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Hattiesburg
was the site of Springmingle '98, the annual spring meeting
of the Southern Breeze section of the Society of Children's
Book Writers and Illustrators. The Southern Breeze section
membership includes authors and illustrators from Alabama,
Mississippi, and Georgia. This year's slate of speakers included
Harold Underdown, senior editor at Charlesbridge Publishing;
Courtney Briggs, literary agent and attorney with the firm
of Derrick & Briggs; Joseph Billingsley, assistant sales coordinator
at Pelican Publishers; Kathy Dawson, senior editor at G.P.
Putnam's Sons; Mary Lafleur, songwriter and poet; and Dee
Jones, curator, de Grummond Collection.
The topic
of this year's conference was "Focus on Publishing Perspectives:
Where Do YOU Fit?" According to conference organizer Joan
Broerman, the speakers addressed "both authors and illustrators,
highlighting the ups and downs and in- betweens of publishing
from research and submission to publication, promotion, and
ultimately processing into a research collection as a part
of publishing history." The conference was attended by more
than 50 published and aspiring authors and illustrators. While
in Hattiesburg, they were able to take part in tours of the
de Grummond Collection and have a behind-the-scenes glimpse
to see how our materials are housed and made accessible.
A special
feature of this year's conference was a gift to the de Grummond
Collection from the group. We received a collection of books
written by the featured speakers of their fall conference
including Han Nolan, Lynn Cullen, and Laura Seeley.These will
be added to our contemporary book collection and will complement
the national Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
archival materials already held in the Collection.
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