At an early age, I came to the notion that there was something to be understood in the world out there and that it would take some hard thinking to get to it. I did my first thinking on a wooden rocking horse with metal springs. Things to think about would pile up, I’d climb… [Read More]
A Real Writer
March 28, 2011 By
It’s 1990, I’ve just had my first few stories published in Highlights for Children and Cricket, and I’m wondering if I’m a Real Writer now. The editor of a Cricket story about the legendary King Canute, who ordered the tide not to come in, is intrigued about a plaque in Southampton, England commemorating the event. … [Read More]
The Library
March 28, 2011 By
When I was in elementary school, going to the library once a week ranked even above gym class as my favorite thing to do. My librarian’s name was Mrs. Southward. She had us list the names of each book we checked out on a small, white sheet of paper. The first thing she did when… [Read More]
Broken
March 14, 2011 By
When our third child Sean was growing up, he liked to know how things work, which my husband and I tried to encourage even when things got dangerous or destructive. Stellar parents have their bad days, however, and when Sean was in middle school and I found his brand new bike in pieces all over… [Read More]
Carsick
March 8, 2011 By
When I was in elementary school, my family lived in Ohio and we took frequent car trips to Galesburg, Illinois where my four grandparents and various aunts, uncles, and cousins lived. My parents would wake my younger sister and me up at 5:00 in the morning (my much younger sister and brother didn’t appear in… [Read More]
Scenes From a Writer’s Life
March 3, 2011 By
Since this is my very first entry, I thought I’d start by describing what I imagine this blog will look like. The title “Scenes From a Writer’s Life” will give you something of an idea. I’d like to give you some snapshots – “wordshots” really – from my life: things I’ve been and done and… [Read More]