Though her talent arguably is using the written word, Amye Barrese Archer loudly advocates sharing local talent and is perhaps best known for her public speaking events.
The East Mountain resident and mother of twin girls is the creator of Prose in Pubs, the organized but informal readings of poetry and prose held regularly at Jack's Draft House in Scranton's Hill Section.
Mrs. Archer also is an adjunct professor of creative writing and college writing at numerous area colleges, including Marywood University, the University of Scranton, Keystone College and Penn State Worthington Scranton and an accomplished writer.
Turned to teaching
A graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor's degree in English and with two master's degrees in writing from Wilkes University under her belt, Mrs. Archer originally worked in news as traffic manager for the former WYOU-TV. After she gave birth to her daughters, Mrs. Archer turned to teaching, which she said is more dynamic professionally.
"I like the change. Each semester is new," she said. "New kids, new challenges."
The highlight of helping young people with their writing, she added, is when she is able to help them find their own voices.
"When you reach that one kid and encourage someone in their career, it makes it worth it," Mrs. Archer said.
And she practices what she preaches. Mrs. Archer published a book of poetry titled "A Shotgun Life," which tells the story of her journey into motherhood, and has written a memoir called "Fat Girl Skinny," detailing the emotional effects of having lost an extraordinary amount of weight through the Weight Watchers program. She also started the "Fat Girl Blog" online, where she talks about body image and provides a place for others to come together and share their feelings.
"I don't write fiction because I don't have a very good imagination," Mrs. Archer laughed. "I just write what I know. It's the way I feel most comfortable."
Though she comes from a family of artists (dad is a painter and cartoonist, and her sister is a fine art photographer in New York City), Mrs. Archer also had help from her mentor, Beverly Donofrio, who wrote the memoir "Riding in Cars with Boys," which was later turned into a feature film starring Drew Barrymore. She maintains a friendly relationship with the author and even manages her Facebook page.
When she isn't teaching, raising her family, or working on her own material, Mrs. Archer contributes to the literary periodical "PANK" magazine as its reviews editor. With access to a vast collection of samples, mostly from independent presses, Mrs. Archer is able to help match readers to tomes she thinks will resonate with them.
"I always say it's like the eHarmony of literature," she joked.
Prose in Pubs
Perhaps her greatest contribution to the area, however, is Prose in Pubs, which makes original writing accessible to the public. The idea came to Mrs. Archer more than a year ago as she was sitting in Jack's Draft House with her husband, Timmy, and was inspired by the venue.
"I just said, 'This place would be a great place for a reading,'" she explained, and with support from the owners, it has blossomed into a celebrated and well-attended event. The first Prose in Pubs drew a crowd of about 50 people, greatly exceeding her original expectations.
Readers are always pre-selected, Mrs. Archer added, though she makes sure to leave a slot or two for local writers. In the future, she plans on tying the events to local causes to raise money, after she successfully raised several hundred dollars for flood victims at a past Prose in Pubs.
Helping her neighbors in Northeast Pennsylvania is something that just seems to come naturally for Mrs. Archer, as her determination to encourage area writers also indicates.
"I just feel like there's so many talented people in Scranton right now," she said. "There's such an outpouring of creativity and people who are hungry for that. I think we need to keep that momentum going."
Contact the writer: pwilding@timesshamrock.com; and @pwildingTT on Twitter
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Meet Amye Barrese Archer
At home: Lives in East Mountain section with her husband, Timmy, and their twin daughters, Samantha and Penelope
At work: Adjunct professor of creative writing and college writing at Marywood University, Keystone College, Penn State Worthington Scranton and the University of Scranton
Inspirations: "I'm very influenced by my family's history, and ancestry on all levels. Mostly the stories of the women in my family."
Aspirations: To continue writing and earn a living from it
Diversions: "I'm obsessed with politics"; plus, creating art of any kind, such as painting or photography; and reading.
Aversions: Ignorance and uninformed people; plus birds and bees, to which she is allergic and of which she also is afraid.
Quote: "We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - President Barack Obama
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