morning sun on books and clay (the art of simplifying)

On Sunday afternoon, my husband and I sorted through the last of the tools in my father's house, leaving that beautiful home virtually empty—a year-long odyssey of epic proportions.

Once back at my own house, I began to do what had long needed to be done. There had been books in piles everywhere. Books in bins. Stories I couldn't write because of all the mental and physical clutter. The quantities of things were overwhelming. Simplifying meant taking some 450 books from this little house—driving many bags of them straight to The Spiral Bookcase in Manayunk, an independent that specializes in books both new and old and that is run by the generous Ann Tetreault.

While my husband built our new bookcase, I carried the remaining books—these books, oh these books—from room to room. I decided: Novels and nonfiction on one wall in the family room. Picture books, middle grade books, young adult novels, and all things Horace Kephart and Daniel D'Imperio (my great grandfather and beloved uncle) on the other family room wall. Poems and journals in the case to the left in my office. Grammar, reference, and natural history books in the case to the right. My own stuff (the books, the anthologies, the literary magazines, and a few favorite corporate projects) in the shelves to the left of my desk, overseen by my muse, the giraffe, who came all the way from Africa to be with me and whose name is She. She has been worried about me lately. She's more at peace now.

And then, in the new bookshelves in the room we have officially christened the "Juncture Workshop" room, the memoirs, the essay collections, the hybrid novels/memoirs, my Tin House collection, and those novels by authors whose work I have collected in multiples. A few pieces of clay that Bill and I have jointly made (he throws the shapes, I glaze). My four bright binders stuffed with teachable memoir excerpts and essays—all the material that will inspire those five-day workshops on a farm and by the sea. And room for the many books yet to come.

I feel lighter, less bundled up inside my own head, more ready for whatever is next, anticipatorily efficient. Just a few days ago, I had to dig through triple-stacked shelves or those heavy, bottomless bins to find the book I needed. Over the past year, I bought multiple copies of books I already had, because I could never find the original source. I bought way too many e-books (I'm not the biggest fan of e-books) because the boats of books had swelled.

I'm breathing now.

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pondering bridges and a shared sky, in Manayunk (today's Philadelphia Inquirer)

I close my year with the Philadelphia Inquirer with this story about an old railroad bridge that has been converted into a walking/biking trail that connects the city and the suburbs, the past and the present, and, indeed, all of us—no matter where we come from, no matter what languages we prefer to speak, no matter which heritages we are celebrating.

With thanks to Kevin Ferris, for allowing me to explore ideas—and to hope out loud.

A link to the full story is here. 

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oh, those creative, hospitable, restorative indies: thank you

Lately I've had cause (again) to celebrate the independent bookstores. That they exist. That their owners and their colleagues work so very hard. That they know books. That they believe in culture, literature, and ideas.

That they are endlessly innovative, funky, fun.

In and out of the shops I've gone. Toward the events they have supported. No single event has been like any other event. Every single store is its own vibrant cluster of possibility.

And so today, a photo thank you to the stores that stand at the heart of our communities. To Ann of The Spiral Bookcase, who lugged all those books out to those very special events at the Ambler Theater and Laurel Hill. To Heather of Children's Book World, who sent One Thing Stolen to our Philadelphia/Florence party at Radnor Memorial Library (where I learned that the book was in its second, newly colorized printing). To Cathy and Anmiryam of Main Point Books, where we had the nicest Sunday afternoon. To Ashley at Penn Book Center, who placed LOVE in the window and talked to me for a long time one afternoon. To Michael at Joseph Fox Books, who supported the Free Library launch. To the glorious Bank Street Bookstore, which sold Small Damages to this beautiful reader during that be-all-end-all conference. To Caroline of Frenchtown's Book Garden, who organized our memoir retreat at the Rat (where James Agee once wrote) as well as my morning at the art-filled Delaware Valley Regional High School. And to Stephanie of Harleysville Books, who brought out a crowd on a rainy night and who invited the great baker Ann to share her special treats (pretzel brittle, in honor of Philadelphia!).

I'll be visiting a few more bookstores—both the incredibly hospitable Barnes and Nobles and two more indies, Chester County Books and Big Blue Marble Books—in December, the dates below.

It's restorative, being around people who care about holding the world close and safe.

