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Focus on Students

July 2013 Writing Show: Hearts and Minds: Exploring YA Fiction at the Source

The Writing Show

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Recap

Description

Is YA your genre of choice, or are you considering it? One of the hottest markets in publishing, young adult fiction has specific challenges. What makes good YA and how is it different than adult fiction? Who better to ask than the target audience themselves—and an author and librarian who have successfully reached young adult readers?

James River Writer’s Writing Show for July 2013, Hearts and Minds: Exploring YA Fiction at the Source featured children’s librarian Lucinda Whitehurst and Lana Krumwiede, author of Freakling. Moderator Valley Haggard, founder of Richmond Young Writers, guided the discussion about what works, what doesn’t, and the trends and whether you should follow them.

The second half of the program highlighted a panel of teens, including some of JRW’s Youth Advisory Board members. Chico Payne, Cassie Womack, and Madeleine Jordon-Lord. The students talked about their pet peeves and what their favorite authors get right. Annesha Sengupta and Gbari Garrett read a few excerpts from their own work. The program concluded with questions from the audience.

JRW ED / Focus on Students, Uncategorized, Writing Show descriptions / 2013, Annesha Sengupta, Cassie Womack, Lana Krumwiede, Lucinda Whitehurst, the Podium Foundation, the writing show, valley haggard, Writing Show, YA Fiction, Youth Advisory Board /

The Lowdown on the Arts & Culture Xpo, Saturday June 29, 2013

I’ll admit, it took me a while to cotton on to the whole concept of the Arts and Culture Xpo. They give you money? For free? And it’s yours to give to whatever nonprofit you choose, including JRW? Why, sign me up!

The Xpo is an annual event presented by CultureWorks, a consortium whose sole purpose is to promote cultural and artistic endeavors in the Richmond area. The Xpo, held this year at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on June 29^th, spotlighted the region’s many nonprofit arts and culture organizations. Over 100 local groups were represented, including not only the James River Writers, but Henley Street Theatre, Gallery5, the Library of Virginia, Richmond Shakespeare, the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, Conciliation Project, Podium Foundation, and many, many, many more. Patrons (technical term: “Cultural Shareholders”) were given bank envelopes with “Xpo Bucks” and encouraged to browse the booths, checking out the variety of artistic and cultural endeavors available in Richmond, and supporting the organizations that caught their fancies. Ninety (“real”) cents out of every $1 Xpo Buck went directly to the nonprofit at the end of the day. Some booths displayed their creative wares and services; others snared visitors’ eyes and Xpo Bucks by offering something in exchange: t-shirts, CDs, raffle tickets.

At the JRW table, it was custom-written haiku and zombie stories.

Executive Director Katharine Herndon and Program Director Sheila Sheppard Lovelady manned the booth, churning out zombie gore and poetry while chatting with visitors and fans. Youth Advisory Board member Annesha Sengupta was also there to lend a hand for much of the day, and poets Shann Palmer and I stopped by to write a few haiku on our way to the stage.More

JRW ED / Focus on Students, News, Programs, Resources for Aspiring Writers, Uncategorized / Annesha Sengupta, Arts and Culture Xpo, CultureWorks, Greater Richmond Convention Center, haiku, Joanna Lee, Katharine Herndon, Shann Palmer, Sheila Sheppard Lovelady, zombie stories /