Fern Schumer Chapman - Author Presentations

Fern Schumer Chapman presents the making of Motherland. She tells of how her mother's experience was transferred to her, how she and her mother were received by the Germans during their three trips in 1990, 1995, and 2000, and ultimately, how these experiences transformed their mother/daughter relationship. This presentation can include slides from the trips.

Fern Schumer Chapman presents a discussion on the aftershocks of genocide. While genocide is a political act, it is transferred through families as the losses reverberate in those relationships. This discussion fulfills the state requirement of teaching the Holocaust in the classroom. Genocide and the Holocaust become real to students as FSC tells her personal story of legacy.

By recounting her own experience writing Motherland, author Fern Schumer Chapman inspires students to mine their own lives for stories. She teaches the art of storytelling, from construction to character building. Her goal is to help students develop their own sense of identity through story.

Designed specifically for aspiring writers, Fern Schumer Chapman will help participants develop methods and techniques to help bring stories to life. She will discuss the process of writing and publishing a book and the importance of narrative and storytelling in processing memory and forming identity.

"Thank you for telling the two stories that frame your life - your mother's departure from Germany and the void that her experience left you. Thank you for relating the return to Germany with its multifaceted nuances. Thank you for bringing your mother's tea set and projecting us back to the past...As we move away from the period that framed the Holocaust, new carriers must tell the stories of their family and friends so that the next generation will know and learn. You are the next generation. From you, we will know and grow."

Rachel Koch, Program Associate
Phredd Matthewswall, Assistant National Director for Staff Development
Chuck Meyers, Senior Program Associate
Facing History and Ourselves
Chicago, Illinois

James Olney, Henry J. Voorhies Professor of English
Co-Editor, Southern Review
Louisiana State University and organizer of the Conference on Memory and Narrative
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

"The feedback from your lecture has been outstanding! I continue to receive phone calls and positive comments even now."

Margaret Plaskas, Arts and Ideas Program Coordinator
Waubonsee College
Sugar Loaf, Illinois

"Ragdale has sponsored many readings over the years and I am happy to say that yours is a standout...Thank you for such a magical morning. May there be many more."

Sylvia Brown
Director of Marketing and Programming
The Ragdale Foundation
Lake Forest, Illinois

"The response to your talk was rapt silence, the audience hanging on every word. I even saw several people wiping a tear as they listened to your story of dislocation, discovery and reclamation."

"Your story touches on many levels - as a journey for truth and understanding and as an exploration of mother-daughter issues. We are honored to have you with us and to share your thoughts with us."

Madonna Lee Edmunds, Principal
Woodlands Academy (parochial high school for girls)
Lake Forest, Illinois

"People are still talking about how much they enjoyed your speech...Motherland touched my life in a deeply profound way and I thank you for finding the courage within to share your family story."

Barbara Pinny
The Haverford School (high school for boys)
Haverford, Pennsylvania

"We all entered the experiences you describe more deeply and with greater understanding as a result of your talk."

"You were fabulous! Everyone loved meeting you and listening to your story. Your slides were great, but most of all your earnestness and sincerity shines through."

Ellen Gussin
National Council for Jewish Women
North Shore Chapter, Highland Park, Illinois

"I have received nothing but rave reviews from those attending your program. Everyone was captivated by the book."

Shari Lipp-Levine
Special Projects Coordinator
Congregation Beth-El Zedeck
Indianapolis, Indiana