ALA Cognotes D.C. Highlights 2010 - (Page 14)

Page 14 • Cognotes 2010 Annual Conference Highlights • WASHINGTON, D.C. Kidd and Taylor: On Memoirs, Relationships By Amy Pace High Point University (NC) Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Mermaid Chair and her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, who together have recently published a new book: Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story, spoke June 26 about their memoir. Family photographs—vacations, celebrations, and candid pictures— flashed on the screens before the two took the stage. Kidd described the photographs that were shown as a visual collage of their book: a memoir of their changing relationship and travel experiences together. Kidd said that “writing this book together has deepened our relationship.” In the book, Kidd wrote about the demands of motherhood saying “the mother-daughter relationship is one of the most emotionally intense… bonds on earth.” The period written about in the book, between 1998 and 2001, was from both mother and daughter’s point of view. Taylor had the idea to write the book with her mother in 2003. She had been writing it by herself for a long time, but came to feel that her mother should be included in the story. This was her first major publication and she stated that it can be terrifying to put yourself out there due to the revelatory nature of memoirs. Taylor described it as daunting to write about her depression and other difficult periods of her life. It took about three years to complete the memoir of their travels. The book is told in chapters alternating between Kidd and Taylor’s voices, carefully edited and collaborated to make the story seamless. They kept journals, recorded notes, and kept in touch via email during their 40 days of travel. Taylor said the biggest difference they had during the writing process was that of writing styles. Taylor read a passage from the book about the transitions the pair were facing, she into womanhood and her mother into older womanhood, and the difficulty she had in sharing her depression with her mother. Kidd then read a passage from her part of the book dealing with her difficulty adjusting to the aging process and watching the young woman leave. She said, “aging is about the process of letting go of what is leaving anyway and saying a proper goodbye to this, which is gracious and appropriate, and at the same time, letting something new be born in us.” Dozens of Libraries Build Communities volunteers gather as they prepare to spend the day at area libraries, schools, the Capital Area Food Bank, and Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C.; restoring books, coordinating food donations and building homes. THANK YOU To our SponSorS through the generosIty of our sponsors, ConferenCe servICes Is proud to BrIng you yet Another speCtACuLAr AnnuAL ConferenCe! DIAMOND SPONSORS gALe, A CengAge LeArnIng CompAny Shuttle Buses proquest CsA Scholarship Bash verIzon Opening General Session RUBY SPONSORS demCo Book Cart Drill Team Championship eLsevIer Internet Café reAdhowyouwAnt Accessible Final Program sChooL LIBrAry JournAL/ LIBrAry JournAL Action Ad Coupon Book sprInger Conference Bags BOOPSIE ALA Mobile SAPPHIRE SPONSORS AmerICA reAds spAnIsh InformAtIon todAy neAL-sChumAn SPEAKER SPONSORS ABrAms AmerICAn LIBrArIes BAker & tAyLor hArperCoLLIns rAndom house grAnd CentrAL nonesuCh reCords penguIn group usA penguIn young reAders group sImon And sChuster sterLIng puBLIshIng weA w.w. norton & CompAny, InC. Ann Kidd Taylor, left, and her mother, Sue Monk Kidd, right, sign copies of their book, Traveling With Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story. http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/cro/projectsandactivities/librariesbuildcommunities.cfm http://www.annkiddtaylor.com/Biography.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ALA Cognotes D.C. Highlights 2010

ALA Cognotes D.C. Highlights 2010
Librarians Rally on Capitol Hill
Exhibitors Add International Flair
Amy Sedaris Regales Audience At ALA Annual 2010 Closer
Junot Diaz: His Life a Canvas
John Grisham Thanks Libraries
Authors Recognized for Contributions to Children’s Literature at Newbery Caldecott Awards Banquet
Will Shortz Tests Librarians’ Puzzle Skills
NBA Star Dwyane Wade Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month
APALA Celebrates Its History, Accomplishments, Current Programs, and Members at 30th Anniversary Gala
Library Champions
Librarians Can Change Society
DEMCO/AILA 2010 Scholarship Awards
Dave Isay and StoryCorps: Preserving the Voices of Everyday People
Marlo Thomas Cultivates Seeds of Laughter
Kidd and Taylor: On Memoirs, Relationships
Revised Intellectual Freedom Manual Introduced
Toni Morrison and Libraries: An Intimate Relationship
Sir Salman Rushdie Putting Messages in a Bottle
Eppo van Nispen Inspires Librarians to Finish Strong
Technology Titans Reach Out to Libraries in ALA Technology Pavilion
Archivists and Librarians Working with Legislative Records Display Synergy at GODORT Session

ALA Cognotes D.C. Highlights 2010