Greetings!
"There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."
~Ernest Hemingway
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The month of June reminds me of a number of things: the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, Father's Day, and National Cancer Survivors Day. I am thrilled to report that after a four-year hiatus the writers conference is back. It's exciting that this year we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary!
I love teaching at this conference, not only because it's held in my home town, but because the students and faculty are inspiring, fun, motivated, and creative. This year, I will be teaching memoir writing in morning sessions. Unlike most writers' conferences, students will have the opportunity to stay in the same workshop all week, but are encouraged to explore the different genres offered. The panels and evening activities are also exciting. See the registration link below for more information.
Regarding Fathers Day this month, I feel blessed to have had a wonderful father who instilled in me his sense of love and compassion. He died in 1991, and it took a significant amount of time before I was able to write about him. I've since authored a number of poems about my father, inspired by his habits and other ways of being. Like most of my poetry, I connect the past with the present. For example, during the course of a day I might be doing something that elicits a memory from long ago: whenever I have cream cheese on bread, I think of my father as having a "schmear," which was one of his favorite things to do.
Finally, June 4th is National Cancer Survivors Day. While I try not to tie my identity to being a cancer survivor, I cannot deny the truth that I am one. Quite often in life, it's the darkness that brings the light. Another way of saying it is that we would not know the light without the darkness. My cancer journey resulted in happily moving to California to access the best doctors which, in turn, inspired a great deal of writing. This has always been an integral part of my healing journey. At the same time, it's my hope that my words also help others with their own journey.
Here's to you and your journey, wherever you currently find yourself. Sending you blessings for a wonderful month of June!