Archive for the ‘02) Karen Jean Matsko Hood (Mom)’ Category
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference
Good morning. Today is January 18, 2011, and I am busy planning for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference. This conference takes place in New York City later this month, which I will be attending.
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) was founded 1971 by a group of Los Angeles-based children’s writers. It is an international organization based in Los Angeles, California, representing professionals in the field of children’s literature. It is the world’s largest children’s writing organization and the only international organization for people who write, illustrate, or have a professional interest in children’s literature. There are currently more than 22,000 members worldwide, in over 70 regional chapters, writing and illustrating in all genres for young readers from board books to young adult (YA) novels. The SCBWI facilitates communication between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers, and others involved in the field.
Membership in this society provides many benefits for writers, including information and support, access to awards and grants, networking, local workshops and get-togethers, inside publications, online resources, manuscript and illustration exchange, member discounts, and more.
The SCBWI sponsors two annual conferences, on the west and east coasts of the United States, usually in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as many regional conferences and events throughout the world. It publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, has an interactive website, and gives out a number of awards and grants. Among these are the annual Golden Kite Award for the best fiction and nonfiction books and the Sid Fleischman Humor Award.
At this year’s winter conference there will be a panel discussion on Creating and Recreating the Picture Book: Three Views. There are also three workshops about What Makes Your Work Publishable: Today’s Market in Children’s Books.
I am looking forward to all the other authors I will meet at this conference, as well as all I will learn from the speakers and workshops.
Random Thoughts from California
November 5, 2010 — Random thoughts from California.
A beautiful day in San Francisco! We have had a wonderful time here. Dr. Hood will be posting about his seminars on his blog next week, so you will be able to find more information at that time. Watch drjamesghoodblog.com for these updates.
More unrest here in San Francisco, with a possible outburst in Oakland, where my son lives. They are telling people to stay out of his area, and businesses are boarding up their windows, awaiting the verdict from the trial of a white transit authority officer who killed a black man. One side says it was a tragic accident. The other side says it was cold-blooded murder. They plan to announce what will happen later today.
The election is over, yet more squabbles continue. Sometimes I wonder if it will ever end. Hopefully, both sides will walk together and put egos aside to do what is right for the American people. Here in San Francisco, we see huge levels of unemployment, yet in some areas building projects are moving forward, creating pockets of jobs but not enough – definitely not enough.
Today I need to work to write, and write I must do. Hopefully, both conferences (dental and creative writing) will continue to inspire. This afternoon will be a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) reading at California College of the Arts, and I hope to be able to learn something there to share with fellow writers and readers. My son Kyler will be taking me to the Creative Writing Seminar by putting me on the BART. This will be a great experience for dear old mom.
For those of you who are not familiar with the BART, it is the Bay Area Rapid Transit system that serves the San Francisco Bay Area. Part of this system, the Transbay Tube, runs under the Bay from Oakland to San Francisco. This tube is 3.6 miles long, and it’s maximum depth is 135 feet below the surface. The tube was constructed on land, transported to the site, then submerged and fastened to the bottom (mostly by packing the sides with sand and gravel).
While here for the conference and seminar, we are staying on the 25th floor of a hotel, and I am reminded of just how scary those heights are. The view is beautiful, but it sure causes my stomach to have strange sensations! I need to get ready for the BART.
Later … I had a wonderful time with Kyler. We were able to share our many special interests. He gave me a tour around California College of the Arts (CCA), where he is working to complete his MFA in Creative Writing. The students at CCA are very talented, and had their work on display for viewing. I was impressed with their creative writing.
Kyler and I then walked around San Francisco briefly. We got lost a few times, but we enjoyed talking together. One-on-one time with my children is very precious.
Take care,
Karen
Cookbook Inspiration in San Francisco
November 4, 2010 – Today was the first day of Dr. Hood’s seminar, and it was excellent. It was also intense—he was in class from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the latest procedures and research on sedation dentistry. This is a very helpful skill to be able to add to the professional dental services already offered to dental patients.
Meanwhile, I was able to leave and get some work done. I was pleased to complete that. Off work hours we managed to squeeze in breakfast and lunch with our son Kyler, as well as a visit with Jim’s sister Mary.
Kyler was my off-hours tour guide. He took me on a short tour and literally walked my legs off. I really need to get in shape!
It is a totally different world in San Francisco. It is a beautiful city, with most of the people being friendly and helpful. (I cannot count the one person on a scooter who swore at us unmercifully, just for walking across the street. Okay, we were deep in conversation and we didn’t see him trying to hit us broadside, but we were a bit taken aback by the anger he unleashed.)
On to better thoughts … the variety of cultural diversity is very intriguing here in San Francisco. I am sure I will add a Sourdough Cookbook to my Cookbook Delights Series, and I am looking forward to testing those recipes. Sourdough has an interesting and long history in California. It was the main bread made in Northern California during the Gold Rush days, and it continues as part of the culture of San Francisco. The type of sourdough made in San Francisco has remained in continuous production for nearly 150 years. Some bakeries can trace their starters back to time when California was still a territory!
Chinatown has inspired me to get going on my Chinese Delights Cookbook, which is already started but not finished. Please visit my bookstore at www.karensbookstore.com to see the cookbooks that are available there.
Thank you,
Karen Hood
San Franciso Trip & Dental Conference
November 3, 2010 – Today, I had to hit the ground running! My husband and I are headed to a dental conference in San Francisco. Yippee, Yahoo!! That just happens to be where our son Kyler is going to school. It is also where my husband Jim’s siblings John, Mary, and Ann live, along with their respective families. The dental conference is intense—8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day—but we will be sure to squeeze in much-valued time with some of the Hood family members.
Silly me! Much to the dismay of my husband and Delta Airlines flight attendants, I almost missed our flight out of Salt Lake City, Utah, to San Francisco. Unfortunately, I have severe, severe motion sickness, and to prevent the disgusting task of filling multiple paper bags on the airplane, I take some heavy-duty prescription and over-the-counter motion sickness pills and use behind-the-ear patches. I have finally found a combination that prevents me from the embarrassment of filling those too-small, behind-the-seat bags.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that this medication makes me drowsy and forgetful, as well as making me feel generally crumby. At the Salt Lake City airport, I went to the ladies room and then to get a beverage. I lost track of time and direction. My frantic husband had me paged and tried to keep the airline door open as I literally ran, dropping and picking up items. Whew! We made it!
We landed in San Francisco at 5:42 p.m. Now for hotel check-in and dinner. Then we prepare for tomorrow’s long day of work.
The convention we are attending is the DOCS Oral Sedation Conference for dental continuing education. Dr. Hood will come back with the latest and greatest updates and techniques in oral sedation, which so many patients request to calm their dental fears. We will keep you posted.
Karen
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