How to use this Page

Teaching kids to write is
equivalent to teaching
kids to think; giving kids
the tools to write is giving
them the resources
to be successful in life.

Combining all of this
with soccer is like putting
peanut butter with chocolate.

I am surprised every public
school hasn’t adopted a
SCORES program.”

- Best Selling Author, Stephen King

Picture this: A smooth wall-pass to the Center Midfielder, who passes it up the line to the Right Winger, who boots a magnificent cross to the Striker, who heads the ball like a laser beam, into the upper right corner of the net, just inches from the Keeper’s reach and…Ta Da! Goal! That’s The Beautiful Game, also known as, Soccer.

Who thought of combining The Beautiful Game with poetry? America SCORES, that’s who. SCORES is an after-school program for urban public schools, bringing kids a weekly dose of soccer and poetry. As a SCORES Poetry Coach last fall, I had the pleasure of working with students at the Oakland school, Think College Now (TCN). They played soccer twice a week and then they joined me in “playing” with poetry the other two days a week.

My team consisted of a dozen or so high-energy 3rd through 5th grade girls. They were mainly there for soccer, but since poetry is a requirement under SCORES, they had to take my class, too. I knew I had a big task ahead of me.

Week-by-week, we explored the basics of poetry, experimenting with various forms. I tried to keep it fun–mixing activities between music, word games, stories and journal-writing. But these girls loved to talk and tease each other. Plus, they had cliques. I’ll spare you the details. Rather, I’ll just say some of them had a flair for drama.

When I started to doubt their progress, their journals and experimental poetry turned up gems. I watched them come out of their shells, embracing poetry as a vehicle for expression. They wrote about friendship, family, love, hate and crushes. They surprised me by their eagerness to read their poems out loud. Could it get any better than that?

Our final project was to perform a group poem at the annual East Bay SCORES Poetry Slam! at Dunsmuir Estate. The girls took pride in composing their own lines. I also let them choreograph some movements. However, the rainy day weather affected our practice sessions. I found myself managing their behavior more than coaching. I strived to keep the girls focused and busy. I also crossed my fingers a lot.

Performance night brought us together with hundreds of other SCORES kids. We were second on the program. I tried to shrug off the girls’ collective “deer-in-the-headlights” expressions–however, I grew concerned. A few of the girls had stage-fright. I hoped it wouldn’t spread.

My team sat, stiff with fear, as the first group performed their poem. I held my breath as the MC called us up. Thankfully, all my girls stood up and followed me to the front of the auditorium. I watched them file on stage, just as we had practiced.

I remained close by to cue and cheer them on. But once they got going, they were fine. Every girl remembered her line. If someone forgot to recite the group lines then other girls filled in, projecting their voices and filling in gaps. They wowed us with their performance of “All the Colors of the World.”

The poetry slam reminded me of a good soccer match. As a veteran soccer coach, I recalled the planning, scrimmages and drills, mess, mud and grime of the field, ebb and flow of the game, perfect passes, interceptions and hard-earned goals. A coach organizes practices, but the game, itself, is in the players’ hands (and feet).

The judging panel awarded my team: “Most Visionary” and “Rhythm & Rhyme.” Perhaps they, too, were reminded of The Beautiful Game?

NOTE TO SELF: MUSSELS ARE NOT THE MOST VISUAL MULLOSKS


One thing for sure is that anybody hoping for some exciting viewing on MusselCam will be disappointed, but then that's the way Mother Nature works. Unbelievable as it may seem MusselCam located in Prince Edward Island, Canada, was named amongst the top 25 most interesting webcams in the world. Hey - now that's an accomplishment!

That lone blue mussel is the only one of two Canadian entries to crack EarthCam's list. A webcam tracking the lighthouse at scenic Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia
(www.peggyscovewebcam.ca/live) is also on the webcam network's list of favourites.

For the uninitiated and according to Wikipedia, "the common name mussel is used for members of several different families of clams or bivalve molluscs, from both saltwater and freshwater habitats."

Visually they aren't anything to look at being round and...round.

The message on the web page says it all: "mussels grow very, very slowly. Please check back often."

Garner Quain, the co-owner of Flex Mussels, which has locations in Charlottetown and Summerside, was surprised to hear his camera made the list.

