Books Alive 2016 Photo Blog

Books Alive returned last weekend, expanded to three days and moved to venues in downtown Panama City. Here are some of the moments I managed to record:

Ginger Littleton, me, and Cheri Leistner (Books Alive committee members)

Local authors area at the Civic Center

Cool projections by Public Eye featured the local authors' work

David Angier, me



Me with Mary McDonough (Erin Walton)



JD from Public Eye and author Milinda Stephenson



Rick Bragg with a Destin book club



Connie Gittard introduces Ellen Urbani, Annie Quinn & Mary McDonough



Kwame Alexander, Kathie Bennett, and Mr. & Mrs. Middlemas



Kwame Alexander meets a young future reader.



Librarian Sandra Pierce and author Olivia Cooley



Refreshments at the library



Margaret Webster of Public Eye & Jennifer Jones of Bay Arts Alliance

Get your write on this NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo Kick-Off Party

• What: Tips and tricks for writers; light refreshments
• When: 5:30-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19
• Where: Bay County Public Library, at 898 W. 11th St., Panama City
• Details: nanowrimo.org or call 850-522-2120

PANAMA CITY — Writers, it’s time to limber up those typing or scribing fingers, bulk up the brain muscles (or whatever) and get ready for the best month of the year.

November is just around the corner, and that means you’re invited (in fact, encouraged — nay, required!) to set your mind to writing a novel during the 30 days of National Novel Writing Month, or “NaNoWriMo.”

“NaNoWriMo challenges people to write 50,000 words of a novel in the 30 days of November,” said Regina Burgess, Community Relations and Marketing Coordinator for the Northwest Regional Library System. “Crazy? Yes. Doable? Absolutely!”

My recent novel of zombie survival, “This Mortal Flesh,” began as a NaNoWriMo project. I’m planning to write the bulk of a new steampunk novel in November.

As Regina notes, more than 250 NaNoWriMo novels have been traditionally published, including Sara Gruen’s “Water for Elephants,” Erin Morgenstern’s “The Night Circus,” and many more. Last year, NaNoWriMo welcomed 351,142 writers from around the world. Of those participants, 58,917 hit their goals, completing a 50,000-word draft of a novel in November 2014.

If you’ve always said you wanted to do so too, then now’s the time.

To help locals get the ink flowing, the Bay County Public Library will host a NaNoWriMo Kick-Off Party from 5-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19. I will join local authors Michael Lister, Sharman Ramsey and others during that period to share some helpful writing tips and prompts. Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries will supply light refreshments.

Attendees may also enter a drawing for three gift boxes, each of which includes goodies and the book that started it all: “No Plot, No Problem: A Low-Stress High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days” by NaNoWriMo founder Chris Baty.

The library will also host “Come Write In” sessions 5-7 p.m. each Monday in November, with library staff on hand for support and encouragement; participants are welcome to bring their own refreshments.

Finally, the library will have a “Thank God It’s Over” party 5-7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7 to celebrate finishing (or at least attempting to finish) your novels. Again, Friends of the Bay County Public Libraries will supply light refreshments.

 “We have some staff members who are going to participate in NaNoWriMo this year,” Regina said. “I’m one of them, and I am both looking forward to it and scared out of my wits! So far, I have no idea what I’m going to write about or even what genre I’ll attempt. But the unknown is half the fun!”

In writing, it’s about the journey as much as the destination. Come with us into the trackless unknown.

Peace.

Artist's Touch: Bonnie Tate's 'Journal Portraits'

Bonnie Tate

• ‘Journal Portraits’
• What: Exhibit of photographs by Bonnie Tate
• Where: Bay County Public Library, 898 W. 11th St., Panama City
• Details: 850-522-2100 or NWRLS.com
• About the Artist: BonnieTatePhoto.com

PANAMA CITY — A hand covered in dirt gingerly clutches a snapshot of soldiers as, caught under the edge of a canteen, a journal page below it lists “Impressions of Khe Sanh.”

With the corner of a diary showing her daily chores, a woman kneads dough on a scratched butcher block, her rings and wristwatch carefully set aside.

These and other images designed to put the viewer in the heads of strangers — seeing the world through their eyes, with tantalizing glimpses of their secret lives — make up the compelling “Journal Portraits” exhibit of work by photographer Bonnie Tate.

