Lisa Romeo has been at every HippoCamp to date, and she has also shared her wisdom each year. This year’s a special one, though: her memoir Starting With Goodbye hit shelves this spring, so she’ll be part of our special “Night of Nonfiction” evening readings and debut author panel on Friday. Then, on Sunday, she’ll give a breakout session about turning essays into a larger narrative work. We’re excited to welcome Lisa back to Lancaster. In the meantime, we asked her a few questions.
HM: Tell us a little about your involvement in HippoCamp this year. What are you most excited to share during your panel?
LR: I’m so very honored to be on the Debut CNF Author Readings & Discussion panel on the first evening of the conference. I’ve learned much from others who have sat in those seats in each of the previous three years and to think it’s my turn now is quite incredible. I hope that by sharing my new-author experiences, I can help others who are on that confusing, emotional, hard work path toward publication.
My breakout session, drawn from my own experiences in crafting my new book, Starting with Goodbye, will, I hope, shed light on a common dilemma many CNF writers face when crossing that line from essays to book-length memoir. It’s something I struggled with myself and I hope to break down the process in ways that others can benefit from.
Why do you love true stories?
I think I’ve always been hard-wired this way, as a reader as well as writer — to want to read and write what stems from real (and often quite personal) events. To me is what connects human beings are the shared, universal stories of our lives that remind us how alike we all are, as well as how differences make others so interesting.
Since you’re a returning speaker, how did your past experiences encourage to want to come back?
Really, it’s a no-brainer: my writing year now seems to begin and end with HippoCamp! I’ve been fortunate to be a speaker each year and I always, always come away with so much gained. I’ve made friends, learned how to talk about my book (before it was a book!), explored new forms, gotten a gazillion ideas, forged alliances and connections that have borne so much fruit.
Attendees can learn more about you on our speaker’s page, of course, but there’s more to you than that bio! Share a fun fact with us, something we may be surprised to know.
I played ice hockey in high school.
Aside from preparing for HippoCamp 2018 (of course!), what are you working on? Any recent or upcoming projects/publications you can share?
My first book was published by University of Nevada Press in May — Starting with Goodbye: A Daughter’s Memoir of Love After Loss. Much of my time right now is taken up with book promotion: events at bookstores, libraries, conferences, festivals, MFA programs, etc.
It’s exhilarating but also exhausting! The best is when I appear with another author and we talk about our books and the audience asks questions. It’s all about connection.
Since you’ll also be attending the conference, what are you most looking forward to learning or doing when you’re not wearing your “speaker hat?”
Flitting from one session to another, trying to soak it all in! Plus, so much of the conference “benefits” happen one-on-one, connecting with new and old writer friends between sessions, across the lunch table, over a glass of wine.
We love introducing Lancaster to attendees. Since you have been here before, what would you recommend to other attendees?
I’ve visited Lancaster many times (since I was a child), so when it’s time for HippoCamp, I tend to stick close to the conference itself. Though I’m happy to venture out for meals wherever anyone suggests, and have found several good restaurants that way, all within a couple of blocks.
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Lisa, we look forward to hearing you read from your memoir and learning about your experiences!
And, reader, register to reserve your place today.
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