Saved By A Story: Empowering Writers From Diverse Backgrounds

By EVE KAPLAN | Intern

Whether you love writing or not, listening to stories will give you a nuanced perspective. That was Palisadian Kathleen Katims’ goal when she created Saved By A Story.

Saved By A Story was founded on the idea of “barn raising:” When a neighbor is in need, everyone comes together and helps that person. The idea came to Katims when she took over the parent newsletter at her daughter’s school to foster community among the parents. She invited them to gather at salons, where they would share deep conversations.

“People who wrote, sung or told their stories said they learned more about themselves by participating,” according to the website. “That’s how Saved By A Story was born. These gatherings were food for the soul. Kathy felt compelled to create a storytelling series that would delight, entertain, build bridges between strangers, inspire people to write and tell their stories, and, in doing so, build community.”

Saved By A Story began with workshops for people in need, foster youth, women, teens in recovery and under-resourced youth.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, these workshops opened up to writers as well.

Saved By A Story strives to empower writers from diverse backgrounds. Each event is dedicated to fun and storytelling while raising money for social causes and nonprofits as a track to create change. The workshops follow the guideline “start writing and keep writing.”

Katims said Saved By A Story took a hiatus from salons since they were located in her backyard; a fire prohibited use of that space. A few salons have been done electronically since.

One was done for the upcoming election for Fair Fight and Black Lives Matter. Another was hosted for Creative Artists Agency.

To date, Saved By A Story has raised $166,000 for local nonprofits, most recently raising $30,000 for Exceptional Minds, an organization that supports young adults on the spectrum becoming animators.

Growing up modestly in New York City, Katims said she wants to “pinch” herself given how fortunate she is to reside on the Palisades bluffs. She sees how connected and opportunity-filled the Palisades is, and wants to extend that privilege to others.

Katims attended college for graphic design, and later went to graduate school to write, penning short stories of her own and a memoir. She said she uses writing as a way to “express herself” and looks to empower others to do the same.

A lover of reading, Katims shared that she is inspired by John Steinbeck, Ann Patchett and Joan Didion, as she loves all different types of writers.

Saved By A Story: The Workshops are slated to begin the week of September 5. Those interested can choose from The Workshop, a fiction and non-fiction workshop, and a follow-up workshop: Deepening The Story.

“Ten writers of all levels come together on Zoom to dive into their stories using timed writing prompts,” according to the website. “You have five or seven or 10 minutes, just enough time to outpace the inner critic that lives inside all of us and percolate your imagination, your memory, embolden your voice and ignite your creativity. The main guideline. Start. Keep going.”

For more information, visit savedbyastory.com.