So a sexologist and a pulp artist's grandson walk into a writing conference . . . . . .

It's not every day I meet a licensed sexologist and an aspiring non-fiction writer toting pulp magazines from the 1930s!  Yet at Rosemont College on Saturday, 10/11, I met both these individuals within the same ten minutes!  Push to Publish is a yearly event (also sponsored by Philadelphia Stories) boasting talented writers pitching all kinds of fascinating projects and a stable of experienced editors and agents ready to offer their suggestions. Even Saturday's curl-up-on-the-couch weather didn't deter this intriguing bunch, who were treated to an excellent keynote speech by Julianna Baggott, author of 19 books and counting, including the dystopian trilogy Pure and my favorite, historical fiction The Madam (Baggott also writes under two different pen names - who knew?).  Baggott shared her tips for keeping the muse alive and carving out creative time.  She should know; she also has four kids!  Her speech combined the science of creativity with some real-world tips for making the most of your writing time.

Next up were the agent/editor speed dates!  At least I wasn't the only one rehearsing my pitch in the ladies' room line!  The ten minutes of face time each writer got with the agent or editor of their choosing flew by, but I know many of us were given the green light to send a sample of our manuscripts on for further review, which is very exciting.  I received great hints on my particular work, including suggestions for title changes and structural help.

Two one hour panels filled the afternoon.  Instagram VS Facebook VS Twitter - the debate continued as to which platform better serves the aspiring writer, but every panelist seemed to agree that a positive internet presence is essential for everyone hoping to sell a book.  I left with some simple things I can do now, while still tweaking my manuscript, to get that particular ball rolling.  Other topics included writing YA, children's books and memoir.

My only regret:  I didn't swap contact info with either the sexologist or the pulp art enthusiast!  I'm bummed - I'd be interested to know where they ultimately wind up with their projects!  Hopefully I'll bump into them both next year, when Rosemont will again host the event on October 15th.

Mighty Girl!

If you, like me, are already holiday shopping for the little ladies (and gents) in your life, here's a great website with tons of ideas.  A Mighty Girl features "the world's largest collection of books, toys and movies for smart, confident and courageous girl."  Finds include:

 Frida Kahlo paper dolls

 Betsy Ross finger puppet and magnet

The Roominate Deluxe Kit,                                    

which lets a future engineer build

a room with working lights and elevators, as 

well as design furniture!  

The site also includes a book club and some enlightening essays, including this one about Judy Blume's fight against censorship.  My little Mighty Girl will be getting the Wonder Woman Invisible Jet play set and Laugh and Learn Piggy Bank, and there's also tons of great ideas for teachers and literary lovers (Emily Dickinson and Zora Neale Hurston have also gotten the finger puppet treatment!) 

Common Core: Easy Math made Difficult!

Hemant Mehta's defense of common core math acrobatics , along with the mind-numbing pic below, have recently gone viral.  The picture shows how subtraction was performed "traditionally," and how students are being taught this basic operation under Common Core:

This headache-inducing photo may be enough to make you want to home-school your children!  But never fear!  Mehta assures us this second, drawn out method is superior to the first because "if I ask students to explain why it works, they'd have a really hard time explaining it to me."  Whereas the second "new" way, just in case your brain melted trying to figure it out, encourages students to "instead, count up from 12 to an "easier' number like 15.  (You've gone up 3).  Then, go up to 20. (You've gone another 5).  Then jump to 30.  (Another 10).  Then, finally, to 32.  (Another 2.)"

Ignore that this method takes a basic, two step math problem and mutates it into five steps, which is three more potential places for a kid to make an error and screw the whole thing up.  What's disturbing about this is WHY it's being taught this way in the first place.  Mehta himself states that the Common Core-endorsed way is so kids can supposedly explain why 32-12 = 20.  There is no WHY there!  32-12 = 20 because it DOES.  And if you really think about it, the second version doesn't really explain why either.  Why does 12+3 = 15?  The problem doesn't say.  But, if we leave all that well enough alone, what will kids fill in on their standardized tests when asked to explain their computations?  Many state tests include several open-ended math questions in which students are required not only to solve problems but explain their figures and reasoning.  Here we see yet another example of education being twisted by state testing.  The "new way" above has been designed to guarantee high test scores and keep the state off the schools' backs.  I feel sorry for both the students who have to learn this way and the teachers who have to act like it makes sense and defend it to parents!