Friday Night Dialogues: ‘Writing Wrongs’ with Jenifer Maxson

If you are thinking about becoming a writer, you might want to wait until you’ve heard “Writing Wrongs,” Jenifer Maxson’s one-woman performance at the Shelter Island Library’s Friday Night Dialogues on November 10. She will discuss in a “tongue in cheek” manner, her basic rules for how not to become a writer. 

Ms. Maxson has entertained library patrons before, most recently with her “Boomerology” presentation that featured the unique lives and times of the Baby Boomer generation. She also presented “Red Hot Patriot,” based on the life of Molly Ivins, and participated in an Island group’s reading of “Love, Loss and What I Wore” by Nora Ephron. She has generously given performances at the Presbyterian Church and for the League of Woman Voters.

Technically, Ms. Maxson is not a Harelegger, but her parents brought her to the Island when she was two years old. They spent summers in Silver Beach, which she remembers as sparsely populated and remote.

Thirty-five years ago she realized that she enjoyed the interesting activities and people here so much that she decided to buy her own house on Shelter Island. Her daughters Karena and Johanna both attended the Shelter Island School and when they were disappointed that there was no theater program, their mother started a drama club. Thus began Ms. Maxson’s involvement with the school that continues to this day. Karena still lives on the Island with her husband Jason Shields and their children, and Johanna and her family are in Scarsdale.

Ms. Maxson spent 17 years teaching English at the Shelter Island School and was known for her creative ways of engaging students in writing and reading. She established “Writes of Spring” at Mashomack Preserve, where students spent the night in the Manor House cooking, playing games and writing poetry and journal entries. It was a popular event and Ms. Maxson says she would like to reinstate the program for current students. She retired from full-time teaching in 2012 but continues to substitute because she gets a kick out of the students. I feel certain that they get a kick out of her too.

“Writing Wrongs” will be performed on Friday, November 10 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room downstairs at the library. It should prove to be a perfect antidote to the problems in the world today. There is no fee for this program, but donations are gratefully accepted.

Up next: Join us on December 8 at 7 p.m. in the Community Room as a few of your Shelter Island neighbors share their holiday memories.