What a privilege and honor it was to read yesterday with Abigail Thomas who has been a mentor and inspiration to me since 1995 when I knocked on her door on 112th Street to join her (famous) workshop: The Tuesday Night Babes. Abby and I were hosted by the Hudson Valley Writers Center which was warm and woody and welcoming.  She read from her amazing new memoir What Comes Next and How to Like It which is a funny, sad, thoughtful contemplation of life, love, motherhood, friendship–you know, all the big stuff.  Abby’s teaching, her quirky (productive) assignments, her wise and generous insights have helped launch many books into the universe, including my own. The best of her prompts have been compiled in a handy, motivating pocket-size book called Two Pages, available here.

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Abby in red scarf, flanked by former students: me, Kitty Sheehan and Sharyn Kolberg.