WAG Gets HIPP

The Hippodrome Theater invited the Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG) to host a panel discussion on January 24, immediately following the matinee performance of Collected Stories, a play, by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies,

“This is probably Margulies’ best play to date…” -- NY Post 

“Fluid and lively, the play is thick with ideas, like a 
 stockpot of good stew.” -- Village Voice 

This play is a riveting and emotionally charged exploration of the intersection of friendship and creative freedom: In a walk-up apartment in Greenwich Village, a distinguished professor of creative writing reluctantly agrees to mentor an ambitious student, and over the course of six years, the two women are led to question, Who owns the story of your life?

Following the matinee performance on January 24, four WAG members — Larry Brasington, Richard Gartee, Kimberley Mullins, and Wendy Thornton (see bios below) — discussed with audience members where they get ideas and to what extent the stories around them influence what they put on the page.

By way of thanks for WAG’s participation in this event, the Hippodrome offered all WAG members substantially discounted tickets to the play. A number of WAG members attended and joined in the panel discussion.

Larry Brasington’s Temple in the Swamp, an H. P. Lovecraft-like tale, published in 1968. To date Brasington has published five novels: Alien Madness (science fiction), Unholy War: the Brandenburgers—Russia 41 (alternative history), Beyond the Wall (historical adventure), Nell’s Tavern (science fiction), and Saving Sonya (fantasy). In addition he has a series of fantasy mystery stories in the noir-tradition. Brasington has been a judge for the Florida Writers Association Mystery contest, and he is actively involved with the Writers Alliance of Gainesville.

Richard Gartee is a poet, novelist, and full-time author. He has had seven college textbooks and five collections of his poetry published. His first novel, Lancelot’s Grail, was published in 2013, and he has since completed two more novels that await publication. Gartee is a member of Writers Alliance of Gainesville, and Florida Writers Association.

Kimberley E. Mullins is a Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor in Gainesville, FL. Her first poetry piece, “My One Last Cent,” was published in Amistad in 2007. She has published a book of poetry, Thinking Aloud: Dimensions of free-verse, and a fiction novel, The Friends and Family Connection: Get Unplugged. Her novel In the Company of Strangers released in early 2016. She was a winner of the NanoWrimo 2015 completing just over 50,000 words in 30 days. In addition to writing poetry, Mullins has participated in spoken-word venues in Urban Grind, Atlanta, GA; Busboys and Poets in Washington, D.C.; and at the Thomas Center, Gainesville, FL.

Wendy Thornton is a freelance writer and editor published in Riverteeth, Epiphany, MacGuffin and many other literary journals and books. Her memoir, Dear Oprah Or How I Beat Cancer and Learned to Love Daytime TV, was published in July 2013. Her mystery novel, Bear-Trapped: In a Trashy Hollywood Novel, was published in February, 2015. Thornton has won many awards for her work including most recently, second prize in New York’s Literal Latte essay contest. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, has been Editor’s Pick on Salon.com, and is published in England, Scotland, Australia and India.