After graduating from UR in 2001, Sarah returned to her hometown of Boston in 2003 and now lives in Somerville, MA. After several years of being a freelance writer, she began a graduate program at Emerson College, where she is a Presidential Fellow, pursuing her Master’s Degree in Journalism. Along with publishing two novels, she’s the Head Writer for ImprovBoston and is writing a few shows for them that will premiere in the upcoming season, as well as teaching comedy writing classes.
Can you tell us about your novels?
“My first novel it’s called ‘My 15 Minutes,’ and is a Hollywood satire. The second novel is called ‘Tears of a Class Clown,’ and is about the female bartender at a stand-up comedy club, who gets invited to her high school reunion. ‘My 15 Minutes’ was inspired by my work as a film and television production assistant, which I did while at UR and also for a few years after graduating.
‘Tears’ is about the realm of stand-up comedy, and I took a lot of inspiration from the comics I’ve worked with, been friends with and dated. It’s also about the repercussions of being a woman in a mostly-male environment, which I can definitely relate to, having worked in film and TV and being a comedy writer. It’s tough to be a chick in comedy.”
Are you doing what you planned to do after you left UR?
“I majored in Film and Media Studies and minored in Art History. I didn’t really have a plan, which is not a good idea, kids. Make the people at the Career Center your best friends. I suppose I always envisioned working in the entertainment industry, so in a way I’m doing that, but I never in a million years imagined that I would publish a novel, much less two novels, both within five years of graduating. Creative writing was a serendipitous, post-grad discovery.”
If you could redo anything from your time at UR, what would you change?
“I often wish I had gotten more involved with clubs and activities. Don’t get me wrong – I was a very busy lady. I am a member of Alpha Phi sorority, I co-founded the a capella group After Hours (which used to be called Charivari), and I did some stuff with the TV Club. But I think there’s a lot of merit to being as involved with other students as much as possible, especially to explore a diverse range of interests. I wish I had auditioned for plays, gotten involved with the student government, written for the paper. I was kind of afraid to try things that I didn’t have any experience with, and I really regret not taking any risks in order to learn new things.”
What advice could you give current UR students?
“The people around you are important additions to your life. Whether it’s your friends, neighbors from the dorm or your favorite professors, these people will make a huge impact on you both personally and professionally. Post-graduate networking is SO important, especially when you’re looking for your first job, so don’t burn any bridges. And, once you get wherever your path leads you, be as helpful to younger UR alums as older ones were to you.”
Myers can be reached at smyers@campustimes.org.
