Archives for June 2008

Some people have been spending the past (and will spend the coming) sunny Summer days in an office with nary a window or even a cheery plant.

I’m fortunate enough to have a large-windowed office in an old building and a cute little money tree on my desk (which looks like it needs watering…must get to that). And what have I been doing during these alternating stifling and soppy days? Reading the mounds of book catalogs that publishers send our way in preparation for booking the upcoming season.

And I’ve found a lot of interesting themes. One being the spiritual memoir (be sure to check out feminist Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg reading from Surprised By God at CNW on Thursday, September 4 at 7pm) and another being Ida B. Wells.

Having worked within the publishing industry, I know that these things come in waves. What’s your favorite recent publishing fad?

Posted by kl at 03:21 PM
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Hello all!

I’m Stacey, the summer intern at the Center for New Words, and I’d like to take a minute to introduce myself to our lovely and faithful blog readership. I’m a rising senior at Tufts University and I have just returned from Paris, France, where I spent the semester studying French language and culture. My past experience in the nonprofit field and my interest in promoting women’s literacy and related issues drew me to the Center for New Words, and I am excited to be involved in planning the WAM! conference this summer. A little bit about me personally— I am an English and French double major and an avid reader. I grew up near Manchester, New Hampshire, and I love Cape Cod and the Red Sox! I also like playing the piano and going to the beach, especially on hot days like today—good thing the CNW office is air-conditioned =) I’ll be writing on the blog about once a week, so check back for updates!

Posted by Stacey at 05:14 PM
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How much do I love our after-school writing group with girls from East Boston High School? Thiiiis much (picture my arms stretched as far above my head as they can go, enveloping the world around me)!

As I stepped into EBHS yesterday, I felt a twinge of nervous excitement. Would the girls really be into extracurricular writing (especially after taking the dreaded MCAS the day before)? Would they want to share their experiences with me, someone they don’t know? Would they follow my lead? All these questions swirled around in my head as I stood up in front of eleven of the most talented girls in the school.

I needn’t have worried—these girls were ready to push themselves (and their peers) to the limits of both their dreams and their expectations of what they can do. We spent a very productive afternoon doing writing exercises and brainstorming topics for next Fall’s writing group (things like self-confidence, race, class, gender, teen pregnancy, and the economy).

Watch out writing world. The girls from East Boston are getting writing and getting real.

Posted by kl at 01:29 PM
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