ii
will replace with current cover when current cover is done
SPECIAL SECTION THEMED ISSUE
7
Beth Hurst
by
Glenda Nugent and Sam Bommarito
So many memories like that are filed away, 67 of them. Each one hurt and with the mounting evidence against me, I worried more and more that I was never meant to be a writer. I was wasting years of my time. I should stop kidding myself, give up, and get on with my life
On my 68th try, an envelope arrived from the publisher where I had submitted a story. Could it be? The envelope was too small to contain my manuscript. It was! Inside was a letter. The letter was on the publisher’s stationery. They liked my story and were offering to publish it in their magazine for children. They would pay me by the word, which came to a total of $5.07.
I remember many things that have happened to me as a writer during the half-century since that 68th try, many wonderful things. But none can approach the feeling I had that day, the day I became validated, the day I became an author. For $5.07 I had finally earned a lifetime membership in a special band of people around the world. To those who are setting out, who have been rejected enough to be discouraged, don’t stop trying after 67 submissions. The 68th might just be the one.
Thank you, David Harrison, for 50 years of sharing your almost 100 books with us. The Missouri Reader and the Missouri Literacy Association are honored to be a part of your journey.
Glenda Nugent and Sam Bommarito are the Co-Editors of The Missouri Reader.
David Harrison has been a good friend to both the Missouri Literacy Association (formerly the Missouri State Council of the IRA) and this journal, The Missouri Reader. He has made many contributions to the journal over the years. He had the idea for what turned out to be our most popular journal of all time, the Special Edition on Poetry. It has had over 3000 reads to date, and new people are looking at it almost every day.
On the next page, take a trip down memory lane, and we give you links to some of the issues where he made a contribution. ENJOY - a word that is often associated with David's work!
Links on
next page
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