‘Highlights’ from Honesdale

A couple weeks ago I wrote a post about an upcoming writers’ workshop I was preparing to attend. Well, the workshop has happened, and I’m a little lighter on my toes now because of it.

I’m still breathing in the Pennsylvania fall air. It was truly a magical place to be. My time there grounded me again in my passion of writing for children even more than I’d anticipated.

Because of the intensity of the workshop, I’m just going to cover an hour period of the trip for the purposes of this post. It included our visit to the editorial offices of Highlights for Children magazine and Boyds Mills Press, both dear to my heart as I’ll reveal soon.

I missed taking a photo of the outside, so here’s one I found online of the Highlights exterior:

Mary, my traveling companion and dear writer buddy, stopped to pose for this shot in the hallway near the front entryway:

We met some of the staff, as well as the “Timbertoes,” a woodcarving of the magazine’s regular cartoon with the same name:

And “Spot,” another featured character of the magazine:

Here’s a photo of one of the earliest issues of Highlights, which was instituted in 1946:

In the founders’ home back at Boyds Mills, where we gathered each day to workshop and eat, I discovered these bound archives of the magazine’s first issues, among other treasures:

Near that is a desk that was once used by Garry Myers, founder. I spent quite a bit of time in this room working on writing exercises. I felt very inspired in this spot!

It was such a treat to tour the source of so many of my earliest treasured stories. As a teacher, my mom somehow acquired a Goofus and Gallant puppet early on in my childhood. My sister and I loved playing with it. Recalling that puppet reminds me just how long my relationship with Highlights has been in motion.

My relationship with Boyds Mills Press, however, stretches back only to 2002, when I received a contract for my first published children’s book, First Salmon. Throughout the process of editing that book, I enjoyed email exchanges with but never met my editor, Larry Rosler. Until this past Thursday:

After that photo was snapped, I scoured the shelves of the Boyds Mills Press library and found my book!

It was incredible to realize my story came one step closer to becoming a bound book in that very room where I was standing. Touching these sorts of moments is pure gift, I know. I might have gone my whole life without ever seeing the birthplace of my book, but the chance did happen and I’m deeply grateful.

I also will say, without reservation, that the employees of both the magazine and publishing house are class acts!

Thank you, Honesdale, for the thrilling day!

Q4U: When were you last thrilled, and how?