One of my favorite pieces of writing, one that I have gone back to time and again over the years, is a cookbook published by the H.P. Hood Dairy in the 1940s. My copy is so old and tattered it begins on page ten. What I love about this cookbook are the stories that are told by contributors and accompany each recipe. … [Read more...] about Stories About Food
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Interviewing — Real and Imagined
Early this month I went down to Fairfield Iowa to meet my friend Cheryl Fusco Johnson so we could talk on the radio about the chiru story. We drank coffee at Paradise (and it was heavenly coffee). Then we went over to the radio station. Talking about stories and writing is always fun. The afternoon reminded me of how … [Read more...] about Interviewing — Real and Imagined
Creating Characters in a Cold Month
I could travel to Tibet and back in the time since I wrote on this blog. But that's not where I've been. First, there were the holidays and some wonderful family time. And then a deft segue to the Hamline University Low Residency MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults (January 6-17). It's been a wonderful ten … [Read more...] about Creating Characters in a Cold Month
Winter Solstice
I love winter. I love the quiet of a steady snow. There is something about the cold and the whiteness of winter that makes it easier to focus on essentials--essentials of our days, essentials of stories. We're not distracted by riotous summer with its blooming buzzing confusion of color and busy life happening all … [Read more...] about Winter Solstice
Celebrating in Monticello — Better Than Fireworks
Though we writers are surrounded by our characters, and life in our heads may be busy and even chatter-y, writing is still really a solitary activity. And we don't know, as we are writing, if the stories we are working on will ever be found by readers. That's why getting out into the world and meeting those who've read … [Read more...] about Celebrating in Monticello — Better Than Fireworks
Bringing Tibet to the Classroom, Bringing the Classroom to Tibet
Good news for The Chiru of High Tibet! The National Science Teachers Association - Children's Book Council's Outstanding Science Committee has named the book to the "Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12" List for 2011. I hope that teachers who work with students of all ages will want to use this book. I … [Read more...] about Bringing Tibet to the Classroom, Bringing the Classroom to Tibet
