Hispanic Heritage Month starts Tuesday. It’s always been a special time to acknowledge the history and contributions of the many people who make up the Hispanic/Latinx community. With this year’s racial reckoning and social upheaval, I thought I’d share some data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanics make up nearly 19% of the U.S. population. […]
It is with a heavy heart that I share news of the end of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Writers’ Institute. The 30-year-long literary conference is shutting down due to financial loss from the coronavirus pandemic. It’s hard to express how much of a loss this is for the Wisconsin writing community. The Writers’ Institute […]
Six months. It’s taken me six months to get back to my blog, this News section. My last post was about being awarded two literary residencies and the weight of expectations, yet it was hopeful. *I* was hopeful. But even as I wrote that entry, the coronavirus pandemic was spreading around the world. Here in […]
I’m really excited to announce that I’ve been awarded two writerly residencies! They’re set for December 2020 and September 2021, which I suspect will be here before I know it, but I’m thrilled with that because residencies are actually a dream come true for me. Allow me to explain. Residencies take many forms, but, in […]
How cool is this?! You may remember that I was interviewed last year by The Writescast Network podcast, which, by the way, is an excellent podcast for writers, illustrators, and creators of all types. Well, wow and zowie! I won the podcast’s MOST LISTENS AWARD for 2019! What a nice honor. I talked about writing a […]
I bought Scrivener last year and am really enjoying it. It seems like a really robust program, but that means there’s a lot to learn. So here I am trying to learn. Well, no, not really. Here I am posing with some SCBWI gals who helped put together a meetup about Scrivener, but I was too […]
When Newbery Award winner Linda Sue Park visits your area, you go. And that’s just what a bunch of us SCBWI-ers did recently when Boswell Book Company hosted her appearance promoting the release of her new middle grade novel, Prairie Lotus. Park says the work is reminiscent of the Little House books and is set in […]
I finally made it to SCBWI‘s New York international conference, and it was all I knew it would be. There is so much talent here, so much knowledge. I’m feeling like a dust mote in a wind storm. If you’re a creator of kidlit, especially an illustrator with a ready portfolio, get yourself out here. […]
Wow! Wowee wow! I might be hyperventilating as I write this, but I’m so thrilled to share the news with you. I’ve won a major award! I’ve won the SCBWI Spark Award. This is an incredible honor because of who it’s from and because of what it represents. It’s given by the Society of Children’s […]
I have immense gratitude as I look back at 2019. I could write long tomes about the many blessings, joys, and stations I’ve experienced this year, but I often think simpler is better. And so on this holiday, I’ve reflected on my own and the journeys of my loved ones, as such reflection does us […]