At The Writers Place

Hi everyone,

SANDY and I had a good time being back in Kansas City even for a short visit, and I enjoyed the chance to address an audience at The Writers Place. My thanks again to TINA HACKER for the tremendous amount of work she invested in the event. It would never have happened without her. My thanks to Missouri’s current poet laureate MARYFRANCES WAGNER, who is also president of The Writers Place and introduced Tina who in turn introduced me.

I was grateful to see a number of dear friends in the audience, including CHERYL HARNESS, JOANIE ARTH, GAIL and ED CUNNINGHAM, and others. The program lasted an hour and a half.

The slides worked well and while the talk is fresh in my mind, I may look for a venue closer to home to give it a second time and see about having it recorded. I’m also considering making an article of it and sending it somewhere. We’ll see.

Whether I do anything else with it or not, it did me good to collect my thoughts for the talk and I loved being in front of a live audience again!

Back to work tomorrow…

Hi everyone,

My sincere thanks to TINA HACKER for creating and circulating a new reminder of my talk in November to The Writers’ Place in Kansas City. If you would like to help, please share this with those you know who might like to attend the free evening event. Thank you!

I sent much of last week on the sofa fighting a bad stomach reaction to a strong antibiotic. Today I can walk without hunkering over like an old man — no comments or smirks allowed — and my gut ache is down to a too many green-pear variety. I hope that by tomorrow morning I’ll be back at work and start the game of catch-up.

Here’s a little guy that has been around my office for a long time. I’ve forgotten where I got it. I wrote my first PINK PANTHER book in 1975. When I can, I’ll tell you about that, and the other two PP titles I did.

A hacker through and through

Hi everyone,

My friend and colleague, TINA HACKER, tried to post a poem for this month’s Poetry Challenge. Alas, the gremlins ate it. She tried again at my request and I’m posting it here for her. Thank you, Tina!

Hacker’s My Name
 
Used to be uncommon,
so when it first appeared in newspapers,
“Hackers Cause Computer Headaches,”
I cut out the headline, posted it
on my office walls. Soon had enough
to post on everyone’s walls.
HACKERS, the movie, turned
the swell into an ocean.
Never thought I’d be infamous,
send emails people wouldn’t open.
Might as well type SCAMMER
on the subject line.
Considered adding a disclaimer:
I’m not a virus or a vampire
sucking secrets from computers,
just someone with a name
as dreaded as an earthquake,
bubonic plague,
winter in Fargo.
Crashing worlds if not today
surely tomorrow.
Now on Blu-ray.
Tina Hacker

Previously Published in Silver Birch Press

Huffin’ and puffin’ away

Hi everyone,

My thanks to TINA HACKER for making and posting this announcement yesterday on a site maintained for Hallmark folks, past and present. It would be special to see some people I worked with, back in the day, when I speak at The Writers Place in November. Tina, thank you for sponsoring me for that event. I am looking forward to being back in Kansas City! Maybe some friends from the Springfield area and elsewhere will make plans to attend the free evening that is open to the public.

Yesterday I agreed to make a pre-recorded video with LAURA ROBB, JANAY BROWN-WOOD, and MARGARITA ENGLE for the NCTE conference in November. We’re already set to present at 10:30 a.m. the morning of November 21 in Anaheim.

On today’s agenda, I’ll pick up some pictures I ordered from photographer RANDY BACON from his recent exhibit in partnership with Ozark Literacy Council, “Words and Pictures.” Later in the day I’ll meet with an editor via Google. For now, it’s back in the wheel.

The Writers Place presentation will be open to the public

Hi everyone,

I’ve been asked if my talk and reading at The Writers Place in Kansas City in November will be open to the public. TINA HACKER tells me that it will be. The public is welcome to such events. Tickets are free although a $3.00 door donation is appreciated. If you are interested in attending, mark your calendar for November 8 and I’ll give you the time and other details when I know them. Thank you for considering it.

I would love to see some friends there so I hope you’ll think about getting up a group.