2009 SCBWI Notes: Karen Cushman

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Karen Cushman's talk was another of my favourites at the 2009 SCBWI Conference. Karen's 1995 novel The Midwife's Apprentice won the Newbery Medal for children's literature, and her 1994 novel Catherine, Called Birdy won a Newbery Honor.

Here are some of the notes I took away from her talk, "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities."

Karen didn't read many classics when she was young, choosing only what touched her. As a child, she tried to read every book on the shelves, from A to Z. When she discovered