Every word

I am away from home, teaching at the Hamline University MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. There's a wonderful energy here when so many people get together who are just going to dig in and live writing for children and young adults. We think about writing, critique writing, talking about writing, and write.

And today in the "talk about writing" category we were privileged to listen to Elizabeth Partridge talk about her work. She's a wonderful writer, author of many award-winning books--Restless Spirit, a biography of Dorothea Lange; Marching for Freedom: Walk Together and Don't You Grow Weary (a Boston Globe Horn Book award winner, as well as winner of the LA Times Book Prize); John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth: This Land Was Made for You and Me, a biography of Woody Guthrie.

In addition to being a starred-reviewed, award-winning writer,
Elizabeth is a wonderful, inspiring speaker. She filled the room with commitment to, enthusiasm for, and just plain love of writing for children and young adults. I wish everyone interested in writing, books and stories could have been there.

But here are a few of Elizabeth Partridge's comments I'd like to share:

Every word has a spiritual energy.
Every word carries a primordial energy.
We're hard wired for story. Look for story in your subject.
Imbue your writing with meaning and emotion.
Honor the spirit of every word you write.
Words are a way to bear witness.
Be courageous.

Be courageous.