Maybe you didn't realize I was inviting you to a celebration today, but thanks for coming!
Thanks for joining me on a year of reading and writing adventures. (Yes! our blog and book club have just hit the one year mark.)
And after this year of reading books and stories, journaling, and slowing down the pace of life in general (or at least trying!) we've got our very first literary edition.
Your fellow vagabonds--your fellow adventurers of the written word--are here to share a part of their writing journey with you.
The stories, poems and personal essays you'll read in this very first literary edition are a collection of work inspired by the Slice of Life Creative Writing Program, the Short Story Series, or the Tiny Story Challenge we recently held at our Book Club on Facebook.
When I look at these pieces of writing, I see so many things...
First steps, beginnings, and permissions granted
Our two poets told me this was their first attempt at a poem--ever! Some of you wrote your first piece of fiction, your first attempt at creative writing since your school days...
A chance to Learn draw inspiration from each other
I think all of us here are lovers of reading, but there's something special about reading a story by someone you know. There's something wonderful about watching someone struggle with the language, reach out with words and connect to our community with writing.
And make no mistake about it--whether you grew up speaking English, or added it to your repertoire later--we're all struggling with the language. Maybe that's what brings us together.
A time capsule for our writing:
Something that I've always loved about following writers over a long period of time--months, years--is that writers evolve. Your voice changes, your style moves forward. It happens in tiny fits and starts...but when you look back at what you wrote 6 months ago it can be a revelation.
I can't wait to look back over these pieces months and years from now and see how far we've come.
A world tour
Take your time, savor this stories, poems. They'll take you to places you've never dreamed of. A snowy day in Riyad, a secret reading spot in Ukraine, learning to swim in the Qujiang River , life somewhere 'in the country' with its own strange set of rules...an all-night village celebration in Spain...
Enjoy your journey.