Writer's Conference
This has been one crazy week! The best day yet came from the dinner last night where we had the visiting writers and the local writers eat dinner with the conference staff. I sat at my table and chatted with the people I knew when an older man in a jean button down shirt and suspenders sat down with the administrators. My jaw literally dropped to the ground when he was introduced to my neighbor and then to me, "This is our local writer, Gary Paulson."

Gary Paulson!!

Gary Paulson....
Images of my childhood flitted through my mind and I was once again with that little boy stuck on the island with a little Hatchet. I had the luxury to sit down and eat for two hours with an author I loved since I was old enough to be read to. What a treat!

If that wasn't enough, he talked most of the time so I was able to listen to him - full of tales and rough stories about his boat and planning on running his dogs in Alaska. I would have fainted if I hadn't been eating something to keep me going. I tried not to act like the school-girl meeting their first rock star - but to me he was much better. He was Gary Paulson - the writer.