My friend, fellow YA writer and book blogger Ellie, won a giveaway on Marissa Meyer’s blog recently and shared the bounty with me.

I had heard of the Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market before, but assumed I didn’t want a copy before I was ready to sell. I was so so wrong as it is great inspiration fodder. I read through much of it at the gym that night and poured over the lists. I can already tell it’s an invaluable resource, so I ordered my own hard copy, despite my vow to wait. I have very little discipline.

The book includes inspirational interviews with NYT bestselling authors on their process, ways to keep your submissions organized, and a comprehensive list of literary agents, editors, and magazines that except and repped and unrepped submissions. Great for freelancers.

(This poem was written for a young man who needed to feel his own power)

The Palms of my Hands

By Stacey L. Joy, 2011

Let freedom ring
And let each man’s power sing
Sing into the hearts of children
children who have little hope
hope in a system that fails them daily
daily lack and daily pain
pain from broken promises
promises that crept like the passing of time
time’s change, freedom reigns
reigns when justice leads
leads the people into righteousness
righteousness is the root of character
character determines outcomes
outcomes predict the actions of others
others can’t make me what I am
I’m a grown man
holding the future in the palms of my own hands
hands that have built nations
nations that thrive when I lay foundations
foundations for greatness create wealth
wealth is a state of growth
growth destroys deficiency
deficiency is what they expect

You’ve seen it in the movies, and chances are good that you’ve been through some of it yourself. But what IS psychotherapy, and why do we seem so fascinated by it in our culture? Is it actually helpful? Do different kinds of therapy actually vary, or is it all really one mushy lump?

Of course you could check out Wikipedia’s entry on psychotherapy for a good deal of information on the subject. Probably more information than you want.

Let’s just get a few basic points down. A list format works well enough for this purpose. And, it might be a bit more fun if we start with myths about psychotherapy, and debunking them with some accurate information. So today we’ll talk about what psychotherapy isn’t. As a sculptor creates a statue, she removes what does not belong until the image emerges from the stone. And we’ll talk a little about…

Everyone should read  Half the Sky by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. In 2009, Nicholas and Sheryl, New York Times correspondents, published this book. They have interviewed and documented stories about “the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.” It is one heart-wrenching story after another. The women they write about have extraordinary strength. Tonight on PBS at 9pm eastern they will air the documentary Half The Sky. If you are unable to watch the documentary this evening, please go to the PBS website listed above and watch the clips. You can also order the book and the dvd at amazon. To join the movement or learn more about it, please go to the website . 

It is inspiring what Nicholas and Sheryl have accomplished since they published Half The Sky and what they have done for women and girls. We all can make…