The human brain is a fascinating specimen! And, as writers of true stories, we may be interested in just how our noggin makes and maintains our memory. That’s where writer, journalism professor and past HippoCamp speaker Wendy Fontaine comes in!
Wendy is running a pre-conference workshop called Writing Into the Blur: Using Brain Science to Write Your Memoir. This three-hour, interactive session will dive into how we can understand the science behind memory. We’re excited to welcome Wendy back to Lancaster, and we asked her a few questions to get us ready for her appearance.
HM: Tell us a little about your involvement in HippoCamp this year. What are you most excited to share during your workshop?
WF: I’ve been to HippoCamp twice: once to do a breakout session and once to be on a panel about truth in memoir. This year, I’m excited to lead a pre-conference workshop about the so-called “mistakes” of memory and how they can be used as literary devices.
People who attend this workshop can expect to learn some basics on how our brains work when we remember and when we forget, along with why certain memories are lost or distorted. Our brains actually try to protect us from reliving traumatic events, which I find fascinating! Understanding how and why that happens can help us break through some troublesome or elusive parts of our narratives.
I got the idea for this workshop after writing a particularly difficult courtroom scene in my own memoir. I initially wrote the scene as taking place in winter, when it was actually summer. Instead of frustrating, the discovery was enlightening because it showed the emotional truth of what I was feeling that day in court.
In addition to brain science, the session will include writing exercises and book recommendations. I’m looking forward to hearing how people are struggling with their own memories and what ideas we can find to allow those memories to cultivate meaning, whether you’re writing essays or memoir or something else entirely.
Why do you love true stories?
I love all stories, both true and not true. But what I appreciate most about nonfiction is the chance it gives us to know ourselves better. Sometimes I’m not quite sure how I feel about something until I start working it out on the page. For example, I recently wrote an essay about the airplane seats my husband insists on keeping in our living room. They are so ugly and weird. But there’s a very specific reason why he loves them, and through the process of personal essay, I found a way to honor that.
Neuroscience aligns well with telling true stories because even when the details are wrong or lost, there is a lot of emotional truth behind those biological distortions. Instead of fighting it, a writer can embrace it. That’s when mistaken memory can become a very effective literary tool.
What made you decide to participate in HippoCamp this year as a speaker?
HippoCamp is my favorite conference of the year. Donna and Kevin are very good at creating a welcoming environment where everyone, whether you’ve authored a lot of books or you’re writing for the very first time, has a seat at the table. The conference is big but not too big, and I like that it’s just for nonfiction writers.
If you’ve been to HippoCamp before, coming back will be like a class reunion. You’ll see friends you met in previous years and maybe shared pages with over email or social media. If it’s your first time, you will make connections that will last years.
Of course, I also love Lancaster: the restaurants, the architecture, the people, and of course, Central Market! It’s not easy to get there from Los Angeles, but it’s worth the trip.
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.
You might have seen me on Desperate Housewives…unless you blinked! When I first moved to Los Angeles to get my MFA, I took a job as a background actress. I didn’t want to be an actress. It’s totally not my thing. But I’m a curious person, and I wanted to see what background acting was like. Turns out, it’s really boring. There’s a lot of sitting around and waiting for your scene. Then, when it’s finally your turn, you have to do the same action or motion over and over, sometimes for hours.
Besides Desperate Housewives, I did several episodes of Chuck, a show about a computer nerd who becomes an unlikely spy. I also did a show called Rizzoli & Isles, which was based on crimes novels by Maine author Tess Gerritsen.
Aside from preparing for HippoCamp 2018 (of course!), what are you working on? Any recent or upcoming projects/publications you can share?
I always seem to have a dozen stories going at once. I’m finishing the first draft of a novel, a murder mystery set in Maine, my home state. I’m also working on a television screenplay with my husband and seeking an agent for my memoir, Leaves in the Fall. I’m chipping away at a few essays, too, including some flash, a hermit crab essay, and a collage piece about the meaning of work.
I recently published an essay very dear to my heart, not only because it’s about my daughter and nature but also because it was rejected 39 times before being accepted at Mud Season Review. I’m not the greatest writer in the world, but I’m persistent. You can read the essay here.
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?”
I’m looking forward to seeing old friends! At home, I have a chatty 11-year-old who is home on summer break, so I’m also looking forward to being around grownups for an extended period of time. Abigail Thomas is one of my favorite writers, so I’m anxious to hear her keynote address. There are so many great topics on the menu this year. I’m especially interested in hearing presentations on writing quiet memoir, crafting endings and talking to the media…and of course, stocking up on Lancaster caramels!
We love introducing Lancaster to attendees. Since you’ve been here before, what are you looking forward to about your visit?
I love Lancaster so much I wrote a travel piece about it for TravelMag.com. One of my favorite things was a haunted history tour. I learned a ton about the history of this fantastic town – and I even got a little spooked out.
***
Wendy, we’re so happy you’re making the trek across the continent to be part of HippoCamp. We’re looking forward to learning from you!
And, reader, register to reserve your place today.
There are 0 comments