Don't miss "Spoken Voices"quarterly radio Last Show was12/14/2010 95.5 WATD

2008-01-06T17:31:00.001-08:00

Last show was 12/14 at 6:15pm listen live!!! WATD 95.5

Meet The Authors;
In this space you will discover the unique work of "Spoken Voices"! Writing Together since 1998. This writer's group led by author /storyteller Jay O'Callahan,will showcase snapshots of artists work,along with podcasts of their live radio show "Spoken Voices" 95.5FM on your dial.
(dates and times will be listed).
Last show was 12/14/2010 if you missed it next show in early spring stay tuned. In the meantime read about us in the Patriot Ledger below.

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TBA spring 2011
Section: features
Edition: Web Edition

Marshfield writers dedicated to perfecting their craft
Kaitlin Keane
The Patriot Ledger They have been coming here for more than a decade, settling into the mismatched armchairs in the drafty living room and pulling out piles of scrap paper or old journals.

Their host's wife brews tea, and cider heats in a pot on the stove as the writers of Spoken Voices find their respective spots on the worn furniture and get to it. They come from all walks of life and spend their days quite differently - as a lawyer, a veterinarian, a puppeteer or a grandmother, for instance. But they share a dedication to the three-hour Tuesday night meetings that have been held for 12 years. Inside Jay O'Callahan's Marshfield living room, members of the group forget differences in age, profession and geography and become writers and listeners, churning out poems and prose in 25-minute timed sessions. The group was born in 1997 when O'Callaghan, a writer and storyteller, recruited several people from workshops he was teaching, hoping to form a group of creative minds that do off-the-cuff writing and help each other improve their craft. "A few people have come and gone, but for the most part you can't bear to leave once you start," said Lynn DeHart, a retired kindergarten teacher from Duxbury. The group slowly grew, and unspoken rules developed. Most important: no criticism, even if constructive. Responses to the writing are encouraging - which phrases worked best, which images were the strongest. Another rule: what is said inside the Marshfield living room generally stays there. The insular privacy helps members write what they want without concern for reactions beyond the circle. Some of the members are writers by trade, and some bring manuscripts they are working on and hope to have published. Others just relish the chance to be creative. "The group to me is like oxygen," said Andrea Lovett, a storyteller from Abington who co-founded Massmouth.com. "After a hard week I'm exhausted, but here I'm able to breathe again." The night always starts with a "spark" from O'Callahan: He gives the group an image or concept to inspire them. Past sparks have included a giant turnip and a colorful tangerine. Tonight it is simply light. The timer is set, heads go down, and frantic scribbling commences. When the timer beeps, the resulting pieces range from the haunting moments following a cancer diagnosis to a kindergarten student's steadfast decision to speak only in rhyme. The styles are varied and the subjects worlds apart, but each piece is praised with the same enthusiasm. As they are read, members punctuate their peers' words with words of support, nodding with each turn of a phrase. The group also serves as a welcome alternative to the writing workshops and university programs that some members consider stifling, because of rules and criticism. Lynn Hooper, a poet and children's author, said the environment brings out writers' potential. "It's great, isn't it?" she said. "It's really one of the only places I can be myself." Kaitlin Keane may be reached at kkeane@ledger.com.

"Spoken Voices" meet the authors of the radio show 95.9

Don't miss "Spoken Voices"quarterly radio Last Show was12/14/2010 95.5 WATD