I'm off to teach at Agnes Irwin today, while back in New York City, the book bloggers have gathered in force. A few days ago, as those of you who followed the Armchair BEA know, I had the chance to talk to Florinda while Elizabeth Law of Egmont USA videotaped our conversation. I re-post the video here, in celebration of the book bloggers I have come to know and love.
It was hot, it was humid, it was teaching at Chanticleer in an unpredictable spring, but those 15 Agnes Irwin girls were willing and far more than able—reeling themselves backward and forward in time, willing themselves to remember.
The thing about teaching is you never know. You prepare your prompts, you know your own heart, you know what you want to leave behind, but you do not know what will make a student vulnerable to the process. I never teach the same thing twice. I have become a student of teaching.
It is 4:22 AM, dark. I'm about to set off for the Big Apple where I will, at too long last, meet so many of you who have sustained me here. Until then.
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I'll be joining the writers of Agnes Irwin on the sloping terrain of Chanticleer today; we'll be at work on memoir. Last night, while again not sleeping, I found these words in Natalie Goldberg's
Old Friend from Far Away. They are the right place to begin.
"We are a dynamic country, fast-paced, ever-onward. Can we make sense of love and ambition, pain and longing? In the center of our speed, in the core of our forward movement, we are often confused and lonely. That's why we have turned so full-heartedly to the memoir form. We have an intuition that it can save us. Writing is the act of reaching across the abyss of isolation to share and reflect.... Often without realizing it, we are on a quest, a search for meaning. What does our time on this earth add up to?"
I'm headed into the Big Apple today (though not by way of clydesdales, sadly) to talk about the power of the Kelly Writers House program at Penn, to read with Kimberly Eisler, one of my truly talented students, and to witness the indomitable Al Filreis teach a poem (that should be something; hope he doesn't call on me). Two days later, I'll head back down into Philadelphia to see my first Penn student, Moira Moody, say I do to the man she loves. I'm banking on Dr. Filreis showing off some highly ecclesiastical moves at Moira's wedding. I'll take hip hop, too. Or even the cha cha.
By mid-week next week, I'll be spending the day at Chanticleer (the site of
Ghosts in the Garden and
Nothing but Ghosts)—teaching memoir to the aspiring writers of Agnes Irwin, thanks to the invitation of Julie Diana, who is not just the head librarian at Agnes Irwin, but the wife of the fabulous writer, Jay Kirk. Thursday and Friday, back in New York, I'll spend some time with editor Laura Geringer and the glorious Egmont team; the book bloggers I have come to love; Amanda King, Gussie Lewis, and Jennifer Laughran, booksellers extraordinaires; and maybe even grab a few moments with Amy Rennert, my west-coast based agent with whom I often speak but whom I rarely see.
I am not, by nature, a sustainably social person, and so, when I return home next Friday evening, I'll be grateful that one of my very favorite events of the entire year—the Devon Horse Show—will have rolled into town. We moved here in large part because the fairgrounds are just down the road, because these horses do trot by just after dawn, because I like few things more than walking through the shadows of stables, fitting my hand to a sweet mare's nose. I like the sound of clop and whinny, the tinny music that accompanies balloon dart games and Ferris wheels.
I married an artist (have I mentioned this before?), and I have the privilege, on some occasions, of doing work with him.
I can also ask him, from time to time, if he can help me with little dreams of mine.
Today he fashioned a bookmark for me, featuring titles from recent years, all leading up to the Dangerous Neighbors release in August.
I'm going to print these now, and any of you who find me at Devon Barnes and Noble (April 13, 3:30), Fox Cities Book Festival (April 14th - 16th), Philly Book Festival (April 18th), Children's Book World (April 20, 7 PM), University of Pennsylvania alumni reading (May 15, 4 PM), Kelly Writers House in NYC (May 20), the Agnes Irwin workshop (May 25, all day), the BEA (May 27), the Book Bloggers Convention (May 28), or the Rutgers-Camden Writers Festival (June 25th) are welcome to one. Whew. I hope I got that list right.
In any case. I hope to see you.
By: Beth Kephart ,
on 5/27/2011
I married an artist (have I mentioned this before?), and I have the privilege, on some occasions, of doing work with him.
Just watched this on the ArmChair BEA site and wanted to let you know, way to turn the tables, lol! I LOVED that you interviewed Florinda. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your Friday and weekend (rest those feets you two)