Mary Amato

Writing with Humor & Heart

Traveling Tales

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From the pen of award-winning children’s book author Mary Amato come three timeless, original stories specifically written for audio. Each story features a character who takes an unexpected journey. Lovingly-crafted long-form stories with rich language and imagery,  The Chair, The Umbrella Maker and her Son, and Goose Child are meant for young children and adults to enjoy together. Narrated by the talented voice-actor Kate Reading and showcasing the gorgeous music of Amy K Bormet, these are perfect for bedtime snuggles. The first story in the collection, The Chair, is also available to enjoy in video form as a shadow theater production.

Story by Mary Amato; text editing and illustrations: Andrea Caspari; narration : Kate Reading; music: Amy K Bormet; music and video editing and additional illustrations by Mary Amato; sound engineering: Cletus Kennelly, Urban Garden Recording Studio.

Purchase link. ISBN 978-1-953486-00-4

The Chair
After being bought and sold, a carpenter’s favorite creation longs for a happy ending.
The Umbrella Maker and her Son
A lost son uses his mother’s silk and scissors to create a wondrous guide that he hopes will bring them back together.
Goose Child
When a girl is accidentally misplaced during a storm, she discovers that not one but two loving families are ready and waiting.

Online Experiences Fall 2020

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Pencils by JH Here is my schedule for high-quality, high-energy educational experiences.

If you want a class that is already booked or you don’t find a time/date that works, please don’t hesitate to sign up for Wait List (see right) or contact me and let me know what you’re looking for. No promises, but I’ll try to add to the schedule.

Group Experiences for Kids

Writer’s Studio with Mary Amato for ages 8-12
Learn more and register.

  • Wednesdays 4:00-4:30 pm EST. Once per week; $5 per week per student. Need-based scholarships available.

Alternative Physical Education with Life of Gains founders Simon Amato and West Thach

Currently these fantastic online classes focus on fitness and health. Motivating, high-energy physical education. Contact Life of Gains to find out more.
Learn more and register.

Group Experiences for Adults & Teens

Writer’s Studio with Mary Amato for Adults & Teens
Learn more and register.

  • For adults and teens; Fridays 1:00-1:30 pm. Once per week; $5 per week per student. Need-based scholarships available.

Virtual Day-Long Novel Writing Retreats with Mary Amato and John Feffer
Learn more and register.

  • For adults. Teens who are serious about writing are also welcome. $40 per session per participant.

Private Instruction (ALL AGES)

A limited number of private-lesson slots for one-on-one learning may be available with the following instructors.

Mary Amato
Learn more and register.

  • Creative writing
  • Ukulele
  • Songwriting
  • Performance

Art supplies by JH
Jenny Hersh
Contact for more info.

    • Painting
    • Drawing
  • Sculpture
  • Mask & Shadow Puppetry

Simon Amato & West Thach
Contact for more info.

  • Mindful fitness for all ages
  • Personal training for all ages
  • Elite athlete training

shoes by JH
Karen Giacopuzzi
Contact for more info.

  • Coding
  • Robotics
  • Maker-space projects

 

Subscription and Payment Policies

All classes and private lessons booked through maryamato.com are done on a month by month basis. When you book a class, you’ll be asked to pay for that coming month. Payment is made through a credit card or a Paypal account online. After your invoice is paid, you’ll receive a zoom link that will be the same for each class that month. You can register for as many months as desired.

There are no make-up lessons and no refunds. I will not cancel. If for some reason, I cannot teach a session, I will arrange for a qualified guest teacher.

For small group classes, on the 20th of each month, registrations will open for the next month. Students who are already taking a class will have first dibs on slots for the next month, but if a student does not register by the 25th, the slot will open to the general public.

For writing classes, students will need access to both a computer and a good old-fashioned pencil, pen, and notebook (spiral or “composition notebook”).

For subscription and payment policies for other instructors, please contact them directly.

More About Our Instructors

Mary Amato’s energy and enthusiasm were incredible to witness and I know the students enjoyed themselves immensely. The activities she chose in addition to the topics touched upon in the presentation portion were dynamic and interactive and there was truly never a dull moment.”–Adriana Thornton, PEN/Faulkner Virtual Writers in Schools Program

Mary Amato is a novelist, poet, essayist, songwriter, and playwright, who has a great day job writing fiction for young adults and children with 22 published books. Her creative non-fiction has appeared in The Washington Post, Education Week, Mothering, and more. A passionate teacher with a master’s in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins, and a bachelor’s in education from Indiana University, she is a former classroom teacher (both public and private). She is also co-founder of Firefly Shadow Theater and founder of several organizations that promote creative networking and artistic growth.

