Back to Hollins!

After a long day of flying from Edinburgh to London to Philadelphia to Roanoke, I'm finally back at Hollins University in Virginia where I teach in the MFA in Children's Book Writing and Illustrating program. Of course, this time, I actually have an MFA myself!
     Each summer a rotating group of scholars, writers, and illustrators gather to share our passions and talk shop. No pun intended, but here, everybody is on the same page - it's a complete treat to be surrounded by peers and colleagues who all share the same language and lexicon.
     Sunday was all about setting up shop - classrooms, flats, paperwork, etc. So Monday was the first 'real' day. As such, we had to begin with an inaugural walk around campus.
     There's a pack of us who go walking each morning at 6:30 to enjoy the day before it gets hot. Here are Karen Coats (scholar and author), Claudia Mills (scholar and author), and Candice Ransom (author of over 100 books).We do two laps around campus - 3 miles in total. But who notices when we chat the entire way and enjoy views like this?It's good to be back!
Click on that 2nd image to see it bigger - it's lovely!