Literary Humor Workshop Opens Without Head Cheese

Literary Humor Workshop Opens
Without Head Cheese:

Registrants have a few laughs anyhow

(Posted to Fairfield.Patch.com 1/19)

By Mike Lauterborn

C 2011. All Rights Reserved.

1/19/11

Fairfield, CT – Hopes were high for what promised to be a knee-slapping kickoff to a 7-part Literary Humor - Creative Writing Workshop. Unfortunately, the workshop leader’s whereabouts were unknown.

The latest in a series of writer-centric adult programs offered at Fairfield Public Library’s main branch at 1080 Old Post Road, the workshop was to have commenced Wednesday evening. Designed to help writers construct comedic scenes and work on their specific stories and novels in a positive and constructive environment, the program was to have been led by Fairfielder Ryan Sartor, a credentialed professional with a film and writing background.

Six students had registered for the program and appeared at the library’s Memorial Room, pens and writing tablets in hand ready to absorb Sartor’s lessons. As the class start time and then several more minutes passed, registrants began to wonder if Sartor’s absence was part of a purposeful humor technique and the joke would soon be revealed. As more time passed and it became clear that something was truly amiss, the students talked among themselves and with Patch about their objectives and desires for the class.

Said one registered Fairfielder (who declined to provide her name), “I wanted to learn about writing comedy and using humor in literary works. I’m a freelance writer and the library’s great for writers, with programs like the different writing groups and writer’s conference. I’m working on some short stories and a memoir and I think humor can be used in both.”

Another participant, Mary Ellen McLean, said, “I am a moderator of one of the library’s workshops and an aspiring fiction writer hoping to publish a New York Times bestseller one day. There’s always something more to learn. I’m a novice when it comes to fiction. You can bring humor into most anything you write.”

Another Fairfielder hesitant to provide her name – the anonymity a running joke it seemed – said, “I can write but it isn’t my first choice… but there are some things now that I want to write. Humor’s a great thing to incorporate. My daughter has a marvelous website called motherrr.com. It’s about mother-daughter relationships and she gets interest from all over the world. I can write for that but would like to inject humor into the content.”

Participant Jackie from Stratford, said, “I can always learn better writing skills and am definitely interested in humor and that slant on life. It’s nice when a library has programs for adults.”

Librarian Nicole Scherer, who assisted with trying to determine what had become of Sartor, echoed some of the participants’ sentiments. “We consider ourselves to be the writers’ library and this is just one in a long line of programs we offer to writers of all ages. The library is a true community hub wherein we offer programming designed to spark creativity.”

In this instance, those sparks would have to be contained for the moment. No further word was available about future sessions of the workshop, though it has been scheduled for Wednesdays, January 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23 and March 2.

For more information, contact the library at 203-256-3160.