There’s nothing like social networks to keep in touch with old friends and former neighbors, especially when you skip a year or two of sending out Christmas cards! Donna Weidenhammer and I lived next door to each other when our families were just beginning – lots of diapering, nap times and playground swings back then…. [Read More]
Congratulations To Donna & Ralph Weidenhammer For Winning The Signed Copy of “Just Fine The Way They Are”
August 23, 2012 By
Thank You Very Much, Captain Ericsson – Coming in Paperback & Video!
July 25, 2012 By
About the Video Soon to be available on the website: A reading of Thank You Very Much, Captain Ericsson! (by yours truly!) in its entirety, complete with the original illustrations by Andrew Glass. This should be a great resource for you teachers doing a Civil War unit OR for parents/grandparents of 7-10-year-olds. About the Paperback As stated,… [Read More]
Author Tip: Importance of Structure in Nonfiction
July 25, 2012 By
I’ve just finished reading Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a terrific example of creative nonfiction. Check out this link for some great behind-the-scenes information on the importance of structure in a nonfiction piece and on how Skloot decided to include herself in the very story she was researching. >> See My “Just… [Read More]
Teacher Resources & Lesson Plans Available For “Just Fine the Way They Are”
July 25, 2012 By
Since school will be starting soon, educators and parents who would like to engage their children in some fun learning activities can download lesson plans that accompany Just Fine The Way They Are; From Dirt Roads to Rail Roads to Interstates. Developed by two elementary educators who are also adjunct professors in the Department of… [Read More]
The National Road Brings the Historic Road Conference to Indianapolis
July 25, 2012 By
The national non-profit group Historic Roads is holding their annual conference on September 20-22, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dedicated to identifying, preserving and managing our nation’s historic roads and scenic byways, Indy was specifically chosen because of the region’s unique transportation history, which includes the Historic National Road. Read more about the work of this important… [Read More]
National Road Yard Sale
May 30, 2012 By
Beginning on May 30 and running through the early part of June, folks will be setting up shop along the National Road (US 40) and creating one of the longest yard sales going: from Baltimore to St. Louis! For 9 years now, beginning on the Wednesday following Memorial Day, churches, museums, stores, and plain old… [Read More]
Visit to Northwest Elementary School
May 17, 2012 By
The drive to McDermott, Ohio winds through the greenest, most idyllic countryside you’ll find anywhere. Northwest Elementary School sits 5 miles off of US-23 and is home to around 800 K-5 students. A step inside the front door brought me into a high-energy zone: several parents in the office, classes of students filing through the… [Read More]
More Letters From Edith!
May 9, 2012 By
Just as my Edith Wharton biography was going to press, a stash of letters from Edith to her governess (and later secretary) was discovered. How can I get my hands on those? I wondered. The answer wasn’t long in coming. In April of 2011, when I spoke at The Mount, I met Irene Goldman-Price who… [Read More]
Jane Thurmer Wins a Signed Copy of “The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton”
May 9, 2012 By
Congratulations to Jane Thurmer, the winner of our March Women’s History Month give-away! Jane will receive a signed copy of The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton (Clarion 2010), Connie’s YA biography about the iconic writer who would be 150 years-old this year! Thank you, Jane, and everyone who entered.
Writer’s Retreat
April 14, 2012 By
In February, I drove east for eleven hours, through Ohio and the very mountains of Pennsylvania I used to call home, to the town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. I turned left onto the property of the family that created the magazine Highlights for Children and pulled up to a small cabin with two twin beds, a… [Read More]