This week, I’ve been enjoying Natalie Merchant’s CD, LEAVE YOUR SLEEP. One of the song-poems that have been going through my head is “Equestrienne” by Rachel Field. “See, they are clearing the sawdust course For the girl in pink on the milk-white horse…” Find the rest of the poem here. Equestrienne: Poem by Rachel Field, [...]
photo credit: Muffet It’s Poetry Friday! A line from this poem cropped up in my memory this week. Something about the rhythm, not the words, came back. Poetry has a way of doing that, doesn’t it? The memory of the sound of it can linger in some far dark corner of our minds. So I [...]
It’s with great pleasure that I introduce readers to Joseph Ruak. Joseph is Repagu’nu’worh and was born and raised on the island of Saipan, the setting of Nancy Bo Flood’s debut YA novel, WARRIORS IN THE CROSSFIRE. His father’s family came from the outer islands of Chuuk and settled on Saipan during a time when [...]
Today, I’m excited to talk with Stephen Roxburgh, founder of namelos, about Nancy Bo Flood‘s beautifully written debut YA novel, WARRIORS IN THE CROSSFIRE. Nancy and I met at Vermont College of Fine Arts and it was there, in a workshop led by Marion Dane Bauer, that Nancy first began to revise WARRIORS. DW: WARRIORS [...]
Oh so many years ago… I dreamed of writing picture books. I took many many classes at UCLA extension with wonderful writers: Ann Whitford Paul, Kristine O’Connell George, Sonia Levitin, Caroline Arnold, Madeline Comora, Alexis O’Neill, and Barbara Abercrombie. I signed up for more classes – online, this time – with Anastasia Suen, Barbara Seuling, [...]
I had no idea when I chose my selection for Poetry Friday that the round-up was being hosted by PaperTigers. It seems providential somehow, that the poem I chose to post (with permission) is one my good friend, Nancy Bo Flood, shared in an email early this morning. By pure coincidence, Nancy was a guest [...]
A few days ago, I wrote about Bunny Days, Tao Nyeu’s beautiful new picture book. Today, Jules of 7-Imp has posted a terrific interview with Tao Nyeu, complete with loads of illustrations, sketches, and a peek at what’s up next for Tao! Enjoy!
My niece is getting married tomorrow and spring is in the air. The family has flown in from various places, with more arriving later today. Most of us are staying in a beautiful house on a small canal off Okanagan Lake. Family members are chipping in to make sure the day is special. Yesterday, we [...]
I've lived and traveled around the world, but now make my home in California.
By day, I teach; evenings and many weekends, I write.
My teaching, reading, and writing eventually led to a Master's degree in Language and Literacy and, later, an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
My first picture book, BLUE ON BLUE, illustrated by the amazing Beth Krommes, will be published by Beach Lane Books (Simon and Schuster) in 2014.