Just Want to Say
Kate McMullan
Oops! This went live before it was finished! Sorry! Since I posted about artist James McMullan in my last post two weeks ago, it seems only fitting that I post about children’s writer, Kate McMullan, this week. Jim and Kate have been married for 38 years, and they make a marvelous team personally and creatively.…
Read MoreDream
Quite some time ago, Langston Hughes wrote a poem called I Dream a World. Despite some non-inclusive language (it was from another era) it resonates with me. It begins I dream a world where man No other man will scorn, Where love will bless the earth And peace its paths adorn… That is a…
Read MoreCaring. Connecting. Changing.
Until earlier today, I was planning a different blog post. I didn’t get it written over the weekend, but was planning to write it first thing today. Then, this morning, I read the news about Las Vegas, and my plans changed. Last night, I attended an annual event in my city at which seniors are…
Read MoreJane Yolen
Jane Yolen is one of the wonders of modern writing. She has written and published over 300 books, most — but not all — for children (of all ages). She is a poet and a master of many genres. She is a mentor and teacher to many. One of the keys to the prolific nature…
Read MoreFinding the Value of X
Don’t worry, I’m not going to wax mathematical, and particularly not algebraic. But really, what is the value of X in our language? You may have wondered, when I began this alphabetical journey, what I would do with X . I admit I wondered, as well. It’s a problem that I’m sure most alphabetographers struggle…
Read MoreVistas, Vantage Points, Viewpoints, and Vision
I live on the prairie. I grew up here. The vastness of the prairie gives me a sense of freedom and possibility. Not everyone sees that vastness in the same way. Many people driving through our province think the prairie is just one boring stretch of nothing. I can understand that viewpoint, although I don’t…
Read MoreSarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay — Book Recommendation
Title: Sarah’s Key Author: Tatiana de Rosnay Publisher: New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007 Genre: Adult fiction Audience Age: 16 and up Themes/Topics: Holocaust, France’s role in deportation of Jews during World War II, Vélodrome d’Hiver roundup, truth, fear, justice Opening Sentences: The girl was the first to hear the loud pounding on the door.…
Read MoreQuestions
Questions. Kids are good at them. Why? Why is the sky blue? Why do the leaves fall off the trees — don’t they like the tree anymore? What’s that? Where are we going? (And the dreaded Are we there yet?) Writers need to be good at them, too. Why is a good question for writers…
Read More