March 30, 2012
April and I turn another year chronologically on the l3th — Friday the l3th. Thank goodness I am not superstitious. I say ‘chronologically’ because there are two very nasty words I cannot utter — ‘old(er)’ and ‘retire(ed)’. April l9th, I deliver a talk at Edison State College in Fort Myers, Florida, for the Edison Speaker Series as part of their 50th Anniversary celebration. The talk is “Celebrity Encounters in Writing.” Thus, back to the late
March 1, 2012
MARCH brings bugs — NASTY BUGS – the official publication is March l5 (Dial Books). Reviews have been wonderfully nasty including the lastest PUBLISHERS WEEKLY which ends: “A squirm-inducing tribute to our blood-sucking, garbage-eating insect friends.” All the poems in the collection were especially commissioned. The Lee Bennett Hopkins/Penn State Poetry Award was announced. The 2012 winner is WON TON: A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU (Holt) by Lee Wardlaw; one Honor Book: HIDDEN by
February 28, 2012
In the late l970’s, Theodor S. Geisel, (Dr. Seuss, of course,) and I had a long series of correspondence from his home in La Jolla, California. On galleys to a book wherein I had interviewed him, an error about his birthday was made, later corrected. Ted wrote the following on his iconic CAT IN THE HAT stationery…something I cherish. The book was BOOKS ARE BY PEOPLE, one of my earliest professional books subtitled INTERVIEWS WITH
February 2, 2012
Although I always look forward to a New Year — a new beginning — I find after too much December jingling-all-the-way, January can be a dull month. Warm “winter” weather here in Florida – an average of 80-degrees each day — causes one to constantly think summer, to want to engage in lazy summer things. I had the chance to watch LIBRARY OF THE EARLY MIND, co-produced by Steven Winthrow — a wondrous film which anyone
January 9, 2012
January seems listless after so much jingling, twinkling, ho-ho-ho-ing, et. al. Yet it is a welcome month to clean up the old and start on new pathways. I’m off to a good start with the publication of NASTY BUGS, illustrated by the whimsical, Will Terry (Dial). KIRKUS, a tough publication, stated in a great review: “As the bedbug says, ‘absolutely deeeelicious’; ALA BOOKLIST says, ” This book will have you itching and scratching in no time.