This month I was invited to attend a conference in Washington, DC called The Emergence and Legacy of African American Basketball. The organizers contacted me because I've done workshops on basketball and poetry in conjunction with the picture book STRONG TO THE HOOP. I was interested but unsure what to expect. The conference was fantastic. The first day, William Rhoden of the New York Times had a fascinating discussion with Mayor Dave Bing of Detroit and Earl Lloyd (pictured above), the first African-American to play in the NBA. I sat and listened and absorbed as much as I could.
Saturday, the events took place at Howard University and one interesting speaker after another presented to the group. I led a workshop on basketball and poetry and was thrilled to be among people who were even more passionate about the game and its legacy than I was. I came back from the conference energized and full of ideas, which is always the sign of a successful conference.
7 comments:
What a great opportunity, John! It's amazing the places your writing takes you!
Sounds like an amazing time!
This sounds like a wonderful conference John-- I agree with David- your writing is leading you into the world in the most surprising and unexpected places!
Thank you. Yes, and today it took me to Bird island, Minnesota for an event for FRED, Fathers Reading Every Day. Fifteen fathers came out even though the snow was whipping around on the prairie and travel was tough. We had a great time talking about Dads and books and when I started back I could barely see the side of the road. But as i came east the snow turned over to rain and I was able to make it home fine. They decided not to schedule FRED in December, January, February or March because of weather concerns, and then we get this in Novemeber
Good things come together when you weave your passions as your work!
What fun this sounds like, John. I'm sorry I wasn't in the D.C. area when you were there. Your writing has certainly taken you in many directions. May it continue...
Sounds like you're keeping busy, having fun, and getting inspired this winter. Thanks for keeping us updated!
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