"I didn't ever think that it would make any kind of Top 10 list, other than the fact that it's so, kind of, notoriously boring," said Quain."There's a few other ones on the internet that are sort of old favourites that have kind of always been running, so it was really kind of an homage to those, so to be included among them is a nice little honour."

Quain said MusselCam gets more than 1,000 hits a day.

Anyway, if you've got a lot of time - and patience - drop by the musselcam site here:

http://www.flexmussels.com/musselcam.html

Let us know if anything exciting happens. Yawn...

Nope, I didn’t spell “word” wrong. The new spelling hails from a brand-spanking new site dedicated to coining creative new words…er, I mean werds.

I found out about Addictionary through the SCBWI discussion forum. Their recent holiday contest garnered some hilarious results. Here they are, compliments of SCBWI poster, WriterKat. Fun stuff!

“The Addictionary wrapped its Holidaze 2007 Lingo Contest. The winner got an Apple iPhone. Pretty good deal for a bit of werd-smithing! What’s your werd?

There were a bunch (see them all here); but the top 10 Addictionary.org Holidaze 2007 werds are:

10. Jinglebills (n) – The large credit card bills that come in right after the Christmas shopping season

9. Santa cause (n) – A Christmas gift in which a donation to a charitable cause is given in the recipient’s name

8. eggsnog (n) – A person who has had too much eggnog and wants to kiss anyone and everyone

7. wrapalanche (n) – The mountain of discarded wrapping paper and ribbons on Christmas morning

6. mistleshmoe (n) – The office drone who lurks in the doorway at holiday parties looking to get lucky

5. sprawlidays (n) – The festive occasion when the male members of a family become one with the living room couch

4. Clicksmas (n) – The act of doing all holiday planning, shopping and/or socializing online

3. Excessmas (n) – 1) The act of striving to achieve that “special holiday feeling” through excessive holiday spending 3) Too much holiday decoration. 4) Too much holiday celebration with food and/or adult beverages

2. tannenbomb (n) – The explosion of lights and ornaments hitting the floor after the cat attempts to climb the Christmas tree

And the winner of The Addictionary Holidaze’07 Lingo contest, submitted by New Yorker, Walter Quinn:

1. Auld Lanxiety (n) – The angst one feels every December 31 upon the realization that one didn’t keep any of last year’s resolutions.

If a better or funnier alternative definition occurs to you, you can go to the werd and submit it. “

Far away from Hundred Acre Woods, amidst all the revel and holiday parties, there was a little gathering. This surprise performance stands out as a highlight for us. Kai, my very shy daughter, came out of her shell just long enough to sing a cute holiday song.

DJ Ronnie of Kings & Queens Entertainment rewarded her with a Winnie-the-Pooh bear. Bay Area peeps, take note. Ronnie’s new dj and karaoke service is top notch!

These blurry, highly-pixalated images are movie stills snagged off a homespun DVD (I bumped up their size in photoshop)–so please pardon the quality. You can actually see and hear the action online through quicktime. Check out the fun here. Happy holidays!

Love things that sparkle? I know I’m not the only one who does. The holidays bring out the sparkle bug in all of us. Think of all the people who flock to view those overly-decorated blinking homes on display during the holidays. On a recent trip to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, we (my family and I) saw a gigantic whirligig sculpture from a distance–a landmark for The American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM).

Trekking toward the whirligig, we came upon a mirrored tree marvel (top photo). It was comprised of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of mosaic mirrors with colored plastic and glass embellishments along its trunk, base and “branches.” Hanging delicately off the tree branches were dangly mirrors of assorted shapes and sizes which caught the afternoon sun at the perfect angle, setting off a mini light show that bounced and danced off the sidewalk, the street and us!

We entered the museum, turbo-charged for more delightful discoveries. (AVAM is incredible. A must-see next time you’re in the Baltimore-Washington DC area.)

Check out the cool up-close, lovely details. The name of the sculptor TBA (as soon as I find out).

Here’s to home-grown shiny and festive. Promise not to send PETA after my father-in-law? Paul grew up hunting the wilds of Chesapeake Bay (pre-suburbia) and this deer head, a gift from his brother, hangs in the family room. Paul’s decorating-diva spirit definitely got the best of the deer–the lights, beer cans and a blinking doodad on its nose–so not Martha Stewart!

