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Tag Archives: Texas

The Pulpwood Queens, Pt. 2

18 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by stevewiegenstein in Literature, People, Personal, Writing

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novels, publishing, Pulpwood Queens, reading, Texas, writers, writing

Author panel at Pulpwood Queens

My author panel at the Pulpwood Queens weekend

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my upcoming trip to the Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend. That trip has been completed now, and I’m here to report that it was quite an experience!

The event was held at the Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches, Texas, a 1950s-era hotel that has been renovated and modernized. I understand that the hotel hasn’t been open long in its new form, but it was a terrific location! Congratulations to the owners on the job they did, and to the Pulpwoods for choosing it.

The Girlfriend Weekend is a gathering of club members, who hailed from all over the country, and the authors they read. In that respect alone it was a unique event. I’ve never attended an event that had so many avid, enthusiastic readers from such a wide location.

The authors were also a varied group, and I had a good time making new acquaintances. Here are a few photos: The one at the top of the post has Clea Simon, the author of World Enough (she’s a mystery writer), and Reavis Wortham, who writes Texas-based thrillers. At the end is the Pulpwood Queen herself, Kathy Murphy (more about her in a minute). I enjoyed meeting scads of other authors who work in a wide variety of genres: Lorna Landvik (contemporary novels with a humorous twist), Bren McClain (whose debut novel, One Good Mama Bone, was the Queens’ Book of the Year, Tamra Bolton (children’s), Rickey Pittman (children’s ABC books), Romalyn Tilghman, Man Martin, Lisa Wingate (whose latest book, Before We Were Yours, has hit the well-deserved bigtime), Alice Hoffman, and many, many more.

Lorna Landvik

Me with Lorna Landvik, who was the high bidder on my gift basket to raise money for the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

The orchestrator of this event is Kathy Murphy, who is a tireless advocate for books, reading, and literacy. She put the whole event together, co-hosted with author Jamie Ford, and somehow managed to keep this enormous herd of cats pointed in the same direction! It was a delight to meet her. We ended up having dinner together on the night before the event got started, and I was immensely impressed with her verve and zest for the literary experience. There’s a movie in the works about her story, and she’s an author herself!

IMG_0901

The Texas Ornithological Society was holding its winter meeting that same weekend, and the hotel staff helpfully directed us. As if the tiaras weren’t enough of a clue!

It was a long drive, but an unforgettable event! I am hugely grateful to have been invited and excited about a return trip!

 

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The Pulpwood Queens

17 Sunday Dec 2017

Posted by stevewiegenstein in People, Personal, Writing

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Kathy Murphy, Pulpwood Queens, reading, Texas, writing

Earlier this fall, I was delighted to receive an invitation to participate in the annual get-together of The Pulpwood Queens, an event they call Girlfriend Weekend. I’ve been aware of the Queens for years, after reading an article about them in Newsweek. So when I got the invitation, I said yes without a moment’s hesitation.

For those who haven’t heard of them before, the Pulpwood Queens are an organization of book clubs, founded in 2000 by Kathy Murphy. You can read about her inspiring story here. At the Girlfriend Weekend, the Queens dress outrageously, wear tiaras, and dance the night away. But more important, they share their love of books! They talk books, chat with authors, and celebrate the writer-reader partnership. These folks love books. They are a Reading Nation, as Kathy Murphy calls them.

I’m excited to head for the Girlfriend Weekend next month. And despite the name, the Queens also welcome men — “Timber Guys” is the designated term. It’s not too late to join the fun, so if you’re looking for a mid-January getaway, head to Nacogdoches, Texas, in the heart of pulpwood country.

 

 

 

 

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