Tuesday night I had the pleasure of participating in a panel hosted by ROLE MOMMY (Beth Feldman) and THE WHITE PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY, called Books We Love. First of all, the library is wonderful. I took a brief tour of the children's section, a whole wing of the impressive building, housing fun and funky architectural details, but most impressive of all: I witnessed the homework help room, where at least a dozen kids were getting help with their homework. It was quiet, happy, and intent in there, and of course I love libraries for their books, their events, the books on CD, the quiet places to work, but this strengthened my love for the whole idea of library as a community center.

On to the event! What a thrill to be up there with Beth, Jane, and Pamela! Pamela is an editor with the midas touch; she edited many bestsellers, including The Middle Place, Bridget Jones, and The Memory Keeper's Daughter. But best of all: she knits! She's a mom! She loves books, has a passion for the keepers (she mentioned that they seem to have primality in common)--a good old fashioned book lover who has made bringing good books into the world a big chunk of her life.

And Jane! Jane is hilarious and warm. She brought her entourage--her almost-mother-in-law (who won the copies of my books I brought along for Beth's fun what's-in-your-pocket giveaway at the end of the event), and has an easy, funny way about her that you recognize from her books. But she's a mom, too--and shared anecdotes about changes in her life with lovely candor.

Yeah for Beth, Jane, and Pam, and the White Plains Library! I hope everyone who came to hear us came away with some writing, momming, or reading inspiration. What fun!