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Beyond the Pen
April 25, 2023

The Power of Storytelling: Discover a Wide Range of Literary Topics with Beyond the Pen's Three-Part Series at the HEPL Local Authors Book Fair 2023

The Power of Storytelling: Discover a Wide Range of Literary Topics with Beyond the Pen's Three-Part Series at the HEPL Local Authors Book Fair 2023

In This First of Three Episodes:
We explore the themes of guilt, forgiveness, and redemption. Look no further than our latest episode, featuring interviews with several authors at the Hamilton East Public Library Local Author's Book Fair 2023. Join our host, Maccabee Griffin, as he delves into the world of literature and speaks with Mr. David Marsh about his book "The Confessions of Adam." This thought-provoking novel explores the story of Adam and Eve and the complex emotions of guilt, forgiveness, and redemption.

But that's not all! Maccabee also chats with Mr. DeShane Reed about his book "Lucky Are Those Born Black" and how a 50-year-old poem influenced a generation to see just how lucky they are to be born. And if you're a comics fan, you won't want to miss our interview with Mr. Jason Funk about his comic book "Merchant of Misfortune" and how this 16-year-old teenager doesn't allow the label of autism to discourage him from telling great stories.

We also have Rue Sparks on the show discussing her book "The Fables of Wren," which uniquely and creatively explores grief and her journey with losing the love of her life at such a young age. And last but not least, B.A. Williamson joins us to talk about the character development of Gwendolyn in "The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray" and her mental health's impact on the imaginative world around her.

So if you're looking for a podcast episode that covers a wide range of literary topics and features engaging interviews with talented authors, be sure to tune in to this three-part series of Beyond the Pen. And don't forget to share it with your friends and followers - you never know who might be looking for their next great read!

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Season 2

Timestamps:

Adam's Story and Themes [00:00:26]: The author discusses the themes of forgiveness and redemption in the novel "The Confessions of Adam" and how they relate to modern people.

Vivid Settings [00:02:31]: The author discusses the importance of setting in "The Confessions of Adam" and how it plays a crucial role in storytelling.

Writing Kryptonite [00:05:01]: The author discusses their writing Kryptonite and how being between projects is their greatest weakness.

The Lucky Are Those Born Black book [00:05:53]: The author of the book "Lucky Are Those Born Black?" is being interviewed about the 50-year-old poem that inspired an entire series of books while providing information on where to purchase the book.

The Merchant of Misfortune [00:12:16]: Jason Funk, the 16-year-old author and illustrator of "Merchant of Misfortune," is interviewed and discusses the inspiration for the characters and the story's message.

The Trickster Finch [00:16:09]: Rue Sparks talks about her book, The Fable of Wren, set in a small southern town, discusses the significance of the Trickster Finch in the story and how it relates to the protagonist's journey of self-discovery and acceptance.

Ren's Struggle with Grief [00:19:40]: Rue discusses Ren's struggle to accept the loss and move forward, along with the use of magical realism in the book.

Consistency as a Writing Kryptonite [00:21:14]: Rue discusses her struggle with consistency in writing due to health issues and disability.

Gwendolyn's Growth and Conflict[00:22:24]:B.A. Williamson of "The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray" discusses the character's growth and struggles with mental health and the conflict between order and imagination in the series.

For More Information

Looking for more juicy tidbits and insider info on our show? Look no further than BeyondthePenPodcast.Com!And if you love what you hear, consider fueling our caffeine addiction by buying us a coffee withBuy Me a Coffee. And don't forget to let us know what you think by sharing it with others and leaving a review here.

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Transcript

Maccabee (00:00:00) - Hey, everybody, welcome to Beyond the Pen LIVE at the Hamilton East Public Library Book Fair. We are here with our first guest, Mr. David Marsh. David, thank you for being on the show. We appreciate

David Marsh (00:00:13) - My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Maccabee Griffin (00:00:14) - Hey, no problem. Thank you. Sincerely. So, today we're gonna be talking about your journey into obviously creating this, this great book right here. What is it called again? The

David Marsh (00:00:25) - Confessions of Adam.

