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Posts Tagged ‘storytelling’

NYC: A Story-Lover’s Dream

Friday, March 8th, 2019

As an English major, I truly love stories in all of their forms. This includes books (obviously), movies and television, plays and musicals, and even museums and concerts. All works of art tell a story in one way or another, and NYC is full of art. In other words, NYC is a story-lover’s dream. I hope in sharing my recent artistic outings, it might inspire readers to get out and experience some stories of your own (in any and all forms)!

Seeing a story unfold in front of you in the form of a Broadway musical is magical. I’ve only seen two shows during my time here, but they’ve made me want to see them all. Anastasia was my first ever show. Anastasia has been one of my favorite movies for as long as I can remember, and seeing it so alive and real was spectacular. After the show, I was able to meet most of the amazing cast, including singer Cody Simpson who played Dmitry (a middle school dream come true)! My second show was Mean Girls, and that was another great experience that filled me with memories of watching the movie in middle school with my friends at sleepovers.

The stories behind works of art found in a museum are fascinating to me: the lives of artists, the history of an entire civilization, the meaning of a work of art. I made my first visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art recently and loved every second. From the paintings to the sculptures to the artifacts, I was filled with curiosity and awe. It’s not every day you get to see a Van Gogh painting in person! Additionally, a concert is one of the most fun and lively ways to hear a story. Though I want to get to many more, the only concert I have been to so far was for singer Ryan Beatty that I attended for one of my classes; what an incredible show it was!

In terms of some of the more obvious story forms, I still try to make plenty of time for books and film. Despite the reader’s block I mentioned in my previous post, I was able to get my hands on a copy of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman from my reading list and having been loving it and (slowly but surely!) fighting my reader’s block. I’ve also recently been treating myself during my free time with Gilmore Girls binges and uplifting Netflix originals such as Dumplin’. I’ve found during my time in NYC that you can find a good story almost anywhere you look for one. Try and enjoy some art today if you can!

Until next time,

Phoebe Beauffay

This is a shared blog post for Beaufort Books and Spencer Hill Press.

RANDOM THINGS OR A WRITER & A WARRIOR?

Friday, November 30th, 2018

Hello everyone! My name is Angela J. Townsend. I was born in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Missoula, Montana. As a child, I grew up listening to stories told by my grandparents, ancient tales and legends of faraway places. My childhood allowed me to be imaginative, to learn the power of words, and to learn that words are living things and how we choose to use them could have a tremendous impact in our world and on others as well.

Sadly, not everything in my past has been an ideal fairy tale. An unexpected tragedy presented an opportunity that changed the course of my life. I started writing when my youngest son was diagnosed with a Retinoblastoma. A cruel form of eye cancer that causes blindness. Writing served as an escape. I wrote to find peace and to find hope for my son, and to create our own adventures far removed from the cold atmosphere of the hospital.

While employed as a paralegal in a busy law firm, my writing career took off. I was able to give away hundreds of signed copies of my novels to the Ronald McDonald houses of America and other organizations for sick children around the globe.

Today, I am a full time filmmaker and a traditionally published, award-winning author. I am fortunate enough to be a member of the Authors Guild and to be represented by the former Vice President of Paramount Pictures, M. Kenneth Suddleson.  Exactly a year ago a movie based on my novel, The Forlorned was released worldwide.

Random things about me:

  • As a young child I spent my young years in a remote fishing village in the wilds of Alaska. That experience shaped my novel, Amarok. The ocean and Alaska will always be a part of me.
  • Friday the 13th has always been my lucky day! I’ve always won money on that day: raffles, contests, and other events.
  • I was born just shy of Halloween—maybe that’s why I love writing spooky themed books so much!
  • After becoming severely allergic to makeup, I developed my own all natural cosmetic line which includes a natural hair dye and soap.
  • Cars terrify me and I’m even more afraid of flying.
  • My favorite food is popcorn which is great because it goes along well with my motion pictures!
  • In 2018 I won a notable trademark lawsuit over my book and movie title, The Forlorned. The case ended up in the US Supreme Court, and winning freed me from years of harassment and “Trademark Trolls.”  I hope that my case will make it easier for other authors who undergo similar legal battles.
  • Last summer I formed Authors Unite Against Bullies. The organization strives to help artists who are being bullied or are victims of frivolous lawsuits.

Thank you for spending time with me!

To read more, visit my website www.angelatownsendbooks.com