Long Live the Pulpwood Queens!

Well, its been a week or so since I left Texas, so I've had enough time to look at all the photos on Facebook and read the blog posts, and still, the feeling remains: It was the best party I've ever attended.

Below is what I commented on the Dallas Morning News ,Texas Pages article, Jamie Ford Leads Chorus of Praise for Pulpwood Queens.

Yes, I was there at the Pulpwood Queens Girlfriends Weekend, and let me confirm all the reports. Someone there said (and I think it was Pat Conroy) that Kathy L. Patrick has the ability to single-handedly save the publishing industry. And I tend to agree. Here's why.

Kathy has some sort of mystical ability to pull people together from all walks of life. Writers and readers mingled together in harmony and hilarity, all in the name of literacy, dressed as Barbies or something from the Wizard of Oz. We were children again and childish in our pure love of books. We danced and laughed in praise of the stories the Good Lord gives to us all to cherish, and learn from and inspire one another.

I've published four books in as many years, and I'm honored my latest, Saving Cicadas, finally got me to Texas, but I've been to too many book events to count--this one, well, it tops them all. And yes, I know the Good Witch Glendas all dressed in white might have helped just a little bit with their mean mojitos, but I imagine any witness might vouch for me when I say the little town of Jefferson, Texas became annointed that weekend. It was a magical place where deep friendships were made, batteries were recharged, and the Spirit of the Book was never bigger or brighter than I've seen it in all my years. And it left us with the feeling that yes, there is hope afterall for the lovely paper product that fills us with so much joy and awe as we flip through its pages. Because there are people out there who love books just as much as we authors do. They're called the Pulpwood Queens.

Jamie Ford

Author table at Lamache's Italian

Ad Hudler is Oz, I always knew it.

Susan Cushman, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson, Deanne Gist

Jamie Ford, Pat Conroy, Nicole Seitz, Melissa Conroy