On August 1, I  will begin what I plan to make an annual tradition. I’ll begin a deep dive into Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting.

Tuck Everlasting is a Celebration of Time–Time as it relates to the Seasons and the Seasons of Life–and TIme as it relates to the clock. Most people are deeply aware of Time–and the Traditions of TIme, and seemingly forever, Writers and Storytellers have been making literature about their reactions to time.

In Ancient Greek Mythology, the Horae represented the elements of TIme:

The Horae and Other Ancient Greek Deities that Celebrate the Seasons

I am a Four Seasons Gardener, and I Celebrate Time and the Seasons in My Garden:

What Is a Four Seasons Garden?

I also celebrate Time in my Writing. I am a Memoir Writer, and my debut picture book The Donkey’s Song is a celebration of Christmas, a celebration that is deeply rooted in my annual tradition and celeebration of the Christmas Season. The Christmas Season is almost a season within a season, but it is rooted in my yearly calendar,

Should Picture Book Writers Write Memoirs? YES!

I also study Tuck Everlasting because it is an example of excellent writing. In my opinion, every would-be writer and/or writer who wishes to improve his craft should study Tuck Everlasting,

I subscribe to Natalie Babbitt’s belief that the best way to become a better writer is to read.

“Be a reader. It’s the only rea way to earn how to tekk a story.” Natalie Babbitt