Susan is available to give readings from Nagasaki, including a Q and A. Readings can also be combined with lecture topics (see below).

LECTURES

Select a topic from the list below, or suggest your own to Susan!

• Hibakusha: Five Nagasaki Survivors' Stories
• Untangling Denial: The Suppression of Nagasaki's Story and What Really Happened
• Nagasaki: Birthing a Research-Based Literary Nonfiction Book
• Translation: Language and Cultural Challenges of Translating Personal Narratives
• Inheriting the Mantle of the Oppressor: Ethics and Responsibilities of Writing About Those Who Suffered at the Hands of One's Ancestors, Culture, or Government
• Truth vs. Fiction in Literary Nonfiction
• Art and Social Change: The Many Faces of Art-Making in Our Community
• The Writer as Witness

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS

Susan offers writing workshops for professional writers, university students, working adults, and students in elementary, junior high, and senior high school. She also conducts workshops for marginalized communities, such as incarcerated adults and at-risk youth; homeless adults and children; and domestic violence survivors. All workshops are custom-designed to meet the needs of the participants and host organization. Please use the list of possible workshop themes, or suggest one to Susan.

• Personal Narrative Workshop Topics

  • Writing Life Stories
  • Writing as Witness
  • Writing Place
  • Writing the Family
  • Memoir Shorts
  • Writing Home

• The Craft of Creative Nonfiction Workshop Topics

  • Image and Metaphor
  • Scenes
  • Specificity and Detail
  • Character
  • Dialogue
  • Point of View
  • Voice
  • Memory
  • Reading Your Work Aloud: A Workshop for Writers
  • Mastering the Interview

Fees for readings, lectures, and workshops are negotiable.