James River Writers Announces the MAY 2010 WRITING SHOW - Can I Get a Witness: Writing for Social Change

RICHMOND, Va., April 29 /PRNewswire/ --

Featuring:

• Michael Paul Williams, journalist
• Linda Beatrice Brown, novelist, playwright and poet
• Emily Troutman, essayist and photojournalist

With your host, JRW Board member Maya Payne Smart

Michael Paul Williams is a columnist and reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A Richmond native, he is a graduate of Hermitage High School and Virginia Union University, and holds a master's degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. Hired by the Times-Dispatch in 1982, he has won Virginia Press Association awards for column writing in 1992, 1994 and 2007. During the 1999-2000 school year, he was one of a dozen U.S. journalists awarded a yearlong Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University.

Linda Beatrice Brown holds a PhD in African American Literature and Creative Writing, and is presently the Willa B. Player Distinguished Professor of the Humanities and Director of the Honors Program at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, NC. In addition to her latest novel, Black Angels (Putnam, 2009), written for young readers, Linda is the author of the novels Rainbow 'Roun Mah Shoulder and Crossing Over Jordan. She has written several plays, including Wildfire: Black Hands White Marble, and her poetry has been published in several anthologies and magazines. She is a member of the Spiritual Renaissance Singers in Greensboro, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, the NAACP, and NOW. Linda lives in a 100-year-old house in Greensboro, NC where she is working on a sequel to Black Angels. http://www.lindabeatricebrown.com

Emily Troutman is a writer and photographer whose work focuses on international humanitarian issues. In 2009, she was one of five people named United Nations Citizen Ambassador for her winning video responding to the question, "If you could speak to world leaders, what would you say?" She received widespread media attention for her photo essay, "President Obama Inauguration: Words for How We Feel Now." Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Emily has been based in Port-au-Prince. Her photos, articles and personal essays have been carried by AOL News, Time.com, Slate.com and Truthout.org. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs. http://www.emilytroutman.com

Maya Payne Smart is a professional writer who has written hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines and web sites. Her 2010 client list includes Black Enterprise, CNNMoney.com and Savoy Professional. She received a bachelor's degree in Social Studies from Harvard University and a master's degree in editorial journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She serves on the board of governors of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and on James River Writers' board of directors, and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and The Society of Professional Journalists. http://www.mayasmart.com  

James River Writers is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting the craft of writing and love of literature. http://www.JamesRiverWriters.org

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SOURCE James River Writers