On receiving word on Friday that volunteers were still needed for the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference, there was no question that my housework wouldn’t be done this weekend, the yard would suffer, and resting to tend to the tail end of an exhausting cold would be left for later. It was worth every bit of the extra work piled up on Monday.
As a first time volunteer and new member of WNBA, this connection brought extra comfort to the always nurturing atmosphere of the San Francisco Writing Conferences. Instead of being another face in the crowd and traveling alone, volunteering added a sense of being part of, with friendly helpfulness coming from fellow volunteers.
Being assigned to certain workshops was part of this pleasurable weekend, making additional surprise and new intrigue part of the experience. In each session, I found myself in awe of what people have done, and in gratitude for the sharing of their knowledge and accomplishments.
Mike Farrell’s keynote talk at lunch on Saturday definitely took care of a certain inner urge of this Bay Area lefty. Knowing his words were a bit controversial, I enjoy every bit of his speech.
Sunday morning, and back at the beautiful Kabuki, I filled in at a couple of morning workshops, and left again before lunch. It was time to head off to the Mechanics Library for an afternoon workshop given by Rosemary Daniell, and co-sponsored by the WNBA. The workshop was based on Rosemary’s book “Secrets of the Zona Rosa: How Writing (and Sisterhood) Can Change Women’s Lives”.
The strength of Rosemary’s focus on each person in turn, drawing more out of them and helping them put more into their writing, was deeply inspiring. Most of the women present petitioned to be part of a new sub Rosa writing group, wanting to be part of the supportive writing community Rosemary is building. This workshop brought a solid end to a very stimulating and enjoyable weekend.
Jane Glendinning
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