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Friday, February 2, 2007
Literacy Knight in Shining Newspaper Print Armor!
Sometimes some of the best things in your life happen when least expected. Phil Latham, publisher of The Marshall News Messenger emailed me to call him. He wanted to have a meeting with him and Stephanie Atkins of The Longview News Journal (both newspapers are part of the 27 Cox Newspapers across the country and in my neck of the woods). They wanted to talk to me about helping me with my annual Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend Weekend.
We had that meeting. I felt as if I had won the literary lottery. The Marshall News Messenger was going to be my official sponsor for my Girlfriend Weekend.
We just finished that event and it has taken me a couple weekends for my eyes to uncross and focus. I was suffering from too much literary fun. Yes, reading is fun and we try to make this event as entertaining as it can be with all of our authors, skits, musical artists, and infamous HAIR BALL. We dance like maniacs for literacy with this year’s them being “The Pulpwood Queens Go HOLLYWOOD”!
The event is our annual gathering of Pulpwood Queens Book Club members and chapters from around the country, girlfriends, booklovers and more authors than you can shake a stick at, like close to 60 this year. Our theme was The Pulpwood Queens Go Hollywood and did we ever. With The Dallas Morning News and Southern Living and their fabulous reporters and photographers in attendance, I felt just like I truly was walking the red carpet all weekend. Flash bulbs flashing, interviews happening, I thought, so this is what it is like to be a star. In reflection, to say the weekend was a tremendous success would be a total understatement. I have never received so many front page newspapers stories. In fact, I am checking with the Guinness Book of World Records because I think we set a new record high for the most consecutive front page newspaper stories. We did make some news this weekend but one thing that stands out above everything to me. When you partner with someone who is also a literacy leader, you can do far more to promote literacy than crusading by yourself. It is time people for all of us in this country to come together for literacy.
There are a kazillion different entities promoting literacy and reading across the country. There are also a bazillion book clubs. I started the first franchised book club and also the conversation within the community that we need to now work together. The Marshall News Messenger was my knight in shining newspaper armor to ride forth and charge full gallop ahead on our literacy mission. The word had reached their Cox Newspaper castle domain, that we were damsels in distress. We were fighting an uphill battle for literacy. This is no fairy tale but it does have a happy ending.
Every attendee at the event has raved about how wonderful the event was and are now back home charged to join our book club, start chapters, and take on literacy endeavors. Every author in attendance has let me know just how much they too enjoyed the event and many have been inspired to go on and write features, blogs about the weekend. Several photographers have sent me amazing photos of the event and sent me there links to order photographs. And we not only made the front pages of The Marshall News Messenger but the front page of The Dallas Morning News plus a video link. We had arrived at the kingdom of being discovered.
Now for those reading this that don’t have a clue what the Girlfriend Weekend is about? I will in the next several blogs be giving you highlights of the each days events. In the meantime, check out our website, www.beautyandthebook.com as I am posting all the photo links on Home Page, news stories on Hot Stuff and more!
I always loved reading those fantabulous fairy tales of my youth. Grimm’s Brothers, Hans Christian Anderson’s were amongst my favorites. They had drama, rags to riches stories where all the fair maidens were rescued from evil forces; the wicked stepmother, the dragon, or witch, or evil spell. Our evil force is illiteracy. Besides living in the 5th poorest county in the state I just found out Marion County has a 39% illiteracy rate. I was in shock. Here I run the largest “meeting and discussing” book club in the world and my home stomping grounds 39% of the population cannot read! This year it is my goal to partner with the Jefferson ISD and our Jefferson Carnegie Library to get a literacy program going in our county. I am signing up to train on how to help to teach someone to read.
I live a full and rich life because I am a reader. I cannot imagine a life without reading. That is important to a person as our basic needs of food and shelter. No matter how poor you are, if you are taught to read you have been given the tools to educate yourself and better yourself. I have been able to go to places I never dreamed, walked in other people’s shoes and even found my own faith in God because of reading. Reading is important and to know that I now have a knight by my side to crusade for literacy is a dream come true.
Some people have often felt that I had my head in the clouds, I dream to big. There have been many naysayers in my life. But to know that there are others such as Phil Latham and the good folks at The Marshall News Messenger and Cox Newspapers who share my literary vision gives me great hope for a better and more literate tomorrow.
God Bless The Marshall News Messenger! So as we gallop off into our literary sunset remember we’ll be back next year with yet another Girlfriend Weekend. Mark your calendars for January 18 - 20, Girlfriend Weekend 2008!
Warner Books will debut my first book “The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life”. Our theme will be NEW YORK, NEW YORK and I am already at work on bringing you an all star Broadway inspired cast of authors. Won’t you join us on our sole mission to get the world reading and also on our Girlfriend Weekend which is a celebration of girlfriends, yes, and boyfriends, authors, books and BIG TIME FUN!
My next blog will cover the Friday activities of Girlfriend Weekend so stay tuned for that recap and be sure and thank The Marshall News Messenger for helping us on our literacy mission. I have acquired, literally, a Knight in Shining Armor that will be perpetually reading The Marshall News Messenger in my shop, Beauty and the Book, as a tribute to my literacy hero! We as a nation tend to always write to newspapers to complain about something. Won’t you join me in writing this newspaper to tell them that we applaud their efforts on sharing good news and by promoting literacy!
Tiara wearing and Book sharing, Kathy L. Patrick Founder of the Pulpwood Queens Book Clubs www.beautyandthebook.com
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