COMING UP ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN"?

... >> TONIGHT, I'M DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE LIND ASHES LOWEN.

>> FOR INCOMING FRESH METROPOLITAN AND TRANSFER STUDENTS THIS EVENING, WE ARE SIGNING BOOKS AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOR ANYONE WHO STOPS DOWNTOWN.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I DO IS I WORK WITH WOMEN TO TELL THEIR STORIES.

>> THE BOOK IS JUST A GIANT CALLING CARD FOR ME TO TALK TO ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WANTS TO TELL ME ABOUT THEIR OWN STORY.

>> I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM TODAY IF I DIDN'T LIVE IN SYRACUSE NEW YORK.

♪ I GOT, A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD FEELING... ♪ ♪ YEAH I'M UP ON A CLOUD, AIN'T COMING BACK DOWN ♪ ♪ I GOT A GOOD, GOOD, GOOD FEELING LEP, YEAH ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ YEAH I'M UP ON A CLOUD, AIN'T COMING BACK DOWN ♪ GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

I'M YOUR HOST, Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS.

WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE AND LEARN ABOUT DIVERSE WOMEN ELEVATING OUR REGION.

TONIGHT, I AM DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE LINDA LOWEN.

SHE IS A PUBLISHER, AUTHOR, BOOK REVIEWER, WRITING INSTRUCTOR AND SO MUCH MORE.

WITH A PASSION FOR HER HOMETOWN OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

SO, GATHER YOUR FAMILY, SEND A TAX TO YOUR FRIENDS.

THEY WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THIS EPISODE OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN."

WE ARE HERE WITH THE LINDA LOWEN.

HOW ARE YOU?

>> I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE SUCH A POWER HOUSE AND DINE DYNAMO AND I FIRST SAW YOU ON STAGE AND YOU FLOORED ME.

>> OH MY GOODNESS.

EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT THAT, YOU CAME AND YOU REVIEWED OUR SHOW AT SYRACUSE STAGE.

AND I WAS LIKE SO INCREDIBLY NERVOUS AND YOU WROTE THE MOST AMAZING REVIEW OF MY LIFE.

AND THEN SINCE THAT POINT, I'VE JUST BEEN FOLLOWING YOU AND LEARNING ABOUT YOU AND THEN YOU GOT NOMINATED TO BE A PART OF "BEHIND THE WOMAN" AND I WAS LIKE I HOPE SHE SAYS YES BECAUSE SHE IS SO BUSY AND SHE HAS DONE THESE AMAZING THINGS AND WRITTEN FOR AN AFFILIATE OF "THE NEW YORK TIMES" AND SHE IS AUTHOR BE BOOKS-- AUTHORING BOOKS AND WRITING AND INSTRUCTING AND HOSTING WRITING RETREATS.

I'M LIKE SHE PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE TIME.

>> I ALWAYS HAVE TIME FOR YOU.

YOU KNOW WHAT?

OKAY, SO I WAS GOING TO LABEL YOU A MOVER AND SHAKER, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, YOU REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THIS SHOW IS SO IMPORTANT.

IT REALLY IS BECAUSE IT RAISES UP WOMEN'S VOICES, WOMEN WHO ARE LEAST SEEN IN OUR SOCIETY.

>> YES!

AND SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF, AND THIS SEASON HAS JUST BEEN SUCH A GIFT TO ME, BECAUSE I THINK I KNOW SOME DYNAMIC PEOPLE, RIGHT?

>> YOU DO.

>> AND WHAT IS REALLY MAGICAL IS THAT IT'S UNFOLDING AND THERE IS MORE AND MORE FOLKS THAT I HAVE LIKE NO CONNECTION TO THAT EXIST THAT JUST ATTEST TO THE DYNAMIC IMPACT THAT WOMEN ARE MAKING.

>> AND I THINK THAT YOU ARE PROBABLY REALIZING, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW-- I MEAN BETWEEN US BOTH, WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY MOST IMPACTFUL, YOU MAY NEVER KNOW THEIR NAMES OR FACES.

WHY?

BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ON SOCIAL MEDIA PROMOTING THEMSELVES.

THEY'RE DOING THE WORK.

>> YEAH.

>> YEAH.

>> AND I THINK THIS SEASON WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW PEOPLE ON THE PRODUCTION TEAM DIDN'T KNOW BUT WE JUST GOT NAMES IN AND THEN DOING SOME RESEARCH TO SEE WHO IS OUT THERE.

