Annual Christmas Party and Read-a-Thon

All DIAG members are welcome to attend this party and bring a short selection of work to read aloud for the group. Guests are welcome. You can come just to listen, too. More information is posted below. Hope you can be there! It's a great event! :D

At Melanie and Joe Milburn’s house
3 Derby Drive, Durango 81303

Please bring an hors d’oeuvre, a snack and B.Y.O.B

The host will provide an hors d’oeuvre, soft drinks and
hot apple cider

Please email Melanie to let her know if you plan to attend (melaniemilburn16@gmail.com)

Directions: From Durango, head East on Hwy 160 towards Bayfield. Go 2.6 miles past Elmore’s Corner, and turn RIGHT onto County Road 225A. Go .5 mile to a stop sign, and turn LEFT onto CR 510. Go 1.6 miles and turn LEFT on to Sundance Hills Road. Go .6 miles and turn LEFT on to Rail Road. Go to the “T” and turn LEFT on to Rain Drop. Go to the “T” and turn LEFT on to Derby Drive. We are the last House on the right.
Phone # 769-4751

SUGGESTIONS FOR READERS Prepare and Rehearse! (1) Plan on a total segment of not more than ten minutes. Say, 30 seconds to introduce the piece; 7 or 8 minutes to read; the remainder to answer any questions. (2) ‘Audition’ your own work to find a piece your audience will enjoy and get caught up in. (3) From your manuscript, print a script. Work with large print (e.g., 14 or even 16 point type). Double-space the copy so you can underline or highlight as needed. For those of us who are, ahem, more mature, if the print is large enough maybe we won’t need those reading glasses. (4) REHEARSE! Practice reading head up in a clear, open voice. The secret of rehearsing is to replicate as closely as possible all aspects of the real thing, so stand up to read. There will be a lectern front and center at the Read-A-Thon. Remember to make eye contact with each member of your audience. (5) TIME YOURSELF, keeping in mind the time constraints. 7 or 8 minutes of reading is about right. (6) Inevitably there will be words you’ll stumble over on the first run-through. Mark them so they don’t catch you unaware the next time. Look for key words to emphasize, phrases that might need an extra little something in interpretation. Mark them on your copy. (7) Work on your breathing. Breathe from the diaphragm (belly), not the rib cage (chest). Look for natural places to take a breath and mark them on your script. That will avoid gasping in the middle of a sentence, or running-words-together-to-get-to-the-end-for-a-gulp-of-air. On the day, before standing up to read take a few breaths to relax yourself, deep and slow, in and out—especially OUT, to clear your lungs of CO2. (8) If you can record yourself on a video camera, terrific! If not, maybe a small tape recorder. Or you could rehearse in front of a mirror. You’ll see or hear things you never anticipated. (9) Don’t rehearse just ONCE. You’ll get best results if you space out rehearsals—say, once a day for several days before the event. (10) Enjoy the experience! We're a friendly group.