Volume VIII, Issue 12
March 25, 2019
Word of the Week: relentless
Dear ,
This week, I'm sharing the story of two relentless women: The first is a remarkable woman named Catharine Stratton Ladd, born in 1808, and the second is her biographer, Patricia Veasey, who rescued Catharine from obscurity through years of research and writing. The culmination of this relentlessness is the
book A Relentless Spirit: Catharine Ladd, Southern Educator, Entrepreneur, and Author, 1808-1899.
I must confess that I feel a bit relentless myself, having shepherded this book from idea to completion, learning more along the way about formatting endnotes and genealogical chart-making than I ever planned to! And it's quite a feeling to have rescued a worthy woman from
obscurity.
Marsha Hanna, an educator for Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools who also serves as education director of Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte and a consultant for Newsweek Education Program, describes both Catharine and Pat in her endorsement of this fine
historical record:
Forgotten outside the small South Carolina town of Winnsboro where she lived most of her adult life, Catharine Ladd now emerges from the painstaking and extensive research of Patricia Veasey to shine as a vibrant, dedicated, innovative educator and writer whose work spanned nearly the entire 19th century. Catharine, who, unlike many of her contemporary writers juggled
marriage with numerous children, established and conducted female academies, contributed poetry for publication, wrote and produced plays, helped raise funds for rebuilding her war ravaged town, and submitted political commentary—all within 19th century cultural constraints. Thank you, Mrs. Veasey, for rediscovering this delightful lady who belongs alongside fellow 19th century contemporaries Mary Chestnut, Emma Holmes, Celia Thaxter, Ellen Allerton, Louisa May Alcott,
Emily Dickinson, and Phoebe Levy Pember. Catharine, the wife, mother, teacher, writer, entrepreneur, and community activist, was indeed relentless as well as remarkable. Readers will gain a new insight into 19th century life in pre- and post-Civil War South Carolina through the eyes and dedication of this unusual and determined woman, Catharine Ladd—a heroine in her own right!
I first met Pat in 2016 when she took my "Write Like a Genius" class at the John Campbell Folk School, which you can participate in the last week of May if you're interested. (Details here and below.) That's Pat in pink to my left.
Pat's zest for life and enthusiasm for history makes her a joy to be with. Scroll on down to read an excerpt from her author's notes, and check out two opportunities to meet her in person and purchase her
new biography.
I hope you're inspired to take on a good dose of relentlessness on behalf of your own writing passions!
Love and light,
Maureen
P.S. Speaking of relentlessness, if you live in the Charlotte area, you have a remarkable opportunity to hear one of our country's bravest and gifted poets, Carolyn Forché, the 2019 Irene Blair Honeycutt Distinguished Lecturer at CPCC's Sensoria Arts Festival at these two times:
Central Campus - Tate Hall
Details here. Hope to see you there!
Upcoming WordPlay
THE SEVEN ENERGIES OF WRITING
A Holistic, Whole Brain Approach, With Accompanying Tools and Strategies To Enhance Creativity, Productivity, and Writing Pleasure
If you’ve ever had a hard time getting started writing, finishing what you’ve begun, or gotten stuck in the middle (AKA writer’s block), knowing how to engage in the most helpful “energy of writing” for you at each stage of your process—and on any given day—will be a game-changer. In this class, we’ll explore—and practice—the ins, outs, and benefits of all seven energies of writing.
You’ll learn invaluable tools and strategies you’ll use again and again to write with maximum ease and effectiveness. Yes, you can be more productive, creative, and fulfilled, no matter what kind of writing you do or how experienced you are.
WHEN: Saturday, March 30th, 1 – 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: The WordPlay Studio, South Charlotte
COST for Workshop and Materials: $67
TO REGISTER: To register for The Seven Energies of Writing online, click here.
Or email info@wordplaynow.com for details on registering by check via mail.
Class size limited to 12
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WRITE LIKE A GENIUS
AT THE JOHN C. CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL
(Expanding Our Creativity; Learning New Tools for Our Writing and Our Lives; Creating New Writing)
Discover your own genius as you learn to apply seven fascinating approaches of Leonardo da Vinci to your writing. These techniques enliven non-fiction, poetry and fiction. Expect fun, inspiration and writing galore in your preferred genre, with opportunities to share
your work.
WHERE: John Campbell Folk School, 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902
WHEN: Sunday, May 26th – Saturday, June 1st, 2019
COST is $630 for one week-long session
(lodging and meals are additional – options can be found on the Folk School website)
TO REGISTER: To register, please click this link to register through the John Campbell Folk School website.
Class size limited to 8.
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CLASSES AT CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION
WRITING OUR WAY TO HAPPINESS
(Week 2)
Come explore research-tested ways writing can increase your happiness level. You’ll learn how to use writing as a tool to increase your sense of well-being, as well as jumpstart your pen and provide inspiration and knowledge about the process of creative writing, whether you want to write memoir, fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. For writers of all levels, including beginners, who are
interested in expanding their writing practice—for personal fulfillment or for publication.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Alumni Hall Poetry Room
WHEN: Monday, July 1st – Friday, July 5th, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Registration for this class will open in April. Please check back then.
TELLING YOUR LIFE STORIES WITH GRACE
(Week 7)
Our life stories are a precious legacy, imbued with grace we can often see only in hindsight. Capturing these stories “gracefully” in words is a gift, not only to ourselves, but to those who love us – they’ll be treasured for generations to come. Come learn engaging tools and techniques to retrieve and record your adventures, loves, losses, successes, mistakes, and more with ease and, yes,
grace, no matter where you are in the process.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Hultquist 201B
WHEN: Monday, August 5th – Thursday, August 8th, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Registration for this class will open in April. Please check back then.
