WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PULPWOOD QUEEN

Thanks to Brother Mockingbird Publishing, I’d like to share an excerpt from one of the Pulpwood Queens featured in the collection, The Pulpwood Queens Celebrate 20 Years!

Connections Susan Peterson

Changing the world, one reader at a time—that was Kathy L. Murphy’s goal when she started her book club, the Pulpwood Queens. That mission is conveyed every year when Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys gather in East Texas for a weekend of authors, books, and readers. I have been to many book signings and book festivals over the years, but Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend is unique. I attended my first Girlfriend Weekend by myself, in 2018, but once I entered that space for the first time, I knew it was where I belonged. I was with like-minded people who shared my love of books and reading, in as intimate an atmosphere as you can have with over 300 people! To say I was star struck is an understatement, as the authors—50 or more—were bestselling authors I never dreamed I’d ever get to meet, let alone get a chance to spend an entire week-end with! But beyond the awe of being in their company, came the realization that these women and men already felt like friends, because I’d read their books and chatted with them on social media, and through their writing, I already knew who they were deep down, because they’d shared their stories with me. That isn’t to say I wasn’t tongue-tied the first time I sawAlyson Richman, Randy Susan Meyers, and M.J. Rose! I was standing in the back of the room when the three of them came in, and my heart was beating out of my chest, I was so excited! I didn’t even know what to say, and then Alyson turned around and saw me, recognizing me immediately, and with a hello and a hug, I felt like I’d known her forever. This is the beauty. The personal interaction is what sets Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend apart from any other author event. There were panels and book-signing sessions, which are always special. But where else is there a dinner for the readers, with authors dressed in costumes, acting as our very attentive waiters and waitresses! Being served barbecue by Jamie Ford dressed as a hippie, or Barbara Claypole White and Camille Di Maio dressed as Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton respectively, are experiences that are unique to Girlfriend Weekend that I will never forget. It is a haven from the noise that constantly interrupts the quiet of our lives. It’s a place where I can laugh out loud until my sides hurt or cry along with an author and her poignant story. Books and reading and the relationship between authors and readers should serve as an example of love, friendship, and sup-port for the rest of the world. The best way to make connections with people, the best way to understand people from different circumstances, cultures, and parts of the world; the best way to appreciate and remember those who came before us, is through stories. That is the beauty of Girlfriend Weekend. It gives us the opportunity to make connections through stories— with the people who read them, and the people who write them. That is what will keep me coming back year after year.