COLUMBUS, Ohio – They like to be known as wild, the Wild Women Writers, that is. All of them are 60 to 80 years old. The group's founder is 80 year-old Katherine Berkman, PhD.
"Oh yeah I didn't begin doing what I wanted to do until I was 60," she said.
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Berkman found her passion in the theater, got her PhD and is guiding and directing her students on stage.
English Professor at Ohio Dominican University, Ann C. Hall, PhD, says women like Berkman and her Wild Women Writers are fearless.
"A lot of them were the first women, or among the first women in their work forces and they've seen things from their mothers, and mentors, a generation of women that have been through the feminist movement," explained Hall.
These women paved the way for younger generations to pursue their dreams and they are now paving the way again for an older generation to not sit down and fade away, but move forward and pursue yet another dream, regardless of their age.
"I've always felt that all things are possible," said another writer in their group, Carole Dale.
"It's been a wildly wonderful experience," said Berkman.
"Well, I want to be her when I grow up," said Patricia Ake, another Wild Women Writer.
And so do we all! It is a good lesson for any woman at any age. Who wouldn't want to feel better at 80 than at 60?
Additional Information:
Wild Women Writing is a group that was founded in 2008, when the group, Women at Play closed. Current members that continued from the former group include Katherine Burkman, AnneMarie Breathauer, Patricia Ake and Carole Dale. New members also joined in as well, including Ann C. Hall, Laura Zakin, Christiane Buuck, Marilyn Rofsky and Chiquita Mullins Lee. Women at Play was a group who got together and wrote and produced plays together, while Wild Women Writing writes anything and everything. They have written memoirs, plays, poems, and even crossword puzzles.
Twice a year Wild Women Writing gives readings from their own work. Sometimes they also produce events like Burkman's play of monologues, or Carole Dale's work, but in each case the work is still done by a member of the group. Katherine Burkman also offers writing workshops at the Sanctuary. Their performance home is located at the Columbus Museum of Art which is at 480 East Broad Street, Columbus Ohio. To join their mailing list, you can email Katherine Burkman at Burkman.2@columbus.rr.com.
Katherine Burkman is an English professor at The Ohio State University. She specializes in Shakespeare and modern drama and has a focus on the playwright Harold Pinter. To read or obtain any of the members' published works you can check out their website for a full list of what they wrote at http://wildwomenwritingreadings.wordpress.com/members-published-works/.(Source: http://wildwomenwritingreadings.wordpress.com/)