What do you get when you sit between Susan Rebecca White and Vene Franco (who doesn't want to be called a "foodie") at Miller Union? You get a lot of samples of what was best described as "shmummy" eats (that's "yummy" plus a general noise of enthusiasm) and intelligent conversation about what you're eating. Not to mention the presence of Hank Klibanoff , Alan Deutschman and M .
Seriously, if you're looking for stuff to read, the work of anyone at that table will do you just fine.
All this fabulousness (seriously, the soft-shelled crab with snow peas and mint was kind of perfect) after the VOX Rox the Dictionary Spelling Bee last night, a fundraiser for the Atlanta teen newspaper and "voice of our generation." (See below photo for whose generation is what.)
As a judge, my words kept being things like "bra" and "bacchanal," while John Kessler, food writer at the AJC, got words like "daiquiri" and "zucchini" and Kwanza Hall got government-style words like "gerrymander." Hmm, seems like coincidental bibliomancy, in retrospect. Teams did wonderfully, and I'm way impressed with the adult spellers, who brought their best game (and big name tags like signboards) in support of Vox.
Photos from Atlanta magazine right here.
Quick, how do you spell "blue cupcakes with sugar bees on them?"
About Me
- jessica handler
- Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- My first book, "Invisible Sisters: A Memoir" has been named one of "Twenty Five Books All Georgians Should Read!" I would love to visit your bookclub, either in person (in the South) or through the magic of electronics. My writing has received a "Special Mention" for a 2008 Pushcart Prize. I have been honored with a residency at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Bethany, CT., a Fellowship at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts in Rabun Gap, Georgia, and the 2009 Peter Taylor Nonfiction Fellowship at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop. Locally, I teach workshops in creative writing, memoir, and feature journalism, and am a member of the faculty of an art college, where I teach screenwriting. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) and a B.S. in Communication from Emerson College, in Boston. I used to work in television. I did not push the broom behind the elephant. Usually, I served as mahout - I drove the (allegorical) elephant. If he was SAG or AFTRA. Rock stars do not scare me.
4 comments:
Ha! Great re-cap of the evening. - Vene
Yes, I confess. There was a little juggling of the order of words in the list, but I was attempting to do you a favor in case any spellers insisted on getting sentences..... I hope you judge again next year and I will give you gerrymander and artisanal.
Just be glad you didn't get the teens' texting quiz ... held for audience interaction next year. We're so thrilled you volunteered to "judge" at this year's event - and that you're inspired to come teach our teen writers later this summer. From one grateful non-profit exec, who happens to be a horrible speller.
@Vene - link failure repaired! Whew! @Rebecca - you are indeed a good journalist and character assessor to assign "bacchanal" to me. @Rachel- I would have wiped out on texting IMHO :)
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