“I think of them as mysterious,” Bonnie said. “I’ve always enjoyed pairing photography with storytelling, and making series of connected pictures. My favorite pictures are usually of and about people, or at least have a human element.”

On display at the Bay County Public Library in Panama City through the end of June, the photos were inspired by actual entries Bonnie discovered in journals and diaries she found in thrift shops and other locations.

“Being a diary keeper myself, I am interested in how we interpret the events of our lives and string them together into narratives,” Bonnie said. “These are stories we almost always keep to ourselves. I stage each moment using a loose mix of the author’s description and my imagination.”

Including the actual diary or a page from a journal in each photo creates an interesting merging of past and present, she said, adding, “It also passes on the personal nature of reading another’s private thoughts.”

Those personal insights — the little things, the details — are a recurring theme in Bonnie’s work.

“It is the idiosyncrasies, the quirks, the hint of a story, that create the urge for a picture,” she said in an entry on her website, speaking specifically of portraiture. “Tuning in to an individual’s specifics and recording them is in some way important.”

Bonnie’s father was a journalist, who often told her “the devil is in the details.” She developed an appreciation for specifics and nuances, and this carries over to how she approaches photography. She even has a series she’s working on that shows both God and “the Devil” can be found with a macro lens setting.

“In all of my projects, I approach image-making with an eye for life’s small details,” she said. “I am shooting and organizing this series of photos by season so that when viewed as a whole, the photos will suggest the movement of time, the passing of a year observed in the smallest of moments.”

A series of moves around the country eventually brought Bonnie to Bay County, but she turned that period of transience to her advantage by finding a variety of subjects for her lens. One such move to Texas resulted in a black-and-white series she calls “American Home.”

“With the nature of our time in each place being transitory, my idea of home takes on an ephemeral quality,” she says in a posting at her website (BonnieTatePhoto.com). “Our temporary Texas home was a summer lake house fully furnished with the odds and ends and memories of another family. 

Using the artifacts and surroundings that were not mine, I hoped to create an intimate yet slightly distant sensation that matched my experience.”

Bonnie initially studied creative writing at Florida State University, then went on to receive an MFA in photography at the University of Memphis.

“I got into creative photography when I started studying art at FSU, around 1999, right before the digital wave,” she said. “I had a few great teachers who got me looking at projects by other photographers and also the history of photography, which opened up the possibilities for me.”

She currently teaches photography classes at CityArts Cooperative and Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, and is also available for private lessons. For information on these or other classes, email bonnietatephoto@gmail.com, visit BonnieTatePhoto.com or call 850-238-2077.

“By nature the camera is cold,” she said. “I think that a glimpse of someone’s home, belongings, habits, makes a portrait a bit warmer and richer. Ultimately, I hope that each portrait taps into the unique mystery of the person in it.”

Comics, heroes magically lead to reading

Who'd've thunk?

SOMEWHERE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO — My geek flag flew unashamedly last week during a cruise to Mexico with my family. I won a ship on a stick — a shipskabob — as much for my deep and abiding knowledge of comic book lore as for my ability to tell people what they think they want to hear.

The emcee, presenting me with the trophy, pointed out my “Star Trek” T-shirt, and I pointed out I was also holding an old Doc Savage paperback. (In my defense, I came to the contest directly from the pool deck, where I had been reading in between dips in the salt water. If I’d had time to change, I would have worn my Wonder Woman shirt instead).

“Yes, I am a true geek,” I said.

Another aside: The only reason I didn’t tie for the win with my son was because he wrote down the actual correct answers, while I wrote down the nearly-correct answers I believed the emcee was looking for. We will share the trophy.

We had a good showing for the cruise: My daughter won the Harry Potter trivia contest earlier in the week — which included a sudden-death(ly hallows) tie breaker — and received a matching plastic cruise ship simulacrum.

The wins can be attributed to one thing: We love to read. We prefer stories steeped in imagination and heroism, but we also love the beauty of the word under a poet’s hand, the truth of a tale well told.

