More Opening Pages
Every speaker addressed the topic of opening pages in provocative, engaging, and always thought-provoking ways.
Arthur A. Levine talked about essential knowledge, taking us through his gaining of it via certain opening pages of his life. He talked of being asked what he wanted most. And what Arthur realized he wanted most was to be understood. I’m still thinking about what I want most.
Fellow Newbery Committee members Kathy Isaacs and Martha Parravano and I did a session on the award, focusing on the process and fielding interesting questions.
That evening Pam Munoz Ryan spoke, beginning with a very amusing look at the cultish aspects of CLNE. She then went on to discuss what was most important to her as a writer, quoting from Ray Bradbury about those items that we care most about —enough to whisper and shout about. We went out to a bonfire (evidently a tradition at the Inn at Essex) and did poetry with the wonderful Ashley Bryan and then sang many a CLNE favorite (keeping the spirit of John Langstaff alive and well).
On Saturday Susan Cooper started us with twenty seconds of silence — this, she told us, is what happens at the start of a play —and, at the end. That twenty seconds of silence stayed with us for the rest of the conference. Silence — so important and so scarce these days, especially for children, I think. Susan’s talk was both profound and heart-filled — a wonder.
Next we heard from the energetic and brilliant Janice Harrington. She gave us wisdom and read her own poems and The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar Country, with a presence and style that I will long remember.
The afternoon was incredible. We took a ferry to the New York side of Lake Champlain to visit Steven Kellogg’s studio. That word “studio” barely does justice to that extraordinary space, filled with his collection of folk art, his art, friends’ art, and more. The Rackhams and Sendaks and more on the walls, the rare books and original art for us to see — it was a remarkable time.
This fall Candlewick is publishing Our White House: Looking In Looking Out created by the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance and we were treated to a presentation and reception for the book. Contributors who presented included Katherine Paterson, Susan Cooper, Brian Selznick, Tobin Anderson, Jeannine Atkins, Virginia Euwer Wolff, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, and Marguerite W. Davol. Probably everyone’s favorite was CLNE regular Lynda Johnson Robb who read her piece “My Room.” (Brian Selznick talked about the difficulty of following her as a speaker! She was that good.)
Here are Deirdre Baker (children’s literature expert and author of Becca at Sea) and Martha Parravano (Horn Book editor and my Newbery bud) enjoying the idyllic location.
That evening we had a brilliant presentation from the one and only Brian Selznick. This was followed by a storytelling session organized by Rita Auerbach that began with Brian narrating Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon complete with soundtrack and sound effects and included many other wonderful storytellers.
The next morning we heard from the one and only Sarah Ellis considering the opening pages of a number of books. She spoke of the “apparatus” in books — in particular she consider the much maligned prologue. Sarah asked us to, “… question the limits of narrative even as we experience it.” A terrific final talk that kept me thinking all the way home.
The event wound to a close with a colloquy. Here are a few random notes of mine from that:
Pam Munoz Ryan reminded us of the Raybury quote, “What [or maybe it was when] are the best things in your life and when you are you going to whisper and shout them?” Ray Bradbury (from Pam Munoz Ryan)
Susan Cooper gave us Priestly’s, “…the icy challenge of the paper.”
Janice Harrington gave a great metaphor of writing openings being like a plane — taking off. That poems and shorter runways may create greater risks of crashing and burning. Susan Cooper then noted that “sometimes a poem just takes off and flies.”
Ginny Wolff gave us poet William Stafford’s, “Writing a poem is like starting a car on ice.”
We were reminded of Brian’s use of the first line from Joyce’s Ulysses. One huge S.
Katherine Paterson noted that, being a Depression era baby, she wastes as little space as possible.
Of course, cult that we are, the conference ended with us joining hands and singing “Wild Mountain Time.”
A very wonderful few days.
1 comment May 12, 2008
