It has been a full weekend!
Friday night started with contributor Lynnette Mawhinney and I hosting a reading at Wooden Shoe Books. This Philly reading was better attended than the previous weekend, but I couldn't help teasing Lynnette with "Philly don't read!" To be fair, we were competing with Halloween and the fact that the Phillies were being feted with a parade at the stadium. In case you didn't read your memo - they won the world series. So the fact that anyone showed up is actually impressive.
Saturday afternoon I was joined by contributors Charneice Fox, Lisa Joyner, Tanisha Christie, Deesha Philyaw, Natalie Illum, JScales, Turquoise, and Lynnette (she made her way from Philly) on my home turf of Washington, DC. The cover girl for Just Like A Girl Katie Seitz and GirlChild's graphic designer Kendra Kuliga was also in the house. We took over the Langston Room of Busboys and Poets and had a fabulous reading. A very nice blend of poetry and storytelling.
I am touched by all the support and the wonderful things that were said about GirlChild Press. Faye Williams (Sisterspace and Books) was especially eloquent and generous. She has always been one of my number one cheerleaders, encouraging me to push harder and go farther than I think I can. Her encouragement didn't stop with me, she demanded that folks in attendance continue to support independent presses and artists. Folks, that's the only way that we will flourish.
Today, I am preparing for my trip to Chicago, where we will read at Women and Children First Books on November 7th at 7:30. I am also spending time finishing up the call for submissions for the 2009 anthology Woman's Work: The Short Stories. I'll post it tomorrow.
Toss in the time change (an extra hour to sleep!) and it has been a wonderful weekend.
Until Later!
Michelle
www.girlchildpress.com
