The 2013 SCBWI-MI Conference, or What Were You Doing Ten Years Ago?

Picture books and MG novels, crucifixes and nuns, a weekend escape room for writers: Welcome to the 2013 conference

by Charlie Barshaw

This the the first in a series of articles .

2013. 

I had been fresh out of my day job for four years, and I’d volunteered myself to work on the SCBWI-MI events as a member of AdCom (the advisory committee). We advisors got to, if one hung around, say, four years, co-chair a conference. Which meant naming it and finding a place to hold it, finding some speakers, getting people to put down good money for this alleged kid’s book writing conference.

Pat Trattles and I co-chaired this conference to be unlike any other. It was, for both of us, our first chance at co-chairing, and wow did we have some passionate beliefs. We were going to create a weekend intensive, find two authors who’d published both a novel and a picture book, and make them present before a captive audience of 20 each picture book and midgrade novel writers.

We named it, "From Monster Mash to Model Manuscript." Fine alliteration, and a nod to the approaching Halloween holiday, because we had nestled this baby deep into October.

Do NOT remember the statues or stairs
but this is on the defunct Transformations
website, photo by Tommy Anderson

The conference was hosted in what they called “Transformations Spirituality Center.” But make no mistake, it was a convent, a nunnery with, like, working nuns.

Audrey Vernick and some of her books, 
from her website

Pat and I wanted two tracks: picture book and novel, so we needed two authors who had published both. We invited Deborah Halverson from sunny California and Audrey Glassman Vernick from New Jersey.  Audrey’s written  books on buffaloes to baseball, and Deborah is the keynote speaker at SCBWI national. They're such big names now that we would never dare ask them to appear at our conference. But we did, then.

This was back when writing conferences would start on Friday evening, right after real work let out. You’d have to make reservations and drive to a place with a suitcase full of clothes and books.

It could be a hotel, but more likely it was some sort of conference center/rooms arrangement. We were, after all, working artists who had to make a dollar stretch till next Tuesday. No swanky suites for us, we shared the room.

We had basic meals served in a cafeteria. The rooms were spartan, two beds and a nightstand. And a crucifix. I think the surroundings were beautiful. But I never actually got out of the building.

There were nun encounters. The nuns were pleasant enough, even mischievous, but to my knowledge none of the writer attendees were moved to join the convent afterwards.

Deborah Halverson
from her website
credit: Teresa Stanton

This may have been the sign that
greeted us. I'm told the whole place 
has been razed, and its last active
post was 2021

But Deborah and Audrey were pros, even in those 2013 days, and they switched audiences and topics, did probably six sessions each, talking about heartfelt novels and picture book poetry and how writing intersected in all of it.

We added extracurriculars, of course, because we micro-managed the hell out of this weekend conference, every 15 minutes blocked off for the craft book swap, followed by the hat costume party, oh, and critique group meetings. Meeting more than once. A day.
We made vision boards (mine had a big shoe and Granny from The Beverly Hillbillies).

My vision of Aunt Agnes

But all good hostage situations must come to an end.

By Sunday morning Deborah had caught a good-ol-Michigan cold, and there were some persuasive arguments made about the healing power of Earl Gray.

Audrey went on to write more picture books and middle grade novels, and collaborated with Liz Garton Scanlon and Olugbemisola Rhuday Perkovich. So, no lasting harm.

All I know is we, presenters and participants, parted friends. Or at least survivors. 

I’m going to try to interview Deborah and Audrey, our two superstar speakers. (They've agreed.)

I'll ask some of the attendees (a number of them still part of SCBWI-MI) probing questions to test their dulling memories. (They've agreed, too. Some have already sent back their answers.)

Maybe I can coax out some photos. (Deborah Halverson sent a few!)

I’ll tell you what I was doing ten years ago. The writers will tell you what they were doing ten years ago. Deborah and  Audrey have agreed to remember what they can.

It was an audacious conference: an unusual locale,  limited enrollment, no editors or agents, just relentless workshops on writing and a crit group on a tight schedule. 

Like all conferences, it was hard volunteer work, but also very rewarding. But, for a number of reasons, this conference was an anomaly: Spirituality, presenters from both ends of the country, limited enrollment on two tracks. A writer's escape room with no exit until Sunday afternoon. There never was a writing retreat weekend like this. There never will be again.

So put on your Google glasses and venture back ten years to 2013...

Charlie Barshaw interviews children's book writers and illustrators from SCBWI-MI for the Writer Spotlight feature of The Mitten blog. He moderates the Lansing Area Shop Talk. He's got MG and YA novels in piles inside of drawers

That's me on the right, Betsy McKee Williams across from me, Sue Ann Culp in the back middle, and an as-yet-unidentified writer. Photo taken and supplied by Deborah Halverson 2013.