AND WHEN I SAY WOMEN, I AM REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE ALL OF YOU ARE DOING AMAZING THINGS.

YOUR WORKING IS OUT THERE AND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE TIME TO AND YOU ARE DOING SO MANY OTHER THINGS AND YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE WOMEN THAT I THINK THIS COMMUNITY IS REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT?

I'M ALSO ESPECIALLY EXCITED TOO, BECAUSE YOU ARE BRINGING A LOT OF NEW VOICES TO THE TABLE BUT YOU ARE ALSO BRINGING SOME WOMEN WHO, THEY HAVE BEEN GIVING TO THIS COMMUNITY FOR YEARS.

AND SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, WITH NEW BLOOD COMING IN, PEOPLE FORGET THE OLD BLOOD AND YOU ARE HONORING THEM IN WAYS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT.

SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

>> FOR EXAMPLE, ME SITTING RIGHT HERE ON STAGE AND THEN LEARNING THAT YOU ALSO HOSTED A WCNY TELEVISION SHOW.

>> I DID YEARS AGO.

I DID A SHOW CALLED WOMEN'S VOICES.

SO YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT?

WE BOTH HAVE WOMEN IN OUR TITLES.

THERE WE GO.

>> YOU ARE ONE OF THE TRAIL BLAZERS AND SO OFTEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO PLANT SEEDS AND, YOU KNOW, DO OUR WORK SO IT OPENS THE LANE FOR OTHER WOMEN, OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE COMING BEHIND US.

AND SO MAYBE "BEHIND THE WOMAN," LITERALLY IS, YOU KNOW, COMING BEHIND YOU AND WOMEN'S VOICES.

>> WOW.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ARE TALKING OH MY GOSH, 15, 16 YEARS AGO.

I THINK SO.

LOOKING AT MYSELF ON CAMERA, I'M LIKE OH BOY.

>> DON'T LOOK AT THE CAMERA.

LOOK AT THE AUDIENCE.

>> NOTICE I'M LOOKED-- I'M LOCKED ON YOU.

>> LINDA, LET'S GO BACK.

I'VE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO KNOW YOU, BUT FOR SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE WATCHING TONIGHT, I MEAN WE WENT OVER YOUR BIO AND THE IMPACT THAT YOU HAVE HAD.

WRITTEN, CONTRIBUTED, HELPED TO PRODUCE OVER 2500 ARTICLES.

>> ABOUT WOMEN'S LIVES.

>> ABOUT WOMEN'S LIVES.

>> HONEST GENERALLY HIVE SO I WILL JUST SAY THIS, IT ALL STARTED HERE.

I THINK, AND THAT'S WHY, TO ME, WRITING, YOU KNOW, 100 THINGS TO DO IN SYRACUSE BEFORE YOU DIE BROUGHT ME FULL CIRCLE BECAUSE I STARTED HERE IN TOWN A LOCAL WOMAN.

PAT TALK WAS HER NAME, A COLUMNIST FOR THE POST STANDARD AND SHE WROTE A COLUMN CALLED COPING.

SHE SAID SHE WOULD LOVE TO DO A WOMEN'S RADIO SHOW.

SHE VISITED ALL THE RADIO STATIONS IN TOWN.

AND WAER ON THE HILL SAID TO HER, HERE, TAKE AN HOUR.

LIVE ON THURSDAY NIGHTS, I BELIEVE IT WAS.

6 TO 7, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY AND JUST GAVE TO IT THIS WOMAN, NO STRINGS ATTACHED, NO MONEY, JUST POPULATED.

SO SHE ACTUALLY-- THIS IS HOW SMALL TOWN SYRACUSE IS.

SHE PUT FLYERS UP IN VARIOUS DINERS AROUND TOWN AND A WOMAN WHO I KNEW, WHO USED TO BE ON THE RADIO AS WELL, LORRAINE RAP, ONE OF THE NATION'S FIRST FEMALE PROGRAM DIRECTORS HERE IN SYRACUSE.

SHE AND I, WE KNEW EACH OTHER.

AND SHE SAID YOU DID RADIO.

LET'S GO GET INVOLVED.

SO IT WAS A GRASSROOTS EFFORT AND IT WENT ON FOR A FEW YEARS WITH US, 98 I THINK TO 2002-2003 AND THEN IT WENT ON WITH ANOTHER TEAM AND LORRAINE AND I WENT TO TIMEWARNER CABLE.

