Benicia Literary Arts members want you to tell them your stories of Benicia.

Residents can email the organization to sign up for interviews April 25, or can show up that afternoon at the Doña Benicia Room of Benicia Public Library, said BLA member Carolyn Plath, who also is a regular contributor to The Herald.

“Your history, as a Benician, is part of the fabric of what makes our community what it is,” Plath said.

“Why you came here. Why you’ve stayed,” she continued, giving examples of questions that might unlock some of those community stories.

“Do you have a story related to Benicia’s history? Share a funny or odd incident that has happened to you here in your town. What’s your favorite thing to do in Benicia? What makes Benicia special for you?”

Plath said at the April 25 event, writers will listen to those stories, write them down and, after the event concludes, will send the stories back to those who shared them.

“All rights remain with the storytellers,” she added.

Should the literary organization decide to incorporate a story in an archive or publication, Benicia Literary Arts would contact the various storytellers and ask permission, Plath said.

But there are no current plans for going in that direction, said Linda Butler Hastings, another BLA member.

Instead, the exercise is an opportunity to promote writing in general, particularly by recording stories about Benicia and its residents as told by those who have lived those experiences, Hastings said.

Those who want to participate, either as storytellers or as writers, may email BLA at Benicia_Literary_Arts@yahoo.com and tell members they plan to attend, or they may simply show up at Benicia Public Library, 150 East L St., between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. April 25.

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