Food and DISCO

So I've mentioned before that I'm a writer (beyond the new blog). And if you've read any of the blog, you know I love food. I swore when I started the blog that I wouldn't do any advertisement or paid write-ups for people. That's lame. But I found a reason to make an exception. A great food convention that benefits young writers. It's like the perfect combination!

Old Car Heaven

Food Blog South is a food-blogging conference in Birmingham, AL. The upcoming event will be held in late January at Old Car Heaven (a pretty cool place if you've never been). It's great for beginning or experienced food bloggers. It could be great even if you don't have a food blog. Sessions include things like recipe development, food photography with your camera phone, and drink blogging (with beer tasting, of course). They're actually going to do a live re-design of some blogs. Pretty cool stuff. A really cool perk: Kat Kinsman, the managing director of CNN's Eatocracy food blog, will be the Keynote speaker. Sounding like a good time, huh? And it's relatively inexpensive compared to most other conferences (at least the ones I've been to). It could be a great opportunity to learn more about food and writing about it!

The Desert Island Supply Co. 

Which brings me to my second point. Proceeds from the Food Blog South convention will go to benefit DISCO Birmingham. What is DISCO? The Desert Island Supply Company. Catchy name and acronym, and a wicked logo. What's not to love? Well, there's even more to like! It's a creative writing program for children in the Birmingham area. Their mission ihttp://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4458557653218028996#editor/target=post;postID=716030553140790812s simply to give kids in the B'ham area more opportunities to write. Growing up and writing all the time was really great for me. I had a great way to escape and have fun with my creativity, and I still have lots of my writings to look back on and enjoy. In Kindergarten, I wrote (voluntarily) an essay - although I had no idea it was an essay at the time - about the plight of bald eagles in our country. Thankfully, they're no longer in danger of extirpation (localized extinction). That year I was selected as the youngest kid to go to the Alabama Young Author's Conference at UAB. I went every year thereafter through my last year of eligibility in 8th grade. It only started 2 years before my first year, but I remember it being SUCH a huge deal to me. I was, of course, only 5 years old. But it was a great experience. I got to listen to authors speak, meet with them, go to sessions on how to write more effectively.... It was like heaven to me once a year. And I always wished that it would happen more often. Well, with DISCO, it does. These kids get free writing workshops at libraries, museums, and other places. And it's based in the heart of the city so it provides access to lots of inner-city children who might not otherwise have an opportunity to share their talent (Finding Forrester, anyone?). They also do individual projects that include helping 10th graders prepare for state writing tests and conducting poetry slam workshops (again, way cool). 

When I realized I had the ability to go learn more about blogging (and food - can't forget the food), and also be supporting something so close to my heart and past - it was a no-brainer. So I felt I should share it with you all

Check out the site to buy tickets:  http://foodblogsouth2012.eventbrite.com/. And better news - if you use the code IReadTripp, you can get 10% off your registration fee for the main event. The prices go up at the end of October, so check it out. I'd love to see some of you there! 


Tripp