December 3, 2015, 7 PM
LOVE signing
Chester County Books
West Chester, PA

December 5, 2015, noon
LOVE signing
Barnes and Noble
Devon, PA

December 10, 2015, 12 - 2PM
Barnes & Noble signing
Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia, PA

December 12, 2015, 2 PM
In-store signing
LOVE, etc.
Big Blue Marble Bookstore
551 Carpenter Lane
Philadelphia, PA

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the librarians, Kiwanis, and community put on a show, in Ambler

We talked about LOVE—but also, mainly, love—in a gorgeous theater in downtown Ambler last night. I have Lauren Smyth, Cheri Fiory, Anne Frank, the Kiwanis Club of Ambler, the Upper Dublin and Wissahickon Valley Public Libraries, Kristine Weatherston, Kristine's Temple documentary film students, those Ambler-ites who shared their stories out loud, Ann Tetrault of Manayunk's The Spiral Bookcase, my husband, my father, and a wide community of others to thank for this evening in which a light mist accumulated outside and time unspooled within.

I believe, as a writer, in opening one's arms. In saying, This world belongs to all of us, and I want to hear your story, too. And oh—we heard their stories.

Ambler is a town worthy of the recognition it is now receiving—bakeries, upscale restaurants, family restaurants, two theaters, two libraries, kind people. I will always be grateful for the invitation that brought me there, and I do plan to return.

Don't think I'll ever see one of my book titles up on a marquee again. I'm keeping that memory.

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what is authoritative? scenes from the Laurel Hill Mansion

I don't know what "authoritative" feels like, but I'm sure I'll never get there. There's always something more to learn, something more to see, some question I don't have answers for, someone with a better story. I'm reminded of that every day, and increasingly, as I travel around our city to speak to those who have worked on its behalf.

Yesterday, at Laurel Hill Mansion, I met with the women who have helped ensure that this centuries-old home in Fairmount Park East still thrives. Musicians come to play in the summer there. People arrive and talk. Harry K. gives tours to visitors from Germany, California, and elsewhere. Sylvia, 91-years-young, recalls the work the Women for Greater Philadelphia did to open this house during the Bicentennial.

I took a few photos while I was there. That's Phyllis Kauffman looking out over the Schuylkill River from the Laurel Hill Mansion back porch. Phyllis was once a librarian in Pennsylvania's third largest library. Oh, does she, too, have stories to tell.

With special thanks to the very beautiful Ann of The Spiral Bookcase, a joyful community indie in Manayunk that supports authors and their dreams—and readers, too. Ann graciously joined us yesterday. And you can meet her again this Thursday, at the Ambler theater, where we will be celebrating LOVE as the community's Let's Discuss It title.

(We'll be doing far more than that—celebrating Temple University film students, celebrating the memories of Philadelphians, celebrating libraries and librarians. It's a fest. Details are here.)

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Phliadelphia Stories: Push to Publish Conference 2012/be there?

Last March I had the great fun of organizing Young Writers Take the Park with The Spiral Bookcase—an event that provided young area writers with the chance to be celebrated, to be heard, to be published, and to participate in a workshop that Elizabeth Mosier and I conducted.  These young writers also spent time talking with my writer friends A.S. King, April Lindner, and Susan Campbell Bartoletti (as well as Elizabeth, of course).  It was a great day made even greater by the presence of Christine Weiser, who stands, slim but steadfast, at the whirligig center of Philadelphia's writing world.  It was Christine who offered these young writers a chance to be published in her beautiful magazine, Philadelphia Stories, Jr.  It was Christine who produced this video of the day.

Among the many other things that Miss Christine does is produce the annual Push to Publish Conference, which is held at Rosemont College each fall.  One year I was honored by an invitation to serve as the keynote speaker (and accepted, of course).  This year—October 13, 9 AM to 5 PM—I'll be joining the YA panel.  Literally dozens of remarkable agents, editors, and writers will be offering advice and telling war stories, even looking over manuscripts, and I never hear anything but extremely good things from the many who attend this conference each year.  Who doesn't want a chance to meet with editors and agents?  Who isn't beguiled by my friends Kelly Simmons and Kathye Fetsko Petrie?  Who doesn't want to hear what the keynoter, Kevin McIlvoy, has to say?  Who isn't keen on collecting some shiny wisdom pearls from Gregory Frost, Lise Funderburg, Don Lafferty, Jon McGoran, Catherine Stine, Dennis Tafoya, and Nancy Viau?