Paul strung up even more colored lights along with his hand-crafted contraption of pine cones and beer cans placed on a retro beer-tab chain hung along the walls and ceilings of the room. Can you imagine him on reality TV: Straight Former Hunter-Chemist with a “Queer Eye?” Not! Well, at least, he can express bright, shiny and festive!

Thanksgiving ‘07.

I brought my daughter’s copy of THE GIVER by Lois Lowry on our annual Thanksgiving trip to the east coast. Kai lauds THE GIVER as her favorite book “of all time.” Not a surprise. It sported the worn and tattered look of a well-loved book.

To my delight, THE GIVER was an excellent holiday read. You see, I’ve grown weary of all the holiday hullabaloo pressuring us into a spending frenzy. Don’t get me wrong. One of my favorite things about the season is gift-giving. However, what is the true meaning of gift and giving, especially in today’s culture? These words have been stripped of their true lustre thanks to the bombardment of holiday advertising, spend-now-pay-later deals and other commercial trappings. THE GIVER pulls us in, neck deep, into rushing waters forcing us to tread on the genuine meaning of giving and receiving.

A riveting tale set in a pristine, ideal community, THE GIVER suggests that a smooth ride in life is not without bumpy, disjointed truths, or dangerous consequences, even if things are perfect. I love Lowry’s voice—her expert build-up of tension, clarity of storytelling and poetic description satisfied me to the bone. Although it took me away from my NanoWriMo writing, the story was a welcome distraction. I was inspired and rejuvenated by Lowry’s words, secretly wishing that her gift of language would rub off on me. (Okay, it’s not a secret anymore.) THE GIVER earned the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1994.

Photo: My friend’s daughter, Sophia. Too cute!

Today, I’m sharing kid lit wisdom in the form of “Threebies,” a trio of kid lit insights and quotes from veteran authors & illustrators. Enjoy!

* * *

“I write and illustrate picture books because I’ve never outgrown a deep childhood urge to enter a magical world.”

~ Elisa Kleven

* * *

WHEN I’M STARTING A NOVEL, I’m like a dog circling and circling before it settles down to sleep. I might circle for days, weeks, or months before dropping into the focused, dreamy state in which a story becomes so engaging and alluring that it pulls me along. Sometimes it feels like a fight to find the main thread of a story, and during those times my writing schedule is more erratic. But overall, I’m very disciplined, in the sense that once I commit to a story I see it through, no matter how long it takes.

~ Deborah Davis

* * *

DANGEROUS MYTHS AND TERRIBLE TRUTHS
A Quick Intro to Writing Children’s Books & Publishing Them

By Aaron Shepard

MYTH: Children’s books are easier to write than adult books.
TRUTH: Good writing is difficult no matter what the reader’s age—and children deserve the best.

MYTH: Picture books are the easiest children’s books to write.
TRUTH: Picture books may be the hardest—because they demand conciseness, simplicity, and a visual sense. Also, the competition is greater, because more people try them.

MYTH: A children’s book writer must first write for magazines.
TRUTH: Writing for magazines can teach you a lot, but it is different in some ways from book writing. And though magazine credits may catch a book editor’s eye, they won’t sell your manuscript. If books are your goal, you might do well to jump right in.

MYTH: Children’s stories should teach lessons.
TRUTH: Good children’s stories do not preach. Instead, they educate for life, by exploring significant themes—as do good adult stories.

MYTH: Since my kids/neighbors/students like my story, it will make a great book.
TRUTH: Your kids/neighbors/students may like it only because it’s yours, or because they enjoy your reading. This does not impress editors.

I’m doing NaNoWriMo! November is National Novel Writing Month. I signed up October 31st and started off with a new Alphasmart at my doorstep and a story on my fingertips.

However, there’s a few obstacles. The Alphasmart model I received was defective. After several email and phone conversations, the helpful folks at Renaissance Learning are sending another one on the way. Also, the Nano site is extremely slow and has glitches in the widget word count program. Certain parts of my nano site are off limits for a few days.

This less than perfect start hasn’t deterred me from writing though. I’ve carved out time for my story and am currently at 4563 words in my YA novel. Writing YA is definitely not the norm for me. I tend to write short pieces like poetry and PB’s. In 2005, I decided to particpate in Nano one-third of the way into it and I proudly reached 35k words. I know I’ll need to pick up my pace in order to reach 50k by November 30th. I want a Nano medal this go round. If I get a decent story from this, even better.

