Class of 2k8: Class Notes

Before we get to today's post, we have some TIPS (Totally Important Posts!) to record. First, Marissa Doyle's, Bewitching Season is Pick of the Week at GenreFluent. Next, our very own Debbie Reed Fischer, author of Braless in Wonderland was interviewed by Portrait Magazine. (scroll down and look to the left) Great job!


Today, we have Elizabeth Bunce, author of, A Curse Dark as Gold, sharing her vacation story. It just figures that Elizabeth, who’s book was inspired by the story of Rumpelstiltskin, would make it about textiles!

Elizabeth: I'm a little sorry this isn't racier, but what I remember most about spring breaks in college? That was when you studied for midterms. All the fun I must have missed! Growing up, though, my father was a college professor, so we always got the week off as a family, and we usually tried to go somewhere. When I was about fourteen, we drove down to Kansas City (from Ames, Iowa), where I live now, incidentally. KC has an interesting shopping center here called Crown Center, which is flanked on one side by a connected hotel (you can walk straight from the pool to shopping!), and the other by the Hallmark headquarters. My dad had a conference at the hotel, which allowed my brother and me to dash about the mall almost unsupervised (mom was a pretty good mall dasher, too). And what mischief did we two young miscreants find? Cy Rudnik's fabric shop.Alas, this Kansas City landmark closed in 2006, when the Rudnicks decided to retire... but, oh, the bliss that store inspired among seamstresses citywide! And for creative kids who had just Walmart's fabric section to compare it to, we were in a wonderland. The changing color silks! The glorious brocades! The $200/yard tapestries! And the giant remnant table in the back. When my mom finally tracked us down, Scott and I had assembled quite a lovely collection: royal blue silk damask, pale peach wool jersey (which is still one of my favorite fabric finds ever), handmade buttons, yards and yards and yards of silk cording... In all my days of fabric bargain hunting since, I still think the discovery of Cy Rudnick's ranks among my most glorious conquests.

Tomorrow, Teri Brown, author of Read My Lips and Jody Feldman, author of The Gollywhopper Games, will share their vacation stories. In the meantime, enjoy Spring Break!