Writing Workshops My most frequently requested programs: *DIY Publishing It's either personal or business. *Jersey Chronicles rites of passage. *Red Hot Words writing about the new you. *Travel Tales sharpen your powers of observation! *Tree of Life how to recount family history. *Memories to Memoirs how to get started, keep going, get finished! *The Persuasive Opinion from ranting blog to hard-copy respectability: how to write op-ed essays. *Teen Writing finding the guts to be original instead of cut-paste- and-plagiarize from the Internet. ****************** Looking for a writing coach? Consider this review about the 60 sidebars in "Asbury Park's Glory Days": "Ms. Pike spares neither villain nor hero in her saga of her favorite resort. There are mobsters and stand-up clergymen; showgirls and shopkeepers; restaurateurs with class and the classy people who kept them in business. Most of all, there are the little stories told by just plain folks interspersed throughout Ms. Pike's historical narrative." ~ New York Times ******************* Want your own editorial consultation? Send e-mail: helen@ **********************  Helen's most oft-requested lecture! "How Jersey Are You?" Ideal for all generations and for newcomers to New Jersey. To book her: 908-489-1830. Real Estate Bio 1976: spring semester of my sophmore year at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, a town that three years earlier received its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. I studied American cultural history with nationally noted preservation Dr. Charles Hosmer; topics included how the public used land for dwellings, to build local economies, and for leisure. 1976: summer college internship at the Asbury Park Press, working for Herb Nebel, editor of the Business/ 1978-1982: municipal reporter for the Asbury Park Press; covered local Planning and Zoning Boards of Adjustment in northern and coastal Monmouth County. 1983:wrote my master’s thesis at the Graduate School of Journalism/ 1983-1984: covered a variety of land-use hearings about property conversion ~ potato farms to vacation homes; oyster sheds to condos ~ on the North Fork of Long Island for the "Suffolk Times" in Greenport. First by-lined article in the "New York Times" appeared in 1984 in which I profiled the struggles of Fishers Island, NY, to sustain a year-round community on an island of very-old money that only summered there. 1992-1997: international travel writer and photographer for the "Boston Herald"; wrote principally about how destinations were history to attract vacationers to boost their local economy. 1995 to present: researched and authored 7 books (currently working on 8th about economic development in New Jersey that includes an examination of real estate development). 1995: Images of America: Eatontown and Fort Monmouth published. First local book that traced how fields and farms were converted to suburban villages and a military base known for its electronics command. 1996: Images of Aemrica: West Long Branch. This first of a 2-volume set looked at "the town" which established its independence in 1908; West Long Branch Revisted looks as "the country" estates that now constitute most of Monmouth University, making this a "gown" community. 1997 Images of America: Asbury Park published. First independently researched book ever done on Asbury Park. Its 5 chapters lay out how the coastal city was developed as a series of neighborhoods we recognize today; Cha. 1 in “The Pioneers” includes a look at Springwood Avenue and how the original southwest neighborhood known as the West Side began. 2004-2005 lectured in the Geography of Tourism at Monmouth University. Students learned how to identify the conflicting relationships between residents and visitors in regions around the world where tourism is being used as an economic driver. 2005Asbury Park’s Glory Days: The Story of an American Resort 1890-1980. Examines 90 years of development: * real estate forces that shaped the East and West Sides of Main Street (Cha. 1 &2); * amusements on and off the Boardwalk (Cha. 3); * entertainment on both sides of Main Street (Cha. 4); * hotels and restaurants on both sides of Main (Cha. 5); * retail on and off Main (Cha. 6); * racial and ethnic groups that comprised the year-round population and how they lived together in Asbury Park in the off-season. |
Projects Manasquan bungalows, circa 1920. And most important of all, who wants to put them out of business? This is Helen's new project. Her co-author is retired New Jersey State Senator Frank "Pat" Dodd. This narrative history is equal parts mystery and moxie as it uncovers a family secret of liquor and liberation during Prohibition. Helen and Pat are curious to know: do you want its contents stirred or shaken? Post a comment on the 'Talk' section!  This page goes through bouts of re-construction. Thanks for understanding! Ticket to Ride Pitch Men Movie Mystery Something About Mary Dark City/Light City Asbury Park Back Story and Sand In Our Shorts Jersey Shore Sketches Sleeping With George No Daddy, Not Today Resort or Residential: What are we? Whose Daughter Am I? Is your PTA or church youth group interested in sponsoring a printing of this workbook for a fund raiser? Greetings From New Jersey: A Workbook for Young Adventurers is Helen's second stint writing with families in mind. For three years she produced a weekly column for "The Boston Herald" titled "Kids' Trips". This fun-filled learning activities book is 68 pages. Among the features in all 6 chapters: * reading about history * math word problems based on the state's most popular assets * journal writing * puzzle pieces for the 21 counties * drawing * projects -- for independent or group work -- from designing a model city using Paterson to writing a restaurant menu using Jersey Fresh produce and a nutrition chart * a resource page for on-site discoveries Retail price: $14.95. Ask about the publishing plan that details how to adapt the New Jerse template to the other 49 states? E-mail: helen@ ****************************************************** |
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