A Dynamic Duo to End the #LSUYAL2015 Conference @LSUCHSE, Both 'Sharon' their Writing Worlds

I'm in love with this photograph taken last night of author Sharon Draper who spoke with participants attending the Young Adult Literature conference at LSU at the Louisiana Public Library. The picture radiates the joy and colors she brought to everyone in the audience: teachers, students, librarians, and community members. I could go on and on and on about how incredible this prolific human being is, but I'll let her website say it all.

SHARON DRAPER

Perhaps the highlight for me, however, is when the writer put her phone number on a styrofoam plate and handed it to me. "I want a copy of the picture you took of me, okay?" she suggested. Seriously? wow. What an amazing human being she is.

And speaking of incredible, those of us at the conference were also graced by the presence of Sharon Flake (who shared her writing with us at the conference and then read again at the community event at the library). The two Sharons were a great icing to the cake of an incredible week (women writers that I taught to my students in Kentucky and whose work surrounds classrooms I've worked with in Syracuse and Bridgeport). Sharon Flake's accomplishments, too,

Sharon Flake

are more than I can capture here. What I can say, however, is that it was a true blessing to be able to work so closely with these two writers over the last two days and to have their gifts inspired onto us through mentorship, conversation, and book readings.

I continue to be thankful to the Great Whatever.