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Musehouse: A Center for the Literary Arts is everything it promises to be—"a home for writers of varying ages and levels of experience in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, and scriptwriting through workshops, conferences, readings, and special events."  Let's focus on that word home—the welcoming front porch, the long living room, the Stanley Kunitz wall art (oh, baby), the green-icing cupcakes (it being St. Patty's Day), and all those warm-hearted souls.

I first wrote about Musehouse long before I had had a chance to visit.  Last night I was honored to share the mike with April Lindner (who wrote Jane and has Catherine forthcoming) and Doug Gordon, a writer I met in 1997 when we both won a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grant (along with Justin Cronin, who went on to write The Passage, among other things).

I met people last night whom I'd been hoping to meet for years, saw people I'd first met eras ago, and spoke at length with a young woman whose face I remembered from two long BEA lines.  It was a fine night, a peaceful affair. 

Many thanks to Musehouse.  To learn more about the workshops and readings that are offered there, on Germantown Avenue, please visit the web site. 

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I have a big week on tap, and if I am less the blogger than usual, I ask for your forgiveness in advance. 

First, my students are back from their spring break, and I'll be in my city reviewing their first three memoirs tomorrow.  They have written spectacularly.  They have gone deep. I need to give them everything I've got.

On Wednesday another beautiful thing is going to happen—I'll hop a train and head to New York City, where I'll be meeting Tamra Tuller, my Philomel editor, for the very first time.  Tamra read my Berlin book this weekend (the first two-thirds, all that I've written).  With her kind early thoughts she returned the essence of the book to me, in the way that only the most generous of editors do.

On Thursday I head back to Philadelphia to spend the morning at the Public Library Association conference, to be held at the Civic Center.  Please let me know if you'll be there.  By noon I'll be back on a train and headed to Chesterbrook, where one of my favorite clients is located.  You know who you are, Charlene and Mike.

Late Thursday night we'll pick our son up from the airport (he's in Las Vegas as of this hour).  I hope to spend a lazy Friday with him.

Saturday, I'll be at the Musehouse with April Lindner at a special event hosted by Doug Gordon.  I'm so excited about this and I hope that those of you who live in the Germantown/Philadelphia area will consider joining us.  Find out more by double clicking the poster.

Sunday we'll sadly be saying goodbye to our son as he heads back up to college to finish off his final semester.  I'll cry a little, eat chocolate, no doubt, then start getting ready for the week ahead, which will include, among other things, Teen Day in Manayunk, which is shaping up to be a super event.

I hope your weeks ahead are full and rich.

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