Page Turner - Fall 2023 - Vol 1 / Issue 1 by Georgia Writers Museum

FALL 2023

VOL 1 / ISSUE 1

page turner A GEORGIA WRITERS MUSEUM

ATLANTA WRITERS CLUB MAGAZINE

Profile of a Georgia Writer

Southern Cooking

Henrietta Stanley Dull

I’M NO WRITER INSPIRATION FOR GETTING STARTED ARE YOU A PLOTTER, PANTSER, OR QUILTER?

Meet Young Georgia Readers

READING OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE PROFILE OF A TOWNSEND PRIZE WINNER

SANJENA SATHIAN TOWNSEND PRIZE 2023

EDITOR’S NOTE

Page Turner is a magazine for Georgia’s readers and writers and any Georgiaphiles who enjoy learning about our state’s literary offerings, heritage, and events.

Editor’s Note Each quarter, a team of experienced writers will bring you suggested readings from the Reader’s Corner, tips and helpful advice from the Writer’s Toolbox, and a feature on notable Georgia writers. For children, their educators and guardians, and anyone working on children’s books, we will feature a Children’s Book of the Quarter with suggested activities. Spotlight on Book Clubs will share book club stories from across our state, and maybe inspire you to start one! These articles will be staples of each issue, but others will pop up from time to time, so don’t miss out each quarter.

Brought to you by:

Executive Director

Georgia Writers Museum georgiawritersmuseum.org info@georgiawritersmuseum.org

Atlanta Writers Club teaches the craft and business of writing, supports the local literary community, and encourages more reading by the public.

706.991.5119

Page Turner Magazine

FALL 2023 | ISSUE 1

Georgia Writers Museum celebrates the state’s rich literary history, promotes its contemporary writers, educates readers and writers of all ages, and connects people to the literary arts of Georgia.

Melissa Swindell

EDITOR’S NOTE

Meet the Team! Chip Bell

Managing Editor, Page Turner Author & Keynote Speaker Chip is a renowned keynote speaker and author of several bestselling, award-winning books. He has appeared live on CNBC, Bloomberg TV, Fox Business, and CNN, and his work has been featured in Fortune, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, BusinessWeek, Entrepreneur, Inc. Magazine, and Harvard Business Review.

George Weinstein

Writer, Page Turner Executive Director, Atlanta Writers Club George is an award-winning author, two-time President of Atlanta Writers Club, and since 2008, he has directed the twice-yearly Atlanta Writers Conference, bringing in acquisitions editors and literary agents to help AWC members understand the business of writing and achieve their dreams of publication.

Jim Auchmutey

Writer, Page Turner Former Reporter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution Jim spent almost 30 years as a writer and editor for the AJC, specializing in stories about the South and its history and culture. He was twice named the Cox Newspapers chain’s Writer of the Year and was honored by the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, and the Associated Press. Jim is a founding member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and has won awards for his food writing from the James Beard Foundation and the Association of Food Journalists.

Betty Liedtke

Writer and Copy Editor, Page Turner Former Columnist, Chanhassen (MN) Villager Award-winning columnist Betty Liedtke currently serves as Secretary of Georgia Writers Museum, and is an active member of Toastmasters International, Pathways to Hope— Africa, and the Greensboro Writers Guild.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Page Turner is a magazine for Georgia’s readers and writers and any Georgiaphiles who enjoy learning about our state’s literary offerings, heritage, and events.

Join the Fun! Chip and I invite you to: Share your feedback. Do you love Page Turner? Let us know! Tell us what you want to see in upcoming issues. Sponsor a low-cost ad for your book talk, writing workshop, festival, or bookstore. Write with us! Submit an application to join our all-volunteer writing team. Spotlight a Book Club. Are you in a book club, or do you know one that should be featured? Send it in!

www.georgiawritersmuseum.org/ page-turner

Melissa Swindell

Editor-in-Chief

Chip Bell

Managing Editor

Page Turner Magazine

FALL 2023 | ISSUE 1

“There was no museum like this one, dedicated to Georgia writers, in which to feel at home. Now there is one!” Alice Walker and Valerie Boyd at AW 75 Birthday Celebration Hosted by Georgia Writers Museum

109 S. Jefferson Ave. Eatonton, GA 31024 706.991.5119 georgiawritersmuseum.org Thursday - Saturday 10am - 4pm Donations Appreciated

Page Turner

CONTENTS 2 Editor’s Note

3 Meet the Team

46 Fall Literary Events

Writer’s Corner “I’m No Writer” 10 Writer’s Toolbox Are You a Plotter, Pantser, or Quilter? 14 SPOTLIGHT! Georgia Book Club Flannery O’Connor Book Club 16 Business of Books The Business of Authoring 18 Profile of a Georgia Writer Henrietta Stanley Dull 20 Townsend Prize for Fiction 28 Reader’s Corner Reading Outside Your Comfort Zone 30 Children‘s Corner Meet Young Georgia Readers

24 SANJENA SATHIAN Townsend Prize Winner 2023

31 Children‘s Corner Meet Georgia’s Children’s Authors 42 SPOTLIGHT! Georgia Indie Bookstore The Story Shop: Monroe, Georgia

WRITER’S CORNER

3 TIPS TO HELP YOU START WRITING Schedule Writing Time Outline a writing schedule. Include the time of day and amount of time you want to devote to writing, editing, and any other author activities you can think of.