Simon Amato and West Thatch are the co-founders of the company Life of Gains, which offers amazingly engaging and energetic fitness/wellness programs that focus on building the mind-muscle connection through various breathing, meditative, and physical exercises/games. No equipment required.  Sessions include education on nutrition, goal setting/achievement, and other areas of wellness. At the Life of Gains they believe in a holistic, well-rounded approach to keeping the mind, body, and soul aligned. They are launching a new program for kids and families.

Jenny Hersh is a sculptor, printmaker and teacher. In recent years, she has been an Artist-in-Residence at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, and has developed her art teaching practice internationally, in Thessaloniki, Greece, and nationally at galleries, summer camps and schools in the Northeast of the US. She recently worked as an educator at Storm King Art Center, NY, where she led art-history tours, created and taught all-ages public programs, and ran natural ink-making workshops. She brings her skills, interests, energy, and enthusiasm into her virtual classes and takes delight in sharing the art making process with others.

Karen Giacopuzzi is the founder of a remarkable maker space called Gadget lab. The focus is on discovery-based education related to computer hardware, software, engineering, problem-solving, invention, and more. Please check out gadgetlab.org for more info.

John Feffer is the author of several books and numerous articles. His latest non-fiction book is Aftershock: A Journey into Eastern Europe’s Broken Dreams. He is also the author of the dystopian novel, Frostlands, the stand-alone sequel to Splinterlands. He has also produced ten plays, including four one-man shows.

~Page illustrations by Jenny Hersh~

New Courses for Adults & Teens

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Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery

Fall 2020

Monthly Virtual Novel-Writing Retreats

and

Weekly Writer’s Studio with Mary Amato

Find out more about each of these experiences below.

Monthly Virtual Novel-Writing Retreats

Through College Park Arts Exchange, join authors Mary Amato and John Feffer and fellow colleagues for an energizing mix of lectures, facilitated discussion, and forced time to write! As Shawn Achor points out in his book, Big Potential, studies show that people are more productive when they know that others are working, too.
Amato and Feffer are both discipline-crossing writers who are simultaneously working on novels, plays, essays, and poetry. These writing retreats will be focused on novel writing, but we welcome explorers of any genre—fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screen or stage play, etc.

Use these inspiring virtual retreat days to take a work-in-progress further or to write something completely new.

10:00 am-5:30 pm EST

  • 10:00-10:15/Intro & Warm-up Writing Exercise
  • 10:15-11:00 /Lecture #1
  • 11:00-11:30/Facilitated Chat (or log off and get to your writing)
  • 11:30-2:15/Writing Time
  • 2:15-3:00/Lecture #2
  • 3:00-3:30/Facilitated Chat (or log off and get to your writing)
  • 3:30-5:00/Writing Time
  • 5:00-5:30/Final Q/A


$40 per person per retreat or $20 per person per half-day retreat. You may sign up for one retreat or as many as desired. Once you have registered, you’ll receive three Zoom links for each of your retreat days. Each retreat day will include three Zoom sessions with writing time in between. PLEASE NOTE: Registration for full day occurs through College Park Arts Exchange. If you can only attend half day, contact the instructors to register.

 

Sat Sept 26          Tense & Time

Pros and cons of writing in the past or present or a combination of both. Are you writing in the best tense to tell your story? Are you telling your story chronologically? What are your options? What role does time play in the lives of your characters? How can keeping track of chronological time in your story can make a huge difference in the revision process? Are you using your time as a writer most productively?

Register

 

Sun Nov 1            Voice & Point of View

Establish authenticity, commit to a POV or multiple POVs , and know when to come in for a close up and when to pull back. What are the various voices and POVs in your work?

Register

Sat Nov 21           Recurring Symbolism & Surprising Metaphors

Identify and explore symbols and metaphors and determine how and when they should repeat. What are the symbols and metaphors that are already in your work? Are you doing all you can or do you need more?

Register

 

Weekly Writer’s Studio with Mary Amato

Join award-winning author Mary Amato in her writing studio every Friday from 1:00 to 1:30 EST pm. for $5.00 per class.

Each week, Mary will choose a different topic related to some aspect of the writing process and give a short, energized talk and then lead a writing exercise on the spot.

The experience will be designed for adults and teens who are serious about writing. What we cover will cross genres and can be useful in writing fiction, poetry, essays, plays, and creative nonfiction.

All classes and private lessons are booked on a month by month basis. When you book a class, you’ll be asked to pay for that entire month. You’re welcome to register for as many months as desired. Payment is made through a credit card or a Paypal account online. After your invoice is paid, you’ll receive a zoom link that will be the same for each class that month. There are no make-up lessons and no refunds. I will not cancel. If for some reason, I cannot teach a session, I will arrange for a qualified guest teacher. There is no limit to the number of participants, which means there will be no one-on-one interaction. However, the energy and the quality of instruction will be high.  Register here.

