”
Final assessment and wrap-up
2nd Tuesdays, 10-11:30 am
Complimentary - no registration necessary.
Book Discussion Group
Each month, participants will discuss a book by Pearl S. Buck in a meeting hosted by the Pearl S. Buck
Writing Center. The group will meet on the third Mondays from March through October, 2-3:30 pm, in
the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
March 13 - Satan Never Sleeps (March 20 will be a book discussion and signing—see below.)
April 17 - Letter From Peking
May 15 - Peony
June 19 - The Good Earth in celebration of Miss Buck's 125th Birthday
July 17 - The Exile's Daughter by Pearl Buck's sister, Grace S. Yaukey
August 21 - My Mother's House
September 18 - Pearl Buck in China: Journey to The Good Earth by Hilary Spurling
October 17 - Once Upon a Christmas
3rd Mondays, 2-3:30 pm
Complimentary - no registration necessary.
Book Discussion & Signing
Doylestown resident and former correspondent for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jennifer Lin, will discuss her
multi-generational memoir, Shanghai Faithful: Betrayal and Forgiveness in a Chinese Christian Family at
the Pearl S. Buck Volunteer Association’s March 20th meeting in the Cultural Center at Pearl S. Buck
International. The complementary meeting, which is open to the public, will be from 1:00- 3:00 pm, with
light refreshments served. The program will include a Q & A with author Jennifer Lin, who will also
autograph and sell her memoir.
Mar 20, 1–3 pm
Complimentary – no registration necessary.
Writers’ Guild
For adult writers of all levels, Anne K. Kaler, PhD., Professor Emerita of Literature from Gwynedd Mercy
University, will lead a monthly authors’ sharing, critiquing, and networking group on the third Sundays
from March to October, 1:30-3:30 pm, in the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck International,
250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA. Writers should bring sample writings and questions.
3rd Sundays, 1:30-3:30 pm: 3/19, 4/16, 5/21, 6/18, 7/16, 8/20, 9/17, 10/15
$50/year or $10/meeting
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
Workshops
“Labyrinth & Wellness Writing”
Often used for meditation, a labyrinth can also be used to allow the creative mind to make associations
that will help develop characters and story, connect with past experiences for memoirs, and see new
angles and connections for poetry. Wellness writer Susan Wagner will offer a one-day “Labyrinth &
Wellness Writing” workshop on July 15, 9 am to 3 pm, in the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck
International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
The workshop will include writing exercises and sharing, as well as the opportunity to walk a labyrinth.
Saturday, July 15, 9 am – 3 pm Bring a bag lunch and wear comfortable clothes and walking shoes.
$50
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
“Poetry Writing”
Beginners, experts, or lovers of poetry will find something in this one-day workshop to expand their
thinking about poetry. Writer Susan Wagner will offer “Poetry Writing” on October 21, 9 am to 12 pm, in
the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl S. Buck International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
Students will examine a selection of poems and poetry, including some from Pearl S. Buck, to
understand how and why their poems were successful. There will be mini writing exercises and
participants will go home with new work and inspiration.
Saturday, October, 9 am – 12 pm
$50
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
Annual Writers’ Conference
“Ready! Set! WRITE!”
Meet and learn from published authors in this annual conference for, by and about writers. This very
special day of instruction will also include an abbreviated Writers Tour of the Pearl S. Buck National
Historic Landmark Home. The conference is hosted every year by the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center at Pearl
S. Buck International, 250 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA.
Conference Presenters:
Orlando R. Barone
Barone is a writer, poet, and author whose op-ed pieces appear regularly in The Philadelphia Inquirer and
other papers. He is on the graduate faculty of the Fox School of Business where he teaches effective
writing, and is an instructor and leadership coach at the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania. He wrote, developed, produced and is featured in video-assisted training packages in
Leadership, Presentation Skills, Performance Management, Teamwork, Communication, Motivation, and
Credibility used by such companies as Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Exxon Mobil, the University of
Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice of California. He is a sought-after lecturer who has
conducted seminars for executive groups and community leaders throughout the US and abroad. He has
designed, developed, and delivered such training to clients including all branches of the U.S. Department
of Defense, colleges and universities, chemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial firms, educational and
public sector organizations. Barone received his BA, magna cum laude, from Villanova University where
he was class valedictorian. His master’s degree was awarded at the University of Delaware, where he
earned the prestigious Unidel Fellowship for two consecutive years. Barone is a resident of Doylestown.
