Vivian
L.
DeGain
Born:
10/10/1952
Detroit
,
MI
Spouse: Douglas W. DeGain
Address(es):
Permanent :
1661 Black Maple
Rochester Hills , MI 48309
USA
Contact Information:
Phone : (248) 652-0885
Fax : (248) 652-1960
Email : [email protected]
Spouse: Douglas W. DeGain
Address(es):
Permanent :
1661 Black Maple
Rochester Hills , MI 48309
USA
Contact Information:
Phone : (248) 652-0885
Fax : (248) 652-1960
Email : [email protected]
Writings
| Image | Title | Genre | Audience | Publisher | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Century of Voices - My work is included in this anthology |
Non Fiction | Adult | Detroit Women Writers | 1999 | |
|
|
Variations on the Ordinary - Poetry and personal essays included in my chapter of this anthology |
Poetry | Adult | Plain View Press | 1995 |
|
Variations on the ordinary : a woman's reader / edited by Margo LaGattuta. - includes works by Vivian DeGain and other women. |
Fiction , Poetry | Adult | Austin, TX : Plain View Press | 1995 |
What is the aim or goal of your writing:
I attribute my success to the literary, spiritual and compassionate role models in my past, including writing mentors and authors Robert Wrigley, Kim Barnes and Dennis Held of Missoula, MT and Margo LaGattuta of Rochester, MI; former college professor Tish O'Dowd, Ann Arbor, MI; and my high school teacher James Howard, Saugatuck, MI. These writers helped me to believe in myself and my voice. To quote the author Eudora Welty, "Whatever our theme in writing, it is old and tired. Whatever our place, it has already been visited by the stranger, and will never be new again. It is only the (writer's) vision that can be new - but that is enough".
To speak to work ethic, one spends as many hours daily as possible in conceiving, researching, writing, editing and marketing non-fiction or creative pieces. There aren't enough hours in the day to satisfy all necessary professional, personal, family and 'journaling' demands, but one must set a goal of making the most of what is available and when. William Stafford, the poet, once said that "If you want to get struck by lightening, you have to stand out in the rain". He set a goal to write three poems each day, and did.
Author Dennis Held, at a writers conference in Ocooch Mountain, WI offered these six tips, the best condensed advice as any: Write more words every day, using time waiting in lines, driving (tapes) and at bedtime to record all brain storms. Seek rhythm in life and nature. Seek silence. Experience emotions fully. Know your issues. Map your life in as many notebooks as it takes to record your family and background, the geography and topography of where you live and the language(s) you speak, paying attention to the dialects, idioms, expressions and slang of the region as well as the ethnic and cultural voices of your family.
May inquiries be sent to you about doing workshops, readings: Yes
Contact via mail or e-mail.
Donated books to the Authors & Illustrators database project: No
Skills:
Author
Education:
| Degree | Institution | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) | University of Detroit | Detroit , MI | 1964 |
Career:
| Position | Organization | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community relations manager | Paint Creek Center for the Arts | Rochester , MI | 1998 |
| Associate editor/Writer | The Daily Tribune | Royal Oak , MI | 1998 -2006 |
| Staff reporter | Observer & Eccentric Newspaper | Birmingham , MI | 1996 -1997 |
| Staff writer | Oakland University | Rochester Hills , MI | 1994 -1996 |
| Freelance writer, editor, consultant | Vivian DeGain Communications | 1992 | |
| Guest speaker/Writing mentor | Rochester Community Schools | Rochester , MI | |
| Editor-in-Chief | The Rochester Clarion | Rochester , MI |
Other Resources:
Last Modified On: 3/2/2015 12:00:00 AM