Find a Quiet Place Identify a place in or near your home where you can shut out the world and meditate, daydream, or write, without interruption.

Write for 15 Minutes Set a timer for 15 minutes and write down whatever comes to mind, even if it’s something like, “This feels so stupid,” or “I can’t think of anything to write about.” Don’t stop writing until the timer goes off.

Try Journaling Buy and start using a journal or notebook with perforated pages. Knowing you can tear out and toss a page you don’t like takes away the feeling that your writing needs to be perfect, and you have to get it right on the first try.

“I’M NO WRITER” by Betty Liedtke

“Oh, but I’m no writer…” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard this from someone who had an amazing story to tell, or who lived through a terrible and traumatic experience that could be an inspiring and reassuring story for others dealing with a similar situation. But they didn’t think they were talented enough to tell it. Or they say, “But I’m terrible at spelling.” (Or grammar, or punctuation. Or some other mechanical aspect of writing.) To these people, I say, “Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Those are easy things to fix, or to hire someone else to take care of. Just start writing your story. The rest comes later.” And to those who say, “But I’m not a writer,” my response is, “You will be as soon as you start.”

WRITER’S CORNER

Many people can’t see themselves as writers because they are comparing their own efforts to those of published authors. What they fail to realize is that even the most successful and prolific writers might go through dozens of edits and rewrites before their words ever see the light of day. In her book, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, best-selling author Anne Lamott advises would-be writers to let go of the idea that something should be perfect—or even presentable—the first time around. Instead, she encourages them to write “shitty first drafts.” I admit freely, by the way, that that phrase also describes some of my second, third, and fourth drafts. But unless you’re writing on a deadline, there’s no limit to the number of drafts you can write, or the amount of time you can take to write them. And your work will likely improve with each one. In future issues of this magazine, I’ll talk about writers’ groups, classes, workshops, and other places where you can get help and feedback for your writing. But the advice I’d like to give you for now is simply this: No one can tell your story but you. And the world is waiting to hear it.

Betty Liedtke is a writer, proofreader, copy editor, and the author of Find Your Buried Treasure—Nuggets Mined from Everyday Life.

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WRITER’S TOOLBOX

Plotter, Pantser, or Quilter? by George Weinstein

The big question writers must answer when embarking on a new work is how to approach it.

PLOTTERS outline (“plot”) the article/book/etc.

PANTSERS just start writing without a plan (“by the seat of their pants”) and see what happens.

QUILTERS write individual elements or scenes out of order, based on what is most compelling at the moment, and then write the connecting words to link (“quilt”) them together. There’s no right or wrong way to do this —the trick is to find what’s right for you. If you’re unsure of that, try each approach to see which feels the most natural, but give yourself permission to switch styles if you feel like it. One project might seem to require an outline while another inspires you to pants or quilt it. There are no rules in writing except to trust the process. George Weinstein is the twiceformer President and current Executive Director of the historic Atlanta Writers Club (AWC), which was founded in 1914.

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ATLANTA WRITERS CLUB TEACHING THE CRAFT AND BUSINESS OF WRITING SINCE 1914

JOIN TODAY!

MEET FELLOW WRITERS & INDUSTRY EXPERTS MEMBER BENEFITS Members can participate in an annual contest with cash prizes and three conferences per year: two focus on traditional publishing, with agent and publisher meetings, and one is devoted to self-publishing. The AWC also offers online and inperson critique groups around the region, discounts for events, and promotional opportunities for members with books for sale.

2X MONTHLY MEETINGS The AWC meets on the 3rd Saturday of each month at GSUDunwoody during the school year and at the Lilburn Library in the summer and features two speakers each time discussing different aspects of the craft and business of writing. Online workshops throughout the year provide education about screenwriting, elements of craft, paths to publication, marketing, and more.

CONFERENCES CONTESTS CRITIQUE GROUPS & MORE

WRITER’S TOOLBOX

Are You a Plotter, Pantser, or Quilter? by Rebecca Laffar-Smith

You get the idea for a character while washing dishes one evening. You... immediately dry your hands, take note of every detail, branch off, brainstorm and freewrite to explore all the possible characteristics and potential stories this character could be involved in. dry your hands and swiftly note down significant key points as memory joggers, then return to the suds.

YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Author

craft an outline and consider the various roles and the ramifications of a moral theme. scratch out the first page of a dozen ideas, but can’t settle on just one for the kids’ play.

continue to ponder the character as you wash, rinse, and dry, then write down your final findings and concepts.

You’ve just finished reading the final installment of a fantastically detailed trilogy. You...

think it over but continue with the dishes and decide to write about it at some time in the future.

are still ga-ga over the characters and the intricacy of the plot and have been totally swept away by the story.

go off (either immediately or after the dishes) and begin a brand new story with this character as the star.

