My photos (!) on the cover of the Glen Workshop brochure.

I tell you, it was a little bit exciting around here when this brochure came in the mail.

See that photo on the front? That's my photo. Yes, mine. And it's on the cover! That's my bag and my camera bag. That's my shirt on the chair. And those books? They're all Corinne Demas' books. (I'd just seen her. She was my writing mentor at my alma mater, Mount Holyoke College.)

Funny thing: When it came in the mail, I thought I'd already gotten a Glen Workshop brochure because I recognized the image. I thought, Why are they sending me all these brochures? Then I realized WHY I recognized it. 

Oh. Really?!? My photo?  

Okay, I do wish I had not left my strawberry tops on the arm of the chair. But hey, maybe it's charming? I mean, it is a legit thing. I was sitting there eating those strawberries. I took the photo for myself and for the blog and because it's fun to take photos with my tiny Canon Powershot S95. (It's just this little thing, but it takes the nicest photos. I swear it practically grins at you after taking them too -- sweet, sweet, sweet.)

By the way, the Glen folk asked if they could use the photo. And yes, they did give me credit in the brochure. (If you squint, you can see my name on the bottom of the page with the little photos.)

Truth? This is the first of my photos to ever be used in a professional sort of way. So it was very exciting. 

Also, they used my photo of a tree way up at the top. That big old tree up there? That's mine too. 

Two photos! Yay!

The Glen Workshop is very good. This year at Glen East not only can you study with Scott Russell Sanders, but Kathleen Norris is going to be the acting chaplin. That sounds like a knock out of the park to me and I wish I could go. Maybe you should go. I am still working off the notes Scott Russell Sanders made on my manuscript last summer. I got more than my money's worth. 

Here's a link to the blog entry I wrote about my experience. 

And here's my Slideshow: 

Glen Workshop (toes curled over the precipice)

Hi everyone -- 

I'm back from my week writing workshop with Scott Russell Sanders at the Glen Workshop East -- which also happened to be held at my old alma mater, Mount Holyoke College.

I haven't been back on campus in 15 years (at least) and wandering around (trying doors, walking the hallways), I found myself thinking about people and events I haven't thought about in so, so long: dances where guys outnumbered women 3 to 1 (and MHC is a women's college), a melancholic art student I admired but wasn't able to get to know (and how I still wish I had taken a sculpture class), a woman who knitted gorgeous aran sweaters as she manned the front desk at Prospect Hall.

This last week, I spent several hours sitting in one of the adirondack chairs in front of an old woolly tree that was right outside my room in Wilder Hall. I loved that tree. It kept me company thru January term, and all thru the spring when I'd changed my history thesis from 20c American History to Colonial History and had to write the thing in half the available time. The security lights cast a shadow of its leaves directly into my room, and when the wind blew those shadows jumped about the walls with the playfulness of a kitten.

And the workshop? Wonderful. Stunning really. I'm overwhelmed and I feel like I've been gone a month instead of a week. I'm not kidding -- I actually somehow expected the garden to be overgrown, to have missed the 4th of July completely, and to have only one more month until fall rolled around. It was hot in enough in Chicago when I stepped off the Amtrak for it to be August.  

I did it! I made friends. Or perhaps I should say: it was a most welcoming group. The people in my workshop made it easy to get to know them. I'm smiling to think of them right now. (Photos are of some of the folks in my group.)

Right now, I'm listening to one of the other student's CDs. We had a singer-songwriter in our group!( Justin McRoberts, Deconstruction) And guess what? Justin played a song for us. I felt sorry for the poets workshopping next door, and proud of the fact that he was ours.   

Okay... I wish I could be coherent about this workshop, but I'm still processing. Here's a few things I'm thinking about:

• Scott Russell Sanders is an amazing teacher and workshop leader. He's got an eye for structure, an ability to explain things clearly and to draw out the larger implications and connections from whatever piece we were workshopping. He also doesn't say anything he doesn't mean -- he's a considered speaker. And this is on top of being kind, gentle, and one of the most generous teachers I've ever met, especially in terms of his time: He kept himself available for questions and conversation at every meal, did an extra Q&A session for us, and went to all of the other teacher's presentations. Besides learning much as a student, I also learned a lot about the kind of teacher I want to be if I'm asked to teach. So if you have a chance to take a workshop with him, do it. I recommend it unconditionally. 

• I'm also mulling the stories the other students told in their writing -- there was a lot of risk-taking. I enjoyed getting to know everyone. I liked these people. 

• A word about me and a "Christian" writing conference: I'm going to admit that I am hesitant about "Christian" arts things. I've never felt that I quite fit in that world. I don't write "Christian" stuff. My books aren't about Moses, or about Noah's ark. People don't get "saved " at the end. My characters are broken people (like I am, like we all are). Personally, I often feel that I don't clean up well enough for this crowd, and I don't want to be judged for it (not that I know I have been, but I'm afraid of it). Sometimes you end up judging people out of fear of being judged, and so I've been trying to step back into this community, seeing how it goes. I have to say that my fears were entirely unfounded with this Image/Glen Workshop crowd. This was a group where I could let myself be. (If you Glen Workshop folks are reading this -- thank you!)

