I’m somewhat of a speed reader, but I slowed down to a simmer as I savored Julia Cameron’s book The Sound of Paper. I’d actually stalled on reading it altogether until I gave myself permission to skip over the exercises this time.

My sister Sal introduced me to Cameron’s earlier work The Artists Way one spring I spent with her in Corfu, and the kick-start it gave me on writing fiction was amazing. I’m sorry I set it, and my fiction, aside. As we journeyed through mystical lands together, Sal and I couldn’t help but buy books. We were browsing the Pilgrim’s Bookstore in Kathmandu, Nepal, when a book on a high shelf fairly leapt into her hand. It was The Vein of Gold, a sequel to The Artists Way, appearing in a way so befitting of our travels that fall. Of course, it made the trek home with us.

While those books are akin to 12-step programs for artists, The Sound of Paper is more of a gentle reminder of what it takes to fill the well, to get the pump going, and to make writing flow. Cameron unfolds writerly truths through the passage of time in her life, from the measured pace of New York City to the languid long days in Taos. Her descriptions of Taos make me think of my cousin the novelist, Sean Murphy. He’s lived and taught in Taos for many years, crossing contrails with other creative souls. His award-winning books simply don’t get enough face time in the big box stores, and that’s a damn shame. His last two - The Finished Man and The Time of New Weather - are deserving of major press. Especially The Time of New Weather, a morality play writ large on the landscape that is our dissolving country. It’s funny and poignant, and I urge you to find it and treasure it.

Someday I’ll get to Taos. Meanwhile, it’s time to pull out the pen and notebook - for that’s the only way I can write fiction - and listen to the sound of paper.

It’s been a week, now, since I had my gall bladder removed and I don’t feel any lighter. However, I’ve had a splendid stretch of downtime curled up with a stack of books and a lot of naptime as well. Making my way back to the computer with reluctance and strict time limits as the incisions still make themselves known as I sit. I’m reading Green Empire right now, and have completed the following books in the past week:

• The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith
• Bridget Jones Diary, Helen Fielding
• A Year in the Merde, Stephen Clarke
• Travels in Nepal, Charlie Pye-Smith
• State of Emergency, Patrick Buchanan
• Rainlight, Alison McGhee
• Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!, Fannie Flagg
• Shopping for Buddahs, Jeff Greenwald
• The Sound of Paper, Julia Cameron

Starting to get back to work, too, but in carefully measured doses. Thanks to all who sent their goodwill via email, flowers, and comments on Rob’s blog.

I returned home after the FOWA Conference to discover my newest publication in a FedEx box on the kitchen counter: South Florida: An Explorer’s Guide. Kathy and I had a devil of a time with this one, as we’d gotten about half our research done in 2004 when hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne wrecked places we knew and loved. I was in tears about Punta Gorda because I’d just fallen in love with it a week before Charley hit. We started anew in 2005 only to have Dennis, Katrina, and Wilma wreak havoc with our “finalized” research. It took persistance and tenacity to finish the book (not to mention hundreds of phone calls), and still I discovered on this Keys trip that some of the shopping & eateries are no more because of the storm surges that hit last fall. Alas. But here it is, and it’s probably the most comprehensive coverage that South Florida has ever seen … heck, we even covered Wauchula and North Port and Goodland and Fort Drum with this one. You’ll be impressed! It should be in stores by the end of this month, but you can place an order now online.

I’ll admit I’m not new to writing awards. I’ve been picking them up for years. But I’m used to them coming in as one here, two there. This year, I’m honored (while blushing) to receive FIVE awards in the annual Florida Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft competition. Wow. The awards are:

• Second Place, Book - for Hiker’s Guide to the Sunshine State 
• First Place, Special Communications - for the Footprint (editing & graphic design)
• Second Place, Special Communications - for the Florida Trail Activity Book (writing & graphic design)
• Second Place, Website - for www.floridatrail.org
• Third Place, Website - for www.floridahikes.com

Congratulations to all of my fellow writers who also received honors this week! And thanks to the many fine sponsors who made cash awards possible, which certainly helped defray the cost of attending the conference.

Life is different here in the Florida Keys. You look at the sea, the sun, and you shrug and say “what can go wrong?” It’s been a couple of years since we headed down the Overseas Highway in search of adventure, and this time it was for a writer’s conference, always a good time to connect with friends. We had the opportunity to visit the Turtle Hospital in Marathon (amazing what one person’s need to do good can do!) and Pigeon Key Historical Site. I went hiking to track down rare flora at Crane Point Hammock and Curry Hammock State Park. In the interim, the car went ka-put and had to be fixed (thank you, Andy & Dave, for such a quick turnaround!), the power at the hotel failed and took 24 hours to come back on, and Internet access is sporadic.… a nearby network is not guaranteed. But we’re here at Hawks Cay with good friends to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association, and I couldn’t help but lounge around the pool and look out over the sea and just be happy to be out in the sunshine enjoying a sliver of paradise. Now that the conference is a wrap, time to pack up and head home after sampling some more of what our unique Florida Keys have to offer.