Author Amye Archer talks about school shooting survivors at Marywood University in Scranton on Dec. 9
From a press release:
Marywood University’s Department of Communication, Language, and Literature will host the next entry in its “An Evening with Authors” series with Amye Archer, co-editor of the book “If I Don’t Make It, I Love You: Survivors in the Aftermath of School Shootings.”
The free event will take place on Monday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Learning Commons, Rooms 331-337, and is open to the public. The book will also be available for sale.
A creative writing teacher and writing center coordinator at the University of Scranton, Archer will discuss the book, including how she and her co-editor collected more than 60 narratives from school shooting survivors of Sandy Hook, Parkland, and El Paso. The book is a harrowing collection of narratives covering more than 50 years of shootings in America and written by those most directly affected by school shootings – the survivors.
Beginning with Columbine in 1999, more than 187,000 students attending at least 193 primary or secondary schools have experienced a shooting on campus during school hours, according to a yearlong Washington Post analysis. This means that the number of children who have been shaken by gunfire in the places they go to learn exceeds the population of some states in America.
Archer holds an MFA from Wilkes University, where she was awarded the Beverly Hiscox scholarship. Her memoir, “Fat Girl, Skinny,” was published by Big Table Publishing in 2016. Her co-edited collection with Loren Kleinman, “My Body, My Words” (Big Table Publishing), received praise from Bustle, Hello Giggles, BUST, Pop Sugar, WOW! Women on Writing, and The Brooklyn Rail.
Archer’s writing has appeared in PANK, Nailed, Poem Memoir Story (PMS), Easy Street, Brevity, and more, and she received a notable in Best American Essays, 2016, edited by Jonathan Franzen. The Scott Township native runs The Fat Girl Blog and is a columnist for Feminine Collective.
Marywood University’s Communication, Language, and Literature Department’s motto of “Read on, write on, and speak up, because words have power” reflects the department’s conviction that words and narratives can shape thinking, inspire action, and evoke emotion. Those who are most engaged with words can harness this power to make a positive difference in their own lives and in the lives of others.
For additional information about the Communication, Language, and Literature Department, visit marywood.edu or call 570-348-6211, ext. 2344. For additional information about the “An Evening with Authors” series at Marywood, e-mail Erin Sadlack, associate professor of English, at easadlack@marywood.edu.
Marywood University (2300 Adams Ave., Scranton) prepares students to have a positive impact on society at regional and global levels while providing each student with the foundation for success in an interdependent world. Founded in 1915 by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the university serves men and women from a variety of backgrounds and religions.
The university enrolls more than 3,000 students in an array of undergraduate and graduate programs. Committed to enriching human lives, Marywood provides a framework for educational excellence that enables students to develop fully as persons and to master professional and leadership skills necessary for meeting human needs.
