2018 Viewpoints Series Begins March 5
Ilona Duncan chronicled her experiences in memoir
Through writing a memoir, Ilona Duncan was able to come to terms with her heritage and her distasteful feelings about growing up in postwar Germany. She’ll share memories, stories of accepting the past, and her experiences as a writer with a talk, “Divorce and Reconciliation with My Homeland,” kicking off the 2018 Viewpoints series at RWC.
Duncan was born in Germany and graduated at 19 with a degree in Latin and science. Rather than enter university there, however, her profound dislike of her country caused her to leave. “I wanted to divorce my homeland. I didn’t like what happened to Germany under Hitler.” So she moved to Paris, and began an adventurous life that eventually included working as a translator, a Pan Am stewardess and a language teacher for Berlitz (she is fluent in six languages).
Duncan moved to the relative quiet of the Northern Neck 14 years ago, and in her spare time, enrolled in a writing class. That experience spurred her to tell her story, resulting in a memoir, “My Jewish Great Grandmother.” The book allowed her to examine her family, her beliefs and her background, and ultimately come to terms with Germany.
At the RWC talk, Duncan will discuss the writing process and how she developed her book, weaving in her life story “I want to make people understand what it was like to live in Germany after the war,” she explains. Duncan’s gift for storytelling was recognized with an honorary mention in the Soul-Making Keats Literary Competition.
RWC’s Viewpoints series features experts on a wide range of topics of current interest. These free presentations begin at 11 a.m. and are held on the first Monday of the month through June 4 in the Chesapeake Center Auditorium on RWC’s campus, 132 Lancaster Dr., Irvington.
Reservations for the March 5 event will begin on Feb. 19 by calling RWC at 438-4000. Attendees are invited to remain after the presentations for a complimentary lunch. Reservations open for each speaker two weeks prior to the event. RWC maintains a waiting list and honors reservations in the order received. Separate reservations must be made for each speaking event in the Viewpoints series.
This year’s line-up includes an all-female cast. Other speakers include:
April 2: Nancy Travers, radio personality
May 7: Carolyn Quinn, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
June 4: Dr. Cheryl Brown Davis, music educator