The above image is from the Nano store. I will buy myself one when I reach 25k words—half-way to the finish for a shiny, new red mug!

Here’s something I conjured up for Virago Theatre Company’s latest production, Mankind’s Last Hope, a family show (the first family show ever for Virago!), featuring disgruntled human whittlers, rubberband balls and aliens. When I’m not writing or drawing for kid lit, I do graphics.

Main Ingredients:

1 oz. Rubberband Ball (Royalty-free art shown above)…

… 1 oz. Line-art Image of Jiggy the Alien (Art by Alana Dill), and…

…1 Whole Photo of Human Workers. (Photo by Chuck DiGuida)

Begin with a raw concept and prepare each main ingredient separately. Chop out the colors and sauté the rubberband ball to a nice shade of brown. Using a virtual spatula, flip and filter the alien image into a believable, finely muted shadow. After slicing and dicing the background from the group photo, blend in color along the bottom of the image.

Sprinkle in some words, taking care not to burn or overcook the typefaces. Let simmer in Photoshop for 2 days, allowing for 1 hungry director and a few other taste-testers to give it a sampling.

While it sets in production, apply a fine glaze—the final touch for turning it into a tasty 4 x 6 postcard. Yum!

I’m going to see the play with my family tonight at Rhythmix Cultural Works. I hear it’s a feast for the senses. Can’t wait!

Hey, here’s a treat for all you blog visitors: You get to “carve” your own pumpkin here! There’s no hassle, no mess. Just draw with your mouse. Who says you have to make a traditional pumpkin face? I made a jack-o-lion. So, go on… make a face! And have a safe and happy halloween…

I just revived this image for use as an avatar on Verla Kay’s Blue Boards, a discussion board for children’s book writers and illustrators. This illustration is part of an old illos series on Miss Mary Mack, which I describe in greater detail in an old IF blog entry from January 2006.

Responding to a recent inquiry for a book project requiring a retro, 50’s sort of look, I referred the potential client to my most current online portfolio and had forgotten all about this image (which had been sitting in an art folder). This image is very retro, don’t you think?

I think of my art style(s) as having a more personal slant. However, the potential client’s 12-year-old daughter had perused my portfolio with her dad and pointed out that one of my illos looked just like “clip art”! That was supposedly a huge compliment. Ha!

It’s fall and it’s time to harvest. Harvest what, you might ask? Well that depends on how you use the word. I’m referring to an American Heritage Dictionary definition of harvest meaning: the result or consequence of an activity. According to my calendar, it’s time for a harvest of hula.

For many years, at the height of fall, I find myself, my hula brothers and sisters, Kumu Patrick and others entrenched in Na Lei Hulu’s annual fall production. It’s very much like a fall harvest after many months of rehearsals. At last, we’ll see and hear Kumu stringing together a colorful collection of stories and songs, accented and expressed with the fragrance of hula–like a humongous lei of aloha descending upon the city of San Francisco.

That’s why I’ve been away from blogland for a while. Much work and preparation goes into our show. It is truly a labor of love from scores of people, not just on-stage but also behind the scenes–people helping with costumes, lei-making, lighting, tech, photography, graphics, promo, publicity–you name it, someone has put their *kokua into it.    *kokua means to help, assist

Na Lei Hulu is nonprofit dance company dedicated to sharing Hawaiian culture and art, and it does so in it’s own unique way. This year’s production, O’ahu, Confessions of an Island, features a world premiere run of new dance numbers highlighting the inside scoop on O’ahu. Sure, O’ahu is well-known for the Waikiki scene and the North Shore. But there’s a lot more to be discovered about Hawai’i’s most-populated island. The show runs for two consecutive weekends, from October 20 to 28 at the Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco.

You might catch some press about us in the Bay Area papers and on TV. This week, we were on KGO’s The View From the Bay. Check out their website which has a short video showing clips from past shows and an interview of Kumu Patrick by Nick Smith with Manny and I dancing in the background. We taped this at Mission Dolores Park which is usually filled with people and dogs. However, the huge lawn stood empty and nearby playground sat quiet as it was overcast and drizzly that day–typical SF fall weather, though not unlike the misty rains of the Ko’olau mountains on O’ahu (the above photo shows the Pali of Nu’uanu, a part of the Ko’olau range.).

