Martha tod dudman biography sample
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Augusta, Gone
Martha Tod Dudman knew her teenage daughter, Augusta, was in serious trouble long before she accepted it. Like many parents, Dudman did not want to confront her daughter's out-of-control behavior --the smoking, the drugs, the bulimia, the disappearing for days at a time. With courageous honesty, Augusta, Gone: A True Story transports readers to the front lines of a family pushed to the breaking point, and deftly exhumes the profound depths of parental love.
Discussion questions
1. Worry about teenagers has been a constant in modern society, but with broken families, school shootings, and legions of lost children, the dangers seem more pronounced than ever. How does Augusta, Gone reflect these concerns? Is the book a comfort? A beacon of hope for families still working through their own tough times?
2. A generational theme runs through Augusta, Gone. Martha Tod Dudman recalls her own turbulent adolescence and troubles with her own mom: "I'm up against it. My own past and my fearful motherhood." Might Augusta's troubles be a form of retribution for Martha's classic "boomer" behavior? Do you think that this generation, as a group, has failed their children?
3. "There were things that started to happen," Dudman recalls of her daughter's descent into a
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by Cheryl Dellasega, Ph.D.
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Dudman, Martha Tod –
PERSONAL: Born January 4, , in St. Louis, MO; daughter of Richard Beebe (a journalist) and Helen (a public relations director; maiden name, Sloane) Dudman; divorced; children: Georgia Manning, Richard Francis. Education: Antioch College, B.A.,
ADDRESSES: Home—East Harbor, ME. Agent—Betsy Lerner, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner, 27 W. 20th St., Ste. , New York, NY
CAREER: Writer. During early career, worked as a teacher; former president and general manager, Dudman Communications Corp. (broadcasting company), –99; currently a professional fundraiser for nonprofit groups.
MEMBER: National Association of Broadcasters (member of board of directors), Bangor Rotary Club (vice president).
WRITINGS:
Dawn (novella and short stories), Puckerbrush Press (Orono, ME),
Augusta, Gone: A True Story (memoir), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY),
Expecting to Fly: A Sixties Reckoning, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY),
Contributor to periodicals, including Puckerbrush Review and New York Times.
SIDELIGHTS: Martha Tod Dudman is a writer whose own life provides ample grist for books on parenting and growing up in wild times. Her publications include Augusta, Gone: A True Story, a memoir that recounts her traumatic relationship with her