In the Presence of Greatness

Laughter and applause drifted through the walls from family story time in an adjoining room. In another area young boys and girls entered with bags of books, scoured the shelves, picked a favorite…or two. I was in a new space, the children’s section of the Free Library of Philadelphia, where I had come with some fellow writers from my critique group. But it wasn’t just a visit and a chance to share our latest work in progress. We were privileged to be meeting with the curator of the children’s literature research collection. Housed at the library are a range of original artwork and manuscripts from leaders in the world of children’s literature – Newbery winners, Caldecott winners, classic and contemporary authors and artists. I had to almost pinch myself when I realized I was standing among one of the largest collections of primary source material for children’s literature in the country.

As we sat around the table and introduced ourselves to Christopher, the curator, I had an immediate sense of my identity as a writer. Christopher asked about our background, but he was more interested in what we were currently working on and our role as authors in the larger community of authors and illustrators. It reminded me of how important it is to take such interest in the young writers we work with. When you ask about the writing work they are doing, you are acknowledging that they are writers.

One of our members is also an illustrator interested in collage work, so we were treated to viewing, up close, some of the original works of Ezra Jack Keats. So precious. So beautiful. As the others talked about technique and style, all I could imagine was Mr. Keats in his studio, creating. All I could think about was this wonderful collection housed in this space shared by the community. All I could think about was being a part of it all.