You’re asked to write a play for the Pre-Ks at the local community center. You... stare at a blank page for a few hours (or days), then right before the deadline rush together a few pages the kids will have fun with. go to the center, talk to the kids and teachers to get an idea of their interests, abilities, and individual characters. head straight home and pull out a dusty script about your pet dog that you wrote in grade school.

allow your mind to play connect-thedots with the plot and enjoy the intricate and careful crafting involved. start experimenting with fan-fiction offshoots because you’re hooked on the characters and want more adventures for them. gape at the astounding beauty of the piece and give up writing because you “know” you couldn’t possibly match it. start reading the books again, making notes in the margins and underlining notable passages, dissecting the book to see how the author accomplished it.

WRITER’S TOOLBOX

You’re midway through writing chapter five when you decide you really can’t stand your protagonist. You...

A new family moves next door and you hear strange noises at night but see nothing of them during the day. You...

stop writing immediately, shelve the manuscript, and decide you’ll come back “someday” when you understand her better.

call the police to report the weirdos, but later discover that the mother is simply a shift worker, the father’s a novelist, and the oldest child is a rap-loving teenager.

stop writing and start examining your mood, the more recent events, and the character to first determine why you no longer like her and then how to “fix” her. keep writing and decide to see where she’s headed before you act. keep writing but add a dramatic death scene within the next couple of pages, turning your focus on a new or secondary character instead. spend a short time giving your character an interview to discuss her thoughts and see if you can work out, together, what to do next.

watch from your upstairs office window, trying to see their vampire teeth or wolves’ fur in the moonlight. start playing the “what if” game and generate some great story ideas based on what this family could be if they were characters in a book. start writing blog entries or shorts about them, each with a wilder explanation than the last. go over, introduce yourself, offer a cup of sugar and hear all about their recent trip to Brazil and her obsession with photography—all fodder for your next book.

TALLY YOUR POINTS 1) A. 5, B. 4, C. 3, D. 2, E. 1 2) A. 3, B. 5, C. 2, D. 4, E. 1 3) A. 3, B. 4, C. 1, D. 2, E. 5 4) A. 3, B. 5, C. 1, D. 2, E. 4 5) A. 3, B. 2, C. 4, D. 1, E. 5

Scan here to view the original quiz and more posts by Rebecca Laffar-Smith, YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Author.

Scores on Page 29. PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

SPOTLIGHT!

FLANNERY O’CONNOR BOOK CLUB No book is more open to multiple interpretations than the Bible.

Why devote a book club to O’Connor?

Readers of Southern Gothic literature would say that Flannery O’Connor’s writings run a close second. And it makes for a rich discussion at the Flannery O’Connor Book Club. Eavesdrop on the lively one-hour discussion held each month, and you are likely to hear, “But I thought it meant something completely different.” Held at the Georgia Writers Museum (and virtually), the book club is led by Dr. Bruce Gentry, Professor of English at Georgia College and State University. The club will be discussing O’Connor’s letters during club meetings for the fourth quarter.

Flannery O’Connor is one of the most renowned writers of Southern Gothic literature in the world. Born in Savannah in 1925, she lived most of her adult life with her mother at their farm, Andalusia, near Milledgeville, where she wrote much of her work. She died at age 39 of lupus. Her body of work is typically dark and satirical, with subtle allusion and elusive imagery. It is as if she were writing a literary riddle and daring her readers to figure it out.

Contributed

Book Club Leader, Dr. Gentry, editor of the Flannery O’Connor Review, received GC’s Excellence in Scholarship award in 2013. He is the author of Flannery O’Connor’s Religion of the Grotesque, editor of The Cartoons of Flannery O’Connor at Georgia College, and co-editor of the oral history, At Home with Flannery O’Connor. His newest book is Better to See You With. Gentry has served three times as codirector for the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute on O’Connor. PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

Andalusia 2628 N Columbia St. Milledgeville, GA 31061 Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 2pm - 4pm (478) 445-8722

BUSINESS OF BOOKS

The Business of Authoring by Chip Bell

Authors love the words, “the end.” It means they have completed a manuscript after countless hours staring at a screen and waiting for the muse to inspire. However, if the author is interested in someone buying their work, it must be transformed from draft to inventory. There are three publishing vehicles writers can use to journey from manuscript to marketplace —a traditional publisher, self-publishing, or a hybrid of the two. The best vehicle depends on money, time, and the author’s desire for control. Unfortunately, only 30% of books published today use a traditional publisher. That is because a traditional publisher provides the funding and is only interested in investing in books likely to sell. Getting a publisher to choose a manuscript takes a great book proposal and often a savvy book agent.

Chip R. Bell is an award-winning, best-selling author and serves on the board of Georgia Writers Museum.

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The main advantage of self-publishing is that the author gets the exact book desired. A self-published book can be released faster (traditional publishers can take 18 months once the manuscript is ready). The author funds the entire operation, but keeps the revenue, minus expenses! Self-published authors, however, must also create a distribution process, something traditional publishers already have. Hybrid publishers are much like traditional publishers, except the author funds the publishing process entirely, and the publisher takes care of all the details, from editing to marketing to distribution. One last point: unless you are someone like J.K. Rowling, publishers are more printers of books than sellers. They rely on authors to do most of the selling. That is why a marketing plan is, today, a major part of all book proposals sent to traditional publishers.