I can easily point to comic books as my gateway drug to being a life-long reader (and writer). And it’s why I’m excited to see the Northwest Florida Regional Library’s summer reading programs: the Bay County libraries are using super heroes (as well as non-super powered everyday heroes) and comic books to lead kids into reading.

•“Heroes Read!” is a series of sessions suggested for children ages 6 and younger, and includes family storytime, talking, singing, reading, writing and playing. Topics include What’s Your Superpower?, Animal Heroes, and Heroes Live @ Your Library.

•“Every Hero Has a Story” is for kindergarten through grade 5, and incorporates books with art, crafts, special guests and professional entertainment. The sessions include topics like “Mad Scientists.”

•“Unmask!” is suggested for students in grades 6-12. It includes self-directed maker spaces, props, crafts, technology support and a readers’ theater.

For dates, times and other details, check the library nearest you: Panama City Beach Library, 12500 Hutchison Blvd., Panama City Beach (233-5055); Bay County Public Library, 898 W. 11th St., Panama City (522-2118); and Springfield Public Library, 408 School Ave., Springfield (872-7510). Or for a full schedule, visit NWRLS.com

Before you know it, these kids will graduate from reading illustrated stories, to writing their own, making art, shooting photos, directing movies — finding their own paths to creativity and imagination. That’s the goal.

Winning a plastic trophy is just for bragging rights.

Peace.

Exhibits, contests explore ‘The Space Between Words’

FLORIOPOLIS | Contributed Photo

Artists are building a model replica of Beck Avenue in historic St. Andrews “out of words” as part of “The Space Between Words” exhibit currently running at the Floriopolis gallery and art center.

MY STORY CHOSEN AS 'STORY OF DISTINCTION' 

PANAMA CITY — You may have become adept at reading between the lines, but understanding and confusion come from the same place: the space between words.

Floriopolis, the arts and culture co-op in historic St. Andrews, is in the midst of a long-term interactive exhibit on that subject, which includes art on display, a short story contest and more. Heather Parker, the artist and creative director behind the Floriopolis, announced this week the winners of “The Space Between Words” short story contest.

“We had 16 entries and sent them all on to the judges,” Heather said. “The panel of three judges used a point system to narrow down the finalists and select an overall winner. We are looking into ways to include entries in other parts of our summer exhibit ‘The Space Between Words,’ so if you are interested in options that may come up, or have ideas to share, please do let us know.”

The winning story is “The Boy and His Beach” by D.A. Robin. Its 1,733 individual words and punctuation marks will be “sold” for $25 each to people who want to have the words, phrases and/or marks tattooed on their bodies (cost includes cost of the tattoo by Panama Fox). The project is a fundraiser for the non-profit gallery.

It’s amusing to consider a story being carried into the world in such a fashion.

“The winning story gives us the words to use for our community tattoo project and fundraiser,” Heather said. “We’re including punctuation in the ‘word count,’ for a total of 1,733 ‘words’ to sell. We won’t be releasing the winning story in its entirety for quite some time, focusing first on selling the words, phrases and punctuation, allowing buyers to make their own connections and participate in this large, ambitious project.”

Other stories in the contest also received note:

•Stories of Distinction were “Flashback” by Amy Topol, and “Whisper in the Night” by Tony Simmons (that’s me!).

•Honorable Mentions went to “The Space Between Words” by Gary Dearman, “Epilogue for a Corpse” by Samantha Neeley, “Tammy Fell Down” by Linda Morgan, “Tattoo Therapy” by Julie Werner, “Paul Clifford” by Dr. Dan Finley, and “Buddy” by Craig Bush.

For more information on the exhibit, the contest, and the tattoo portion of the project, drop by Floriopolis at 1125 Beck Ave. in Panama City (open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday), call 850-249-9295, or visit Facebook.com/Floriopolis.

Words and pictures also get close examination in the following contest and exhibit:

Poetry Month Contest

We can all use a little more poetry in our lives, and to that end the Bay County Public Library in Panama City (NWRLS.com) is holding a contest to mark National Poetry Month. Prizes will be awarded to the top three poems, all of which will be displayed in the library for a year. Here are the simple rules:

 Submit only one original poem.

 Poem can be printed in pencil, pen or typed. If it’s handwritten, make sure it’s legible.

