Editor, Gazette-Journal:

As one of the participants in the Area Writers Showcase at the Gloucester Public Library Saturday, I wish to commend Library Director Diane Rebertus and her staff hosting this wonderful community event, with special praise for its organizer, Ginny Snowden. I find it hard to imagine the difficulties entailed in bringing some two dozen highly sensitive and sometimes prickly egoists (which, alas, we writers ordinarily tend to be) together in one room.

I sensed a genuine bonhomie among the group, much of which can be credited to some sort of magic spell Ginny cast among us. This included the warm welcome we received, the special care taken in setting up tables for each writer, the attractive decorations and favors … (I could go on and on, which is another fault we writers are known for, but, in the interest of good taste, I shall desist).

I personally greatly enjoyed the presentation by Mary Wakefield Buxton, who added a special cachet to the gathering wi...