Returning from the Teen Writing Workshop

I’m nearing the end of my two-week stint as a chaperone for a teen writing workshop here in New York. If you are a female teen writer, or you know one, you can learn about next summer’s program here. It’s a terrific program, with daily writing classes and writing time, as well a schedule jam-packed with broadway shows, trips to museums, tourist sites, and a lot more. I’m very happy to participate as a chaperone, shepherding girls from Greenwich Village to Ellis Island, showing them the bright lights of the city that I’ve made my home in the past year. It’s especially fun because I’m the first employee to have come full circle: I went on this writing program as a teen writer myself, and loved the chance to write, take classes, and meet like-minded girls.

It’s been an extremely rigorous schedule: as a chaperone, I’m entirely responsible for a group of girls, for making sure they are feeling good every day, for guiding them to different sites around the city, for making sure they don’t cross against the lights or stay up too late, making sure each member of my group gets to do one special thing they want to do in New York, like have a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery, get an I heart NY t-shirt, or get a slice of Ray’s pizza. I’m finding myself falling into bed each night, only to have to rise at 6 every morning to do it all over again. And of course, we’ve been having to do these day trips this year in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave. I do believe I’ve sweated more than I ever have in my life! But it’s all been worth it to see these enthusiastic young writers get an opportunity to learn about their craft and meet girls who share their passion.

I’ll be returning to Boston this weekend, and catching up on my own writing and my blogging here at Writerly Life. The transition to this site continues; you can expect Blairhurley.com to start forwarding here in the next few weeks. Til then, enjoy your writerly life, readers, and write on!