I see your eyes lighting up.  I can feel you thinking.  I hope to see you there.

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For the record

my camera was found. 

This, then, is how it looked on Saturday inside the very cool indie, The Spiral Bookcase.

This is also how it looked as teen writers leaned forward, toward their stories.

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Young Writers Take the Park...In Pictures (thanks to Christine Weiser)

With my camera slipped into oblivion (at least for the time being), I could not do one of my favorite things yesterday, which is to document the day being lived.

You can imagine my joy, then, when the ever-delightful Christine Weiser sent along the link to her slide show of the Pretzel Park portion of Young Writers Take the Park.  Part of yesterday's great happiness lay in listening to the fabulous musicians (including Melrose Q) who joined in the festivities.  All of that was recorded here, by Christine, who creates and runs Philadelphia Stories.

Rain was hovering.  The wind blew.  The sky was a mean Brillo pad.  The intrepid did not care.  Thank you, Christine, for the gift of this show.  Thank you, Melrose Q, for the music.  (Yes, I was the one who was dancing.)

And thank you, teen workshoppers (and teachers, families, friends, great authors, fabulous indie The Spiral Bookcase).  The work Elizabeth Mosier and I bore witness to yesterday was so full of heart and soul and goodness.

Case in point, this poem by Davis O'Leary.  Davis, who goes to T/E Middle School, was one of our winners, and he set the tone for the afternoon with this piece, which he crafted in about three minutes flat:

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Community

Sense of one is a part of more

Feeling of interests in others’ worth

Walking on the same path, whether exciting or bore

Keeping all the secrets of our mind we swore.

Monotonous people, even them we hold close,

Being a part of something bigger is what we love most.

In this group we all feel like the host

So, to the sense of togetherness, I toast.

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We Took the Park

This is not a photograph of our young writers; I lost my camera in the great activity of this Young Writers Take the Park Day.  But it is a photograph of my hometown, Wayne, and it is an image of kids hurrying toward their future.

Elizabeth Mosier, April Lindner, A.S. King, and Susan Campbell Bartoletti—I am so grateful to you for the time you spent today, for the hugeness of your hearts, for being there.  The rain threatened, but it did not fall.  The workshop writers came, and oh, did they write.  And when it came time for the teen winners to read their work aloud, not one of them faltered.  Clear voiced and big hearted, they announced their talent to the world.

A huge thank you to Ann of The Spiral Bookcase who made the event happen, to the renowned authors who took this afternoon out of their lives for kids, to Jamie-Lee Josselyn of Penn who brought her great spirit and news of the future, to Christine Weiser of Philadelphia Stories (and Philadelphia Stories Jr.), and to the teachers and parents who opened the door (and provided transportation).

Finally, Elizabeth Mosier:  I have taught a lot of workshops in my day.  Today, working in unison with you, will always be remembered fondly.  Thank you for everything.

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Young Writers Take the Park: celebrating our winners, and an open invitation

As many of you know, we have been hard at work on Young Writers Take the Park—an opportunity for Philadelphia-area teens to submit their work for consideration for publication (and a public reading), to work with authors in an intimate workshop setting, to meet some of the best young adult authors living and working in Pennsylvania today, and to get to know the brand-new independent bookstore, The Spiral Bookcase.

Elizabeth Mosier, who has one of the best pairs of lit eyes on the planet (and a sophisticated critique vocabulary, I might add) helped me judge the many semi-finalist entries that were presented by the teachers (and friends) of Conestoga High School, T/E Middle School, Villa Maria Academy, Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, and Penn Alexander.  To all those who took the time to submit, and to all those who encouraged participation, we thank you.

We were unanimous in our selections.  The winners are:

Celeste Flahaven “Untitled,” Villa Maria Academy

"Breeze rippled the tall grass and the flaxen heads of wheat bent to reveal golden undersides...."

Maria Dulin, “Prodigy,” Villa Maria Academy

"Take away anything, but you take away my music, my hearing, then you may as well take away my life."

