A warm and hearty greetings to Racine. I want to thank ArtRoot, the Racine Literacy Council, and the Osborne & Scekic Family Foundation for allowing me the opportunity to be the Racine Writer-In-Residence from now through June 2019.

Although there is a short biography of me posted on this site, I suppose I should begin my tenure by introducing myself. I am a native Kenoshan who has lived in Germany, Madison, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orange County, and Napa, CA. I moved back to Kenosha a dozen years ago to help take care of my elderly parents. They have both passed on. I am preparing to return to CA and resume my work in narrative historical film and television. But first, I must finalize affairs here. While I am doing this, the opportunity arose to be the Writer-In-Residence. I couldn’t resist it.

What kind of writer am I? I am a non-fiction writer with a background in documentary television, journalism, and history writing. Learn more at larsonman.com.

So, what am I to do as the “Writer-In-Residence”? One of my responsibilities is to do a public event. As I am a non-fiction writer, we are thinking that it will be a discussion of the various types of non-fiction writing informed by my experience with it. This looks like it will happen in early June. We’ll keep you posted.

Another responsibility is to be “In-Residence” somewhere. That “somewhere” is going to be at The Branch at 1501 Washington Ave. I will be there 2-3 days a week. The days and hours have not yet been firmly established. Currently it looks like I’ll be present on Wednesdays in the later afternoon; from 3-4pm to 7-8pm (when people get off work) and Tuesday, or Thursday, or Friday from about 10am-2pm. When the hours get locked down, we will announce it. They may be somewhat flexible depending on circumstances.

The final responsibility is to post a weekly blog. I will endeavor to be consistent with this. Ironically, as a writer, I feel this is the most challenging of the three duties. Why? Because writing is always a challenge (or at least good writing is a challenge).

What will be the subject of my blogs?
I suppose I could repeatedly wax philosophic about the beauty and necessity of non-fiction writing or chronicle my trials and tribulations with the same. But, I think that might get tiresome after a while, maybe right away.

As a non-fiction writer, it occurs to me to write non-fiction, and to write about or profile people, events, and organizations in the Uptown Racine area.

I look forward to meeting and interacting with the artists and writers of Racine as well as “normal people” and talk to them about writing.

Below: Photo of a girl giving the “V for Victory” sign on the barrel of a destroyed tank at a demonstration in Benghazi, Libya in the summer of 2011, during the revolt against Gadaffi.

Photo By: Ron Larson