I've gotten a lot of reading done this week: finished the McMurtry novel, finished the Kushner novel, started Toibin's The Magician, plus made progress on Tennyson. I've also gotten a lot of planning work done: drafts for segments of the conference--the opening day and what has traditionally been my revision day, though it is morphing into something more malleable than straight revision practice. (Sometimes I write "re-vision" because the hyphen does help to indicate a more open process, though I admit it's annoyingly precious.)

Among other gifts, my work with high schoolers has been a laboratory. I try out new ideas, take notice of what's working and what isn't. Each cohort has a different vibe, and I try to adjust around that aura while also maintaining a steady focus on producing, discussing, revising, finishing, and performing work.

While I won't give away details, this year's re-vision segment at the conference will center around the power of comedy in collaborating, extending, and re-seeing drafts. What happens when you frame writing strategies around the goal of "make us laugh"? This year's high schoolers love to be silly together, and I've found that giving them that opportunity has been a way to get them to practice their skills in new contexts. For certain kids, it's also allowed them to sidestep their fears about sharing uncomfortable personal material and just relax into the work.

Most of the fall I felt like I was thrashing in shallow water as I tried to keep up with my obligations. But this hiatus between semesters has been everything I'd hoped it would be, work-wise at least. I've caught up on writing projects, I've caught up on teaching projects, I've caught up on reading projects, I've seen my beloveds, and I've gotten some rest.

Next week the whirlwind will start up again. I hope I'm ready. I guess I am. Who can tell?