THE LODGE LAKE

OCONEE

STAY RELAX READ (706) 485-7785 930 Greensboro Rd. Eatonton, GA 31024 thelodgeonlakeoconee.com

PROFILE OF A GEORGIA WRITER

HENRIETTA STANLEY DULL AKA MRS. S.R. DULL

Henrietta Stanley Dull—Mrs. Dull to her many readers—was one of the best-known Southern food authorities of the 20th century. Her 1928 cookbook, Southern Food, was among the first volumes to codify the region’s cookery and was considered a definitive text for decades.

Mrs. Dull’s life straddled two centuries and embodied the farm-tocity migration that transformed the South. She was born on a plantation near Dublin, Georgia, in 1863, a few months before Sherman’s troops marched through, and died in Atlanta 101 years later, in 1964, a few months after Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Washington.

PROFILE OF A GEORGIA WRITER

As a child, Mrs. Dull learned to cook on an open hearth. As a young mother of five, she had to become the family’s breadwinner when her husband fell ill. She took in boarders and catered, her cooking becoming so popular that the Atlanta Gas Light Co. hired her to promote its gas ranges. In the 1910s, she traveled the region speaking to homemakers to assure them that gas was as safe as open-hearth cooking.

A COOKSTOVE IS LIKE A NEW HUSBAND,” MRS. DULL TOLD THE YOUNG LADIES.

“YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT AND LEARN TO GET THE BEST OUT OF IT. In 1920, Mrs. Dull approached The Atlanta Journal about writing a cooking column in its Sunday magazine. Staff writers Medora Field Perkerson and Margaret Mitchell helped her translate her kitchen skills into words. The column was an instant hit and continued into the 1940s. Mrs. Dull was no Julia Child. In her column and book, she was no-nonsense. “Mrs. Dull didn’t want to be chatty or trendy,” said food writer John Egerton. “She wanted you to pay attention because she was only going to tell you once.” Southern Cooking isn’t consulted as it once was, but it still has a place in history, as the University of Georgia Press realized when it republished the book in 2006. If there were a hall of fame for Southern food writers, Mrs. Dull would be a charter member.

Jim Auchmutey is a former writer and editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, specializing in stories about the South and its history and culture.

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TOWNSEND

TOWNSEND PRIZE

Every other year a panel of judges awards the Townsend Prize for Fiction to an outstanding novel or short story collection published by a Georgia writer during the past two years. The award is named for Jim Townsend, the founding editor of Atlanta magazine, the associate editor of Atlanta Weekly Magazine (of the Atlanta JournalConstitution), and an early mentor to such Atlanta writers as Pat Conroy, Terry Kay, William Diehl, and Anne Rivers Siddons.

TOWNSEND PRIZE

1982

1984

1986

1988

Philip Lee Williams, The Heart of a Distant Forest Mary Hood, And Venus Is Blue

1989

1990

1991

1994 Sara Flanigan, Alice Charlie Smith, The Lives of the Dead Ferrol Sams, When All the World Was Young Pam Durban, The Laughing Place

1996

1998

2000

2002 JoAllen Bradham, Some Personal Papers Judson Mitcham, The Sweet Everlasting James Kilgo, Daughter of My People Ha Jin, The Bridegroom

2004

2006

2008

2010

Terry Kay, The Valley of Light Judson Mitcham, Sabbath Creek Renee Dodd, A Cabinet of Wonders Kathryn Stockett, The Help

2012

2016

2018

2020

PAST TOWNSEND WINNERS

Celestine Sibley, Children, My Children Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Thomas Mullen, The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers Mary Hood, A Clear View of the Southern Sky Julia Franks, Over the Plain Houses Xhenet Aliu, Brass PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

TOWNSEND PRIZE

Daniel Black Professor of African American Studies at Clark Atlanta University

2023 Townsend Finalists

Don’t Cry For Me (Harper Collins, 2022) A Black father makes amends with his gay son through letters written on his deathbed in this wise and penetrating novel of empathy and forgiveness. Kimberly Brock Tinderbox Writers Workshop & 2013 GA Author of the Year The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare (Harper Muse, 2022) Based on real history and alternating between the story of war widow Alice searching for identity in the 1940s: the meaning of female history and the sacrifices every mother makes for her daughter. Taylor Brown Winner, Montana Prize in Fiction and Finalist, Southern Book Prize Wingwalkers (St. Martin’s Press, 2022) A former WWI ace pilot and his wingwalker wife barnstorm across Depression-era America, performing acts of aerial daring. Anjali Enjeti Professor of Creative Writing, Antioch and Reinhardt Universities The Parted Earth (Hub City Press, 2021) A heartfelt and human portrait of the long shadow of the Partition of India on the lives of three generations of women. PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

TOWNSEND PRIZE

Ann Hite 2017 Georgia Author of the Year Haints on Black Mountain (Mercer University Press, 2022)

Thomas Mullen Winner, James Fenimore Cooper Prize for Historical Fiction Midnight Atlanta (Little, Brown Book Group, 2022) A newspaper editor murdered against the backdrop of Rosa Parks’ protest and MLK Jr.’s emergence. LO Patrick The Floating Girls (Sourcebooks Landmark, 2022) A comical and heartrending bildungsroman and murder mystery in the wetlands of coastal Georgia.

