RedPubPod #057: Greg Triggs

What happens when stories written to be heard become stories meant to be read? In this episode of RedPubPod, host and Redhawk Publications publisher Patty Thompson welcomes guest host Tom Dyer, founding publisher of Florida's Watermark, for a lively conversation with Greg Triggs, project editor of This Happened: Yarnslingers Book One, and contributing writer Janice Meyerson. Published by Redhawk Publications in celebration of Yarnslingers' 15th anniversary, This Happened grew from the Catskill Mountains-based writers' collective founded by Ramona Jan. Yarnslingers brings writers before live audiences to share tightly crafted, first-person stories inspired by a prompt — stories that can be funny, poignant, vulnerable, unexpected, and deeply personal. Greg and Janice talk about the unusual discipline of writing within a 750-word limit, the difference between writing for the page and writing for a live audience, and the delicate balance between storytelling and performance. Greg also takes listeners behind the scenes of transforming years of live storytelling into an anthology, including the process used to select stories while preserving the individual voices of the writers. Janice — an internationally experienced opera singer who came to writing later — brings her own perspective on commanding a stage, finding humor in life's mishaps, and learning when performance enhances a story and when the words need to stand on their own. Along the way, both writers share selections from This Happened, and the conversation moves from laugh-out-loud encounters to stories of loss, memory, identity, and the unexpected people who leave lasting marks on our lives. Ultimately, this episode is about more than one book. It's about why we tell our stories in the first place — and how putting an ordinary life into words can ensure that a person, a moment, or a memory isn't lost. Catch Yarnslingers Live in September! September 20 at 2 p.m. — Yarnslingers presents “Danger” at Farm Arts Collective in Damascus, Pennsylvania. September 24–27 — Yarnslingers joins the Big Eddy Film Festival in Narrowsburg, New York, with individual storytellers sharing pieces inspired by the themes of selected films. Learn more about Greg Triggs and Yarnslingers: GregTriggs.com Yarnslingers.com Purchase This Happened: Yarnslingers Book One: https://tinyurl.com/YarnslingersBookOne As always, we are honored to have RedPubPod sponsored by the best little coffee shop in all of North Carolina, Taste Full Beans! Be sure to stop by and let the super-friendly staff know you heard about “TFB” from your favorite literary podcast, RedPubPod! Taste Full Beans Coffee, Tea & Café 29 2nd Street NW, Hickory, NC (828) 325-0108 https://www.tastefullbeans.com/ Don’t forget to FOLLOW, SHARE, LIKE, & SUBSCRIBE to RedPubPod! Show some love for the written word by talented writers because carefully chosen words in the proper order can change the world. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedhawkPub/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redhawkcreative/