Today was ”The Day of the Woman” for me at the South Dakota Festival of Books.
When festival organizer Jennifer Widman invited me to speak at this year’s event, she asked if I would be willing to add a panel presentation to my Saturday schedule. She suggested a topic of “The Women We Write, From Daffy to Dangerous,” and introduced me via email to two authors as potential co-panelists, Marj Charlier and Sarah Stonich.
I immediately agreed and within days Marj and Sarah and I made an email plan to meet at the festival hotel on Thursday afternoon to determine how we wanted to present our panel.
In the meantime, I went to Google to learn more both women. I discovered that Marj lives in Colorado Springs, is a former staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal and author of nine books, the newest of which is The Rebel Nun.
Sarah is from Minnesota and has authored nine books, including a trilogy of novels about women and pro-sport fishing, the second/newest being “Reeling.” Both were obviously accomplished individuals.
As planned, on Thursday at the appointed place and time, we three met and verbally sketched out a presentation plan that we felt would accomplish the objective of the title, with two exceptions.
1) We did not feel as if we created women characters who were daffy.
2) We believed that the only way our women were dangerous were in the ways they railed against traditional society for the betterment of all.
We agreed that those two points would be our presentation starting point.
On Saturday morning, I arrived early at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center both to to organize my book table, and to collect my thoughts before our 10 am panel presentation. As I sat and wrote out a few key notes, a woman approached and began chatting with me about my books.
I found her intriguing, not only in her intelligent conversation, but in her outfit. She was fashionably attired in a crisp white shirt and double button sailor pants accessorized by a wide black leather belt. Over that she wore a soft black leather jacket accented with a rich purple scarf layered around her neck. She completed her look with an oversized purple shoulder bag and a pair of purple frame glasses.
Her beautifully layered and coordinated ensemble inspired me to comment on her appearance. That forwarded us into more personal converation..
Her “Lysbeth” name was one really caught my attention, as it was close to the “Lisabeth” name I gave my daughter when she was born. From there we moved through the traditional personal details that included her profession as a college English professor. We also shared our festival presentation schedules, mine in a few minutes and hers (a group poetry reading) later in the afternoon.
Ultimately, she stated that she would return after her presentation to purchase a copy of Beauty & Grace. I promised to save a book for her.
(L to R) Sarah Stonich, Christina Abt, Marj Charlier
As Lysbeth departed, Marj arrived, and we walked to the assigned classroom together where we met Sarah.
We each for spoke for 10 minutes before a full classroom of authors and book lovers and then moved into a lively 15- minute Q & A. It was interesting to hear our three diverse approaches in creating the women who define our books. The audience’s insightful follow-up questions gave us all much to consider.
The rest of the day I spent talking with festival attendees and signing and selling books. Many of those who attended the panel stopped to chat further and ask advice about writing and publishing.
Around 4 pm, I began collecting my author materials and preparing to pack up my books in order to be on time for the festival’s evening reception and award presentations. As I pulled out the suitcase I use to transport my books, I looked up to find Lysbeth smiling at me. She had returned for Beauty & Grace.
I asked how her poetry reading went and she said that she was pleased with the presentation. When she asked about my panel, I told her it was great fun and that audience members had continually stopped by my table to share how much they enjoyed it
She smiled and said it sounded as if I deserved a gold star.
Being a smart mouth, I replied that I would love a gold star and facetiously asked if she going to give me one?
To my surprise, she said, “sure” and proceeded to pull out a roll of gold stars from her purple bag and place one on my jacket. When I laughingly asked why she carried such a roll with her, she noted that she gives them to her college students all the time, and they abolutely love them.
It was at this point that I asked if we could take our picture together, with my gold star shining brightly on my lapel. I’m going to treasure it as a forever memory of the day a college English professor rewarded me for success in my literary efforts!