A P.O.W.ERful Update
I just spent the weekend celebrating my 25th college reunion with my daughter, surrounded by the incredibly talent, passionate, and amazing women who attended Smith College.
The theme for our class was "We are All Wonder Women" which I loved, although I do find the idea of striving to be Wonder Woman a complicated one. As much as we would like to believe we can have everything, we can't really, and I think it is healthy for us to recognize that.
Still, it was an empowering theme for this moment in my life. I loved spending this occasion with my daughter, especially walking in our Ivy Day Parade (a Smith Tradition) wearing our Wonder Women capes.
On the first day I was there, I received a wonderful text from a friend of mine who graduated in a different class. She knows my story, my struggles, my self-doubts that stem from some of my experiences in college. She wrote:
That is part of the message of P.O.W.ER
While there, we had a Wonder Woman Writer's book signing. While I would have liked there to be more publicity and learned a few lessons about the egos of some writers (another story for another time), it was fun talking to fellow Smithies and their daughters as I actually sold books. My talented blogging friend Maria, of Brickhouse Chick, also stopped by to buy a paper back copy and give me a decadent gift. We spent time chatting and I was so happy to see her. For those wondering, we have met before when Maria bravely welcomed two strangers into her home despite fears we would murder her in her sleep. She stares the story in "Stranger Danger? Blogger Killer". It was that initial meeting that helped me find the courage to finally make the commitment with my publisher (Word Hermit Press) and decide on a publication date. That commitment was a long time coming . . . not on their end but on my own.
I also talked to the daughter of a classmate, who wanted to write. I talked to other young women who are entering a world which is complex and challenging and still doesn't value everyone equally. I came home (after not spending much time on the internet) to find a post about a Senator in Kansas who want to criminalize the teaching of what she perceives as "harmful books."
The whole weekend together served as a reminder to me that the journey I am on is not about becoming a bestselling author (although I would of course love it if that happened). It is about being proud of myself, my work, and trying to make this world a better place, one creative project at a time.
To that end I want to celebrate some of the powerful things that have been happening lately, because I have the right to celebrate my victories as well as learn from my defeats:
What makes you feel powerful in your own life?
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The theme for our class was "We are All Wonder Women" which I loved, although I do find the idea of striving to be Wonder Woman a complicated one. As much as we would like to believe we can have everything, we can't really, and I think it is healthy for us to recognize that.
Still, it was an empowering theme for this moment in my life. I loved spending this occasion with my daughter, especially walking in our Ivy Day Parade (a Smith Tradition) wearing our Wonder Women capes.
On the first day I was there, I received a wonderful text from a friend of mine who graduated in a different class. She knows my story, my struggles, my self-doubts that stem from some of my experiences in college. She wrote:
"Have a great reunion - remember to bring your 40-year-old self not your 20-year-old self - you are strong, beautiful and talented - be confident in the person you've become."It's so easy, when you travel back into your past, to fall into the patterns of old. This message, from a friend who knows me well despite the distance between us (she lives in New Zealand) reminded me of the hidden powers I have inside. The powers that have allowed me to live a rich and rewarding life on my own terms, even if that life doesn't resemble the expectations of others.
That is part of the message of P.O.W.ER
While there, we had a Wonder Woman Writer's book signing. While I would have liked there to be more publicity and learned a few lessons about the egos of some writers (another story for another time), it was fun talking to fellow Smithies and their daughters as I actually sold books. My talented blogging friend Maria, of Brickhouse Chick, also stopped by to buy a paper back copy and give me a decadent gift. We spent time chatting and I was so happy to see her. For those wondering, we have met before when Maria bravely welcomed two strangers into her home despite fears we would murder her in her sleep. She stares the story in "Stranger Danger? Blogger Killer". It was that initial meeting that helped me find the courage to finally make the commitment with my publisher (Word Hermit Press) and decide on a publication date. That commitment was a long time coming . . . not on their end but on my own.
I also talked to the daughter of a classmate, who wanted to write. I talked to other young women who are entering a world which is complex and challenging and still doesn't value everyone equally. I came home (after not spending much time on the internet) to find a post about a Senator in Kansas who want to criminalize the teaching of what she perceives as "harmful books."
The whole weekend together served as a reminder to me that the journey I am on is not about becoming a bestselling author (although I would of course love it if that happened). It is about being proud of myself, my work, and trying to make this world a better place, one creative project at a time.
To that end I want to celebrate some of the powerful things that have been happening lately, because I have the right to celebrate my victories as well as learn from my defeats:
- P.O.W.ER has been nominated for a National Book Award in fiction
- P.O.W.ER has been placed on the 7th grade reading list for my school district.
- This Friday I will be presenting two workshops to my daughter's middle school, with 50 kids attending.
- I have a signing talk scheduled for Leicester Public Library as well as a workshop for other writers at The Writer's Loft. (Visit my events for more details about these).
- Meanwhile, I will be teaching a three-day puppetry workshop in a few weeks and am finishing up another successful collaboration between heArtful Theatre and Seven Hills Foundation this Wednesday.
- Although they trickle in, recent reviews of P.O.W.ER have been wonderful and make me feel ready to keep trying and write again
What makes you feel powerful in your own life?
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