The Maslow Family Graduate Creative Writing Program at Wilkes University Co-Hosts Reading at Barnes and Noble on Sept. 14

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WILKES-BARRE, PA (08/23/2018) The Maslow Family Graduate Creative Writing Program is co-sponsoring a reading of selections from the anthology I Am Strength: True Stories of Everyday Superwomen, edited by program alumna Alyssa Waugh, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 14 at the Kings/Wilkes Barnes & Noble Bookstore, 7 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre.

Waugh will be among those reading from their stories that appear in the anthology. The other readers are They are Lauren J. Sharkey, Wilkes alumna Trilby Greene, Bryne Lewis and Amber Hyder.

I Am Strength: True Stories of Everyday Superwomen is a non-fiction book of essays, poetry, and art, created by women, for women. Waugh edited stories by women to create the book and will be donating two- thirds of the proceeds from sales of this book will benefit No Means No Worldwide, whose goal is to create a rape-free world, and Girls Inc., inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. The final third will go to the publisher, the small press Waugh started, Blind Faith Books, to ensure they are capable of completing similar projects in the future.

"'I am strength' is a little daily reminder I give myself," Waugh said. "Whenever I have a big presentation or just a stressful, busy day ahead of me, or have something unpleasant to do, I try to remind myself 'You are Wonder Woman. You can do anything.' I want women to be able to look in the mirror and say 'I am strength,' and think, I can handle anything."

Waugh teaches at King's College and graduated from the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University with a Master's in Arts and a Master's in Fine Arts in creative writing with a concentration in fiction. She is a copy editor for Etruscan Press, a manuscript reader for the James Jones Novel Fellowship and also teaches fiction writing workshops at Wilkes University. Waugh published Hell's Laughter, a collection of horror and fantasy stories about women's issues, in October 2017.

About Wilkes University:

Wilkes University is an independent institution of higher education dedicated to academic and intellectual excellence through mentoring in the liberal arts, sciences and professional programs. Founded in 1933, the university is on a mission to create one of the great small universities, offering all of the programs, activities and opportunities of a large, research university in the intimate, caring and mentoring environment of a small, liberal arts college, at a cost that is increasingly competitive with public universities. The Economist named Wilkes 25th in the nation for the value of its education for graduates. In addition to 47 undergraduate majors, Wilkes offers 25 master's degree programs and five doctoral/terminal degree programs, including the doctor of philosophy in nursing, doctor of nursing practice, doctor of education, doctor of pharmacy, and master of fine arts in creative writing. Learn more at www.wilkes.edu.