Sun Writers Conference 2006

The Sun Writers Conference (Into the Fire: The Alchemy of Personal Writing) was phenomenal this year. It took place at Rowe Conference Center in Western Mass. A place I had never been. There were apple trees blossoming, gold finches darting about and best of all--bears! Sunday afternoon Sy, Angela, Genie and I were sitting in the living room of The Orchard House when I saw something black between the rails of the deck. At first I thought it was a dog, but it was moving fast and I stood up to see what it really was and suddenly I burst out: "Jesus! Is that a bear?" And we all jumped up and crowded at the window--and saw three bears. So then we went a little nuts and followed the bears from window to window till we wound up going out the side door and then we were all laughing in excitement. The bears heard us and looked at us but then ignored us as they started sniffing around this tent in the field. Then, finding nothing of interest, they ambled away.

Of course, the conference entailed a lot more than seeing bears. I wrote something at the end which I'll post if I can find. Suffice to say, the workshops were fabulous. I was truly humbled by the quality of writing I heard. And my fellow presenters were great. Oh, more on all this later. I haven't rested up yet, and we're completing the "bathroom project" from hell here. And Friday is C's birthday. Too much going on.

Breathe, Baby, Breathe--My Interview with Bob & Sheri

Wow. I just got off the Bob & Sheri show. That was kind of nerve wracking. I mean, it's not like I've never been on the radio before. I had my own show on public radio in Tallahassee after all. But you know, it's different when you're talking about YOUR life and your work. And I knew they were going to ask questions about my "bad girl" past. But when Sheri asked how I got from being a bad girl to being a writer with a boring life, I just thought, man where do I begin?? And so after first I was stammering and sounding like a major idiot. A friend had told me that if you stand while you're talking, your voice will have more energy. Unfortunately, I already had enough energy to power up all of the McMansions in Ballantyne. So I wisely sat down after that first question and forgot about all the things I intended to say and just answered the questions. So I think it got lots better, and I even remembered that story about my teenage boyfriend Mike being a litterbug and how at 17 I was so impressed with his rebelliousness. Hadn't thought of that in years. So, I am just glad I was on the show and didn't freeze up or say something incredibly stupid or embarrassing. Sheri is so quick-witted that it's a little intimidating, but both of them were really, really nice. And I thought they asked great questions.
I'm going to be on Charlotte Talks on May 26. That will be a very different experience, I'm sure.