 Put your name and a working phone number on the entry so you can be contacted.

 Place your poem in the container in front of the library’s National Poetry Month book display.

Librarians will judge the poems and announce the winner(s) at the end of April. It should go without saying, but don’t submit someone else’s poem as your own. Librarians will be checking for copyright infringement.

For more information, stop by or call the Reference Desk at 850-522-2107. The library is located at 898 W. 11th St., Panama City.

Posters Without Borders

Gulf Coast State College’s Visual & Performing Arts Division is opening an invitational exhibition, “Posters Without Borders” with a free lecture and public reception today. The exhibit was organized by Eric Boelts of Colorado State University, Antonio Castro of the University of Texas at El Paso, and Erin Wright of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Participating artists represent more than 20 countries around the world including Zimbabwe, Israel, Cuba, Mexico and Bulgaria. The exhibit explores the topic of immigration and raises questions such as: What is the meaning of nationality? What are the causes for immigration? What is the effect on the host country? What is the immigrant experience?

Wright will present a curatorial lecture 1-2 p.m. Friday in the Amelia Center, Room 128. An opening reception for the exhibit will be 5-7 p.m. Friday.    The exhibit will be on display in the Amelia Center Main Gallery, Room 112, until April 23; gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Admission is free and open to the public. For details, contact Pavel Amromin at pamromin@gulfcoast.edu

In any case, remember to use your words.

Peace.

Books Alive 2015 Photo Blog 3

Finally, the big event itself.

Bill Curry speaks at the luncheon

Magic Time authors gathered for "family" photo

Olivia deBelle Byrd (Cooley) & her 11th grade English teacher

Mark Boss, Carole Lapensohn and me

Marjory Wentworth reads from one of her books

Michael Morris, left, and Olivia at right

Susan Boyer signs for a fan

Marjory greets a reader

Mary, Tony and Marjory

New friends saying goodbye.

Books Alive 2015 Photo Blog: 1

Our first visitor for Books Alive 2015 was Kwame Alexander, who had just the same week won the Newbery Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Children's Literature. He gave a free talk at the Bay County Public Library. Here are photos from the evening, along with my article advancing his appearance, as it appeared at NewsHerald.com and in The News Herald:

Alexander greets a fan at the library

 PANAMA CITY — Fresh off winning the Newbery Medal for outstanding contribution to children’s literature, poet and author Kwame Alexander will speak at a free event hosted by the Bay County Public Library.

“I am so excited and elated,” said Sandra Pierce, head of Youth Services for the library. “We are so blessed to have an author of his caliber visiting our library and our schools.”

Alexander, whose novel-in-verse “The Crossover” was named a Newbery winner Monday, will visit with Hiland Park Elementary School third-graders and Bay High School freshmen Thursday morning. That afternoon, he will address a group of students from the After-School Assistance Program and Girls Inc.

“Generally I like to inspire kids to read and write,” Alexander said by phone Tuesday. “I use poetry to do that. We are immersed in poetry, and often kids will leave saying, ‘I had no idea this was poetry.’ ”

Kathie Bennett & Marjory Wentworth

Alexander will then speak at the Bay County Public Library, 898 W. 11th St. in Panama City, at 7 p.m. Thursday. The event is free and open to the public. The BHS jazz band, Bay Blast, will play music during the event, and BHS cadets will act as door greeters and ushers. Representatives from the Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta sororities will provide refreshments.

“This is an excellent opportunity to see a children’s author in our community share his knowledge and some poetry,” Pierce said. She also called “The Crossover” a powerful book. “It reads with such rhythm. It’s about the family life and relationships of two teenage boys, it’s about character building.”

In the book, 12-year-old narrator Josh Bell uses the rhythms of a poetry jam to emulate the “moving and grooving/popping and rocking” of life on the basketball court with his twin brother, J.B.
“I wanted to write a book boys would pick up,” Alexander said, noting evidence boys are hesitant to spend time reading rather than in physical activities. “They want books that are exciting to them, so I framed it in things boys are interested in. It’s about friendship, family and love, couched in terms of basketball.”

Pierce speaks to BHS band

Alexander addresses the audience at the library.

