So many exciting things are happening here at 826, I hardly know where to begin. I don’t think blogs are supposed to be novellas, but I’m inclined to write one. Keeping you, the reader, foremost in my mind, I’ve decided to arrange it thusly: with numbers and bold fonts. Read what interests you, and I’m sorry about the overuse of exclamation points, but it couldn’t be helped.
- Radio 826: The Wrap-up! The first but certainly not the last Radio 826 broadcast from Crazy Wisdom last Wednesday. If you like being places that feel magical, if you enjoy inspiration coming at you in ten-ton blocks, if you seek out happy feelings in all their wondrous forms, well, you shoulda been there. If you were, you know what I mean. Two Maggies and an Aja read from their work, and superstar Jeff Kass proved, for the fifty millionth time, that he’s a superhero. Many thanks to Jeff, Maggie, Maggie, Aja, all the open mic participants, and the very lucky and thoroughly engaged crowd that filled Crazy Wisdom past capacity.Radio 826 will broadcast again, soon; you can be sure of that.
- 826michigan presents: world-famous cartoonist Keith Knight! Got any plans for Wednesday night? The author of The K Chronicles will be at the library, courtesy of us. Click here for all the gory and delicious details.
- Swag-mania! Last week, Erin, John, myself, and 826 board members Heidi and Deanne spent what has become, undeniably, the best money we’ve ever let go of. We bought a button maker! Want a button that says “a period is 1/2 a semi-colon” or “Let’s hear it for BOOKS!” or “Censor ships” or “write something” or our logo or the Monster Union logo? Come on in; they’re only a dollar. And if you have another dollar, while you’re here, buy a sticker! We’ve got hot pink, peacock blue, and bright orange to choose from. They’ll look marvelous on your bumper, trust me, I know. We also have hot-off-the-presses t-shirts with C. Jason’s wondrous Monster Union logo (yellow on green and hot pink on gray).
- Computer Lab! We now have seven computers that actually work!
- Writers’ Day Camp!Hey adult writers! Looking for a place to hone your craft? Want to support a local writing center, so that young writers can be taken seriously? Want to combine those activities? Julie Orringer and Barbara Shoup will be teaching writing workshops as part of our day-long fundraising extravaganza on October 29. Click here for more info.
- Monsters’ Ball! It’s alive! But it can’t live without your support! Please come to our first fall fundraiser, featuring the fabulous Julie Orringer, the brilliant Elizabeth Kostova, and the incomparable Maggie M! (There was talk of showing video clips from Radio 826 at this event, but after attending Radio 826, it was determined that what made the night so special was that we were watching students read their work, not watching video clips of students reading their work. And so, there will be actual students on stage actually reading their work. What a great opportunity for these students to get to share the stage with bestselling authors!) Click here for more information on this not-to-be-missed event.
It may sound like I’ve just downed a pot of coffee, but I don’t actually drink coffee anymore. I don’t need to, not with a place like this. The colors are brighter here than other places, the people more gregarious. The ladybugs luckier.
I promised myself I’d keep this under 600 words, and so I must go now, before…