WORKSHOP NOTE:  I am nearing the end of my Pakistan memoir—only a few chapters to go—and I want to ask some of you, especially those who shared my experience or were involved in some way—if you have anything to add. My memories really are quite vague. My brother Dewey has shared some stories from a boy’s perspective which I hope to add. My cousin Jim Boelkins has written of the experience from the Grand Rapids family perspective as they supported us with goods, letters and much more. My sister Julia, five years my junior, doesn’t remember much and seems to enjoy seeing those years through my eyes—she was almost the same age when we left as I was when we arrived. Others of you may have your own stories, questions or corrections—Marty, the next two chapters are about you! When I’m finished I am hoping to add a few photos and submit my story to an agent or publisher. If I don’t succeed in that, I’ll publish it myself, the advantage of which is speed: I can have it out in under six months, whereas a commercial publisher will take two years.

Your thoughts?