By Kathy L. Collins
The next Artist in Residence at the Firehouse Cultural Center, located at 101 1st Ave. NE in Ruskin will be award-winning novelist, memoirist and screenwriter, Connie May Fowler. The theme for visit will be “Finding One’s Voice and Writing It Down!” Fowler will be in Ruskin from Tuesday, November 5 through Sunday, November 10.
Fowler’s most recent novel How Clarissa Burden Learned To Fly was published in 2010. She is the author of six other books: five critically acclaimed novels and one memoir. Fowler’s work has been translated into 18 languages and is published worldwide. Fowler adapted Before Women Had Wings for Oprah Winfrey, and the result was an Emmy-winning film starring Winfrey and Ellen Barkin.
A native of Florida, Fowler teaches writing workshops and gives seminars all over the world. Fowler is a visiting faculty member at the Vermont College of Fine Arts low residency creative writing Masters of Fine Arts Program.
Georgia Vahue, Executive Director for the Firehouse Cultural Center said, “This is a unique opportunity for residents of SouthShore to interact with and meet a world-renowned author.”
While in Ruskin, Fowler will hold several workshops, speak and sign books. From Tuesday, November 5 through Friday, November 8, Fowler will work with families and students at the Mary Martha House, at area high schools and at HCC SouthShore campus.
On Wednesday, November 6, she will be at the Ruskin Library at 12:30 p.m. for a book discussion. On Saturday, November 9, she will lead an Aspiring Writer Workshop with Box Lunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost for this workshop is $20. On Sunday, November 10, Fowler will hold a lecture and book-signing beginning at 2 p.m. The cost for this event is $10.
Tickets for the above events can be obtained by calling the Firehouse Cultural Center at 645-7651. For more information, please visit www.firehouseculturalcenter.org.