For the first time ever, Na Lei Hulu is doing a special show especially for young audiences called Hula For Families on Sunday, October 28. It’s a shortened, action-packed version of our main production featuring hula in a fun, informative way. Edutainment, anyone? Find out more here.

Lucky me, I have a writer friend (Sarah) who lives in Iceland, who has indulged my requests for photos of Iceland today. (Thank you, thank you, Sarah!)

Much of it is just how I remember it, from ages 4 thru 7. My family was brought here by my father, a career navy guy. He was stationed at the US Naval Base in Keflavik. We lived off base for a while which exposed us to many of the local folks, sites and sounds. Iceland was a fine place to live and play. These photos reveal Iceland’s images so clearly stamped in my mind…

The fields of green (Generally speaking, Iceland is the green place and Greenland is the icy place.)…

The charming buildings and streets of Rekjavik (We felt very at home living off base.)…

The stinky dried fish stakes which dotted the landscape for miles and miles. (I would plug my nose for miles and miles)…

And, of course, the splendor of the aurora borealis (also known as the northern lights)…

These last photos were taken by photographer, Thor Marteinsson. I stumbled on his gallery in cyber space. Thor uses no special effects in his photos. Aren’t they amazing? The aurora borealis is a special effect itself.

The image above shows a canopy of northern lights at a geothermal vent.

Here is the aurora borealis as it cascades down in a rainbow of colors. If you think these pics are mind-boggling, then imagine yourself standing underneath the sky as the aurora borealis is in full show. Words can’t accurately describe the experience so I won’t even try. All I know is that it had a life-long effect on me as a child looking on. To this day, I love working with colors.

View more aurora borealis pics at Thor’s website.

That’s right. Church Lady has a contest and a cool weekend of interviews with children’s authors at A Bench Press blog. Church Lady will insist on the lowdown on this heavenly business of writing and bookmaking. Join the fun and meet authors, Gretchen Laskas on Friday, Elizabeth Bunce on Saturday and yours truly on Sunday. Yikes, I’m slightly behind in posting this but it’s not too late to join the contest today and tomorrow!

Oh yes, there will be prizes! Church Lady believes in prizes, too! For more info visit A Bench Press. Or just see who’s in the hot seat with Church Lady today.

This Monday, I went to see celebrated Newbery author, Jerry Spinelli, at my local independent bookstore: Books, Inc., Alameda. His latest title, LOVE, STARGIRL, has just been released and he’s doing a two week book tour in the USA by train. Like everyone else, I’d listen to his talk, buy a copy, have him sign the book and float away with a smile, right? No, not exactly…

Before leaving the house, I followed a nudge to toss some extra items into my bag: an 8.5 x 11 poster and a copy of my picture book, THE SLEEPING GIANT: A Tale From Kaua’i. It seemed a little silly, but I did it anyway. I had met Jerry at the Highlight’s Writers Workshop in Chautauqua in 2005. Having just sold my picture book, I was fortunate to engage in several conversations with Jerry and his wife, Eileen, on being a writer and the art of writing.

On return from that trip, I added my favorite motivational quotes, including one of Jerry’s sayings, to a hand-decorated poster that I placed on my wall, next to my computer. I needed some positive reinforcement, for although I’d sold my story, I still had the monumental task of completing it. It was my first picture book and it had a looming deadline. Was I up to the challenge?

It’s ironic how everything we wish for can happen; albeit, all at the same time. Sure, I had a book contract, but I was neck-deep in a rigorus dance program, I had family commitments, a son graduating middle-school, a soccer team to coach, freelance projects and something called “life.” There were days when I doubted myself and my work. On other days, I was so exhausted I couldn’t paint another stroke. The words on my poster pressed me to stay focused. I plugged away at the manuscript edits and worked faithfully on the illustrations. One page-spread at a time, I kept at it, until one glorious day everything was done.

My daughter, Kai, and I (shown in the above photo with Jerry) waited in line for close to forty minutes. I rehearsed my delivery in my mind, which was going to be smooth and professional, of course. However, when it came our turn to meet Jerry, I said something goofy and non-sensical as I pointed to his saying (set in stone serif bold) on my hand-made poster. I felt like a little kid pointing to a fingerpainting.