 The founder of two literacy organizations — Book-in-a-Day and LEAP for Ghana — Alexander conducts writing and publishing workshops at schools and conferences throughout the nation. He has owned publishing companies and has written for the stage and television (including TLC’s “Hip Hop Harry”). He recorded a CD, performed around the world, produced jazz and book festivals, hosted a radio show, worked for the U.S. government and taught high school. He will serve as the Bank Street College of Education's first writer-in-residence this year.

“I just finished a novel about a boy who loves soccer but hates books,” he said of his next project. “It’s inspired by boys I met on this book tour. I wanted to explore that transformation.”

Alexander is the author of 18 books, including “The Crossover,” which received its honor from the American Library Association on Monday. It also was chosen as a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and was called “a beautifully measured novel” by The New York Times.

“You can’t get better than that,” Pierce said of the honors the book received. “I was so excited I couldn’t catch my breath.”

The Newbery Medal was named for the 18th-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the year’s most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Alexander’s visit is part of the library’s annual BooksAlive festival, which brings nationally-known authors to Panama City for free workshops and speaking sessions. The main event will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Florida State University Panama City. For details, visit BooksAlive.net.

Making time for the arts

Marjory Wentworth

Marjory Wentworth

Who: Poet Laureate of South Carolina

What: Featured presenter at Books Alive 2015

When: Feb. 7; two sessions

Where: Florida State University-Panama City, 4750 Collegiate Drive, Panama City

Cost: Free admission

Details: BooksAlive.net

PANAMA CITY — This may have slipped under your radar in recent weeks, but a longstanding tradition that celebrated the arts was dropped from the governor’s inauguration ceremony in South Carolina on Jan. 14, citing a lack of time.

At least South Carolina has a poet laureate. Florida has had three: Franklin N. Wood, appointed by Gov. John W. Martin in 1929; Vivian Laramore Rader, appointed by Gov. Doyle E. Carlton in 1931; and Dr. Edmund Skellings, appointed by Gov. Robert Graham in 1980. Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation establishing a state poet laureate in June 2014, but the nomination process is still in development.

South Carolina governor Nikki Haley was sworn in for her second term Jan. 14. When the state’s Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth inquired about the traditional reading of a new poem during the ceremony, the governor’s office informed her there was insufficient time in the ceremony schedule for her two-minute poem to be read.

Four years prior, Wentworth read her poem, “The Weight It Takes,” at Haley’s inauguration. It focused on natural images of rivers, rocks and fish, and it called on the new governor to “be the weight that grounds us through swirling hours of each day.”

Wentworth will be a featured author at Books Alive on Feb. 7 at Florida State University-Panama City. She will have two sessions: The News from Poems, and Creating a Sense of Place in Poetry and Fiction (with Mary Alice Monroe). She also will speak to my Education Encore class Feb. 6.

The same day as Haley’s inauguration, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) addressed the House floor and read Wentworth’s poem into the congressional record.

“We’ve seen many instances of arbitrary actions against the powerless by the powerful when words and actions threaten their comfort levels. Such actions should not be,” Clyburn said. “I applaud Ms. Wentworth for her touching words, and I am reading her poem today in hopes that the people of South Carolina, across the country, and peoples around the world are as touched by her words as I have been.”

In the summer of 2014, Wentworth wrote the New York Times, reacting to a report on the controversy surrounding the choice of North Carolina’s poet laureate, who had almost immediately resigned the position. In her letter, Wentworth noted “poetry is flourishing” in South Carolina, “home of the oldest poetry society in the United States.”

But she also notes that some in seats of power have little regard for the arts. During the previous governor’s term, $1,500 was earmarked to cover travel and accommodations for Wentworth to make appearances at schools and literary events around the state; Haley’s office has set aside nothing for her expenses.

In an NPR interview, Wentworth said she thought the new poem was cut from the schedule because she didn’t stick to “safe” topics, instead mentioning a former slave market at Gadsden’s Wharf, and the execution of a 14-year-old black boy convicted of murdering two white girls, who was exonerated 70 years later.

“I really believe that our history is part of what’s holding us back,” Wentworth told NPR. “It’s kind of an unhealed wound. And we’re all in this together. And I know that sounds a little like John Lennon, but I wanted people to think about some of those things.”

Peace.

