The Kindness of Writers

For the past several years, I have taken Kate and a few of her friends to the annual Young Author's Conference.  It is organized and put on by Success Beyond the Classroom and held on a local college campus.  As an adult, I've been to writer's conferences and am always amazed by the kindness and generosity of other writers.  I don't know why.  Maybe I expect everyone to be secretive or protective about their own ideas.  But that's not the case.  Overwhelmingly, there is an overflowing of sharing and helping and just plain friendliness.  At the YAC last week, as I sat in a central "chaperone" location, I overheard some 4th graders trying to locate their next session.  These 10 year-olds seemed so much littler than the 13 year-old (going on 28!) girls that I had with me.  The campus is sprawling and the sessions can be very spread out.  So, these girls were carrying their maps in front of their faces, glancing up at these color-coded zone signs (a session might be labeled "Basics of Editorial Writing and Cartooning - Sky Blue 337).  These two students, strangers to each other, noticed each other and here's the conversation I overheard:

Is this way Magenta?

Are you Magenta too?

Yeah.  Hi, I'm Amy.

Nice to meet you.  I'm Chloe.

I love your shirt.

Oh, thanks.

And off they went together, to learn new tips and share ideas, in their "Magenta" poetry session.  The level of maturity these kids exhibit when put into a situation where they are treated like adults and really have to fend for themselves (in a very organized and safe environment) is incredible.  They network, they rely on each other, and they grow!  So cool.

This is a scene from a book I recently bought, with beautiful sepia-toned illustrations punctuated by a red fish.  the little red fish by taeeun yoo begins with the line:

JeJe's grandfather was a librarian at an old library in the middle of the forest.

What a wonderful beginning!