• Finally, this workshop was important to me because I'm at a place in my writing life where I feel that I need to stretch myself a bit. I've been writing kid lit for a long time, and I'd like to write something else in addition to the kid lit. I am not saying that writing for kids isn't hard work -- certainly not that if you grow up as a writer you stop writing for children. (Hate that when people assume this.) But what I'm thinking (and feeling) is that it's probably not entirely healthy for me to always be working on the same sort of project over and over and over. So for the past year, I've been thinking about writing some essays from my life, writing some poetry, breaking out of my box for a little while. Anyway, something new happened at this workshop. I came away with 3 poems started, a fish monologue (yes, you read that right), three or four essay ideas, and a clear idea of the order in which I'll work. Unbelievable.   

Professor Corinne DemasOne of the things that helped a lot was getting a chance to talk to my writing professor from Mount Holyoke, Corinne Demas. She took time out from her schedule to meet with me. We talked about a lot of stuff (so helpful), but then she asked me if I wrote poetry, remembering that I might have written poetry all those years ago. How in the world did she remember? She was right. I had written poetry. Then she said that there were moments that can only be captured by a poem, and if you don't take the time to make a poem, the moments are lost. 

As soon as she said it, I knew what she meant. I remembered letting those moments slip by. 

So much to think about...

By the way, Phil read my book manuscript while I was gone, ONE CAME HOME, and said it looks good. Tomorrow we talk about it. Then I'm going to finish it up and ship it off to my agent and Knopf. So good to be free of it during this workshop.

Anyway, I'm excited about what might be next for me. Something is going to change. I am on the precipice. I feel my toes curled around the edge. 

What's up with you?

Amy 

P.S. Thank you, Glen folk!

off to learn

Hi everyone -- 

I'm at a writing workshop this week. Seven days with Scott Russell Sanders on "spiritual writing." He's a master nonfiction writer. Nonfiction is outside my box, so I'll be challenged. He's also a big believer in craft, clear communication, and speaking the things that matter. These are things I've been thinking about over the last few years, so it seemed like a good fit.

I'm packing up as I write this, so I've got to run. I'm truly nervous, and in the same way when I was 12 years old and going to summer camp. It's totally silly, but I'm thinking, What if I don't make any friends? I'm an introvert, so this is a possibility. I'm gearing up. Telling myself to be more like my friends that are good at getting me to do things -- they do crazy stuff like ASK people to dinner. I can do that, right? Come on Amy!

Will she do it? Find out next week...

I've left you with a photograph of ONE CAME HOME in process. See those flags? Each color is one change -- meaning that one tiny idea results in all those changes throughout the book. It sort of amazes me how one teensy thing can implicate so many other things.  

But isn't that the way in life too? 

Hope you're all well! What are you guys doing this summer? Any plans? 

Amy

bat in the bedroom

Hi everyone -- 

Random thoughts! Be forewarned that I'm to flap all over the place like a bat trapped in the bedroom. (In case you don't know what that's like, follow the link to a little youtube video.) 

First, it's foggy here in Chicago, and no one has any idea if or when spring will arrive, though we think that by June there is a slight chance for some sort of heat to pass thru Chicago. Still, we're not getting our hopes up. For now, it's cold. It's rainy. It's like that weather from my trip out to Santa Cruz, California (2 weeks ago?) migrated to Chicago. Only migrations don't move that way. Whatever. People in Chicago are growing desperate. Jokes about spring are told with a decided edge -- if they can be told at all. Just be forewarned if you're visiting Chicago -- don't mention the weather to the locals. It is not a safe topic.

BUT the wedding last week? Gorgeous. My cousin, who was the bride, looked amazing. (I'm not exaggerating.) And the ceremony was in a conservatory, so it was filled with flowers and smelled of hyacinths -- the perfume! Wow. Needed flowers and green badly, so loved it. And not one wedding mishap. I've included some photos so you will conclude too that yes, this was a beautiful wedding. Way to pull off a wedding, Suzanne and Paul!

Before everyone arrived...

Book news: My editor is giving me an editorial letter next week, so more edits soon. We talked by phone and it doesn't sound so bad. In fact, it sounds like it's going to be a better book. Better is, well, better. Good.

So what am I writing now? I've been finishing a personal essay for a workshop I'm taking this summer with Scott Russell Saunders. I'd like to learn how to write essays, and I heard him speak last year. When he spoke about how he approaches his own writing -- how painstakingly, how carefully -- every part of me said YES. So I found a workshop and I'm taking it. I like being stretched artistically. (I kind of doubt though that SRS will say "Who's the rock star?" and then point to me like my yoga teacher did when I finally stood on my head for the first time. This is kind of disappointing. I like being called a rock star. But still, I think he'll be good.) 

And how is the NYTimes.com addiction going now that they're charging for access? Have I reached my 20 articles yet? Have I ponied up and paid my monthly fee? Answers: Okay. No (but close and after only ONE week). And NO I have not paid. Still indignant about the fees --  it's too much, New York Times. Are you listening? Good gravy, I'd give you something if you were reasonable, but you're asking for everything but the kitchen sink.

Turns out there's a bright side to this: I decided to try giving up the New York Times cold turkey and listen to my local NPR (which I support and listen to every morning) and read the news magazines I already subscribe to (The Week, New Yorker, Utne Reader) and you know what? So far, so good. In fact, it's helping me write. It seems I tend to waste more time online when reading the news online. Plus, reading actual paper magazines gets me away from the computer. AND I read the entire article (or more of the article) when reading a paper magazine then when I read online. Hmm. Interesting. 

Take that New York Times!  

I must admit that's sort of satisfying to write.

Anyway, how are you guys doing?

Amy 

Where the wedding was held... wow!