In October of 2022 Doubleday for Young Readers [a Division of Penguin Random House] Published My Debut Picture Book The Donkey’s Song. Everything about The Donkey’s Song is a miracle. One of the greatest miracles is that when Donkey was published, I was 72. But I had been carrying that story with me all my…
Category: #MemoirMondays
Myth and Memoir Writing – Understanding the Difference Between Magical Thinking and Harsh Truth – #MemoirMonday
On Mondays, I like to create a special post about writing a memoir. I call those posts #MemoirMondays. My goal for today is to explain that a memoir must be truthful– But it should not be a harsh account of reality. That is one of the differences between writing for an encyclopedia and writing a…
The Tapestry of Carole King’s Music: A Message and a Lesson for #MemoirMonday
After several years without melody, I have returned to the songs that have become part of my soul. I recently subscribed to Amazon Music, and I added to my Playlist: Folk music of the 60s, but Amazon also began playing music from Carole King’s Tapestry Album–which I consider to be music of the 70s. From…
Precious Memories, How They Linger – An Older Joan Baez Remembered When the President Sang Amazing Grace
I’m trying to move on from my disappointment about the 2024 election [primarily with the people who elected him]. To help with that effort, I turned off the news channels. Being hooked on the drama of what is happening in our nation’s politics is a drug that was killing me. For years, I had allowed…
Happy Birthday to One of My Heroes – Mary Travers – Because of Peter, Paul, & Mary, I Learned to Ask the Questions that Were Blowin’ in the Wind
When I was a teenager, the Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion were at the top of the musical charts, but I still preferred to listen to folk music. Of all the folk musicians, Peter, Paul, & Mary had the greatest influence on my life, and partially because I was a female with…
The Importance of Planting Pollinators in Your Garden
I have written several posts about the pollinators I plant in my gardens. Generally speaking, I focus on planting perennial pollinators. But I also add several annual pollinators. For instance, I plant Heavenly Blue Morning Glory Vines EVERY year, and the morning glories I plant are annuals. What Is A Garden Annual? An annual is…
Growing Morning Glories – Remembering My Grandmother’s Garden – Memoir Monday – Joy Comes in the Morning & Thomas Wolfe: Some Things Will Never Change
For weeks, I have watched my morning glory vines as they have slowly and tediously twisted themselves into glorious blue tapestry that has woven itself around my garden. Morning Glory Vines at the Back of My Garden – July 15, 2024 During the early part of summer, I praised my morning glory vines as they…
Time to Set Up Bird Feeders and Plant Wildflowers – Winter Comes Too Soon: Memoir Mondays
There’s a frenzy in my garden, Squirrels can’t get enough. Birds are looking frantically For seeds and nuts and stuff. The corn is dry and shriveled now, A vine has reached the top. Fading leaves are bending low, And bright red apples drop. – Jacki Kellum – I began writing the abovee picture book manuscript…
Apples Are as American as Mom and Apple Pie – Memoir Mondays
Moments ago, I posted a rich testament to apples, but it was published in 1884 by a British man, Richard Folkard. Richard Folkard has provided us with an almost perfect history of the Apple and the Mythology associated with that plant. He drew upon stories from the ancient Brittons, the ancient Greeks, Italy, and several…
Turn A Tiny Memory from Your Past into A Picture Book – How to Write Memoir – #Memoir Mondays
The first ingredient of any picture book is a story. After we find our stories, we writers need to polish them a bit–but the effort begins with a story. I am an advocate of looking within for our stories–at looking at the memories from our pasts. I have recently studied the massive library of Tomie…