Workshops - Always a Learning Experience - Even for the Teacher

About three times a year I get together with a group of writers at the homestead of the founders of Highlights for Children magazine. The publication’s been around since 1946, so it’s fostered the careers of a great many writers. These days, in addition to the wonderful magazine, a book division, a web presence, and a lot more, Highlights has a non-profit side that provides dozens of workshops each year with the aim of improving the offerings of what’s being written for kids ( http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/ ). That’s how I met this group of people who’ve since dubbed us the Swaggers; we gathered two years ago for a workshop on writing novels for teenagers. It was obviously a success, because most of the group returned for a second round earlier this month.

I was technically still “the teacher” this time, but I didn’t feel like one at all. I always learn a lot from these workshops, but this time was particularly enriching. There’s been a lot of success from this group since the last time we met: a published novel, a published picture book, a number of projects that are ready to submit. Listening and participating in group discussions of the work was enlightening and uplifting. Can’t wait to do it again.

Here are my five favorite TV characters of all time:


Barney Fife
Ed Norton
Bugs Bunny
Lisa Simpson
George Castanza


Rich Wallace