Zuihitsu in Hobart

It didn't matter one iota what it was called.  I only knew that Cheryl Boyce Taylor would be doing a workshop on the topic, and that of all the poetry workshop facilitators I've encountered Cheryl inspired me the most.

She didn't disappoint. 

Two and one half hours later, I was loaded with new inspiration, the names of several poets I was either unfamiliar with or with whom I needed a new introduction.

The workshop, "Zuihitsu," was liberating and the women in the workshop filled the small back room of the Blenheim Hill Bookshop with incredible energy, beauty and amazing talent.

It happened at the 2nd (now annual) Festival of Women Writers, and this year several male figures appeared, envious of the excitement about the number of writers who would be presenting, reading or offering workshops.

In addition to Cheryl's workshop, I attended Ginnah Howard's workshop entitled, "Making the Leap from Real Life into Fiction" and Esther Cohen's workshop "Good Stories."  

Ginnah shared how she made her real life a publishable fiction, more than once, while Esther really made writing a good story seem easy.

Hobart is not your average town.  It is not big, no bigger than one long narrow street, and a few shops off the Main Street, but what it has that few other towns possesses is "bookstores"--six or eight depending on how you count.

I was able to pick up a second hand copy of a compendium of Flannery O'Connor's work in excellent condition at Barbara's (Blenheim).

I ended my adventure in Bloomville at Table on Ten with a great Irving Farm iced cup of coffee and a baguette of prosciutto, mozzarella and pesto (just yummy).

Women Writers Unite in Hobart, New York

Hobart, New York claims and is the village of books.  It has after all six, yes, six bookstores.

And this year, after a two year planning stage, they hosted the first Festival of Women Writers, and writers they had: published, popular, inexperienced, very experienced, poets, non-fiction writers, former Time Magazine journalists, and more.

It was by sheer chance I learned of the festival, and after hewing and hawing, I got into the car, and drove the 78 miles, stopping first at Paper Moon to get grounded.

Paper Moon, Hobart, NY, via Facebook

At Amy Morris Pickens', Paper Moon proprietor, recommendation, I traveled back South to Table on Ten and it was worth it.  Their coffee is great and apparently comes from Irving Farms.  I bought 12oz and already made 2 pots of coffee since returning home.

Table on Ten via Remodelista

I took two workshops, Mary Johnson, author of "An Unquenchable Thirst: Following Mother Teresa in Search of Love, Service, and an Authentic Life. " presented, "Memoir: Remembering & Rewriting" early Friday afternoon at Liberty Rock Books.   Johnson's foundation in New Mexico, "A Room of her Own" sounds quite intriguing but I think I may be over arroyo.
 
On Saturday morning,  Sophfronia Scott, author of several books, including "All I need to get by," contributor to the Chicken Soup series and quite the dynamic offered, "The Big Fat Journal and Other Ways of Keeping your Creative Life,"  at Adams Antiquarian Book Shop.

Both workshops were terrific, but I was particularly taken by Ms. Scott's journal workshop and have already taken steps to not quite emulate, but use her system of a binder.  I ordered a Doane 1" binder with 150 sheets of graph paper last night, my first purchase from them.

Ms. Scott shared a great number of useful references and read this letter 

from the desk of
FRANK SINATRA

Chicken — a thought.
Strange, but I feel the world we live in demands that we be turned out in a pattern which resembles, in fact, is a facsimile of itself. And those of us who roll with the punches, who grin, who dare to wear foolish clown faces, who defy the system — well, we do it, and bully for us!
Of course, there are those who do not. And the reason I think is that, (and I say this with some sadness) those up-tight, locked in people who resent and despise us, who fear us, and are bewildered by us, will one day come to realize that we possess rare and magical secrets, and more — love.
Therefore, I am beginning to think that a few, (I hope many) are wondering if maybe there might be value to a firefly, or an instant-long roman candle.
Keep the faith
Dad

On leaving the workshop, I went to the Conference Center, the hub of the Festival, to look for a poetry workshop leader I had worked with more than 10 years ago.  I couldn't leave without seeing Cheryl Boyce Taylor.

Then I stopped for a second time at Table on Ten for a great cup of coffee, each cup individually made, and bought some flowers & vegetables from The Last Harvest Farm.

Sunflowers from The Last Harvest Farm ©

It took me less time to get home than to travel to Hobart, not that I speed, but I did fly.