About Me — Joseph Serwach

Joseph Serwach: His mantra is the Story + Identity = Mission (but his wife Lady Serwach calls him the Prince)

Joseph Serwach with the world’s most famous microphone at the iconic Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, where music legends including Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis began their careers, and a beautiful new thing called rock and roll. Image by Debra Serwach.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” — Mark Twain.

My “why” moment came on Paradise Island. I was 18, writing frantically as a young girl asked that all-important question:

“Are you a writer?”

Her words sounded right.

Her question said it all: like a perfect piece of writing or a ringing musical chord where four parts align to create a fifth overtone that makes all involved stop and think: “Wow.”

I smiled and just said, “I am.”

The purpose of my story was now clear. The point of any good story is the same as the purpose of a love letter, to try to move someone somehow.

I saw hints storytelling was “my thing” in elementary school when a teacher asked us to write a haiku. I had, unfortunately, no clue how to write a haiku, so I wrote and illustrated a good story instead, expecting she’d flunk me for ignoring her directions.

When she instead gave me the highest grade for basically ignoring her assignment (and doing my own thing as best as I could)…