DELICIOUS MEMORIES
(Week 9)
Food not only nurtures and sustains us, it’s also a rich source for writing. We’ll explore our culinary connections as we write of when, where, what, with whom, how — and even why — we ate. We’ll also learn from the work of accomplished writers. You can use the tools you’ll learn to create a family cookbook, individual essays, stories, or poems, scenes in fiction or memoir, a food blog—or
just for your own pleasure.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Hultquist 201A
WHEN: Monday, August 19th – Thursday, August 22nd, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Registration for this class will open in April. Please check back then.
More WordPlay opportunities here.
"[Maureen] taught me the craft of writing. Her enthusiasm, imagination, and positive force gave me the energy
and belief to envision this biography."
Patricia Veasey is an independent scholar with an interest in Southern women’s history, especially the education of women before the Civil War. She presented papers and published
articles about that topic throughout the southeast. In 2014 the Culture and Heritage Museums of York County honored her as a Keeper of the Culture. Her biography of Catharine Stratton Ladd was the result of two decades of research, lecturing, and writing.
Pat, with her husband Ed, and their dog Roxy, live near Clover, South Carolina. They enjoy hiking, bicycling, and bird watching in state and national parks.
What Pat says about WordPlay
I met Maureen when I signed up for her writing class, “Write Like a Genius” at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina in the summer of 2016. That class was an experience that
set me on course with enthusiasm and a desire for more! At Campbell Folk School I discovered that Maureen lived in Charlotte and taught writing classes; so, I signed up for a class in the fall of 2016. Maureen encouraged me to use the research I had done on Catharine Ladd to write a novel of historical fiction. I worked in this genre for more than a year, continuing in class and working with peer reviews from classmate groups. Everything seemed pointed in the direction of historical fiction, but
a voice told me not to abandon the non-fiction biography of her life. I had several decades of research time behind me, but needed help with turning it into a readable piece.
Last year I decided to ask Maureen if she would be my editor and help me publish a biography through her Floating Leaf Press in Charlotte, North Carolina. She agreed and led the way to completion.
She taught me the craft of writing. Her enthusiasm, imagination, and positive force gave me the energy and belief to envision this biography. Maureen especially motivated me to consider the audience and readability factors in the manuscript. Without her, the story of Catharine Ladd would still be just an idea. Thank you Maureen!
Mary Charles Nash, a local artist, created the cover, using an image of Catharine Ladd that interpreted her life.
Whereas many facts about Catharine Ladd’s life are irretrievable, what is clear from the available information is her relentless spirit in the face of loss and gender prejudices of her time.
She proceeded forward in providing an education for young women, in building community, and in supporting the arts, especially in literature and the theatre. I discovered a Catharine with high energy and a sharp wit who, for one example, founded a drama troupe, produced and wrote plays, designed scenery, and painted the scenery herself. From the onset, the question was whether to attempt a biography of a person with few sources for documenting her life, yet not lose her story as an
important chapter in the history of remarkable Southern women.
Her circumstances of loss were known. In February 1865, at the end of the war, Catharine Ladd’s house in Winnsboro, South Carolina, burned at the hands of Union troops under Brigadier General Slocum. She had been widowed the previous year, and now had no place for her family to live. She had six children: two daughters at home, one daughter in Florida staying with friends while
recovering from illness, and three sons away at war. Her writings of over thirty years were gone, as were all paper documents of records including those of operating a school, teaching materials, books, letters, and whatever possessions she and her husband, George, accumulated over a lifetime. As was the case throughout the South, evidence of her past life was gone. Nonetheless, family oral history about George and Catharine Ladd fascinated me and prompted me to know their story, especially
that of Catharine before the war. I was not discouraged, so like Catharine, I relentlessly forged ahead. It was an extended research journey of two decades.
Here are two opportunities to celebrate the arrival of Catharine Ladd’s biography, meet the author, Pat Veasey, and purchase a copy:
What: Presentation with Book Signing and Reception
When: Saturday, March 30, 5-6 pm
Where: Historic Brattonsville, Conference Room,
Brattonsville, SC
www.chmuseums.org
AND
What: Presentation with Book Signing and Reception
When: Sunday, April 7, 3-5 pm
Where: Christ Central Community Center
and Fairfield County Museum,
Winnsboro, SC
www.fairfieldmus@truvista.org
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt
This is WordPlay—so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's "relentless."
PROMPT: To tap into your own relentlessness, get in touch with your passions. What do you love? What excites you? Try
making
a list for each question. Then try writing for ten minutes on each, beginning with “I love…” and "What excites me is..."
See which of these methods best captures your particular passions. Then, choose one, or a number, of your passions and craft a piece of writing.
A bonus of excavating your passions is being reminded of pleasures you had forgotten about. How long has it been since you listened to that song
you fell in love to when you were sixteen? Dig it out, dust it off, and give it a spin. And when did you last read A Wind in the Willows? Eat
watermelon on a summer lawn and see how far you could spit the seeds? Writing can provide a record of our joys; it can also point the way to a more
joy-filled life. (adapted from Spinning Words into Gold.)
It's fun to play with prompts in community with fellow writers, and to be able to share the results when you're done. You can find out about WordPlay classes, workshops, and retreats here.
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide
to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and three collections of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water.
She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another." Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best
learn—and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours!
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