Bios

Mary Amato is a novelist, poet, essayist, songwriter, and playwright, who has a great day-job writing fiction for young adults and children with 22 published books. Her creative non-fiction has appeared in The Washington Post, Education Week, Mothering, and more. A passionate teacher with a master’s in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins, she is also co-founder of Firefly Shadow Theater and founder of several organizations that promote creative networking and artistic growth. www.maryamato.com.

John Feffer has published three novels, including the critically acclaimed Splinterlands. The final volume in the Splinterlands trilogy, Songlands, will come out at the end of 2020. He has written and produced ten plays, including four one-man shows, and is the author of several non-fiction books and numerous articles on foreign policy. He serves as the director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies. www.johnfeffer.com.

Please note that in addition to these retreats, both Amato and Feffer offer partial or full manuscript critiques on a rolling basis throughout the year. $30 per half hour. You can cap your investment at any amount. If you’re interested, contact either instructor individually.

Questions? Contact either of the retreat leaders through the contact forms on their websites.

 

 

Authors in April

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Every year, a group of dedicated and creative volunteers in the greater community of Rochester, MI, organize an astounding educational experience for children, teachers, and families in their schools called Authors in April. I was honored to be chosen as an “Authors in April” author for grades 2-3 this year and have been overwhelmed with the quality of the program they create.

When Covid-19 closed schools, the AiA team had to scramble to adapt . . . which meant so much more work for them than the already huge amount of effort that would ordinarily be necessary. Through their efforts, I was able to connect via video and zoom with 15 schools.

My thanks to entire AiA board, below, and to all the teachers and school staff, parents, and community supporters. The people who make up this organization are facilitating so much more than an annual experience, they are facilitating life-long learning.

The AiA Team

Jenny DeCuir
Tammy Posner
Jennifer Windeler
Lisa Wattai
Terry Hetrick
Valerie Kendra
Amy Schuster
Jenny Bachman
Monica Grogan
Angie Suwalkowski
Maru Ehms
Betsy Raczkowski
Marty Sibert

The Chicken of the Family Collection

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Enjoy this free collection of stories. Perfect for ages 3-6.

When you’re little, even an ordinary day is filled with big troubles and triumphs—especially when you have two older sisters who win trophies, play tricks, and seem so brave. Four-year-old Henrietta struggles with her jealousies and fears as she finds her place in her funny and loving family. This audio collection, narrated by the author, includes five new stories plus The Chicken of the Family, the beloved picture book in which Henrietta was first hatched.

Written and narrated by Mary Amato. All rights reserved.

Original music by Amy Bormet. More about her at: amykbormet.com/about/

To listen on soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mary-amato-author/sets/the-chicken-of-the-family-collection

Rock Creek Forest ES Stem Songs

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If the moon could talk, what would it say to us? What might a shadow be thinking? What would a star brag about? What’s the purpose of a constellation?

For four days, I worked with fifth graders at Rock Creek Forest Elementary School in Silver Spring, MD, to write, revise, rehearse, and record original songs about some aspect of their astronomy unit.

Four different groups of students each focused on a different topic. Instead of asking the students to write a list of facts, I asked them to take a point of view in the song and to write from that point of view.

Shadows of the Light—A song from the point of view of a shadow.

Download song sheet for lyrics and chords.

Dear Earth—A song from the point of view of the moon speaking to Earth.

Download song sheet for lyrics and chords.

I Burn—A song from the point of view of a star.

Download song sheet for lyrics and chords.

You’re Not Lost—A song from the point of view of a constellation speaking to people on Earth.

Download song sheet for lyrics and chords.

We used figurative language and literary elements to craft our songs—personification, point of view, metaphor, simile, alliteration, assonance, imagery, rhyme, rhythm, and repetition.

The project also involved collaboration, brainstorming, “piggy-backing” (an idea one person throws out can give another person an idea), and revising.

Testing our ideas by first saying the rhythm of each line and then singing each line was important. In singing our lines, we discovered that we often needed to tweak a word or two.

For example, in the class that focused on writing from the point of view of a star, we discussed what happens when a star dies. One student suggested these lines: “I will die someday/But in a spectacular way.” We all liked the idea, but when we tried to sing the second line, it was hard to sing the word “spectacular”. Another student tweaked it: “I will die someday/But in an awesome way.” Everyone agreed that it still carried the meaning but it was much easier to sing.

Repetition in songwriting can be good, such as the repetition of the chorus, but some repetition is boring. We looked at those places where we could make the song more interesting by making a change.

Here is an example in the song from the point of view of a constellation: “You sing our praise, know our stories and know our names” became “You sing our praise, know our stories, and give us names.” Much more interesting and more accurate!

