A POST-Pandemic Post: Finally, Up-close-and-Personal Again!

I most happily begin our TeachingAuthors series on just how the six 

of us are teaching and authoring POST-Pandemic.

The modifier “POST-Pandemic” so lifts my heart, I need to type the 

words again, only this time followed by an exclamation point: 

POST-Pandemic!

The adjectives “remote” and “distanced” are just that! They no 

longer apply.

Finally, I’ve returned to my Writer and TeachingAuthor M.O., 

doing things – as in, write, read, connect, teach and coach - 

the old-fashioned way, i.e. up-close-and- personal.

In mostly-show and a-little-tell fashion…

here I am with my Lucky-me (!) critique partner, the award-winning 

author and former Booklist editor Ilene Cooper, taking in her every 

critical insight and suggestion of my picture book biography so I 

could return home to meaningfully revise.

And here I am at Volumes, 900 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago, 

now able to hold, read, study and delight in the books this independent 

bookseller has chosen.

[Note: read here how the owners, sisters Kimberly and Rebecca, now 

oversee a GoFundMe effort to help purchase a new building for their 

original Wicker Park bookstore.] 

Yes, my Chicago Public Library still requires patrons to wear masks. 

But no matter.  Visiting again the Thomas Hughes Children’s Room of 

the Harold Washington Library branch, interacting with librarians, 

watching the book-loving children, discovering new books to read and 

study, weekly feeds my writer’s and teacher’s and Writing Coach’s soul. 

As for connecting, in two weeks time, this frame will hold a photo of 

three lunching TeachingAuthors when April visits Carmela and me in 

Chicago! YAY!

Lucky me again! ZOOM did indeed allow me to keep teaching and 

coaching during the Pandemic. I’d shared in an earlier post how I 

borrowed the collective nouns for Unicorns to name the writers and 

students who – “squarely” – graced my computer screen: glory, marvel, 

blessing.

But oh, to once again hug a writer, especially when celebrating that 

writer’s first published picture book!  Gwen Neiman Levy and I couldn’t 

stop smiling while holding the cover art of her soon-to-be-released 

What the Cluck? (SimonSaywerPub). And yes, that’s the John Hancock 

Building in the background, which pales in comparison to just how high 

Gwen and I are flying.) 

And here is the Landgrove Inn, in Landgrove, Vermont where July 10 

through 17, 2022, I will once again facilitate The Manuscript Workshop, 

up-close-and-personal with children’s book creators to help them ready 

their stories for young readers. Check my website to soon learn more. 

Picture me, as always, hopeful and grateful.

Congrats to Jessica G., our Book GiveAway winner of Jill Esbaum’s 

graphic early reader THUNDER AND CLUCK!

And, thanks to Molly at Nix the Comfort Zone for hosting today’s Poetry 

Friday.

Happy face-to-face embracing, Post-Pandemic!

Esther Hershenhon