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Creative Writing
Taut, A Memoir
Synopsis
Dené Shelton is currently editing the first draft of her memoir, tentatively entitled Taut, and preparing a proposal for
agents and publishing. Taut is Dené's account of being born at the dawn of the Reagan era to young, southern, hyper-
religious military parents, and reveals what it means to be the middle girl child in recent rural Americana, the good girl
gone wrong after losing too much too young at the hands of a damaged family. Dené describes having split from her
origins, and presents modern urban life as the backdrop for leaving her past, her family and their way of life, behind.
Elevator Pitch
Taut is Bastard Out of Carolina (Allison) meets Valencia (Tea) meets Running With Scissors (Burroughs) meets A
Remarkable Work of Staggering Genius (Eggers). Rarely is a work written about this much experience with this much
perspective by an author this young. Taut is current, unexpected, very moving, occasionally funny, well written, and the
first draft is already completed. Feel free to contact Dené directly with inquiries regarding agents and/or publishing.
Creative Nonfiction Readings
Published Works
Creative Nonfiction
Additional Publications
Synopsis
Dené Shelton is currently editing the first draft of her memoir, tentatively entitled Taut, and preparing a proposal for
agents and publishing. Taut is Dené's account of being born at the dawn of the Reagan era to young, southern, hyper-
religious military parents, and reveals what it means to be the middle girl child in recent rural Americana, the good girl
gone wrong after losing too much too young at the hands of a damaged family. Dené describes having split from her
origins, and presents modern urban life as the backdrop for leaving her past, her family and their way of life, behind.
Elevator Pitch
Taut is Bastard Out of Carolina (Allison) meets Valencia (Tea) meets Running With Scissors (Burroughs) meets A
Remarkable Work of Staggering Genius (Eggers). Rarely is a work written about this much experience with this much
perspective by an author this young. Taut is current, unexpected, very moving, occasionally funny, well written, and the
first draft is already completed. Feel free to contact Dené directly with inquiries regarding agents and/or publishing.
Creative Nonfiction Readings
- Participant, RADAR Reading Series By Michelle Tea, San Francisco Public Library, CA, upcoming 2010
- Participant, Word World: Thesis Readings by Graduating Writers, Timken Hall, CCA, San Francisco, CA, 2009
- Co-Organizer, Word World: Thesis Readings by Graduating Writers, Timken Hall, CCA, San Francisco, CA, 2008
- Participant, MFA Readings, The Writing Studio, CCA, San Francisco, CA, 2007-2009
- Organizer and Participant, What I Did Over My Summer Vacation… PLAySPACE Gallery, CCA, San Francisco,
CA, 2008 - Co-Organizer, Word World: Thesis Readings by Graduating Writers, Timken Hall, CCA, San Francisco, CA, 2008
- Co-Organizer and Participant, Between Memory and Invention, PLAySPACE Gallery, CCA, San Francisco, CA,
2008 - Participant, Conceptions Southwest Contest Winners, R.B. Winnings Coffeeshop, Albuquerque, NM, 1999
Published Works
Creative Nonfiction
- A Walk in the Park, Criminal Class Press, San Francisco, CA, July 2009
- Taut: Excerpts From a Memoir, CCA Thesis Collection, San Francisco, CA, May 2009
- Before and After, NameCalling Magazine, San Francisco, CA, February 2009
Additional Publications
- The Dance (short fiction) and Lines (a photograph), Conceptions Southwest, Albuquerque, NM, May 1999