I blanked my first time pitching. Couldn’t remember the how-to tips I read, the secrets that won the pitch competition I attended, nor all the prepping in front of the mirror. I dug into my memory’s filing cabinet to pull… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Jennie Cottrell
Have you never been to the Washington Writers Conference? You should join us!
We put it together with all types in mind, from beginners to pros, with attention to business and craft, representing a variety of genre, with agents (and editors this year, brand new!) with whom to sit and chat. We create… Continue Reading
Confessions of a GBF Book-a-holic
by committee member Paul Stankus OK. I have a problem. I admit it. So many books, so few dollars. Not long after the previous year’s festival, we begin planning for the following year. I squeal with silent glee as each… Continue Reading
Women Protagonists
06by exhibiting author Michelle McBeth The death of Ursula K. LeGuin hit me particularly hard in the wake of the discussions about women attaining equal representation in all areas of work. When I was in high school at about the… Continue Reading
Howard Chandler Christy: The Most Famous Painter of the Jazz Age
by Exhibiting Author James Philip Head In the late fall of 1988, as a freshman economics major at the University of Maryland in College Park, I found myself studying one night in the upper stacks of the campus’s Hornbake Library.… Continue Reading
The Gatekeepers of Democracy
by Exhibiting Author Bill Lewers The Gatekeepers of Democracy series came about because I wanted to read a book. A book that it turned out, did not exist. For over two decades, I have served as an election officer in… Continue Reading
Getting to Know Exhibitor Baby Ventures
Baby Ventures™ is a local indie children’s book company and the brainchild of long-time friends, collaborators, and DC-area residents Lisa Hall and Golzar Kheiltash. Both life-long travelers, Lisa and Golzar share a deep reverence for the rich diversity that makes… Continue Reading
Revolutionary Fervor Sweeps Maryland
by committee member Paul Stankus Apparently there’s this musical coming to the Kennedy Center next month. Something about a revolutionary war hero and a scholar, a ten dollar founding father. In honor of its arrival, the Gaithersburg Book Festival has… Continue Reading
Zooming through Space with Dave Roman
by Committee Volunteer Melissa McDonald Dave Roman is one of the most popular children’s book presenters we’ve had crash land at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. His graphic novels are exciting to read, and he has a great way with kids. He “draws”… Continue Reading
Playing Catch with Fred Bowen
by Melissa McDonald Attention sports fans! Have you read books by sports author Fred Bowen ? If you haven’t, you should! He is the author of 22 sports books for kids AND he writes the sports opinion column for The Washington Post‘s KidsPost… Continue Reading