It took a few minutes for him to realize what was going on, but when I pulled out my picture book and reminded him of Chautauqua, his face lit up. He graciously accepted a copy of my book—a book that was eight years in the making. It was retold, revised, reincarnated as a story a trillion times over—by me. What I learned in the process could be summed up by Jerry’s words: “Write what you care about.”

My awkward attempt at “show and tell” didn’t matter. Jerry understood my visit.

Special thanks to Jennifer AKA Litericat on Verla Kay’s Blue Boards for publicizing Jerry’s appearance. Jennifer runs the Not Your Mother’s Book Club for teens in the SF Bay Area. Check out her NYMBC website for the next exciting event—she has a bunch of them coming up.

Momentum, as in skate-boarding downslope with your best buddies~your dog and your books.

I illustrated and designed this bookmark a few years ago. I like this Groucho Marx saying and thought it would “work” with these images. What do you think?

I am paying my respects to Ms. Madeleine L’Engle (1918-2007), who wrote one of my very favorite books as a child, A WRINKLE IN TIME. The book came to me when I was nine and I’d grown tired of reading and re-reading my robust collection of comic books. Though our teacher read us parts of A WRINKLE IN TIME, I wanted the book for myself. So, I borrowed it from the library, ever eager to visit Ms. L’Engle’s words again. Instead, I visited her worlds. And I changed mine in the process. Thank you, Ms. L’Engle.

What does your drawing say about YOU?

I took a personality test in which you draw something online using a mouse, and then it analyzes your drawing and you! The results were surprisingly accurate. I’ll skip the complete analysis, but here’s two interesting points:

– You are driven and ambitious and tend to make radical moves to reach your goals.
– You are a thoughtful and cautious person. You like to think about your method, seeking to pursue your goal in the most effective way.

Talk about contrasts!

My favorite part was the process–remembering what it’s like to walk in a grove of redwoods trees. I love the majestic presence of redwoods–the outdoor cathedral they create is simply breathtaking.

Tip: The drawing program doesn’t capture loops and curves very well and there’s no erasing, but have fun anyway!

Language is the dress of thought. ~Samuel Johnson

About the image: The above illustration was rendered by yours truly with a brush pen, then scanned and modified in photoshop.

Go for it! It’s the first day of the Fast Draft September Challenge on Verla Kay’s Blue Boards. Here’s my report:

My goal for the month is 30k from scratch. Today, I wrote 1050/30,000.

I am writing 2-3 pages of my SFD (sloppy first draft) every single day this month. My daily progress will be posted on the blue boards. If I’m feeling especially motivated, I might do a sketch or two related to the story. I’m working on a middle-grade novel.

Having written a picture book, I’ve experienced what Mem Fox meant when she said: Writing a picture book is like writing War and Peace in haiku. I love picture books despite of their difficulty. But, I admit, I’m a sucker for a good challenge. And I’m about to embark on a new one soon: drafting a new novel.

What’s the big deal? You say. Well, there are scores of novelists tapping away at laptops, at any given moment, in coffee shops across America. But, I’m a writer/illustrator who relishes the touch, smell and feel of picture books. I successfully staved off novel-writing for two years. However, a particular story is rumbling, raging and dragging me by the keyboard to the “other side,” the realm of middle grade genre.

In response, I’m doing “Fast Draft September,” a Verla Kay Blue Board writing challenge. In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, outside the month of November, the strict guidelines and fancy online tools, we are a loose contingency of children’s book writers committed to fast drafting our stories in one month. We will type our little digi-pads off from September 1-30 to reach our respective coveted word count goals. May the Heavenly Writing Muses have mercy on us.

There will be sporty little writing book by my side (at least until I finish reading it). It’s called Spunk & Bite by Arhur Plotnik and I’ll have it at the ready for a jolt of inspiration.

Since I participated in NaNoWriMo 2005, I have fairly good idea of how to proceed. In ‘05, I wrote 35k words (not too shabby for a PB writer). But this time will be different. Instead of a fancy-free, spontaneous writing piece, I’ve taken on the daunting task of telling a story that wants to come out. It must be unearthed. Wish me luck!

Here’s a closing quote for all you ink slingers out there:

Perceived correctness can be comforting to the reader, like a tidy house. But what distinguishes a piece of writing is the ambiance—the environmental mood—that language can create. That’s why locution, locution, locution is so important to realtors of words.

