New Bedford

I'm in the Hampton Inn in New Bedford, where in a few hours I will lead a workshop on using primary documents from the Harriet Jacobs Papers in middleschool and high school classrooms. It is part of the NEH seminar, "Slavery and Freedom in New Bedford." The Hampton Inn is actually pretty nice--its like the Jet Blue of cheap business hotels. There is free wireless in the lobby, an extensive breakfast buffet (which includes a wide selection of herbal teas and lots of fruit), and almost agressively friendly staff. I'm sitting next to a family reunion group that has been talking about their cats for the past 20 minutes, so I feel right at home.