Writeful

a weblog for readers and writers

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Where in the World is Eric D. Goodman?

Bonjour! I spent last week in Paris, ascending the Eiffel Tower, visiting Notre Dame, dining in cafes where writers such as Hemingway, Hugo, Voltaire and Sartre were regulars, and researching for a travel story and future novel settings.

This week, I'm in Chicago for a communications conference. After a session on blogging, I decided it was time to update Writeful from the road.

After all, things aren't calming down anytime soon. Next week, I'll be attending a public affairs conference in Washington DC.

I'll be sure to share some of the tricks of the trade I'm learning at these writing-related conferences. In the meantime, be sure to join me for the big event at the Patterson Theater next week, where I'll be reading from my fiction. Read the previous entry for more details. More details will follow soon. But for now, gotta fly!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

A Promising Night at the Patterson

Coming to the Patterson Theater for one night only: eight fabulous writers, one intense hour! The Creative Alliance and the CityLit Project present a sampling of fiction, non-fiction and poetry from local writers.

Reading from their work at the event will be Christine Stewart, Eric D. Goodman, Fernando Quijano III, Barbara Friedland, Paul Lagasse, Kathy Spath, Mare Cromwell, and Nancy Greene.

The reading takes place on May 2 at 7 p.m. and will last one hour. No need to call Ticketmaster. Just show up at the Patterson Theater, 3134 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224. Refreshments will be served and admission is free. Arrive early to secure your seat!

Saturday, April 08, 2006

An Extraordinary Man

Today I had the honor of seeing Paul Ruseaubagina speak at the CityLit Festival III. This was his first stop on a tour promoting his new book, An Ordinary Man. The memoir, like the movie based on his acts, show that he is no ordinary man.

Mr. Ruseaubagina, the hotel manager portrayed in the movie Hotel Rwanda, is referred to as the "Oskar Schindler of Africa." More than a thousand refugees were saved from the Rwandan genocide of 1994 by his diplomacy. Sadly, more than a million were not.

"I saw people with guns, machetes, ready to slaughter their neighbors," Mr. Ruseaubagina explained during his talk at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. "My son saw his friend who had just been slaughtered with his family, some of them not yet dead. He didn't talk for four days. He never understood. Just like his father. I never understood. Just as I'm sure you cannot understand. That was the first day."

Ruseaubagina explained that as he went to meet the soldiers who threatened to kill his family, there was only one thing he believed in. "The power of words." It was through kindness and negotiation, through his dialogue, that he was able to help himself and those around him survive.

Hotel Rwanda is a movie that needs to be seen; An Ordinary Man is a book that needs to be read.

To learn more, check out NPR's interview at the link below.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5324187

Thursday, April 06, 2006

CityLit Festival III

This Saturday, April 8 marks the third CityLit Festival. Celebrating the culture of literature in Baltimore, the event is free and takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Free Library at 400 North Cathedral Street.

This year, the festival features Paul Rusesabagina, manager of the Hotel Mille Collines portrayed in the film Hotel Rwanda. He discusses his new memoir after a screening of the film.

For a full list of scheduled speakers and events, take a look at the schedule on the CityLit Project's site.
http://www.citylitproject.org/?q=node/35