Calamity Rose Jung-Allen, Penn Alexander 

"Pudgy cats yowl in alleyways, deserted..."

Olivia McCloskey, “Goodbye,” Villa Maria Academy

"Will remembered sliding down onto the floor, his back against the wall, the phone clutched to his ear by his white-knuckled hand.  That was the phone call that had changed his life forever."

Lauren Harris, “The Confessions of a Not-So-Only Child,” T/E Middle School

"Let the record show that I, Ivy Lee Miller, loved being an only child...."

Davis O’Leary, “Reflection,” T/E Middle School

"Eyes crusted with the dust of restless sleep...."

These winning entries will appear in a forthcoming issue of Philadelphia Stories Jr., thanks to the generosity of Christine Weiser and her team.

Our semi-finalists will be joining us for the workshop that Elizabeth Mosier and I will be teaching near The Spiral Bookcase premises, starting at 1:30 tomorrow. At 3 o'clock, the teen winners will read from their work at Pretzel Park (or inside, if rain tries to thwart us).

Please join us, starting at 3 PM in Pretzel Park to hear from the teens and to meet the truly great writers Susan Campbell Bartoletti, A.S. King, April Linder, and Elizabeth Mosier, who will be there to talk informally about the writing life and to autograph their books for you.

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Young Writers Take the Park (redux)

Preparations for Young Writers Take the Park continue at a furious pace, and I want to extend my gratitude to those teachers who—despite all the pressures attendant with the standardized testing that sweeps through these parts in March—have encouraged their young writers to put forth submissions and to consider joining us for both the workshop and the afternoon of readings, signings, and songs.

If any of you are interested in participating in the workshops or the day itself, please double click on the poster above or feel free to contact either myself or The Spiral Bookcase.

For the rest of you — please join Susan Campbell Bartoletti, A.S. King, April Lindner, Elizabeth Mosier, some fantastic teen writers, and myself for an afternoon in Pretzel Park.

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Young Writers Take the Park: Teen Day in Manayunk

Young Writers Take the Park — I kind of like the sound of that.

For the initiative and the daring and the perseverance, we have The Spiral Bookcase to thank—that new independent in Manayunk, PA.

We'll be joined that day by the greats—Susan Campbell Bartoletti, A.S. King, April Lindner, and Elizabeth Mosier.  We'll be serenaded by local bands Melrose Q and Evan's Orphanage.  And we'll have teen writers from throughout the area on hand for a special writing workshop, not to mention a special celebration of the winners of a teen writing contest.

(I'll be there, too, moseying around.)

Please click on the poster above and consider joining us.  Please feel free to spread the news.

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the week that was; my son is coming home; and the last chance to sign up for Teen Day!

Only lately (it feels like months ago) I was rambling on, on this very blog, about the importance I have given over to sleep.  My desire to be healthier.  My wish for less freighted, angsted days.

Well, there's only so much one can do when a flu takes over, and by Wednesday afternoon I was under the Mean Bug's spell.  You know how it is—you can't breathe, you can't talk, and you can't go to Zumba.  You can't even learn the jive kick with Jan.  Strangely (a sure sign of grave illness) you don't want chocolate.  (What?  No chocolate?, all right, all right, I'll have a piece of chocolate.)  You just sit, and as you sit, things pile up.

Creakily, barely, things still got done—a 1,000-word review of a complex book, the final touches to an annual report, the glassy-eyed acknowledgment of three of the Project Runways All Stars editions I'd lately missed (that was high on the list; go Mondo), correspondence with my memoir-writing students, and all the behind-the-scenes-work that goes on as we prepare for Teen Day in Manayunk.  It looks like we'll have quite a crowd of young writers and readers on hand that March 24th at The Spiral Bookcase, and we're getting excited.  Please do get in touch with me or the store if you are interested in this chance to meet great YA writers and to show us, too, what your own words are made of.

(And to get published!!)

But in the meantime, I have not prepared for the most important thing—the arrival home, late tonight, of our dear son.  He'll spend the weekend with us before heading out to Vegas with friends.  I want to be my whole self for the few hours we'll have together.

Time for a little Zen.