Another important consideration for these particular songs was scientific accuracy. We debated the accuracy of suggestions and made decisions about whether we felt comfortable with the line or needed to change it. For example, in our song from the point of view of the star, we discussed how it’s nuclear fusion, not fire, that creates the heat and light of a star, but we decided that the poetic use of “burn” worked for us. Toward the end of the same song, the star talked about dying and our first draft had these two lines: My light will fly away/But my brightness will stay. We discussed this and decided that we were okay with the poetic use of “fly away” in the first line, but that “my brightness will stay” could be misleading and contradicted the idea of the star dying. We talked about how the dying star’s energy wouldn’t ever disappear from the universe so we changed it to “My legacy will stay.”

The project, which involved taking unusual points of view, also helped to clarify, correct, or drive home concepts about astronomy that the students were learning in their science class. For example, in our song from the point of view of the moon, one student suggested that the moon would say, “I make the night.” This suggestion caused a lively discussion about the facts!  Does the moon actually cause the night? What causes night and day? As a class, we decided the moon couldn’t say that and discussed other alternatives.

Creative collaboration itself is a skill and the project enabled the students to experience the give and take of ideas and opinions. I appreciated how students often took risks by suggesting a line aloud that wasn’t a perfect fit, knowing that if we had something to work with we could collaborate and make it better. They also challenged each other in kind, polite ways.

Besides all that, students learned a few facts about about basic sound engineering–in one class, a question about the quality of the recording led us to talk about the physics of sound waves–as well as techniques for composing music, and how dynamics and energy can influence performance. Finally, many students used their artistic skills to submit topical illustrations, all of which were amazing, and some of which are displayed here.

Thanks to Ms. Fetrow, Ms. Coltrane, Ms. Puchales, Ms. Kudrick, Ms. Zariquiey, and PTA representative Clara Beshoar.

I shared a STEM song of my own with the students.

Sun’s Love Song–A song from the point of view of the sun speaking to Earth.

Download this song sheet to learn more about the science behind the song and see lyrics and chords: Lyrics & info

 

Free Skype Day 2020: March 25

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Every year, I offer one free Skype day for schools and take reservations for time slots for 15-minute Q&A on a first-come, first-served basis.

To schedule a free Q&A session, please email me info (at) maryamato (dot) com from your school/library email address with all of the following info listed in one message:

    • Preferred time (listing your time zone, please)
  • Your name and your skype name.
  • Name of school, snail mail address, and phone number of school or library
  • Grade level(s), size of audience, and which of my book(s) you’d like the Q/A to focus on.

If your session is approved, you will receive guidelines via email and your school name will be added to this schedule.

Skype Workshops

I also offer effective Skype workshops for classes, groups, and individuals. See more.

Rave Reviews

  • “The skype visit with Mary Amato was great and inspiring!” –Mary Litwinczuk,  Weaver Lake Elementary, MN
  • “We had a very successful Skype experience with Mary Amato. We did the two-part character creation workshop. We would like to schedule for the same time next February!” –Hope Preston, Gill St. Bernard’s School, NJ
  • “This afternoon was incredible! All 70 sixth graders were riveted to the screen while you were talking. I can’t thank you enough for all the wonderful things you shared with us about your writing process. What a truly inspiring discussion. One really neat coincidence was that I had just shared my writing notebook earlier in the morning and then you shared yours. The connections were flying like wild fire…You have made a wonderful lasting memory for so many students today.” –Franklin, WI 6th grade teacher
  • “My students loved her and I loved the way she subtly got across the message of ‘grit.’ She told students how important it is to revise written work… and how mistakes can be a fabulous opportunity for learning.” Patricia London, Media Specialist Avon Middle-High School, MA

From Students:

  • “I don’t like writing, but when Mary said that she did not like writing as a kid and now she is a author it encouraged me to want to learn how to write now. She let me know that I could be a great author some day.” – R.J.
  • “The thing that really was a life lesson and really inspiring was the quote she said – ‘The only way you fail is by not trying.’ – Laykin
  • “The Skype with Mary Amato taught me that if you jot something down you are more likely to remember it.” – Ava
  • “It was a great experience to meet Mary Amato, and talk to her about her writing process! Skyping is a very fun activity. I would love to do it again. It is fun to see different ways authors, like Mary Amato, create amazing books. So all in all I loved Skyping with Mary Amato.” – Bailey

In-Person Visits

Want information about actual, in-person visits with me? Go to: Workshops.

Humor and Heart

I give voice to the funny, sad, messy, and wondrous stories of life, especially the stories of children and young adults. My mission: each book has humor and heart. If you are a teen and/or you're looking for info about my books and music for older readers, please check out my www.thrumsociety.com site.
Learn more about my mission and resources.

Appearances and Private Lessons

See my appearance list and find out about private lessons via Skype or in person.

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