Squaw Valley post no. 1.

Got up here yesterday and immediately fell to work marking up manuscripts they handed me for the first morning workshop, which took place today. One of the pieces was a slog, one was great. I'll take those odds.

Diane Johnson gave a talk last night, and Dorothy Allison spoke this afternoon. Allison was just terrific -- she's a dramatic speaker and had the crowd of 150 people in the palm of her hand.

After that I took a break and went back to the house -- more about which in a moment -- to edit more manuscripts, the ones for tomorrow morning. 0 for 2.

Almost all the writers are staying in vacation houses here in Squaw Valley; they put between 4 and 6 writers in each house.You get a room by yourself if you pay extra; I did. The bed's uncomfortable and I didn't sleep that well last night, but I'm enjoying palavering with the other folks in the house and with people I've met here. Between the Allison talk and reading that one good manuscript, I feel things are going well.

My piece will get critiqued on Tuesday morning. It's from the new book I'm working on, "Dear Prudence," about a San Francisco girl who gets sent by her employer to India to open an offshoring office.