My friend, Penny Dreadful, returned this afternoon from a weekend out-of-town and dropped by all a-twitter to see me. It seems that Penny overheard our mutual friend footnoteMaven talking with broadcaster Lisa Louise Cooke about fM’s popular magazine, Shades of the Departed, the very publication that Penny writes for each month, and she just so-happened to hear her own name mentioned. You can imagine, how Penny pricked up her ears to catch the conversation.
Without really intending to eavesdrop (SUCH a nasty word), Penny had stumbled into a conversation between footnoteMaven and Lisa Louise Cooke. They were talking about the Maven’s life as an editor/publisher and her break from legal life to publishing. As any good journalist, Penny couldn’t simply ignore their remarks, so rather she leaned in closer to catch every word. What a surprise to hear her own name mentioned! I am sure her ears were on fire!
“I was shocked,” she told me. “Absolutely stunned. To be mentioned as a fine writer by Editor Maven, herself. To have my work noted in the same breath as Ms. Maven named so many other outstanding writers including Miss Fenley, Miss Jasia, Miss Olson, Miss Pointkouski, Mr. Geder, and Mr. Manson.”
“You do keep illustrious company, Penny,” I laughed.
“Well, yes, I guess I do,” she admitted. “But you must know that each person named by Miss Maven has at one time or another encouraged and aided my own fledgling career. Why, if it weren’t for Miss Maven, I wouldn’t be who I am today!”
“I agree, Penny,” I told her. “We are indeed fortunate to be working in a field where we are welcomed not so much as competitors but as colleagues.”
It’s a fine time to be a geneablogger, indeed.
Psst: You can listen in to the conversation too at Family History: Genealogy Made Easy, Episode 38, a podcast interview by Lisa Louise Cooke of Genealogy Gems with footnoteMaven, recorded at the SCGS Jamboree June 2009.
Thank you, Lisa, for the note. I look forward to hearing the podcast on Friday. I truly enjoyed visiting with you; it felt like a chat with a good friend rather than an recording session.
Penny is in quite a state, as you can imagine. She's writing furiously for a deadline at Shades of the Departed, but mentioned to me that she will be glad to make herself available for an interview between assignments. (By the way, she loved the notion that she has an "entourage.")
I only wish I could have scored an interview with Miss Dreadful herself, but I couldn't get past her entourage! (Angelina Jolie has nothing on Miss Dreadful!) However, I was very pleased to have the opportunity to speak with you Denise, and that interview will be featured in Episode 39 of Family History: Genealogy Made Easy which will be published this Friday.
Glad you visited, Denise. I'll pass on your comment to Penny.
Love it!!!