PESHTIGO – Hailing from Peshtigo, author and film script consultant Dr. Linda Seger drew from her small-town roots to find inspiration and stability in her career that led her to Hollywood and beyond. In her latest novel “Unpacking: A Memoir” Dr. Seger recounts her life experiences and impactful moments.
Although many of her friends and colleagues along the way had suggested that Dr. Seger write a book, it wasn’t an idea she took to heart for quite some time.
It wasn’t until two years later that she began the process of writing her memoir, taking a thematic approach instead of writing chronologically.
The title of Dr. Seger’s book came from a conversation she had with a friend who told her, “You’re really unpacking these events and relationships and trying to look at how they influenced you and what they really meant.”
This idea of unpacking her life and experiences carried itself through the year she spent writing the book.
“Part One: The Foundations of My Life” opens Dr. Seger’s memoir, in which she delves into her life growing up in 1940s and 50s-era Peshtigo.
“I had a very stable childhood. My father [Linus Seger] was the pharmacist and owned the drug store in town. My mom [Agnes Seger] was the piano/voice teacher and a kindergarten teacher,” she reminisced, adding that “my parents were much loved.”
As much as Dr. Seger loved the small town life of Peshtigo and the people around her; she knew she was destined for bigger horizons.
“I just had this sense that I wanted to get out there, but I didn’t necessarily know what ‘out there’ was,” she said.
It wasn’t until Dr. Seger was 13 when she traveled to Colorado with her parents and sister, Holly, where she saw the wider world and fell in love with the state.
After graduating from Colorado College and a brief marriage, she moved to the west coast to begin her film career in Hollywood.
“Part Two: My Brilliant Career” recounts the many years of hard work she dedicated to her career and building a business as a script consultant. Over the years, Dr. Seeger consulted on over 2,000 scripts, 50 produced feature films and 35 produced television projects.
She built up a star-studded clientele list, including New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson, author of “Fahrenheit 451” Ray Bradbury and Academy Award winning filmmaker Robert Wise, who she also interviewed in her 1994 book “From Script to Screen: The Collaborative Art of Filmmaking.”
Going from small-town life to Hollywood wasn’t always an easy change.
“[The Hollywood film industry] is competitive, and although in a small way Peshtigo is competitive…it’s not competitive in putting people down,” Dr. Seger said.
Despite the struggles of working with such people, her roots kept her down to Earth and connected with her values.
“Peshtigo, in a sense, taught me how to get along even with people who were unlike myself, to sort of stay authentic even when things are pushing you.”
One such place during Dr. Seger’s career where she would be able to work with likeminded individuals was within Women in Film (WIF).
Founded in 1973, WIF “advocates for and advances the careers of women working in the screen industries,” as they explain on their website.
The sense of community and belonging that brought forward healthy, encouraging competition as well as recommendations and encouragement for work was an impactful part of Dr. Seger’s work and business she built.
Explaining the toxicity that sometimes lurked beneath the surface, she said “My midwestern values, they weren’t those values. But, I began to find those values in people in the film industry who were just wonderful, cooperative, kind and supportive. I learned to stay from the big-ego, or at least to see through it.”
While “Part Three: Crisis Points” examines some of the hardest parts of Dr. Seger’s life, such as “Saving a Life Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be” where she recounts the terrifying moment in which a friend began drowning, the book wraps up with “Part Four: Transformations” where she focuses on “Unpacking the Present.”
Today, Dr. Seger has taught courses not just around the country, but around the world - achieving her lifelong goal of finding out what is out there.
Though she had retired in her beloved state of Colorado, Dr. Linda Seger looks back fondly on her life from Peshtigo to Hollywood, noting that “These foundations are really important to take with you.”
“Unpacking: A Memoir” by Dr. Linda Seger can be purchased wherever books are sold or for $0.99 on the Kindle.
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