AND THEN ENDED UP AT WCNY.

>> IT'S INTERESTING, AND YOU KNOW, SIMILAR WITH ME, "BEHIND THE WOMAN" SIDE OF THAT IS THIS PROJECT ONCE MY DISSERTATION GOT DOWN AND I NOTICED THESE WOMEN ON YOUTUBE, RIGHT, AND THAT GOT US HERE.

I WANT TO HEAR-- I WANTED TO ASK YOU SOME ADVICE.

>> OKAY.

>> I WANT TO ASK YOU SOME ADVICE.

AND TALK ABOUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF YOU BEING AN ESTABLISHED WRITER, TRAIL BLAZER.

WOMAN THAT'S ADVOCATING FOR OTHER WOMEN TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES IN VARIOUS SPACES, BECAUSE I THINK THE COMMONALITIES BETWEEN US AND LORRAINE, THE PERSON YOU JUST MENTIONED, IS LIKE WE SAW A GAP.

>> YEAH.

>> AND WE TOOK STEPS TO FILL THAT GAP.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> TALK TO ME ABOUT THE WORK YOU ARE DOING, AT THIS POINT, IN YOUR CAREER, IN CONTINUING TO FILL GAPS?

>> WELL, I'VE ALWAYS FELT THAT WOMEN'S VOICES, WHETHER IT WAS HERE ON TELEVISION, ON RADIO OR NOW REALLY, I'M FOCUSING ON THE WRITTEN WORD, I ALWAYS FELT IF YOU EMPOWER WOMEN TO RAISE THEIR VOICES AND TO NOT JUST SIMPLY STEP OUT AND TO SPEAK, BUT TO SPEAK WITH COMPETENCE AND ELOQUENCE AND, I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN BREVITY, SAY IT SHORTER, SAY IT TIGHTER, SAY IT BETTER.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DO IS I WORK WITH WOMEN TO TELL THEIR STORIES.

AND WHEN THEY TELL THEIR STORIES, AND THEY DO SO WITH THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED, AND THEY FEEL CONFIDENT IN TELLING THEIR STORIES, THEN THEY CAN TELL THEIR STORIES.

SO I TEACH THROUGH A VARIETY OF PLACES IN TOWN AND ACTUALLY THROUGH OTHER OUTLETS IN NEW YORK STATE.

BECAUSE OF ZOOM, SO MUCH OF TEACHING HAS MOVED TO ZOOM.

AND THANK YOU WCNY BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T DO WELL ON ZOOM.

TV HOSTS DO WELL ON ZOOM.

WHY?

BECAUSE WE ARE USED TO TALKING TO A LITTLE DARK LENS.

>> RIGHT.

>> SO A LOT OF WHAT I DO NOW HAS MOVED INTO TEACHING.

BUT EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO PUT THEIR VOICES DOWN ON PAPER OR ON THE SCREEN AND TO TELL THEIR STORIES.

>> AND TELL THEIR STORIES.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE LINDA'S WORK AND SEE HOW IT LETS US TAKE A LOOK, A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO WHAT STORIES ARE BEING TOLD.

THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE OF LINDA SHARING HER WRITING WITH THE SYRACUSE COMMUNITY.

>> WE ARE DOWNTOWN AT PARTHENON BOOKS WHICH IS SYRACUSE'S NEWEST INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE.

IT IS EXCITING TO HAVE A BOOKSTORE BACK IN DOWNTOWN BECAUSE FOR THOSE WHO ARE LONG TIME SYRACUSEANS, THERE IS A LOT OF FOND MEMORIES OF ECONOMY BOOKS AND STATIONARY STORE.

TONIGHT WE ARE HERE BECAUSE SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY IS BRINGING ITS STUDENTS BACK AND SO FOR INCOMING FRESHMEN AND TRANSFER STUDENTS THIS EVENING, WE ARE SIGNING BOOKS AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOR ANYBODY WHO STOPS DOWNTOWN.

PREVIOUSLY I HAD WORKED IN MEDIA IN THE SYRACUSE MARKET.

YOU CAN ONLY TELL ONE STORY AT A TIME WHEN YOU ARE A REPORTER OR A JOURNALIST OR AN INTERVIEWER ON A TALK SHOW, BUT IN THIS BOOK, I GOT TO TELL, OSTENSIBLY, 100 STORIES BECAUSE THERE WERE 100 THINGS.

