Independent Lil Old Me

This weekend, I'll be attending the first annual Shreveport Author Author book festival. They were excited to get someone who does web publishing-- most of what they have are the "old fashioned" sort of bookish type. :) I'll be on the main floor, though, with a killer slide presentation of my Women Writers website (since they don't have Internet access, this is the best way to show it off). My URL will also be on the little book bags they hand out to people, which is cool. I'm also planning to print up a small, bound version of a selection of poetry, fiction, and scholarship the website has had over the years.

Why, you ask, is this cool? Well, Jewell Parker Rhodes, who wrote the bestseller Voodoo Dreams will be there. Also, some third wave feminist authors are supposed to be there, and we're supposed to meet for coffee beforehand, but I just heard that they are cancelling. (Which is a bummer, but not the end of the world).

And the whole point of this is twofold. To get to know people who are into literary stuff here in Shreveport, and to possibly get myself and my work noticed by people who can help me with my goal of trying to get Women Writers published as an anthology/collection of works in a real, bound book. I know the web is cool and all, but it would be neat. A lot of the academic types would find that more impressive, and it could be good for my career. (I'm not saying WILL be good because it's weird the way these things work.)

So anyway. I don't think there are any readers of my blog in the area, but if you are coming to town this weekend, come see me! I'm trying to get a babysitter so we can attend the ball on Saturday, but my fairy godmother babysitters are all busy so far.