---

This is my Undercurrents column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald this week.

Come see me at Creative Con tomorrow!

PANAMA CITY CREATIVE CON

What: A gathering of writers, artists, actors, publishers, dancers, musicians and other fantastic creators to meet the public and share their talents

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13

Where: Gulf Coast State College, Student Union East Building, Panama City

Cost: $10 for adults, free to children age 6 and younger

Details: PCcreativeCon.com

Creative Con grows into new venue
Guests include ‘Pluggers’ artist, actors, musicians, more

PANAMA CITY — Having outgrown its original home, Panama City Creative Con shows no signs of slowing down.

This year’s Creative Con showroom will be on the second floor of the Student Union East building at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City. The show floor will be in the main lecture hall with a kids’ art program and guest panels located in two adjacent classrooms.

Creative Con is a day celebrating sequential art, comics, costumes (or “cosplay”), writing, publishing — and tons of other creative endeavors, such as dancing, filmmaking, music and more. Originally housed in the children’s department of the Bay County Public Library, and supported by the Library Foundation, massive attendance last year convinced organizers Jayson Kretzer and Bettina Mead to seek a roomier location.

“The new venue allows the opportunity to showcase more creative guests as well as expand the activities we can have the day of the show, such as live acoustic music in our singer/songwriter series, movie screenings, food on site and more,” said Kretzer, a comic artist, writer and graphic designer.

More than 50 guests are scheduled, representing a wide variety of creative and artistic careers. Special guests are Gary Brookins, cartoonist for the “Pluggers” and “Shoe” comic strips, and Jeff Parker, the award winning co-creator of the daily comic strip, “Dustin.”

“This show is not just another comic convention — it’s a creative career path convention,” Kretzer said. “We have a lot of guests this year who grew up or went to school in Bay County and have gone on to find work in the creative career of their choice, such as Gary Brookins and Michael Pedro (who worked on concept art for the video games ‘Halo 4’ and ‘DCU Online’), so I’m pretty excited to have the opportunity to bring them back to Panama City to share their experiences with our up-and-coming creatives.”

Other guests include:

• Artists Josh Hughes (“Atomic Terrier”), John Russo, Amanda Rachels, Victor Strickland, Mark Maddox, Katie Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matthew Shelley, K. Michael Russell (“Hack/Slash,” “Justice League”), Clint Hagler, Aaron Hazouri, Brett Brooks (“Dust Bunny”), Randolph Dixon (“Absentee”),  Edmund Dansart and John Holland.
• Writers Chris Arrant, Mark Boss (“One Bullet”), Bobby Nash, Evelyn Rainey, Shaun Phelps, Michael Lowe (LETO-1), Erica Heflin, Chris Widdop (“Velcro: The Ninja Cat”), Wes Locher, Kevin Laporte, poet and professor Lynn Wallace, and this writer (“Tales of the Awakening Dead” and others).
• Cosplayers Alice Infinity, Lozziepop Cosplay, Emerald Coast Cosplay, Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club, and Jo Roberts.
• Actors Dawn Buvurger (“Cremain”), Savana Jade Wehunt (“The Walking Dead”), and Daniel Emery Taylor (“The Return of Swamp Thing”).
• Publishers Martinez/Butler, Inverse Press, and Graphic Knowledge Magazine (gkthemag.com).

Other guests are educator Kat Kan, stuntman Jim O’Rear, podcaster Deadpool Speaks, rock band Rogues Gallery, toymaker Roderick Hall, humorist Teresa Roberts Logan, ghost hunters Panhandle Paranormal Investigations, videographer Lou Columbus, and dancers from Blues and Lindy in the Panhandle.

A children’s activity booth will open at 11 a.m. The costume contest will be at 1 p.m., with three age divisions: Junior (ages 12 and younger), General (ages 13 and older), and Group (two or more people, all ages).

Other events include:

• Two cosplay panels with tips and advice on makeup, custom creating costumes, places to shop for materials, and how to make props.
• Making Comics, the Inverse Press experience using crowd funding to market independent comics.
• Comics to Screen, a panel discussion with Wallace, Arrant and Columbus. 
• Movie screening of “Fat Chance,” directed by guests O’Rear and Taylor, will show at 2 p.m. in the Theater Room (anyone under the age of 18 must have parental guidance due to some mature subject matter).