Josh Russell Professor and Director of Creative Writing at Georgia State University King of the Animals (LSU Press, 2021) Mischievous, constantly surprising, and stunningly well expressed stories―but none of those descriptions do them full justice. Tiphanie Yanique Professor of Creative Writing at Emory University Monster in the Middle (Riverhead Books, 2021) Stela arrives in New York from the Caribbean ready to commit herself to love, while Black American musician Fly is ready to get over heartbreak.

2023 Townsend Finalists

An Appalachian haunted short story collection that took inspiration from her beloved readers, who provided writing prompts.

TOWNSEND PRIZE

Sanjena Sathian and Clay Ramsey, Director of the Townsend Prize for Fiction, at the Townsend Prize ceremony.

2023 Townsend Prize Recipient Sanjena Sanjena Sathian Sathian is the most recent recipient of the Townsend Prize for her book, Gold Diggers, a magical realist coming-of-age story.

Gold Diggers was named a Top 10 Best Book of 2021 by the Washington Post, and a Best Book of 2021 by NPR, and by Amazon. It was longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize before winning the 2023 Townsend Prize for Fiction. Sanjena is working on the screen adaptation with Mindy Kaling’s production company. She currently teaches fiction at Emory University.

TOWNSEND PRIZE

SANJENA Sanjena Sathian was raised in Georgia by a Malayali father and Kannadiga mother, both of whom immigrated from India. She graduated from The Westminster School in Atlanta before completing a BA in English in 2013 from Yale. She received a fellowship to attend the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, graduating in 2019 with an MFA degree in creative writing. Her short fiction has appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2022, The Atlantic, Conjunctions, Boulevard, and more. She has worked as a reporter in Mumbai and San Francisco. Her nonfiction can be found in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Drift, Food & Wine, The Yale Review, NewYorker.com, and Lit Hub, among other literary outlets. PHOTO BY TONY TULATHIMUTTE

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TOWNSEND PRIZE

Gold Diggers skewers the model minority myth to tell a hilarious and moving story about immigrant identity, community, and the underside of ambition. A floundering second-generation teenager growing up in the Bush-era Atlanta suburbs, Neil Narayan is funny and smart, but struggles to bear the weight of expectations of his family and their Asian American enclave. He tries to want their version of success, but mostly, Neil just wants his neighbor across the cul-de-sac, Anita Dayal. When he discovers that Anita is the beneficiary of an ancient, alchemical potion made from stolen gold—a “lemonade” that harnesses the ambition of the gold’s original owner—Neil sees his chance to get ahead. But events spiral into a tragedy that rips their community apart. Years later in the Bay Area, Neil still bristles against his community’s expectations—and finds he might need one more hit of that lemonade, no matter the cost.

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Gold Diggers

READER’S CORNER

READING OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

For most people, December means shopping and buying for the holidays. Thus, for authors, December is all about selling. When we talk to book lovers buying for themselves, we ask what they like to read. Here’s the interesting part: occasionally, the shopper says they normally read one type of book, but they recently tried something outside their reading comfort zone and really liked it. They always say this with surprise.

I get it: reading outside your comfort zone is a gamble. Your time dedicated to reading is precious, and you don’t want to waste it by embarking on a book you might not enjoy. It’s why we gravitate to our favorite authors— we’re confident they will give us an engaging reading experience, even if it’s very much like previous ones. Many readers focus on a specific genre for the same reason: they know what they’re going to experience in a romance/mystery/etc., and that assures them of a satisfying read across a variety of authors. Again, low risk.

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by George Weinstein

However, there’s an opportunity cost too —what are you missing? I recommend getting out of your comfort zone occasionally. Haven’t ever read a memoir or biography? Start with a well-reviewed one and try it, but give yourself permission to stop if you get 30 pages in and still don’t like it. You don’t owe the author anything, and they’ll never know, regardless. Do you like romance novels but have never tried sci-fi romance? There are an infinite number of new worlds to discover with love in the air and the entire gamut of heat levels. Who knows, you might discover a new favorite. Then keep going: expand your tastes and develop an even broader range as a reader. Enjoy the journey! George Weinstein is the twice-former President and current Executive Director of the historic Atlanta Writers Club (AWC), which was founded in 1914.

WRITER’S TOOLBOX

QUIZ SCORES

5 – 7 points [Pantser]

By Rebecca Laffar-Smith, YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Author. See page 12 for Quiz.

You’re a true Pantser. You can fly with any idea and love to leap before you look. You’ve got pages of stories started, but rarely finished, and love to play around with new concepts, tying it all together with creativity and an exciting flair for adventure.

8 – 12 points [Pre-Pantser] You’d love to throw caution to the wind, but often hold back from just diving right in. You prefer to consider multiple options but can go along with any challenge and turn any good idea into a potential story.

13 – 17 points [Quilter] You enjoy exploring ideas and writing them down as they occur to you, and piecing them together later. You may start stories with some planning, but you enjoy the adventure of taking detours.

