National Council of Teachers of English Convention 2013

On 11/21/13, I returned to Boston, the city of my college years, and for another academic reason: the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention, my first.

Given that I came to speak on a panel about writing nonfiction, I felt it apropos that this sign greeted me in the airport:

Thank you to Marfe Ferguson for organizing the panel, and thanks to Roz Schanzer, Sandip Wilson, and Suzii Parsons for participating. I was thrilled with our robust turnout, which at times was standing room only (though that is not acutely evident by this photo taken midway through):

I then enjoyed being an audience member at a second nonfiction panel starring author friends Steve Sheinkin and Deb Heiligman (both of whom I had met previously) and Tanya Lee Stone and Marc Aronson (both of whom I had corresponded with but not met in person before), plus moderator Cathryn Mercier and educator Erica Shipow (who greatly impressed me with her articulate perspectives).

NCTE = nothing cooler than educators!