Happy birthday!! You turn 81 today. 81! Can you believe it? Last time I saw you, you looked amazing. And that was only 2 years ago, so I’m guessing that you would still be pretty hot for an 81 year old. 81. I can’t get over the number, mom. I bet you would probably roll your eyes and shush me before anyone heard it…your age. Too bad it’s out and in the open now. Since you left, I’ve been thinking…
Today marks the one year anniversary of my mother’s death. What a strange phrase, what a strange feeling. Sounds contradictory: anniversary of death. A word that resonates with positive celebration, followed by cruel finality. Still, this is a milestone. A year. The first year. Reading “The Year of Magical Thinking,” I came across the author’s description of how, for that first entire year, she often asked herself what the deceased had done on that same day the year before. I…
Because it is always about MIGHTY Alba ( and her expanding universe! yay!), I’ll acknowledge that I write, and draw, and create for a couple of reasons: To somewhat keep her alive, both in the world and in my household, if that makes any sense. To get my mind off my grief. As an outlet for emotions that, otherwise, would cripple, and crush, and constantly torture me. At this point, it must be quite obvious that I think about…
I am here to make a case for the written word. Wait. Let me correct that: I am here to make a case for the HANDwritten word. I will use three arguments to support my belief in handwriting over typing. First, I’ll rely solely on educational data and studies in childhood psychology. Next, I will deal with the importance of handwriting from a historical, and socio-cultural, perspective. Third, and my personal favorite, I will share a brief account of…
It was August, 2017, when I wrote my first post. “Marney Monster’s Magical Book” had just come out, and I was trying to pull together a website, and a marketing plan to get some visibility for my work. C’mon! This was MY FIRST. BOOK. EVER! I was excited, I was thrilled, I was nervous, I was a little overwhelmed…I was proud. I had never thought of writing a picture book, let alone illustrating one! This was all new territory, and…
“Write. Darn it. Write.” The written word surrounds us daily. It is in everything. It is in print media (newspapers, etc), ads, and even on the list of ingredients on that godawful can of lima beans…everything. For me, reading, and writing, became the cornerstone of my intellectual development. Starting with my very first touch-and-feel picture book, moving on to series such as “The Baby-sitters Club” (come on! Confess! You read them too. Or at least your sister did), and, finally,…
