Pagan Kennedy: Stalking the True Story

Pagan Kennedy

Stalking the True Story

The Cambridge Center for Adult Education is delighted to offer a special one-night workshop, "Stalking the True Story," with acclaimed journalist and novelist Pagan Kennedy.

In 1959, Truman Capote happened on a small newspaper piece: A family in Kansas had been shot to death under mysterious circumstances. Capote knew at once that he must tell this story. Decades later, another nonfiction writer, Tracy Kidder, decided to follow an obscure doctor to Haiti -- and ended up with a masterpiece of a book. For most nonfiction writers, every project begins with a truffle-hunt for a great idea. As a journalist and author, Pagan Kennedy spends at least half her time just trying to track down dazzling true stories. Whenever she's found one, doors have opened.

In this workshop, we'll discuss nonfiction ideas - how to find them, how to use them. Participants will get a chance to pitch their concepts to the class. We will also scratch a lot of lottery tickets, which, believe it or not, has something to do with narrative theory. Limited to 20.