The Pyrenees---Southern France

The Pyrenees---Southern France

Friday, July 10, 2015

A Dollop of Bitter and Lots of Sweet

       Yesterday was the last day of the Gateway Writing Project's Summer Institute. The Summer Institute (SI) is a five-week, four-day-a-week class (6 hours a day) for teachers. 

This was a graduate class I took way back in 2001, and for the last two years, I've been co-teaching it. It's past pinch-me-is-this-for-real? Working with kids during the school year and with teachers during the summer is a dream come true.

       Spending 120 hours together--spread out over a month--is delightful when the teachers are invested and fun and talented. But when they're over the top with talent and when the group becomes such a community that incredible wounds are shared and jokes become long-running and explosive... well, when it's over, it's sad (and a bit bitter).

        We celebrated by going out to lunch together yesterday, and wrote round-robin limericks. The plan was to read them aloud in the restaurant, but our table was so long, we would have had to shout them, and after seeing the turns most of the limericks took, we wisely decided to read them on the sidewalk outside of the restaurant. (Risque' is almost a rule when it comes to limericks--or at least humor that leans toward crude.)

       The sweet part is one of the teachers (I'm hoping... and if one of them does not, I've promised that I will do the deed) will send out an email about starting a writing critique group... so they can keep the momentum going. In the past five weeks, I mentioned my writing critique group several times as we talked about the power of our colleagues. If we don't surround ourselves with other writers, if we don't have writing friends to nudge us, we often don't make the time to write.

      How about you? What bittersweet moment can you recall? Slightly sad minds want to know...




19 comments:

  1. Parting really is sweet sorrow, especially when limericks are involved. How great to have a job you love so much!

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    1. Tammy--Limericks--especially round-robin style--are loads of fun.

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  2. How nice you had a good summer experience...esp in a rainy summer! You are right we all need a support group...wish I knew more supporting writers here.

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    1. Claudia--Since I've been in your neck of the woods rescuing dogs, I can attest--you live in a beautiful (but isolated) part of the state.

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  3. Oh you shod share your collaborative lyrics ;)

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    1. Linda--Too full of private jokes, and too full of stuff that's not printable...

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  4. Bittersweet? Well...um...when I retire at the end of next school year! It will be sweet having time to myself and no workday stress, but bitter, because The Pony will go away to college, and I will worry about him.

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    1. Val--But you can distract yourself by trying to keep Hick in line and your writing will also keep you busy...

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  5. Oh, what a grand experience, Sioux, even though it had to end. I spent a week at a Highlights Whole Novel Workshop with a group of terribly dedicated writers and it was hard to leave--but thanks to technology, many of us still keep up with each other!

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    1. Cathy--Color me green (with envy) because I've always wanted to go to a Highlights workshop (I have another friend who went) but have never been able to.

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  6. What a wonderful experience---will you do it again next year? Saying goodbye like that is always tough, but as Cathy mentioned, thanks to the internet, y'all can stay connected. And maybe as a treat for us you can post some of those limericks...

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    1. Lisa--The limericks were jam-packed with private, insider-jokes and were also too R-rated to share. But they WERE funny, I would recommend that the next time you get together with some writing friends, suggest some round-robin limerick writing. Everyone starts with a cocktail napkin/piece of paper, everyone writes a first line on theirs, and then everyone passes it on to the next person, and then on to the next, until each one has gone to five different people. It's a blast.

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  7. I am mourning my skepticism about Crocs. I bought some. I love them. Now I can no longer scorn them, because they are on my own feet. *sniff*

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  8. Shay--You've come over to the dark side.Their lack of stylishness is made up for in comfort. And when others get their shoes ruined by mud, all you have to do is hose yours off, and they're good to go again.

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  9. What a wonderful experience. I'm hoping to make a lot more writer group meetings once I pass my LAR (long awaited retirement) date.

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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    1. Pat--I know that LAR is dangling in front of you like a golden carrot. Keep your eye on it... you're almost there.

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  10. Sounds like a wonderful experience, Sioux. So glad you had the chance to go. As for writer's groups, I went to several retreats in Harper's Ferry, WV when I first started writing. It was always so hard to leave at the end of the weekend, but I'm still in touch with some of the friends I met there.

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    1. Theresa--It was a great experience, and I hope to teach it again next summer as well. It is a nice change of pace--working with kids during the school year and teachers during the summer.

      Harper's Ferry, West Virginia? That sounds like an interesting spot. I hope to hear more of your experiences there at some point.

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Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by...