Remember

18 – 22 points [Pre-Plotter] You like to do the legwork in your mind. You’ll sometimes plan things out and often have the basic map laid out in your head, but keep adding to your plans, and are flexible for changes. You generally have a solid destination in mind when you begin writing, but aren’t sure of all the roads you’ll need to take to get there. You’re familiar with your main characters, but often face blocks caused by being unsure what course they would most likely take in a given situation.

23 – 25 points [Planner] You like to brainstorm and outline every detail before you begin. You know your characters intimately and understand their deep motivations. You can be a little pedantic, and often spend so much time planning and researching that you don’t leave enough to actually spend writing. When you do write, you know exactly what to expect from every scene, and work intricate details across your novel.

There’s no “right” way to write! Your way is the best way for you! PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

CHILDREN’S CORNER

Photo from the Book Fair Live & Drive event.

Each school year, Georgia Writers Museum works with local high school students as part of our Junior Board program. Led by former educators and museum volunteers, the students produce a for-kids-by-kids literary event. For the 2022-23 school year, the Georgia Writers Museum Junior Board partnered with 5th grade students to bring to life everyone’s favorite school event...the book fair! The Book Fair Live & Drive showcased 14 children’s books by Georgia writers, and brought the books to life for nearly 200 2nd grade students in rural Georgia. On the following pages, explore the books that were showcased at the Live & Drive!

MEET YOUNG GEORGIA READERS Georgia Writers Museum Junior Board of Directors

CHILDREN’S CORNER

MEET GEORGIA CHILDREN’S AUTHORS

Meet the authors who were featured at the Book Fair Live & Drive!

CHILDREN’S CORNER

My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World Meet Henley, an all-around good kid, who hates to read. When he’s supposed to be reading, he would rather do anything else. But one day, he gets the scariest homework assignment in the world: find your favorite book to share with the class tomorrow. What’s a kid to do? How can Henley find a story that speaks to everything inside of him? Malcolm Mitchell grew up in Valdosta, Georgia, and attended the University of Georgia (UGA), where he obtained a Communications degree. Malcolm was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2016, and became a Super Bowl Champion in February 2017. Among Malcolm’s numerous awards and accomplishments both on and off the field, he considers discovering a love of reading his greatest achievement. Today he serves as the founder and CEO of Share the Magic, a children’s literacy foundation.

Scan here to learn more about the READBowl.

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READBowl is Share the Magic’s FREE global reading competition where PK-8-aged teams around the globe compete to read for the most minutes. The competition begins the day of the American College Football National Championship (2nd Monday in January) and culminates with a live crowning of the World Champions of Reading on the morning of the National Football League’s (NFL) Super Bowl Sunday.

MARI ANN STEFANELLI

mariann@thewritershigh.com thewritershigh.com

CHILDREN’S CORNER

Anansi and the Colorful Kente Cloth (1010 Publishing, 2021) Told by the Griots (storytellers), the Anansi spider tales are believed to have originated from the Ashanti people in Ghana. Anansi and the Colorful Kente Cloth is based on those stories. This beautiful book is also available in Spanish, and is available from 1010 Publishing, a small press focusing on the bilingual dissemination of all books.

An author, percussionist, and storyteller, Jerry G. White fuses all of those elements into his passion and love for performing and being an arts educator. He is a Program Consultant within The Office of Culture and Community at The Lovett School in Atlanta, and a Teaching Artist with the Teaching Museum of the Fulton County School System. Jerry is a Decatur Arts Alliance (DAA) Board Member. You can find Jerry performing throughout the Atlanta metro area with his performance entity, A Performance Method.

SING! Author Jerry G. White puts words to music with his performance of Anansi and the Colorful Kente Cloth. Help your child create a song about his or her favorite book. If you don’t have drums at home, tap out a rhythm on a table top.

CHILDREN’S CORNER

Bilal Cooks Daal (Simon & Schuster, 2019) Six-year-old Bilal introduces his friends to his favorite dish—daal!— in this charming picture book that showcases the value of patience, teamwork, community, and sharing.

Aisha Saeed is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of books for children. She received an APALA honor. Aisha is also a founding member of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books™. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her family.

BILAL’S DAAL RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 cup chana daal (lentils) 3 cups water 1 tablespoon turmeric 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 3 tablespoon olive oil 1 diced medium onion 1 sliced jalapeno (optional) 1 teaspoon minced ginger 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 diced medium tomato 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon garam masala 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS Rinse and drain the chana daal (lentils). Place daal in slow cooker. Mix water, turmeric, salt, chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander seeds into the pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. In a frying pan, add oil and fry onions, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes together and cook until softened (7-8 minutes). Mix the sautéed vegetables into the slow cooker, add lemon juice and garam masala and stir. Top with fresh cilantro for garnish. PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

CHILDREN’S CORNER

When Eva Hollers (Archway Publishing, 2019) When little Eva lets loose with a holler, everyone wonders what the matter can be. This picture book for children features a pattern and refrain appropriate for the preschooler, while addressing the challenges of a crying child in a fun and accessible way. Young readers will enjoy guessing what the family will do to make Eva happy again. Brinkley Pound is a retired math teacher, and currently serves as the Executive Director for Greene County (GA) Habitat for Humanity. Eva is her granddaughter.

