Appearances and Presentations
Pam is available for book signings and readings, as well as for discussions and events in Park City and the surrounding area.
Books are available in most book stores in Park City and Salt Lake City—and, of course, at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and other online bookstores.
Interviews
‘Park Record’- on front page of Scene Section on Saturday, May 11, 2013- Check it out online
KPCW interview with Randy Barton
PCTV on the Morning Show with Chelsea Haviland —
PCTV interview is available on YouTube—”Mountain Morning Show with Pam Carlquist”-still available on YouTube!
Teaching and Workshop Presentations
Honing Your Writing Skills*
Each of us has gifts, and many have stories to tell using those gifts. In this course, students will rediscover their writing talents and enhance their writing skills to create more engaging and compelling pieces. Through class discussions, in-class writing exercises, guided imagery, modeling and peer response, participants will tap into their memories and discover the art of bringing their tales to life.
The Osher Lifelong learning Institute
University Of Utah – www.osher.utah.edu
Wriggling Within: Tapping into Untold Tales*
Wriggle within on a journey to tap into untold tales, triumphs, tragedies, and the most ordinary of circumstances that have made you the person you are today. Or create fictional pieces that have evolved from those experiences. Class discussions, in-class writing exercises, guided imagery, examples from modern literature and peer response will provide opportunities for you to capture your thoughts and explore, through mystery, stillness, humor, and love, the stories that lie within.
Writing: From Percolating to Publishing*
Join author and long-time educator Pamela Woodbury Carlquist on a journey of discovery through writing–everything from unleashing ideas, to setting them down, to refining them, to publishing. Unlock the door to your memories; then climb inside and roll through endless miles of imagination as you compose pieces you never dreamt you’d write. Polish them until they shine, and then share them with family and friends or perhaps with the world. Using her recently published memoir, Past the Pain, as well as Writer’s Market and other writing guides, Pam will steer you through the writing process and launch you on a course toward publishing, now or in the future, through traditional publishing houses, self-publishing or nontraditional gifting of your works to loved ones. Class lectures, in-class writing exercises, peer response and actual publishing models will propel you toward whatever writing destinations you choose. Bring a notebook and pen, and possibly a Thesaurus, to class.
We Are Our Stories*
Join author and long-time educator Pamela Woodbury Carlquist on a journey to uncover stories— triumphs, tragedies and the most ordinary occurrences– that have made you the person you are today. Through Pam’s memoirs and the writings of other authors, find ways to tap into your own memories and discover the art of bringing your tales to life. Discussions, writing exercises, guided imagery and peer response provide opportunities for you peruse your thoughts and explore, through mystery, stillness, humor, and love, the stories that lie within you.
*These classes and other writing workshops taught by Pam are available periodically through the Osher Institute of the University of Utah and the Park City Community Education program. Check out The Compass newsletter or the Park City School District website, as well as the Osher Institute website for more details.
Park City School District Community Education
University Literature Courses Pam Teaches:
Literature and Living a Whole Hearted Life
As we navigate through life, it can be helpful at times to take note of where we’ve been and where we want to go–and to carry with us road maps to direct us on our way. Many works of ancient and modern literature offer us just such guides. Ponder the wisdom of living the simple life in Hoffman’s profound but light-hearted Tao of Pooh. Pore over the poetry of such metaphysical masters as Rumi, Blake Rilke and others. Integrate the practical philosophies of Ruiz’s The Four Agreements into your daily doings, and discover how to live fully from Morrie Schwartz, a man who is dying, in Tuesdays with Morrie. In these and other works–and perhaps in your own personal stories–discover the remarkable ability of the human spirit to rise above adversity, despair, even death and triumph.
Bite-Sized Literature: Nuggets of Nuance
Mystery, romance, drama and intrigue—all are found in great literature. Tantalize your brain cells and tickle your fancy by reading and discussing many great works of short fiction. Listen to the beating of fear in Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Ponder the beauty of the world in Dillard’s essay, “Heaven and Earth in Jest,” and laugh out loud with Steinbeck himself in his Travels with Charley. Lose yourself in poetry, and then drive along the dark and lonely stretch of highway in our Halloween story, “Night Drive.” Explore these and other bite-sized pieces of literature that uncover universal truths and expose the subtle workings of the human heart.
The Hero Within
Within each of us lies the call to courage, waiting to spring forth at any juncture. Many great works of literature, from ancient to modern times, explore this theme of the hero within and offer insights into the ways in which one may either consciously or inadvertently fall into this role. Read Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to examine in very different ways this journey of soul. Discover, also, the hero within yourself and those you love through the reading of these and other short works of literature, as well as through class discussions and writing opportunities.
The Journey Back Home
Many great works of modern fiction explore the theme of the search for self that most individuals engage in at some point in their lives. John Steinbeck’s novelette Of Mice and Men, Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, and Sandra Cisneros’s vignettes House on Mango Street examine in very different ways this journey of truth and demonstrate how, amidst anguish, injustice and the very acts of living and dying, one can find a way back home. We will read and discuss each of these short works, using clips from film adaptations, poetry and short stories to aid in the class discussions.
Prejudice and the Triumph of the Human Spirit
Prejudice, which has reared its ugly head throughout history, appears as a major theme
in some of the most compelling works of modern times. Harper Lee, in her beloved 20th
century novel To Kill a Mockingbird, and David Guterson, in his Lee-inspired work Snow
Falling on Cedars, examine the devastating consequences of prejudice and
demonstrate the remarkable ability of the human spirit to rise above it– as well as above adversity, war, even death– and to triumph. We will first read and discuss Lee’s book and then follow with Guterson’s, using clips from film adaptations from from each work, as well as news stories and other historical data, to aid in the discussions.
Short But Sweet: Literature in a Bite
Mystery, romance, drama, intrigue, the plight and pathos of the human condition– all ingredients found in great literature. But one does not have read for long hours to discover these; one can simply peruse some of the most memorable short fiction of the 20th century. Discover the heartrending and unforgettable tale of Paul Gallico’s Snow Goose. Search the streets of London with the famous detective Jesse Dark as she scours the city for the fiendish and elusive “Miss Hinch.” Read the anguished, yet hopeful diary of Charley Gordon as he participates in an experiment to artificially increase his intelligence in Daniel Keyes’ “Flowers for Algernon.” And ponder the unexpected life lessons with brothers Frisco and Carlton in Michael Cunningham’s “White Angel” and with Doodle and Brother in James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis.” Study these and other short stories, poems and novellas, revealing universal truths and the subtle workings of the human heart.