I am Mark Pumphrey, a new retiree who writes creatively as a participant El Paso’s Tumblewords Writers Project; in writing classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Texas at El Paso; and through an intensive online Advanced Master Writers’ Class provided by KMP Entertainment and taught by the company’s COO, Michelle Murray.. (I wrote a novel as a class project I will be pitching to a panel of entertainment industry reps in early April, 2021). I am also working with Greg Thompson, an El Paso-based actor/director/writer/voice coach and theater instructor at UTEP at his ActorsStudio in El Paso. I am primarily a voice student under Greg.
My last job was as Director of Libraries for the City of El Paso. I am on numerous community and professional boards (too many!) and I am planning to open a used bookstore where I will also sell desert plants and the encaustic art of my husband and partner for the past thirty years, Jean-Claude Linossi, a native of Strasbourg, France.
I was born and raised in rural central Kentucky and have lived in South Dakota, South Carolina, North Carolina and now far West Texas in the Chihuahua Desert, thirty miles from the New Mexico border and just across the Rio Grande River from Ciudad de Juarez, Mexico. El Paso lies at the southern end of the Rocky Mountains and the Franklin Mountains split the city into three parts: East, Central (including Downtown and the Segundo Barrio near the international Bridges) and West, where we live. The mountains provide a wealth of hiking trails and other outdoor activities.
About 80% Latino, El Paso is also a sanctuary city that has representation from many different world. nationalities, groups whose ancestors often originally arrived here as refugees, giving the city a decided feel of tolerance, liberality, festivity,, and internationalism that we love. The nation’s largest military base, Ft. Bliss, is also located here.
I am happy to discover Stage 32, one of a number of resources for writers that have been introduced by Michelle to her class!
Hey, Mark E Pumphrey! My name is Kay, I'm the Community Manager here at Stage 32. If you'd like to learn more about myself and the Stage32 Team, we have an intro blog: https://www.stage32.com/blog/Meet-the-Stage-32-Team Nice to meet you and welcome to the community!
What a lovely introduction, thank you so much for sharing! I was looking over your profile, but you don't have much there. Maybe you could use some of this post to help build up your bio! Are your scripts set in El Paso? I'd love to see more of this "sanctuary city"!
I’m sure you’ve already discovered the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting), but definitely reach out on the Acting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/acting) for insight into characters, dialogue, and even when you want to generate interest in a virtual table read!
Keep in mind that these lounges are like the VIP Filmmaker's Lounges at Film Festivals, so this is where you can meet the people doing the work, get advice on anything you're working on, and/or give back to those who may need advice. We're a very supportive and encouraging community! I think you'd also enjoy my intro blog post on how to engage with the Stage32 Community:
https://www.stage32.com/blog/Find-Your-Community-on-Stage-32
Enjoy exploring the lounges, and don't forget to comment and respond to others’ posts, too! It's the best way to really connect! And, of course, feel free to reach out at any time. Cheers!