May 9, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Yocum Institute
Jayne Brown on How Authors Can Shape and Select Material for Wide-Ranging Audiences and Situations
Writers are often called upon to present our creative work to audiences in short excerpts, such as a 10-15-minute reading from a collection, or a 1-paragraph synopsis of a book-length work. Often our subject matter is difficult or requires background information to make sense. This workshop will look at some ways to engage audiences quickly, whether giving a public reading or writing a brief synopsis for a potential publisher, including a brief sample reading from The Third Remembrance, my recent autobiographical chapbook, and a group discussion of various situations we’ve experienced in trying to connect quickly with an audience.
BIO: Jayne Brown is the author of My First Real Tree (Foothills Press), and The Third Remembrance (Finishing Line). Her poetry has appeared recently in Calyx, Persimmon Review, Gyroscope Review and an anthology of Pennsylvania poets. She was a teacher of writing in California colleges and at Penn State Berks until retiring in 2018. She has been a board member of Berks Bards, and was the 8th Poet Laureate of Berks County