Past Updates

Hello from New England

Hello from New England, where I'm enjoying gorgeous fall scenery during a rare few days at home. Since April, I've been traveling each week to research a book on Protestant churches in America. Having been raised Catholic, I literally was told the ceiling would fall on me if I ever entered any other type of church. I'm both testing that theory and getting a great education about the rest of Christianity by attending Sunday services in churches from here to Hawaii. I'm so happy to announce that the wonderful 152-year-old Beacon Press will be publishing "Sundays in America" in 2008. Beacon is the publisher of my first two non-fiction books, "Songs From a Lead-Lined Room: Notes - High and Low - From My Journey Through Breast Cancer and Radiation" and "Shelf Life: Romance, Mystery, Drama and Other Page-Turning Adventures From a Year in a Bookstore."

I began visiting churches at Easter, and will conclude next Easter, just in time to fly to Ireland to teach a memoir workshop through Beadventure, which will be holding a beading and writing workshop April 24 through May 5 in County Mayo. Plenty of sightseeing will be included, and we'll concentrate on writing for three of the days the group is there. Some openings remain and if you're interested in details on the workshops, please visit http://www.beadventure.info/trip.aspx?id=20050830043305. Feel free to contact me with any questions - sess7@comcast.net

view more photos from Ireland Or you can ask me in person if you attend the National Writers Union's Western New England Chapter's WriteAngles conference at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., Nov. 11. I'll be speaking at lunch on the topic of "Finding Your Story," and will be part of a "Personal Stories" panel in the afternoon. This event is open to the public but there is a registration fee that includes breakfast and lunch. For details, visit www.writeanglesconference.org.

And please mark your calendars for Edwards Books' annual Open Books for Open Pantry reading and signing, to be held Thursday, Nov. 16, at 6:30 p.m. Edwards is located in Tower Square, 1500 Main St., Springfield, Mass. This year we will feature readings and signings by authors who've written for children and young adults, and a portion of the proceeds from books sold will benefit Open Pantry Community Services. The authors will include mother and daughter Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple; Carol Weiss; Judith Jaeger; and Barbara Diamond Goldin. For more information, or to reserve a signed copy of any of the authors' books, contact Edwards Books, 413-736-6844. Free parking in the Tower Square garage will be available with validation from the bookstore.

Happy reading!

Suzanne

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