I am not certain how many of my summers have been punctuated by a trip to the International Women’s Writing Guild Conference at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. I’ve missed a few since 1978, but made it to twenty-five at least.
I am not certain how many of those years I’ve been privileged to teach there since I was invited to do so sometime in the early eighties. First about how to write popular fiction, then about how to weather the storms of the publishing business, more recently about how to craft and tell stories from our inner lives.
I am not certain how many hundreds – could it be thousands by now? – of women have paid me the honor of listening, pushed me toward better answers to their questions, pushed themselves to express their deepest truths and pushed us all to recognize our shared humanity as they stood and read their words, sometimes with trepidation, always in triumph.
I am not certain how many wide, warm smiles I have watched break across the faces of old friends and new or how many embraces I have been blessed to receive and return.
I am not certain how many times I have laughed, cried, been joyfully surprised, gratefully enlightened and inspired to grow in directions that have changed my life and me.
I am certain that each Saratoga summer has been a jewel of unique cut and splendid sparkle strung one by one through three decades, now launching into four, and that there can be no counting the priceless IWWG Skidmore memories I shall hold forever in my heart.
Thanks to Hannelore Hahn and my Guild sisters for yet another summer wonder in 2009.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Followers
9 comments:
Will you make it down to NYC?
Best,
Bob
Alice -- It was a joy to see you at Skidmore. Your can-do attitude is as inspiring as your clear sense of when you need to pull back and rest. That spectrum is often a hard one for women to navigate. I learn from your example. Sorry we missed that glass of wine this year. Let's enjoy it next summer when we toast your continued good health.
Love,
Zita
Glad you made it home safe and sound. It was a pleasure to see you and to get a chance to talk. I will definitely see you there next year and am looking forward to it.
Love to all,
Tep
Hurrah, Alice!! A triumph! Congratulations to you!
Dear Alice--I was so grateful to see you this year. For me, your presence is so important there at the Skidmore conference. I loved the meals we shared and your bright smile and kind comments.
Until next time,
Love,
Anne
Hey, Alice,
We got to spend an hour or so together at one of those counter height industrial metal tables inside of Case Center, sipping coffee and sharing that almost fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie. And though I miss your red hair, and though I know how weary you were, having that time with you provided me with a joy that remains unique. Our sisterly friendship, maintained on the East Coast & the West, is deep and thorough. I'm forever grateful for your rooting me on when my self confidence faltered. And looking forward to my late August, early September annual visit to Vashon.
See you soon.
Love,
Margie
Hi Alice,
I'm still on the road, so this will be brief: Love you!
Love & Light,
Terry-Anya
Dear Alice,
Two things I learned from you this year (and this without even attending your class):
1. It was good to say NO. It was a more relaxed conference for me than it has been in years. I needed lots of time for myself and I took it, in between some fabulous classes and the always wonderful reconnections with all my creative sisters. It is hardest to say NO to myself. "Ask me again next year" worked quite well, especially when women were asking if I was selling an IWWG calender this year!
2. Several days into the conference you said to me, when I asked how you were feeling/ healing, that you were tired but that the stitches were healing OK. You also said it was probably one of the craziest things you'd ever done, getting on that plane and heading to Saratoga so soon after your latest surgery, but that it was absolutely the right thing to do. You reaffirmed for me the healing aspects of IWWG and I loved hearing that sometimes the craziest thing to do is the best thing for one's Self.
Know that you are a fine teacher, even outside the classroom. You have strength, insight and give us all a Can-Do feeling about our lives that women don't often find elsewhere. I expect we'll be seeing you for many years to come at the conference. We have much to learn; you have much to teach us.
Blessings,
Marilyn
Alice,
I loved seeing you and being in your class. I can only imagine it might have been a relief to be your teaching/writing self and not be seen as a "sick person." That was how I saw you: Alice Orr, Writer/Teacher.
Congratulations on that and thank you.
Love,
Mel
Post a Comment