this ash wednesday, as a lenten gift to myself and in honor of this Chicago weather, I’m posting a poem–another by Rumi to which I said “hello” on first reading. if you have a poem, or a snippet of a poem to share on reading this, please do post if you’re able. Be Melting Snow [...]
The other night, I lay in bed, reading to my eight-year old son, Teo. Teo is a great reader to himself, as well, but nights, he still likes to curl up with either Greg or me, and listen. On this night, we were well into The Battle of the Labyrinth, book four of the Rick [...]
Hurrah and happy day! I’ve been invited to be a part of Anderson’s Bookshop’s 8th Annual Children’s Literature Breakfast. It’s a wonderful event, hosted by a most heroic independent bookstore, and one of my personal heroes will be speaking: Richard Peck. If you like children’s literature, and you haven’t read his middle-grade novels: A Year [...]
my pictures are not worth a thousand words, but they will have to do. in no particular order but that of the heart: And then there were all these other rooms that are legendary, but that i failed to document well. sigh.
because i’m still struggling to insert them in text. here is a wintry horse and rider.
i am home now from ragdale, my first residency ever. what a long, cool drink of water it was. to anyone who is considering applying to ragdale, I encourage you to do so. do so now. why? there were twelve of us at ragdale, and i’m sure each person can give her or his own [...]
I am loving my time here, but even this early on, I’m considering what it will mean to go home. I’m missing my family much. And there will be some reentry, I’m sure. Today I received this link to a wonderful Sojourner’s article by my writer friend, Tracey Bianchi. Her words inspire me to appreciate, [...]
You don’t even need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Don’t even listen, simply wait. Don’t even wait, be still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked. It has no choice. It will roll in ecstasy at your feet. —Franz Kafka What does it [...]
Many new things: New age (mine). New snow, lots of it (still coming down). New blog (again). New relationship to camera (courtesy of new blog). New writing project, I hope (my angel at the table, the one I am waiting for). New place: Ragdale. My two-week residency began today. I wanted to come with intentions [...]
“If you’re going to read only one blog, this is it!” That’s what School Library Journal said of Cynsations, the web presence of Cynthia Leitich Smith. See, and believe: http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/