BUT THE BOOK HAS 227 DIFFERENT THINGS.

ONE OF THE ELEMENTS OF CHOOSING THE PIECES THAT WENT INTO THIS BOOK HAD TO DO WITH THE BACKSTORY OF THE SHOP OWNERS, THE BACK STORY OF THE RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS, THE BACK STORY OF THE LOCAL NON-PROFITS THAT MADE IT INTO THE BOOK.

SO 100 THINGS TO DO IN SYRACUSE IS DESIGNED FOR BOTH LOCALS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING AND MAYBE DROPPING THEIR CHILD OFF AT LeMOYNE OR SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.

SO I HAD TO HAVE ONE FOOT IN BOTH CAMPS AND IT WAS AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE.

FOR ANYBODY WHO THINKS THAT YOU WRITE A BOOK TO MAKE MONEY, YOU DON'T.

FOR ME, THE BOOK WAS A WAY TO CELEBRATE SYRACUSE, A WAY TO HONOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR OWN STORIES ABOUT THE PLACES AND THE THINGS THAT I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT.

A LOT OF TIMES WHEN I DO A BOOK SIGNING, IT'S NOT ME TALKING SO MUCH ABOUT THE BOOK.

I'LL DO THAT IN A PRESENTATION, BUT IF I'M SIT AGO CROSS FROM SOMEBODY, THEY'RE STANDING AT A TABLE AND I'M SIGNING, I ASK THEM, HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED HERE?

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

PEOPLE LIKE THE BOOK BECAUSE THE REASON THEY MIGHT POST ON TRIP ADVISER OR YELP.

WE ALL HAVE OPINIONS AND THE BOOK VALIDATES MANY OF THOSE OPINIONS AND I THINK WHAT PEOPLE LIKE BEST WHEN IS THEY SAY HEY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER THIS FOR THE NEXT BOOK BECAUSE I THINK YOU MIGHT ADD IT.

WHAT DO I ALWAYS SAY?

GREAT IDEA.

GIVE ME YOUR EMAIL.

I WANT TO BE IN TOUCH.

REALLY, THE BOOK IS JUST A GIANT CALLING CARD FOR ME TO TALK TO ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY WHO WANTS TO TELL ME ABOUT THEIR OWN STORY AND THEIR OWN THINGS AND THEIR OWN PREFERENCES ABOUT LIFE IN SYRACUSE.

LIKE ANYTHING, THE ENERGY THAT WE PUT INTO SOMETHING IS THE ENERGY THAT WE GET BACK.

AND FOR PEOPLE WHO SAY, I'M STUCK IN SYRACUSE.

SYRACUSE WILL FEEL LIKE A RUT.

THERE IS BUT BEAUTY ALL AROUND AWES, THE TIDAL PLAINS TO THE NORTH, THE ROLLING HILLS.

WE ARE CLOSE TO THE ADIRONDACKS AND FINGER LAKES.

HONESTLY, I CAN'T THINK OF A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FOLLOWING YOU, MAINLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, IS THAT WRITING, I DON'T THINK WE TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS IN DEVELOPING IT, INSPIRING YOUNG WOMEN TO GRAPPLE WITH IT.

>> AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

MY ANSWER TO THAT IS TWO FOLD.

IT'S ROOTED IN MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES.

FIRST OF ALL, I AM THE DAUGHTER OF A JAPANESE WOMAN AND A BROOKLYN BORN JEW.

WHITE FATHER, JAPANESE MOTHER, MARRIED HIM WELL AFTER THE WAR AND CAME TO THE UNITED STATES.

ALL THE YEARS SHE LIVED HERE AND MOST OF THEM WERE IN SYRACUSE.

SHE HAD DIFFICULTY SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE, SO FOR HER TO COMPOSE, YOU KNOW, AN EXCUSE, LINDA IS ABSENT FROM SCHOOL TODAY BECAUSE, IT TOOK HER 45 MINUTES.

AND SHE ALWAYS WAS THE KIND OF PERSON WHO I REMEMBER GROWING UP, SHE WOULD FLIP THROUGH HER JAPANESE-ENGLISH DICTIONARY TO TRY TO FIND THE WORD I.

DIDN'T REALIZE IT UNTIL MUCH LATER WHEN I WAS ON THE AIR AT WCNY, I THOUGHT WHY DID I GO INTO MEDIA?

I WAS A PAINFULLY SHY KID.

