Pam Hersh - Connecting the Dots - A Seasoned Writer's Formula for Excellent Story-telling

My guest today will be very familiar to my Princeton audience.  Pam Hersh is Jersey through and through and has been a part of the fabric of this town for over 50 years.  She probably is best known for her writing, both for the Princeton Packet and now for TAPinto Princeton.  Her column, Loose Ends, is essential reading for anyone wanting to feel truly connected to this town!     

But of course, there is much more to Pam than what we’ve grown to appreciate through her writing or her penchant for walking everywhere, i.e., that she is colorful both in her writing and in her personal style. 

Pam shared that she wasn’t a natural born writer in the Hemingway sense, but rather as a story teller who can take her readers from point A to point B, while keeping them intrigued along the way. 

Luckily, she survived a potentially debilitating hand injury (learning to type with her left hand during recovery) and, counter-intuitively, used that setback to kickstart her writing career. 

We hear about how as a child, Nakita Khrushchev gave Pam nightmares, inspiring her to learn Russian.  And how later, as a writer, her investigations into cancer-causing water contamination led to a nationwide exposé. (And of course, a lot of stuff in between!)

One of the main take aways from our conversation is Pam’s concern for the future of local journalism.  She wishes more people would recognize its value and its importance in keeping communities educated, connected, engaged and aware. 

With all the negativity bombarding us every day, it’s Pam’s goal to focus on the positive, writing about people who are making good and constructive contributions to their community. (And to do it while they’re still alive!)

Please join us in our conversation!