From Tears to the Sea (Independent, 2022) From puddles to oceans and a crocodile’s tear to a beaver’s dam...let your imagination fly skyhigh with Alexandra K. Huynh’s rhyming poem and her fun, beautiful handmade collages featuring colorful settings where their animal friends live. Alex Huyah, a rising high school freshman, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Her work was selected by the 2022 Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Juried Exhibition, and featured as a centerpiece in a 2023 juried exhibition in the ART Station Gallery in Stone Mountain, Georgia. She was also featured by AIB TV and the Georgia Writers Museum for her book, From Tears to the Sea. PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

CHILDREN’S CORNER

CRAFT! SUPPLIES: COLORED PAPER & GLUE Let these books inspire your child’s creativity! Try recreating the collages at home. Make Eva’s BunBun, or create your child’s favorite stuffed animal. Alex Huynh brings alligators and penguins to life with collage. Help your little one make their favorite animal!

FEATURING FROM TEARS TO THE SEA WHEN EVA HOLLERS

PAPER

Collage PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

CHILDREN’S CORNER

Pete the Cat Plays Hide-and-Seek (HarperCollins, 2022) Pete the Cat loves to play hide-andseek! When his friends hide, Pete covers his eyes and counts to 10. He opens them and just knows he will find them soon. But finding his friends may be harder than Pete thought. Are they behind a tree or on a bus? James Dean is the original creator and illustrator of Pete the Cat. In 2004, Kimberly Dean began collaborating with fellow artist James. They self-published the children’s book, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, in 2008. There are now almost 100 published Pete the Cat titles with more coming out all the time.

Spider in My Shoe (Archway Publishing, 2019) This book is a rhyming story about a little girl who one day went to put on her pretty pink sneakers to go to school, but in her shock, a spider is living inside. No matter what she tries to do to make him leave, he refuses. She finally names him Clyde. JoAnn Dotson is a retired elementary educator of 32 years. She has always loved writing from an early age. She has won several awards during her teaching career including numerous Teacher of the Year awards, as well as 13 WMAZ TV Station My Teacher is Tops Award. She lives in Sandersville, Georgia, with her husband Benjamin. PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

Wombat Said Come In (Margaret Quinlin Books, 2022) Australian bushfires roar above Wombat’s home. He is fortunate that his burrow is deep below ground and he is safe. He snuggles under his crazy quilt and drinks his tea. Then, one by one, five uniquely Australian animals – Wallaby, Kookaburra, Platypus, Koala, and Sugar Glider – seek refuge from the fires, and Wombat welcomes them all. When you have the heart of a wombat, there’s always room for one more!

Carmen Agra Deedy, is an award-winning author of fifteen books for young readers. Her personal stories first appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered. Deedy’s narratives are culled from her childhood as a Cuban refugee in Decatur, Georgia. She is host of the four-time Emmywinning children’s program, Love That Book!

GIVE BACK!

What causes are important to your family? Wombat shares his home during a natural disaster in Wombat Said Come In. Owly and Wormy help rebuild a home in Just a Little Blue, and Monkey and his friends help find water for their town in A Bucket of Blessings. How do you give back? PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

CHILDREN’S CORNER

MOOCHES FOR EVERYONE!

2nd grade students show off their “mooches,” at Georgia Writers Museum’s Book Fair Live & Drive!

DISCUSS!

How does Laxmi’s Mooch and Kibby’s space helmet make them feel different from their friends?

Talk with your children about similarities and differences. What makes them unique?

CHILDREN’S CORNER

Laxmi’s Mooch (Kokila, 2021) Laxmi never paid much attention to the tiny hairs above her lip. But one day while playing farm animals at recess, her friends point out that her whiskers would make her the perfect cat. She starts to notice body hair all over - on her arms, legs, and even between her eyebrows. With her parents’ help, Laxmi learns that hair isn’t just for heads, but that it grows everywhere, regardless of gender. Laxmi’s Mooch is a celebration of our bodies and our body hair, in whichever way they grow.

Shelly Anand was born and (mostly) raised in Georgia by immigrant parents from India. She is a civil and human rights attorney fighting for immigrants and workers from marginalized communities.

Kibby The Space Dog (Andrea Cassell, 2015) Kibby gets treated differently when he wears the “cone of shame.” This heartwarming story demonstrates how children should best treat those who look different. Through Kibby’s sad experience of wearing “the cone of shame,” this book encourages the value of acceptance and discourages bullying. Andrea Cassell taught special education for over 30 years and is very passionate about special needs children! She currently lives in Georgia with her husband and miniature labradoodle, “Kibby,” who is the inspiration for her children’s book series.

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Owner Melissa Music and Designer Stephanie Cannon created The Story Shop in 2016 in downtown Monroe, Georgia, to specialize solely in books for children. Creative Director Lisa Dibble described their success this way:

Have you ever heard of a book tasting? The Story Shop has it. Young readers are invited to sample a wide variety of book genres. Through their Book Tasting Field Trip, students rotate through several books and fill out their book tasting “menus” in the “Story Shop Café” to take home. After “tasting” the books, students participate in a scavenger hunt throughout the magical store. It is one of the many innovative ways the store remains a destination location and the “go-to” venue for all things related to children’s literary exploration. https://www.visitthestoryshop.com/ 124 N Broad St, Monroe, GA 30655

678-635-8801

“We have created a space where stories come to life. No matter how cheaply certain corporations can sell their books, they will never be able to sell the magic of walking through fur coats into a 19th-century French wardrobe to Narnia, or exploring a furnished Hobbit Hole, or knocking on Sherlock Holmes’ front door.”