— Arthur Plotnik, SPUNK & BITE

Stay tuned for a mish mash of photos from my summer trip. Here’s one taken by my daughter, Kai, when we were in Montreal. I like the shadows on my son and I, especially how the leafy shadows fall on my face. I had read a YA book on the trip and this pic reminds me of characters from the story. To be continued…

Meanwhile, Here’s a Meme

I was tagged by Italy-based writer, Natalie, with my very first meme! Here’s how it goes: Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names (see below), then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

8 Facts/Habits About Me (The Writer/Illustrator)

1. As a kid, I “failed” at coloring books and paint-by-numbers sets. I much preferred coloring outside the lines and drawing in new stuff. As for following a paint-by-numbers color key? No way! I tried to paint my own “masterpiece” on the back side.

2. I drove my kindergarten teacher crazy due to my incessant daydreaming.
She: Now, class…blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Me: … … … Huh, what? You said somethin’??

3. My best ideas often come to me while in transit, whether I’m riding a bike, car or train. I always keep a sketch book and pen or pencil handy. Now, if I could only steer and write/sketch at the same time…

4. I won an art contest when I was eleven. All I did was draw a picture of an elf and mail it in. A little while later, I received a check for fifteen dollars and a scholarship to an art study program. I didn’t do the program, but I did cash my check.

5. Guess what I bought with the cash? Comic books! As a kid, I subsisted on a steady diet of Archies, Supergirl, Superboy, Richie Rich, Dot and others. I was also quite fond of Mad magazine.

6. My sixth grade teacher had a strict policy: Absolutely, no farting in class. If you did, you were sent straight to The Office. He sent certain kids to the office all the time. I recall their names and how they loved the attention. My point: I have a knack (or curse) for remembering A LOT of details about growing up. Ah, such precious fodder for my stories…

7. I lost my childhood collection of writings, artwork and journals. Fortunately, I haven’t missed them too much thanks to Meme No. 6.

8. I daydream on the job. It’s like a requirement for what I do. … … Um, someone say somethin’?…

Fellow writers & artists I’m tagging (so far): Elizabeth, Karen, Paula, Sarah, Jennifer… (links to come)

Before summer disappears into a wisp of Bay Area fog, here’s a quick update on some of my happenings:

On July 20th, I went to the Harry Potter Release Party and Alameda Education Foundation (AEF) Fundraiser at Books Inc. on Park St. Throngs of muggles, HP fans and wizards-in-training filled the store, spilling onto the sidewalks where the party continued. It was fun, fun, fun. Better yet, the proceeds went to a great cause. I saw lots of familiar faces and fellow Alamedans, such as jazz artist and songstress, Natasha Miller. The above pic shows Natasha and I displaying each other’s respective works carried at Books, Inc. Alameda.

In early August, I traveled to NY with Halau Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu to perform at the Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Summer Festival, the NY Smithsonian National Museum for the American Indian and the Huntington Arts Festival. Our Lincoln Center Kids’ Show was rained out but all the other venues were peachy keen. Now, this sounds cliche but: I heart NY!

Immediately following the NY gigs, I went on a road trip with my family to Montreal and New England. I had my first true 10-day break in years. I was off the grid and loved every minute of it.

Stay tuned for more details and photos.

What do I do besides write and illustrate? It’s hard sometimes to answer that question because I freelance and it depends on what I’m doing at the moment. In general, I am a writer/illustrator. And although I have a wide background in the arts, I’m quite focused. I figured out a way to work at home (so that I could be with my family) as a graphic artist and work as a children’s entertainer as a caricaturist, dancer, art workshop specialist…I’ve even done “walk arounds” as Disney’s Pocahantes. That was a previous life.

Until one “makes it” as a published author and/or illustrator with a decent-sized book list, the word on the street is: Don’t quit your day job. For me, that means doing caricatures on the side, on-site at events, parties, grad nights, bar mitvahs, etc. or doing commissioned caricature gigs. The image above was a recent rush job for a couple that likes to scuba dive.

Today I am doing caricatures for a 4th of July BBQ. It’s good fun. An artist/writer life can be isolating so freelancing offers a welcome change of pace. Happy 4th ya’all!

Here's what I've been working on recently...






Illustrations for an educational anthology by Harcourt, these are for a Kiowa folk tale about how the sun came to be in the sky. I'm really pleased with how they turned out, and I finished them a week ahead of schedule.

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