Going Public
On Tuesday, October 12, my latest hardcover, Secondhand Charm, hit the shelves, published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books. So began a whirlwind of activity which I will try to document below. […]
Stuck in Oz
Last night I saw Wicked at the Boston Opera House with my husband and my sons. I’ve been useless all day today, stuck in Oz, picturing the story, singing the […]
The True Meaning of Smekday, & St. Patrick of Ireland
The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex (Hyperion 2007). A marvelous middle-grade mashup, irreverent and smart and funny. Equal parts Doomsday, alien adventure, road trip tale, biting satire, and, […]
Reading Roundup
Books I’ve enjoyed recently: CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins (sequel to Hunger Games)I started reading this the same night that I finished HUNGER GAMES, even though it was 3 a.m., […]
Snippets from “Sabbaths” by Wendell Berry
At my bridal shower, fifteen years ago, I received an unusual gift: a slim volume of poetry entitled “Sabbaths” by Wendell Berry. I had never heard of him. The friend […]
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
It’s laughable for me to blog about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins since I’m clearly the last person on the planet to read it, so nothing I can add […]
Anything but Typical, by Nora Raleigh Baskin
I’m working hard to catch up on my reading after long months in Deadline Land. Tonight I had the good fortune to read Anything but Typical, by Nora Raleigh Baskin, […]
Book Gargoyle’s Advice for Young Writers (including To Outline or Not To Outline)
An eighth-grader wrote to ask me for some writing advice this past week, and I thought I’d share my response to her request here. *** There are many books, classes, […]
“In The Heights,” “The Magician’s Elephant,” “Curse of the Bane”
We were lucky enough last night to go see “In the Heights,” the Broadway musical, at the Boston Opera House with my niece. What a great show! Kyle Beltran as […]
Catching up
2010 is nine days old and I still haven’t jotted in my journal the list of goals and plans for the year that I’d intended to record. Off to a […]