A place where stories, imagination & wonder come to life. 124 N BROAD ST, MONROE, GA 30655 | WWW.VISITTHESTORYSHOP.COM

CHILDREN’S CORNER

Owly: Just a Little Blue (Archway Publishing, 2019) Best friends Owly and Wormy have days filled with adventure and hearts filled with kindness. And when they discover a bluebird family living in a damaged tree, they want to help out, but with a big storm moving in, can Owly and Wormy help get the birds (and their chicks!) to safety? Andy Runton is an award-winning author and illustrator of the graphic novel series, Owly. He has received the Harvey Award, two Ignatz Awards, and the 2006 Eisner Award for “Best Publication for a Younger Audience.”

A Bucket of Blessings (Beach Lane Books, 2014)

Near a majestic mountain in a vast jungle with many mango trees, it has not rained for weeks and weeks. The village well and pond are dry. Monkey and his friends look everywhere for water, but they have no luck. And then Monkey remembers a story his mama used to tell him, a story about how peacocks can make it rain by dancing. So he sets out to see if the story is true… Kabir Sehgal is a New York Times bestselling author of several adult and children’s books. He is also a GRAMMY® winner and multiEMMY® nominee. He is a US Navy Veteran. PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

Surishtha Sehgal is a New York Times bestselling author and EMMY® nominee. She was a university professor who now enjoys reading with children during story time. She is the founder of a nonprofit that supports children’s education and promotes social responsibility in students.

Cece Loves Science

Skyborn: Sparrow Rising

(Greenwillow Books, 2020) Cece, a budding and inquisitive scientist, and her equally curious best friend, Isaac, conduct experiments to see whether Cece’s dog, Einstein, will eat his vegetables. Shelli R. Johannes (top) and Kimberly Derting (bottom) are coauthors of nine books in the Cece Loves Science series. Shelli is the criticallyacclaimed author of five teen novels, and Kimberly is an award-winning YA author.

(Scholastic Press, 2021)

EXPLORE!

Whether you explore new worlds in the Skyborn series or how our world works in Cece Loves Science, give a new genre a chance. If you don’t typically read fantasy, try it out. If you don’t typically read non-fiction, let Cece show you how cool science can be! Maybe you can get your dog to eat vegetables!

In Ellie’s world, everyone is born with wings—but flying free is forbidden. This high-soaring fantasy is packed with adventure, action, heartbreak, and secrets. Jessica Khoury is the author of many books for teens and young readers, finalist for awards like the South Carolina Junior Book Award, the Ignyte Award, the Maine Student Book Award, the Oklahoma Sequoyah Masterlist, the Amelia Bloomer Project, and many more.

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LITERARY EVENTS

FALL EVENTS October, November, December 2023 Atlanta Writers Club

Locations vary, please check the website. October 12-14 Writer’s Retreat at Kennedy Creek Resort October 21 Atlanta Writers Club Meeting for AWC Members and First-Time Visitors November 3-4 Atlanta Writers Conference November 18 Atlanta Writers Club Meeting for AWC Members and First-Time Visitors December 16 Atlanta Writers Club Meeting for AWC Members and First-Time Visitors

Georgia Writers Museum

109 S. Jefferson Ave. Eatonton, GA 31024 October 6, 13, and 20 at 7pm Crime & Wine with Cold Case author Sheryl McCollum October 27, 28, and 30 90-minute tours at 6pm and 7:30pm Haunted Eatonton Ghost Tours In partnership with Author of the Year winner Ann Hite and The Arts Barn Winners announced on October 26 6th Annual Children’s Spooky Story Writing Contest Sponsored by: Eatonton Messenger, Atlanta Writers Club, and Greensboro Writers Guild Saturday, November 4 at 10:30am Tour of Kitchens & Tasting with cookbook author Johnathon Scott Barrett Cook & Celebrate Friday, November 30 from 5-7pm Book Launch Party! Tara Rocker My Sweet Home Georgia Cookbook Thursday, December 5 at 7pm “Tailgate” with author and sportscaster Tony Barnhart

Interested in advertising in Page Turner? Contact Melissa Swindell at director@georgiawritersmuseum.org PAGE TURNER MAGAZINE

LET GREENSBORO WRITERS GUILD HELP. IN-PERSON 1st & 3rd Tuesdays @ 1pm

ZOOM Last Tuesdays @ 1pm

MORE INFORMATION? Episcopal Church of the Redeemer 303 N. Main St. Kathy Wright Barb Griffiths Betty Liedtke (706) 817-0345 (404) 693-4045 (706) 991-5387 Greensboro, GA 30642

SYLVIA’S COFFEE

THURSDAY-SATURDAY & MONDAY 7:30AM - 2PM INSIDE GEORGIA WRITERS MUSEUM 111 S JEFFERSON AVE EATONTON, GA