I’ve been one busy gal. Just finished up week one of the Writing Project here at UCA after spending the glorious week before In Ozark doing the same thing – writing with public school teachers from Arkansas. This past week has been a scribbly one indeed, and the writing is good. I’ve almost filled a brand new Apica notebook already.
Because the National Writing Project isn’t about talking-head workshops, and IS about writing with your students, I’ve got quite a few pages of “starts” to work on after the last donut is gone in mid-July. I’ve fiddled around with the idea of a National Floating Rewrite Month (NaFloReMo), and it looks like I’ll need to implement that just as soon as this Summer Institute comes to a close. I’d love to rewrite as I go, but directing the SI tends to put a cramp in my rewrite style – there simply isn’t world and time to do it all. So keep your ears to the ground, because come July 18 (ish) there’s going to be a rewrite frenzy. Paper will fly, printers will eat ink, and no one can stop me.
I’ve included a snippet from a morning warm-up scribble below that needs a little dedicated time. I’d better go now and order some more Apicas, because – while aestheically delightful – they are mighty thin for what I’m throwing down right now.
Oh! Tick-tock, and such. The next Ultimate Self-Cleaning Book Giveaway drawing for three free books is Monday night. Be sure to put your name in the salad bowl, because I’ve got more books coming in here at a fairly fast clip. Please enter before I reach critical mass.
No Telling 
The pig latin thing cracked me up!! My grandmother wasn’t quite as creative-she’d just send me to town with her maid when she was talking about something she didn’t want me to repeat to my mother.
My grandmother would just say it in front of me. And I’d take it right back to my mother, because I have always been the mouth of the South. I learned it from the significant women in my life, though. I know whatever I tell Momma will end up being discussed with Muffy, whatever I tell Muffy will end up being discussed with Momma, and whatever either of them tell me, the other will wind up knowing. It’s how we work, and I don’t think I’d have it any other way.
O-hay, Andace-cay. Have fun at Ollywood-day.I love that, Tim. You were all Southern Gossip Conduits. It’s an unbreakable chain of information flow. I just love it.
Monda,Do I have a name for you to add to your list! Read this one in the paper today: Louelle Tate.It’s kind of classy in a trashy sort of way, don’t you think?
Louelle Tate. She could be a murderer or a society matron with that name. Maybe a pretty gal from the second trailer on the left who married “up.” Oh, it’s a good one all right.
What a magical grandmother–truly!