Writing well involves community. A fabulous opportunity awaits you in just two-and-a-half weeks. The 2014 Minnesota Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators will hold their annual conference.
The first perk of the conference will be the wisdom you’ll gain; the second, the relationships you’ll develop.
If you haven’t signed up, it’s not too late. We can’t wait to see you there!
“I am not the hero. I am the sidekick. I help others fulfill their destiny.'” ~ Owen Suskind
To those in the business of creating stories for children, your work has the power to impact lives in ways you’ve probably never imagined. In Life, Animated, a memoir, Pulitzer Prize-winning Ron Suskind shared how Disney movies provided the key that unlocked his autistic son from a prison of silence. Suskind’s book led CBS Sunday Morning to feature a report on this remarkable family by 60 Minutes journalist Leslie Stahl.
Watch “Breaking through autism with Disney movies“, produced by Sari Aviv and edited by David Ehagat. It’ll make your day.
Thank you, Ron and Cornelia Suskind, for raising the bar on parenting; to Owen Suskind, a hero in my book, for celebrating quality children’s stories with others; and to CBS Sunday Morning, for drawing attention to this positive and enlightening story!
Studies show that autism afflicts 1 out of 68 children in the U.S. – up 30 percent from 2013. Learn more about animation’s effect on this disorder through the official Life, Animated website.
It’s another subzero morning in Minnesota (-16 degrees), and my pen is on strike. The ink won’t to come out–and I don’t blame it. I prefer to stay inside this time of year, too.
Knowing that writers in other states are struggling, too, might make me feel better.
For those of you feeling a ting of guilt as you bask on the beach, here are some great good-will ideas for the needy. (I’m talking about us cranky Vitamin D deprived writers and illustrators from up north):
pencils with refillable leadOkay, I’m warmer, now that I vented.
A gift idea for the KEMs (besides the aforementioned) is to join us February 15 for our Barbara Park tribute post about KEM GEM, MICK HARTE WAS HERE. We’re eager to know your opinion about the middle grade novel and we look forward to seeing you there.
Also, it’s never too late to comment on our first KEM GEM recommendation: Sara Pennypacker and Marla Frazee’s chapter book, CLEMENTINE.
Do you suffer from manuscript-aging-angst or this-work-is-too-silly-anxiety? In 1893, a young woman corresponded with the son of her governess, a boy named Noel. When she ran out of things to say, she made up a silly story with silly pictures of silly rabbits . Eight years later (one hundred and eleven years ago), her whimsical imaginings were published to become one of the most beloved picture books of all time. This success motivated her to write and illustrate at least 23 other animal tales and 10 more books. The letter-writer is Beatrix Potter. Her silly rabbits are Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Peter Rabbit.
Currently, two million Beatrix Potter books are sold every year worldwide. That’s four books every minute. People hunger for silly — and no manuscript is too old. Click the image above. Peter Rabbit fans, writers, and illustrators of all ages will enjoy this charming tribute to Beatrix Potter from CBS Sunday Morning.
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