Marc Acito speaks about "Laughing Matters: How to Write Humor" for the March 1st meeting of Willamette Writers.
(PRWEB) February 7, 2005 -- Willamette Writers March 1st meeting features author Marc Acito speaking about Laughing Matters: How to Write Humor. Marc's first book, "How I Paid For College" (A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship & Musical Theater) is published by Broadway Books, part of the Doubleday/Broadway Publishing Group. Before his book came out, Marc was a syndicated humor columnist; the Gospel According to Marc appeared in eighteen newspapers nationwide.
The meeting is held at The Old Church, SW 11th and Clay, Portland, Oregon, starting at 7 pm.
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, Marc displayed early artistic tendencies. So much so that at age nine his parents sent him to an art and drama camp. He says that once he wandered into the drama building at camp, the vitality and cleverness of the kids hanging out there struck him. Acito describes it as having found his tribe.
Seven summers in various drama camps, weekend classes in Manhattan as a teenager and study in the musical theater program at Carnegie-Mellon University followed. His droll sense of humor expressed itself when he describes leaving Carnegie-Mellon over artistic differences: he thought he could act and they didn't.
Acito wrote a play at twenty, which was produced at college. A novella and some short stories followed but were put aside as he pursued a singing career. For close to ten years, Acito sang in operas playing supporting roles. He credits his musical theater background as the backbone of his novel. Growing up, theater gave him a haven, a place where he belonged.
All these experiences led him to a need to create his own art. He experimented with writing nonsense verse, composing dirty cabaret songs and drawing a comic strip, which ran in Just Out, Portland's gay paper, for four years. The editor asked him to interview a visiting gay opera singer. He "amended truth" making the article funnier. This led to the paper giving him assignments. Within nine months, Acito had his own column.
In the meantime, he wrote two screenplays and kept making notes until he could wait no longer. Two years of writing in snippets became the basis of his novel.
Then fate stepped in. He went to a reading by Chuck Palahniuk for his new book, Lullaby. At the book signing, when Chuck asked his name, Chuck said he knew who Acito was from his column, and he offered to give Acito's manuscript to his agent. There is a tale of unbelievable coincidence that followed, resulting in his book being published and movie rights sold.
Marc is a wonderful speaker and this promises to be an evening of mirth and wisdom.
Willamette Writers chapter in Eugene holds meetings the first Thursday of the month. F.I. Goldhaber speaks about developing a marketing plan on March 3rd. Robert McDowell speaks about trade publishing on March 5th in Medford. Upcoming meetings in Portland include Nancy Osa and Trudy Ludwig speaking about writing social issues in children's literature April 5th; and a playwriting panel in May that features Bill Johnson (A Story is a Promise), Kristan Seemel, Portland Center Stage, and Camela Lanza-Weil, Bump in the Road Theater. Details about these meetings are available on the WW web site.
Willamette Writers' goal is to provide and encourage a creative environment and support system for current and aspiring writers. Since its beginning in 1965, Willamette Writers has provided meeting places for the exchange of ideas and information and has initiated programs designed to help writers increase skills related to the craft of writing. Both published and aspiring writers are invited to join. Dues are $36 a year.
The body of this press release was written by Jan Paeth, Willamette Writers Vice President. Jan's monthly column appears at www.willamettewriters.com/paeth.htm
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