Shawna’s Blog

Had fun author-stalking at the National Book Festival on the Mall Saturday. It was a soggy day, so I didn’t get to stay for everyone I wanted to see (sorry, Tim O’brien and Judy Blume!) but I did catch DC novelist/Wire writer George Pelecanos, who gave an inspiring talk, mostly plugging other peoples’ books. The one that captured my interest was A Question of Freedom: A Memoir of Learning, Survival and Coming of Age in Prison, by R. Dwayne Betts. I haven’t read it yet but his story made me miss teaching at the juvenile day treatement center in North Carolina. Convincing kids with nothing who’ve been kicked out of school that a low-paying journalism job is the best thing that ever happened to me was almost impossible, but knowing them and encouraging their infinite creativity was worthwhile (even when angrily storming out, on the worst days). Pelecanos also reminded me of my itch for local journalism, which I had the opportunity to do lots of while living in NC. Hopefully DC has a space for me.