Tuesday, March 17, 2009

ON THE BANKS OF CALKINS CREEK: Another Great Founders Workshop

You may know that my books, Blue, Healing Water, and Comfort were all published by Calkins Creek Books. I love creeks and I'm especially fond of this one.

Join me for a photographic tour of a typical writer event on the banks of Calkins Creek! The creek in March. Not as inviting as during the green season but we writers know about seasons - this pic represents waiting...
Boyds Mills Press (named for this little community) is the parent company of Calkins Creek Books which publishes juvenile historical literature with a USA focus.
Highlights Foundation is the grandmother of Calkins Creek Books and BMP's other literary imprints. (The Highlights Editorial offices are actually in nearby Honesdale - such a great town! But you'll have to wait for that tour!)
And speaking of grandparents - here on the banks of Calkins Creek, is the homeplace of the founders of Highlights magazine, Garry and Caroline Myers.
This home in Boyds Mills offers stability in a world of change - it appears to be kept much as it was when the Myers family lived here.
My favorite room is the library with its take-me-back-to-Grammy's-house smells. And books, books, books! Old books! (I always try not to drool on them.)
Don't you love this early Highlights cover on the library wall?
Adjacent to the library is the livingroom of the Myers' home where we kept company with the wise and wonderful Peter Jacobi who schooled us on "Life In The Spotlight - Author Opportunities After Publication".
It was good to be reminded that there is life beyond Powerpoint! And what an honor to learn from this seasoned journalist who has trained so many university students, CEOs, and wide-eyed authors, like us!

We were a small group of eager workshoppers - eager to learn about public speaking, granting interviews, and other aspects of presenting ourselves and our books to the public eye.
Mary, Melissa, and Tracy. (Tracy works for Highlights - she filmed our impromptu speeches so Peter could make examples of us. But we love her anyway!)
Deb, Nathan, and Mary.

Carol with Author, Jan Cheripko. More on Jan, Carol and all of these writers in upcoming posts.
Anne and Deb.

We became friends. It's hard not to when you've shared the same couch, dinner table, laughter, and critique sessions for days at a time. But it was intense, so we were always glad to get back to our individual cozy cabins. We enjoyed comfy beds, rain on the roof, and a personal fridge stocked with beverages.
Ask anyone who has ever attended a Founders Workshop what the food is like. As writers we should respond with specific adjectives. But mostly we just groan! Which is all we can do after a week of eating at a Founders Workshop. I did take a few pics of food which don't begin to do it justice.
Hors d’oeuvres every evening before dinner with friends.
And dessert after.
Buttermilk pie, whipped cream, and blackberries on a plate that allows the vintage table cloth to show itself off!

Ah! I love old linens.

Perhaps, you can see that I love everything about workshops on the banks of Calkins Creek!

2 comments:

  1. Enjoyed the written and pictoral peeks into your workshop week. The setting looks very comfortable and welcoming. Bet you can't wait until next year to enjoy another "pampered event". Hope you stop in again.

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  2. Great pictures!
    And that buttermilk pie still makes my mouth water to think about it..

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