Maccabee (00:00:26) - The Confessions of Adam With Oren and Susa. Yeah. Nice. Okay. So when I was going over the synopsis and trying to figure out how I can create some wonderful questions for you guys, some of the things I always look at is the basic, you know, your plot setting, stuff like that. And Adam's story reveals a great burden of guilt and regrets. Yes. Um, how do the themes of forgiveness, of forgiveness and redemption unfold throughout the novel? And what lessons can modern people take away from the story of mankind's origin?

Daidv Marsh (00:01:04) - Yeah. Yeah. So the story, the narrative of Adam and Eve, ancient Hebrew narrative is incredibly relevant for today because th this couple dealt with, obviously they had a very unique situation right. In, in a unique origin, but they dealt with a lot of the same things that the rest of us deal with today. Right. Difficult, difficult, uh, parenting. Right, for sure. Very difficult. Yeah. But then guilt, certainly carrying that guilt and finding forgiveness in each other. I won't give too much of the story away. Course, I've, I've, I've, you know, I've, I've done, I've seen very close to the Hebrew narrative, but I have also taken little bit of liberty, but finding forgiveness, uh, in each other. And then Oren described that he hires to write his memoir as Orrin of ssa. Mm-hmm. . And he and Orrin have a friendship and a relationship and really together find a way forward, uh, beyond their pa their share, their pasts, and they find things that, that they share in their past actually, and they work together on that mm-hmm. . And so it's more than just a relationship of Warren writing down Adam's story. It's finding a story and a future for, for themselves in that as well.

Maccabee (00:02:11) - Well, that's something that definitely a lot of people can really connect with today. Um, we were talking about the confessions of Adam, and it takes place in various locations such as, uh, SSA and the Seaside Home and everything. How does the vividness of these settings play a crucial role in the storytelling process?

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B.A. WilliamsonProfile Photo

B.A. Williamson

Author

B. A. Williamson is the overly caffeinated writer of award-winning Chronicles of Gwendolyn Gray. When not doing battle with the demons in the typewriter, he can be found directing children’s theatre, teaching English, reading comics, binging Doctor Who, or wandering the wilds of Indianapolis with his family.

As a neurodivergent author, he believes it is essential to give children stories in all genres that provide mirrors to better understand themselves and windows into the lives of others.

Jason FunkProfile Photo

Jason Funk

Author/public speaker/high school student

Jason Funk is a 17-year-old high school student with autism who was non-verbal until after the age of 3. He began drawing comics in the first grade, was discovered by an award winning filmmaker, animator, and artist at the age of 13, and published his first two comics, "The Bus Seat' and "The Merchant of Misfortune" at the age of 16. His next two comics, "Burger Quest" and "The Carbonated Man" are in progress and scheduled for publication in 2023. Jason publishes new, free content, including his comics and personal essays, on his website, funkworldhq.substack.com. Jason is an engaging public speaker and enjoys traveling to schools and organizations to share his incredible story and love of comics. His story has been featured in "The Indianapolis Star" and "Current in Fishers".

David MarshProfile Photo

David Marsh

Author

https://davidjmarsh.com/about/

DeShane ReedProfile Photo

DeShane Reed

Author

DeShane is Founder and Senior Consultant of DRB Consulting, LLC, a company that specializes in juvenile justice/adult facility assessments and program development consultation. DeShane possess 25 years of experience working with diverse populations in the fields of criminal/juvenile Justice, child welfare, education, and mental health treatment. DeShane has extensive experience in policy development, mental health/addictions services, and staff/leadership training based in best practices. Finally, DeShane is a published author of “The Art of Holistic Security,” a technical book focused on best practice operations and management strategies in juvenile justice/juvenile residential facilities (from intake through release). Most recently, DeShane and his wife Barbara have launched its first book in its “Lucky Are Those…” children’s enrichment book series, namely “Lucky Are Those Born Black.” The “Lucky Are Those…” children’s book series challenges various societal perceptions about sensitive topics, through highlighting, affirming, and boosting positive regard relating to the topic. We look to change lives one book at a time through this series.