I'M STILL AN INTROVERT.

PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE ME.

>> I DON'T BELIEVE ME BUT GO ON.

>> I WAS TRYING TO COMPENSATE AND MAKE UP FOR MY MOTHER BECAUSE SHE ALWAYS STRUGGLED WITH ENGLISH.

SO THAT WAS NUMBER ONE.

THAT WAS ROOTED IN ME, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT UNTIL MUCH LATER.

BUT THE OTHER THING IS SYRACUSE IS AND STILL IS AMERICA'S LITERACY TOWN BECAUSE WE ARE THE HOME OF LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA AND LAW BACK LITERACY WHICH HAVE MERGED INTO ONE ORGANIZATION.

I WORKED FOR THAT ORGANIZATION WHEN I WAS IN MY 20s AND I SAW THE RAMIFICATION OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CAN'T READ OR WRITE MUCH PAST A FIFTH GRADE LEVEL.

YOU ARE DISENFRANCHISED FROM SO MANY THINGS.

LABELED ON A PRESCRIPTION BOTTLE, MAKING A BROWNIE RECIPE FROM A BOX MIX.

AND I HAVE BECOME VERY, VERY AWARE OF THE DIGITAL MEDIA DIVIDE BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY.

WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DICTATE BUT YOU DISENFRANCHISE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH LITERACY.

>> I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT MORE AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOUR WORK BECOMES SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, WHEN YOU COME FROM RURAL COMMUNITIES OR SOMETIMES URBAN COMMUNITIES, DEPENDING ON THE RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO YOU, RIGHT, YOUR ABILITY TO WRITE.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> OR EVEN WHAT SOME FOLKS WOULD SAY WRITE WELL ISN'T OFTEN EXPECTED OF YOU, RIGHT?

>> AND YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING THAT I DO, BECAUSE I, AS A WRITER, THERE IS NO STEADY JOBS.

SO I WORK IN THE GIG ECONOMY AND ONE OF THE THINGS I DO IS I WORK WITH A LOCAL COMPANY AND, YOU KNOW, I WORK WITH TWO COLLEGE ADMISSION ADVISERS, WORKING WITH KIDS WHO ARE WRITING ESSAYS FOR SCHOOL AND THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT THERE IS SOME BIAS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS.

THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS COLLEGE READY AND THERE ARE OTHERS THAT YOU ARE STRUGGLING AGAINST.

YES, AS YOU SAID, THOSE EXPECTATIONS OF WE ARE NOT GOING TO SEE ANY KIDS WHO HAVE CAPACITY COMING FROM THAT SCHOOL AND AGAIN, BIAS IS EVERYWHERE.

AND IT'S HARD TO BECOME A GOOD WRITER WHEN YOU ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING FOR THOSE RESOURCES IN SCHOOL.

AND IT'S NOT PROVIDED TO YOU.

AND THE OTHER THING IS MOST SCHOOLS WILL CUT THE ARTS AND THE ARTS, IT'S ALL INTEGRATED.

I MEAN MUSIC AND THEERLT AND ALL OF THAT-- THEATER AND ALL OF THAT.

>> AND SO WHAT IS SOME OF THE ADVICE OR STRATEGIES YOU USE, RIGHT, WHEN YOU COME INTO ONE OF YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL CLASSES AND YOU MEET SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF, WHO WAS TOLD FOR A LONG TIME, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO WRITE?

WHO TAUGHT YOU HOW TO WRITE?

HOW DO YOU WORK WITH STUDENTS OR WOMEN WHO ARE TRYING LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT?

I'M GOING TO-- BECAUSE I'VE COME TO THE WRITING CENTER AND YOU, NANCY RHODES AND A COUPLE OF FOLKS AND SAID, OKAY, I HAVE A WHOLE Ph.D. AND I WAS TRAUMATIZED TO THAT EXPERIENCE IN SOME WAYS AND SCRUTINIZED BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT I WAS THOUGHT TO WRITE AND THE REALITY IS I REALIZE THAT I WASN'T ABLE HIEFER HIVE WHAT WRITING I DID WAS DIFFERENT BUT WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO FOLKS THAT ARE IN THAT SPACE OF BEING LIKE OKAY.

>> IT'S FUNNY THAT YOU SAY AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MY STRENGTH LIES.

I TEACH A PARTICULAR FORM OF WRITING CALLED MICRO MEMOIR.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE USED TO FLASH FICTION, A THOUSAND WORDS OR LESS.

