On Monday, April 8th, 2019 I had the privilege of attending a fiction reading by Sherrie Flick from 6 to 7 pm in Penn State Harrisburg’s Gallery Lounge. Described by fellow author Steve Almond as a “sublime noticer,” Flick is the author of I Call This Flirting, Reconsidering Happiness, Whiskey, Etc., and her latest work, Thank Your Lucky Stars. Primarily a writer of short stories, Flick also lectures at Chatham University for the MFA and Food Studies programs in addition to freelance writing and copy editing. A native and current resident of the Pittsburgh area, she is currently at work on a narrative nonfiction book exploring place and displacement within the city itself.

But we’re not just here to talk about Sherrie Flick’s numerous accomplishments or her past and present works. We’re here to talk about a reading! On the night in question, the crowd was made up of only a few students and Penn State Harrisburg faculty members, which gave rise to a more intimate atmosphere. Between reading selections from her short story collections Thank Your Lucky Stars and Whiskey, Etc., Flick regaled the audience with brief anecdotes about the real-life events that inspired stories such as “How I Left Ned,” “Pittsburgh Women,” and “What It Would Look Like.” Beyond being an excellent writer and reader, Flick was charming and funny and related well to the audience.

One of the things I’ve noticed, having attended several readings during the course of my college career, is how interesting it is to listen to published authors talk about the pieces they’ve written. Because, at the end of the day, there’s not much difference between them and us beyond experience and time. They approach their writing much like students do, taking bits and pieces from their lives or the things they hear and see and putting them in their back pockets to use later. Flick, in particular, talked a lot about the little details. While not necessarily someone who is trying to write creative nonfiction, she mentioned that a huge part of her process is just observing, which is part of what Steve Almond picked up on when reviewing Thank Your Lucky Stars.

Even if realistic fiction is not usually your cup of tea – it certainly isn’t mine – Flick has a way of forcing you to appreciate the mundane without coming across as pushy or heavy-handed. Whether it’s faux farmers and their bulk corn sales or a clock running backward in the wake of a thunderstorm, she is able to pick up on the quirky, minute aspects of life that only a trained eye can see. Better yet, she is able to successfully translate those elements into her fiction. To hear her talk about her process, how she focuses on a place or an object and tries to create something around specific, concrete items was inspiring. While I’m a more character-driven writer personally, it’s always fascinating to hear other writers’ perspectives, and there were certainly aspects of Flick’s process which I hope to apply to my own writing in the future.

Want to read some of Sherrie Flick’s writing yourself or simply curious about her work? Be sure to check out sherrieflick.com for more info!