Some days are the kind of days that just warm you inside and out. That was yesterday afternoon for me.
First I met Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson’s Book page at a local Starbucks for a first time meet-up. This is surprising because we live very close to one another. It was great to finally put the real face with the voice I know and love from reading her blog. She is just as wonderful in person too! Then we wandered next door to Hicklebee’s where Linda Urban
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was signing and reading from her wonderful new Cybil’s nominated book A Crooked Kind of Perfect.
Linda was a mesmerizing reader (my first thought was that she needs to do the audio for her own book) and I fell in love with Zoe all over again. Monica Holmes and Valerie Lewis, the Queens of Hicklebee’s, joined us for meaty, funny, fabulous conversations of books and blogs and the life of a children’s author. We tried, not sure how successfully, to convince Valerie that she needs to start a Hicklebee’s blog. (Until she does, make sure to get on her mailing list. Lots of great information even if you don’t live in the area – and if you do live close enough – Hicklebee’s has a continual assortment of author events worth attending.)
Linda and I were talking about the difficulties of writing the second novel. She recommended I read Writer’s Workshop in a Book: The Squaw Valley Community of Writers on the Art of Fiction. I’m looking forward to reading it. I think I could have talked shop for hours and hours. It was just what I needed. I’ve been feeling really disconnected from my writing, from the writing and blogging community, and most of all from my creative self. But yesterday I could myself coming back to life.
Thank you Jen & Linda and Monica & Valerie.
It was great to finally meet you, Susan! I felt like we could have talked all day. And it was wonderful for me to have you to introduce me to Valerie and Monica, too. Thanks so much! We’ll have to do it again sometime.
Most definitely! And my goodness, you have been going great guns on your blog.
Community is everything, isn’t it? At home alone allllll the time we’d drown. Or dry out. Or something…
LOL on drown or dry out. I need that connection to real people but I just don’t get that much of it, especially with the day job which is about as far away from the writing world as one could ever imagine.
This sounds like fun! I’ve been getting together with tons of writers lately, and some teachers and librarians, too, at various events. It’s always both comforting and revitalizing!
I’ve been jealous of all the events you go to. I’m waiting for more about Billy Collins. Will that be this weeks Poetry Friday post?