The RWA-Literacy Partnership

Romance Writers of America (RWA) has always had a strong interest in literacy. It's natural. Without competent readers, authors have no one with whom to connect. Add the fact that adult illiteracy in the US is a serious problem, and a partnership is born. At its national convention each year, the RWA Readers for Life literacy autographing event raises thousands of dollars for ProLiteracy Worldwide and convention city literacy organizations. RWA chapters across the country do their part with fundraising and supplying tutors for local literacy councils.

So it came to pass in the mid-1990's, that Laubach Literacy International (the forerunner of ProLiteracy Worldwide) decided to create a writing award for the best romance written for new adult readers, English-speaking adults who are just learning to read. They named the new award "The Robin" in honor of Robin Lee Hatcher, an RWA member and president whose efforts on behalf of literacy were well-known. A prominent author, Janet Dailey, had recently donated money to support publishing a romance line at New Readers Press, the publishing arm of Laubach, and the winning novel of the contest would be published as part of that line. The award was to be co-sponsored by RWA and Laubach Literacy International.

The contest was widely advertised, and the opportunity excited me. How could I not enter? I had tutored for my local literacy council and just the year before, I had published my first romance, A Private Proposal. This contest was tailored made for me.

If only I could come up with a suitable plot.

The Magic of Literacy

Carousel Magic blossomed from a long arc of experience. The second milestone in the arc was my experience with adult literacy. Romance Writers of America (RWA) is a strong supporter of literacy and sponsors many events at its conferences and around the country to raise money and awareness for the cause. While I was living in Michigan, RWA's efforts and some publicity from the local literacy council set in my heart an urge to become an adult tutor. During the whole process of contacting the council, arranging for training and getting my first assignment, I was excited and terrified. How would my meetings with students go? Could I really help? My first student met with me only once, and I was paired with a second. He was a young man, married with two young children. He worked

in industry, building machines and small structures for businesses. His goal? To read bedtime stories to his kids.

We worked together for three years. He grew from learning the alphabet to memorizing "sight" words and sounding out combination words. I learned that reading is a physical activity which depends on strong, exercised eye muscles and that punctuation is a language all its own. It took several weeks of concentrated effort for my student to "read" the punctuation of each sentence. He loved the play The Phantom of the Opera, so I typed up his favorite lyrics in large font and helped him follow along to the music. At the end of three years, he had advanced to a 4th grade reading level and was enjoying bedtime stories with his children as well as reading blueprints with more confidence.

Together, in that literacy partnership, we made our own bit of magic.

Learn more about Carousel Magic, Book 2 in the Pittsburgh Connections Series at my website -

www.LStGeorge.com