Hello Again, Scholastic Awards, and Meaning

Happy New Year? Dear Readers, I am still here - alive and kicking through this long, hard winter - in WritopiaLand, writing more emails and notes,  delving deeper into the worlds' of emerging young writers than working on my own noveling. (More about that later.)

My biggest project though, has been helping my husband Rob put together our regional Scholastic Writing Award Ceremony, which was held this past Sunday, March 16th in the chapel of Reid Castle at Manhattanville College.

Here I am right before the ceremony with my right hand woman, Anastasia Guadron, so happy and excited to celebrate teen writers, and to make their awards mean something.

And what's that?

Their words matter: they matter.

The ceremony was infused with meaning, and hopefully long-lasting impact. Wendy Corsi Staub blew us away as our keynote speaker with her humility and strength. Her messaging was clear about the hard work it takes to be a writer, but she also inspired us to make bold choices in both our own lives and on the page. She is definitely a kindred spirit, and a workhorse to boot, having written and published 80 novels in the past 20 years. That's more than my grandmother!

Daisy Jopling elevated the event to new heights by playing the violin for us, mixing up her unique blend of rock and classical.

The kids all came up on stage and announced their names and what they had achieved recognition for, claiming their voices, taking their seat at the table. It was hard for some of them, but it meant something.

They inspire me. Now I need to make the bold choice (thank you Wendy!) of jumping back into my own writing. More on that next time - adieu!

PS  Thank you friends and readers who have emailed and asked where I've been! xo

Delicious Miss Daisy

I was so excited when I got the email blast announcing that premier violinist Daisy Jopling would be performing with her band in my hometown at the Katonah Village Library. Daisy was my son Cooper's first violin teacher  at the Bloomingdale School of Music in New York City. (Yes, he was only in kindergarten, but Daisy's philosophy was to have children improvise and make up actual songs rather than technique, which would come later.) She had such passion and energy, I would find myself asking to sit in on her classes just to watch her.  (Eventually she was touring so much that she stopped teaching.)

So of course Cooper (now in sixth grade) and I weren't going to miss it. Last Thursday night we sat in the front row. Daisy, petite, beautiful and British came out in a hand-knit angora sweater vest and black pleather pants and began to play Vivaldi - but unlike any Vivaldi you've ever heard. This was rock n' roll, baby!  She was revelatory to watch: her face shone as every part of her body vibrated. The sharing of herself was so complete and intimate the entire audience was blown away.

I came away inspired to share myself more in a deeper way with people, to continue to find my own voice and not write what I think others will want to hear or read. (Marketing.)

We all couldn't get enough.

And we can get more of Daisy! She will be playing with her band in Peekskill at The Paramount Theater on Saturday May 19th. Let's get a posse together and sell that theater out!