Random Thoughts

I just got back a couple hours ago from the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project’s Advanced Institute 2008 New Orleans Marathon. It was, as always, a wonderful experience. We wrote. We talked about writing, talked about teaching, and just talked about life. We stayed at the lovely Le Richelieu Hotel in the French Quarter. It is always hard to leave my writing friends after such an experience.

Now comes the hard part: finding pieces begun at some time in the past that can be revised and turned into finished pieces. It is a challenge — but a good one. I am ready!

I spent yesterday with a group of Louisiana writers. Most were from the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project. The others were from other Louisiana Writing Project sites. And then there was Kim Stafford. He is director of the Northwest Writing Institute and son of the late Poet Laureate of the US, William Stafford.

Kim had us writing and talking about writing all day. It was great! I hadn’t realized how much I missed it. I thought blogging served as my outlet for writing, but I find that I need this community of writers, too.

Tomorrow we head into New Orleans to write for three days. I am really looking forward to it!

mel=nancy=marsha=gary

Originally uploaded by mckeand.

More Writing Project friends. This was taken at the October 2004 Showcase of Best Practices held in Hammond, LA.

Gabe
Originally uploaded by mckeand.

This is my colleague, fellow Writing Project teacher-consultant and friend, Gabe. This photo was taken during the writing mini-marathon he hosted at St. Joseph Abbey in November, 2004. He lives in Tucson now.