A full schedule is available at PCCreativeCon.com.

ART AS A CAREER

Kretzer said he has been intrigued by art since he received his first comic book as a pre-teen. However, growing up in the Panhandle, he never had an opportunity to meet professional artists and illustrators or learn about these types of career paths.

“Finally at age 25, I was able to go to a comic convention,” Kretzer said. “I met many industry professionals face-to-face who helped put me on the right track for my career.”

For 15 years, he has worked from home doing freelance illustration, graphic arts and website design. His work also includes sketch cards created for Marvel and Cartoon Network licensed products, and two self-published books. He often teaches or speaks in local schools and other venues, which gave him chances to share information with younger students.

But he hopes to go further with Creative Con by inspiring young artists the way he was inspired.

“The goal of Creative Con is three-fold,” Kretzer said. “To give young people in our area access to mentors in the field they are interested in; to show K-12 students educational opportunities in our area that will help them fulfill their dreams; and, to provide children with the tools they need to succeed staying right here.” 

Today, comic book movies are on the big screen, which Kretzer hopes will encourage use of graphic novels in the classroom as a learning tool and bring about a renewed interest in sequential art. There is a push from STEM to STEAM education, adding the “A” for arts back into the science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum.

Creative Con attendees can participate in career discussions in the fields of game development, costume design, sequential art, songwriting, creative writing and more. GCSC will share information about course offerings like the new Digital Media bachelors degree, and Haney Technical Center representatives will address their Digital Design program.

“Art spurs innovation and growth within children of all ages,” said Kretzer, who identified himself as a visual learner. “Art and design are an integral part of many new-age jobs.” 

BooksAlive 2014 Photo Post (Part the Second)

Barbara Winter draws a map of her childhood neighborhood in Bill and Kristen's memoir session.

Pat Conroy gives the keynote address at the luncheon.

Bill Roorbach and Patti Callahan Henry talking during a break in the action.

Cassandra King signing for fans.

Chuck Barrett poses with a fan.

Kristen Keckler reads during the memoir session.

Pat Conroy signs after his speech.

These ladies from the Gulf Coast Woman's Club supplied breakfast snacks and beverages in the hospitality room.

BooksAlive 2014 kept me busy Saturday; I moderated two sessions with Bill Roorbach, including an extended 2-hour session on memoir that he presented with Kristen Keckler, and a 1-hour session dedicated to his novel "Life Among Giants."

Pat Conroy had the audience laughing throughout his speech during the luncheon, and I also got to enjoy a conversation with David Angier while everyone else was in line for food.

I have a column coming tomorrow (in print on Friday) that looks at Bill's presentations, so you have to come back for that. Meanwhile, Bill liked my column in last week's edition enough to offer to reprint it on his blog soon. I gave him instead a sort of hybrid that combined that column with info from the blog it grew out of; I'll link to it when it's live.

Many things were different about this year's event, and I plan to examine the pros and cons of that in a later blog. Hope you like the pictures.

Peace.

BooksAlive 2014 Photo Blog (Part the First)

Tomorrow is BooksAlive, the annual festival of books in Panama City. I'm wrangling author Bill Roorbach, who is a pretty chill dude, and whose latest novel is even now being adapted as a series for HBO. So here are some pics of our day:

Bill teaching my Education Encore class at GCSC in the a.m.

Cynthia Graubart, Patti Callahan Henry and Cassandra King at Friday's luncheon in PCB.

Bill talked to two groups at Mosley High in the afternoon.

 Friday evening was a get-acquainted gathering for the authors, volunteers and library folks at the Harbor House social room in St. Andrews.

Debra with John Corley, author Chuck Barrett and writer Ruth Corley

Ruth with Hal and new author, Milinda Stephenson 

Library Foundation president Marilyn Fennimore tries to get the crowd's attention.

Me with author Pat Conroy and literary publicist Kathie Bennett.

I'll be posting photos from the Saturday events late Saturday night (or possibly Sunday). It's at FSU-Panama City tomorrow from 9 a,m, to 4 p.m., and the author sessions are free. Come check it out and say hello.