Seamus Heaney is on my mind today, because he's gone now. Of course, I had to go to youtube and watch him read some poems; and then remember when he came to Iowa City to do a reading and I took Sweeney Astray for him to sign. By then Sweeney was no longer a new book, out for 13 years (in fact it was the only book … [Read more...] about Seamus Heaney at the End of August
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Summertime Gazpacho
Gazpacho is one of those wonderful soups that have a little bit of a lot of vegetables. After such a long silence this blog will have a little bit of a lot. So, first into the stew: At ALA--along with the treasure of time with long time friends--I was happily surprised to run into Beth Krommes, Caldecott winner … [Read more...] about Summertime Gazpacho
Unpacking from the ALA: Part One
The ALA Conference in Chicago this past week and weekend reminded me of why I feel so lucky to be part of the children's literature community. Librarians from every state stood in long lines and laughed while they waited for their favorite authors to sign personal copies. These librarians are my heroes. They are the … [Read more...] about Unpacking from the ALA: Part One
Inviting Doubt to the (Writing) Table
Here in Maine, with my family, at my sister Laura's place, I picked up the most recent New Yorker magazine. This article by Malcolm Gladwell seems as if it was written for me, or other writers who have doubt bouts. Albert O. Hirschman, whose biography Gladwell is reviewing, believed it is our mistakes, not really … [Read more...] about Inviting Doubt to the (Writing) Table
The Word From Owls
The crows in this part of Madison (where I am with the "grands") were making a ruckus this morning, which often means one thing--great horned owls, specifically the pair that have made a home in a willow tree in Sarah's back yard. So I went out searching and watched one fly over my head and land in the tree, sit right … [Read more...] about The Word From Owls
Children’s Book People Know How to Have Fun
One of the most fun things a children's book writer can do is meet the audience--the kids who read the books. I've had two very special "meet the audience" days recently. In early April I went to the Meskwakie Settlement School, and visited with children of the Meskuaki Tribe in Tama, Iowa. The Settlement School … [Read more...] about Children’s Book People Know How to Have Fun
