Thanks From Melissa M.

Last evening we had our first local reading at The Seven Stones Café in Media. I would like to thank them for having us, and for the great lattes. The café provided a cozy and comfortable atmosphere for us to host the reading. It was also wonderful to have friends and family attend.

Special thanks to our readers, Strath Haven students and graduates. Marco Kopac read 'Smash' from Part 1 of the book; Rama Hamarneh read 'Samson' from Part 2; Lia Rosalksky read 'Talk to Me' from Part 2; and Jane Rohrer read 'Pedestal' from Part 4. They are all very talented.

Also, thanks to my mom, Judy; dad, George; and brother, Matt; my friend and talented cover artist Rich; and friends Katie and Fran. I also had some lovely surprises: my friends Anne, Janell, and Jeff whom I haven't seen in years all came to support my sister and I at the reading. It means so much to me.

(It's quite ironic when you get a bunch of the nicest people in the world together to discuss meanness! :)

Memoirs of Meanness by Sara McDermott and Melissa McDermott

What does "mean" mean to you?

Professional writers and high school students alike have answered that question in Memoirs of Meanness, an anthology that takes an intensely personal look at how mean behavior evolves throughout our lives. Several authors have written about their experiences with both being mean and being other people’s targets, and others have written short fictional pieces or poems on the subject.

Meanness is a topic we can all relate to, but each story is unique!

To order a copy of the book, click here. To share your own mean experience with us online, please write to pergolapublishing@yahoo.com or comment on the blog.

What to do: Share your experience, short story, or poem about meanness. If you are guilt- ridden about knocking some poor kid’s blocks down in nursery school and would like to apologize, feel free!

What not to do: Insult or abuse a fellow human being, or share incriminating evidence.