Jennifer Lin
Lin, an award-winning journalist, spent 31 years as a reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, including
stints as a correspondent in China, New York and Washington, D.C. She left the paper in 2014 to finish
writing her family memoir, Shanghai Faithful: Betrayal and Forgiveness in a Chinese Christian Family,
which will be published in March by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Her father, Dr. Paul Lin, a
Philadelphia neurosurgeon, left Shanghai in 1949 and took Jennifer and two sisters back in June 1979 for
a family reunion. Hours after arriving, an uncle pulled Dr. Lin aside and whispered, "Do you have any idea
what happened to us after you left?" This memoir is Jennifer's attempt to answer that question and
more. She weaves oral history with archival research to tell the complicated history of the Lin family
going back 150 years. Of her manuscript, noted TV journalist, Connie Chung says, “Only an experienced
and dogged journalist like Jennifer could possibly investigate and write such a thoroughly gripping
historical personal narrative.” Lin is a resident of Doylestown.
Schedule:
8:30 to 9:00
9:00 to 9:15
9:15 to 10:45
10:45 to 11:00
11:00 to 12:30
12:30 to 2:00
2:00 to 3:00
Check In
Welcome
Session 1- Orlando Barone
break
House Tour and Lunch (bring your bag lunch—coffee, tea and water provided)
Session 2 – Jennifer Lin
Q&A with Pearl S. Buck Writing Center Staff and Presenters
Saturday, April 8, 9 am – 3 pm
$75
Register at www.pearlsbuck.org/writingworkshops
Short Story Writing Contest
Those who write short stories, take note: The Pearl S. Buck Writing Center is holding a Short Story Writing
Contest. Original and unpublished manuscripts should be sent to the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center by April
15, 2017. There are categories for children, teens and adults, and a winner in each will be awarded a
$100 prize. The winners will be announced at the 125th birthday celebration of Pearl S. Buck. For
instructions, submission form and rules, visit https://pearlsbuck.org/file/documents/Short-Story-ContestSubmission-Form-and-Rules-2017.pdf
About the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center
The Pearl S. Buck Writing Center is entering its eighth year with great reviews and continued growth.
More than 400 beginner and advanced writers have traveled from several states to attend the writing
classes, writing workshops, writer’s guild meetings and writing conferences in order to become modern
day ‘Writers in a Writer’s House.’
While enticing many new visitors to the National Historic Landmark Home of Pearl S. Buck, the Pearl S.
Buck Writing Center is also bringing local, national and international attention to the major impact Pearl
S. Buck made on twentieth-century American literature. Not only the first American woman to win both
the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize for Literature and the most popular and prolific writer of her day, Pearl
Buck had to discipline herself to write around her personal schedule of child care, the business of running
a large farm, her activist and humanitarian endeavors, and her travelling for lectures and meetings.
Pearl Buck was not unlike today’s busy Writing Center participants, who know they, too, have a story to
tell and must commit to telling it. As Ms. Buck said, “I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if
you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.”
The Pearl S. Buck Writing Center, founded in 2010, is a special function of the Pearl S. Buck Volunteer
Association. The group maintains their own blog on writing and writers: https://psbwritingcenter.org/
Questions about the classes, workshops or other offerings of the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center, contact:
Cynthia L. Louden, Chr.
Pearl S. Buck Writing Center
267-421-6203; [email protected]
Cynthia Louden, Chair of the Pearl S. Buck Writing Center, helped found the Writing Center in 2010. She
developed, taught and directed the North Penn High School Theatre Program for 40 years, producing
almost 100 plays and musicals. For 15 years, she was also an Adjunct Theatre and Speech Professor at
Penn State-Fogelsville Campus, Gwynedd Mercy University, and Montgomery County Community College.
About Pearl S. Buck International
Pearl S. Buck International® provides opportunities to explore and appreciate other cultures, builds
better lives for children around the globe and promotes the legacy of our founder by preserving and
interpreting her National Historic Landmark home.
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