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Anticipating Teen Day in Manayunk with Four Extraordinary Writer Friends

Many months ago, I received an invitation to read from You Are My Only at The Spiral Bookcase, a new independent bookstore in Manayunk, PA. I was, of course, keen to meet the store's very dear owner, Ann.  And I was thrilled to have a chance to support a new independent (how many new independent bookstores do you know?)  But how much more fun would be had, I thought, if I could be joined in the event by some of the best young adult writers around.

And so Ann and I talked.  And so one thing led to another.  And so it is with a great sense of anticipation and pleasure that I am sharing news of the inaugural Young Writers Take the Park, in Manayunk, to be held during the afternoon of March 24th.  There will be writing workshops for teen authors.  There will be a writing contest with winning entries (judged by Elizabeth Mosier and yours truly) appearing in the extraordinary teen-lit magazine Philadelphia Stories, Jr. and on The Spiral Bookcase web; I'll also be excerpting winning work here.  There will be marching bands and media coverage and appearances by some very special souls.

I encourage teachers, parents, and young writers in the Philadelphia area to find out more about the writing contest, workshop, and meet-and-greet by contacting Ann at The Spiral Bookcase.  I encourage the rest of you to consider spending time with some truly fine writers along the canal.

Here we all are.  There we all will be.

Susan Campbell Bartoletti is best known for her nonfiction books, including the Newbery Honor-winning Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow (Scholastic) and the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Honor-winning They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of An American Terrorist Group (Houghton Mifflin). Her most recent titles include the novel The Boy Who Dared (Scholastic) and a picture book Naamah and the Ark at Night (Candlewick 2011), illustrated by the amazing Holly Meade. www.scbartoletti.com <http://www.scbartoletti.com>  <http://www.scbartoletti.com>

Beth Kephart is the National Book Award-nominated author of thirteen books, including the teen novels Undercover, House of Dance, Nothing but Ghosts, The Heart Is Not a Size, Dangerous Neighbors, and You Are My Only; Small Damages is due out from Philomel in July.   Beth, who is an adjunct faculty member of the University of Pennsylvania, blogs at http://beth-kephart.blogspot.com/.

A.S. King is the author of the highly acclaimed Everybody Sees the Ants, a YALSA 2012 Top Ten Fiction for Young Adults book, the 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor book Please Ignore Vera Dietz, ALA Best Book for Young Adults The Dust of 100 Dogs, and the forthcoming Ask the Passengers. Since returning from Ireland where she spent over a decade living off the land, teaching adult literacy, and writing novels, King now lives deep in the Pennsylvania woods with her husband and children. Lean more at www.as-king.com <http://www.as-king.com>  <http://www.as-king.com> .

April Lindner is the author of Jane, the acclaimed contemporary retelling of the classic novel Jane Eyre and the author of several poetry collections. She is a professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University.

Elizabeth Mosier's work for young adults includes My Life as a Girl (Random House) and My First Love (Delacorte, under the pseudonym Callie West), as well as numerous short stories in Seventeen and Sassy. She has recently completed a third YA novel, Ghost Signs.

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A few upcoming events

Just a few things, should they be of interest:

Tomorrow evening, November 7, beginning at 6:30 PM, I'll be at the Haub Executive Center of St. Joseph's University talking about the future of young adult literature, reading from You Are My Only, and convening (and cavorting) with some early readers of the book.  A huge thank you to April Lindner and Ann Green, as well as to Jane Satterfield, who introduced me to April more than a year ago.

On Wednesday, November 9, starting at 7:00 PM, I'll be in West Chester, at the fabulous Chester County Book & Music Company (West Goshen Center) for a You Are My Only reading.  Last week I read from Emmy's chapters.  That night I plan to read from Sophie's.  Whatever happens, I'll be grateful to be inside this fantastaic independent bookstores.  A big thank you to Thea Kotroba.

Finally—and this won't happen for a few months yet, but I'm so excited about it that I want to share early word—some of the very best in the business will be gathering at The Spiral Bookcase, another indie!, in Manayunk, PA, next March 24 for an afternoon extravaganza of teen literature.  We're still working out the details, but know this:  Susan Campbell Bartoletti, A.S. King, April Lindner, Keri Mikulski, Elizabeth Mosier, and I will join together for an afternoon that promises to be all kinds of wonderful.

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