I BELIEVE THAT ANYONE IS CAPABLE OF PUTTING 200 WORDS DOWN ON PAPER.

200 WORDS IS A VERY LOW EMOTIONAL COMMITMENT.

I TAKE PEOPLE DOWN TO BASICS BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO TO DO A LOT OF DISCRIMINATION.

I TELL PEOPLE WHETHER YOU ARE WRITING FOR 20 OR 30S YEARS OR SIX MONTHS, PEOPLE WHO COME INTO MY MICROMEMOIR CLASS, PEOPLE WHO COME IN YOU CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE.

YOU GET IT DOWN TO THE BARE ESSENTIALS OF WHAT MAKES GOOD WRITING, DISCRIMINATION, SENSORY DETAIL AND SAYING WHAT UNDERSTAND.

WHAT HAPPENED YOU DON'T NEED METAPHOR ORPHANSY LANGUAGE.

YOU JUST NEED TO SAY WHAT HAPPENED.

>> AND I WOULD IMAGINE IN YOUR CLASSES, I LOVE THIS IDEA, HOW HARD IS IT TO GET PEOPLE TO PUT ON PAPER WHAT HAPPENED.

>> THIS IS WHAT I TELL PEOPLE.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO, OUT OF A CLASS OF TYPICALLY 12 STUDENTS, I WOULD SAY THREE OR FOUR OF THEM WANT TO WRITE ABOUT THE MOST TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES IN THEIR LIVES AND WHILE I SUPPORT THAT, I ALWAYS SAY TO PEOPLE WRITING IS NOT THERAPY IN AND OF ITSELF.

YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE WORKING WITH A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL BECAUSE THE THING IS, IF YOU TRY TO CRACK OPEN THAT DOOR, IT'S HARD.

SO WHAT I SAY TO PEOPLE IS STARTING WITH SOMETHING YOU CAN IMAGINE AND WRITE ABOUT WITHOUT TOO MUCH DISK078 FORT-- DISCOMFORT.

WHY?

BECAUSE THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS YOU HAVE TO DEVELOP A TOOL BOX OF SKILLS TO BE AN EFFECTIVE WRITER.

IF YOU GO FOR THAT REALLY DIFFICULT THING RIGHT OFF THE BAT, YOU DON'T HAVE THE SKILLS TO DO IT.

AND YOU KNOW THE FIRST TIME YOU FRY AN EGG, NOBODY TELLS YOU, YOU HAVE TO PUT BUTTER OR OIL IN A PAN.

DON'T DO IT IN A STAINLESS STEEL PAN.

YOU LEARN OVER TIME HOW TO COOK AN EGG.

SAME THING WITH WRITER.

IF YOU WANT TO WRITE ABOUT TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IT AFTER YOU PUT DOWN THE 200 WORDS, THEY WILL FEEL GUT PUNCHED.

YOU HAVE TO BUILD UP TO IT.

MANY FAMOUS WRITERS HAVE SAID THIS.

THE POISON WOOD BIBLE, A CENTRAL STATIONAL BOOK, A CLASSIC BUT SHE SAID SHE HAD TO WRITE THREE FICTION NOVELS BEFORE SHE COULD GET INTO THE FOURTH WHICH HAD ROOTS IN HER OWN CHILDHOOD.

>> RIGHT.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT IS WRITING IS A JOURNEY, IT'S A PROCESS.

AND YOU ARE HELPING HAVE INSPIRED, HAVING HELPED WOMEN COME INTO THEIR VOICES ALONG THE CAREER PATH AS YOU NAVIGATED AND THE SPIRIT OF THE "BEHIND THE WOMAN," RIGHT, IN YOUR CAREER, WHAT HAS BEEN THAT PIECE OF WRITING THAT MAYBE YOU CREATED THAT YOU HOPE WILL LIVE LONG AFTER YOU'RE GONE?

>> WHAT OPEN UNDERSTAND THE DOOR FOR ME AS A WRITER AND SOLIDIFIED MY DESIRE TO TEACH IS SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD AND IT WAS A MEMORY BURIED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND ONLY CAME OUT MUCH LATER IN THERAPY.

AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME WHEN I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD.

AND I WROTE A PIECE, THAT WAS MY FIRST MICROMEMOIR THAT I WROTE CALLED PATH TO BUNNY AND THE GIST OF IT WAS I WAS FOUR YEARS OLD AT A NEW YORK CITY DANCE RECITAL.

I WENT TO A DANCE SCHOOL THERE.

I HAD A DANCE RECITAL.

MY PARENTS HAD A PARTY AFTERWARDS.

I HAD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM, MY PARENTS WERE BUSY.

A NEIGHBOR TOOK ME TO THE BATHROOM, SHUT THE DOOR AND THAT LIVED WITH ME FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS WHAT HE DID TO ME IN THAT BATHROOM.

I WROTE ABOUT IT, BUT NOT IN A WAY THAT IS GOING TO BE AWKWARD TO READ, BUT IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT SOMETHING HAPPENED.

AND FOR ME, THAT ABILITY TO WRITE THAT STORY WAS THE STORY THAT OPENED UP THE FLOOD GATES SO THAT'S WHAT I DO NOW.

MY FOCUS IN MICROMEMOIR, I TEACH A CLASS AND PART OF IT IS GOING DEEP WITH MICROMEMOIR.

HOW DO YOU TALK ABOUT THE FRAWM ACIN YOUR LIFE?

YOU DON'T WANT TO ENTER THE BLACK CAVE THAT YOU CAN POKE A FINGER IN AND THAT'S WHAT WRITING 200 WORDS IS.

>> MY GOODNESS.

>> THAT'S MY PERSONAL REVELATION.

THE OTHER THING IS I'M REALLY PROUD THAT MY HOMETOWN GAVE ME THE CHANCE, WELL, THE PUBLISHER OUT OF ST. LOUIS BUT I GOT TO WRITE ABOUT MY HOMETOWN AND CELEBRATE SYRACUSE.

SO THAT, TO ME, THAT'S THE THING THAT I'M PROUD THAT LIVES ON.

I KNOW THAT MY SHORT PIECE, 200 WORDS, IT WAS 186 WORDS, PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT AS CHILDREN SAID IT WAS POWERFUL AND HELPED ME TO READ THAT AND RELEASE MY OWN TRAUMA.

BUT I KNOW THAT THE PIECE THAT'S GOING TO ENDURE, THAT'S GOING TO SIT IN THE LIBRARY HOPEFULLY NOT HIT THE LIBRARY DISCARD, WILL BE A BOOK ABOUT MY HOMETOWN, WHICH I HAVE TO SAY, OPENED THE DOOR FOR EVERY SINGLE THING I'VE DONE.

I WOULDN'T BE WHERE I AM TODAY IF I DIDN'T LIVE IN SYRACUSE NEW YORK.

WHY?

BECAUSE IT'S A SMALL ENOUGH TOWN THAT IT GIVES PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES BUT A BIG ENOUGH TOWN TO HAVE A VOICE TO AMPLIFY THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND TO SOAP BOXES TO PODIUMS INTO, YOU KNOW, EVENTS THAT CARRY YOU OUT TO THE WORLD.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN WE COULD TALK MORE LIKE PROBABLY FOR MORE HOURS AND WE WILL WITH COFFEES AND TEAS.

>> AND I GET THAT AND I'M REALLY LUCKY I GET THAT.

I WANT TO THANK YOU, LINDA FOR JOINING ME ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN" AND ALLOWING US TO EXPLORE YOUR EXPERIENCES AND HOPEFULLY YOU ARE EMPOWERED TO EXPLORE MORE OF YOURS THROUGH WRITING.

AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VIEW THE SHOW AGAIN, VISIT US ONLINE AT WCNY.ORG/"BEHIND THE WOMAN."

MY NAME IS Dr. JUHANNA ROGERS AND ON BEHALF OF THE "BEHIND THE WOMAN" TEAM, HAVE A GREAT NIGHT.

NEXT WEEK ON "BEHIND THE WOMAN..." >> TONIGHT I'M THRILLED TO INTRODUCE ONE OF THESE WOMEN, TAMICA BARNETT.

>> THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE LIEUTENANT.

>> RUN IT DOWN.

>> WE ARE DOWNTOWN IN ARMORY SQUARE, A TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF WHO THE I'M THE ONLY GIRL MASTER IN THE AREA AND MY LOVE LANGUAGE IS FOOD.

>> MY ADVICE TO ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS DON'T ABFRAYED TO ASK FOR HELP.

>> I'M POURING IT INTO OUR YOUTH BUT THEY CAN BE AHEAD OF THE GAME.