Archive for Educators

Sunshine

January 30, 2012 Educators, Kids, Writers No comments

Just returned from a week in Arizona, a perfect place to renew energy and hope. The clear sunny skies are a welcome contrast to Oregon’s slate-grey skies and endless rain. Oh, it’s really not bad here. The green is outrageous, and then there’s the mountains, and the rivers. No complaints, really, except that it’s fun to travel and see what it’s like elsewhere.

Any writing ideas while traveling? Of course! Spending time in the southwest always inspires my interest in Native American history and the plight of the tribes that lived there. It’s a history that disturbs me, and I find myself angry over the wrongs that were committed in the name of expansion and nation-building. I know every story has more than one side to it, but the way the tribes were treated by the U.S. government may be the exception to the rule.

Winter visits the Grand Canyon

Poetry

January 12, 2012 Educators, Kids 22 comments

Ahh, poetry, the economic use of words that have meaning and rhythm. I have always enjoyed writing poems as well as sharing my interest in poetry with kids. I’ve had the pleasure of exploring this genre with fourth graders at Willagillespie school, and I’d like to share some of their hard work. Feel free to comment, encourage and support these young writers.

First, I’d like to offer one of mine that I shared with the students as we created together. This poem was inspired by a recent trip on an airplane.

Perfume

Silently, it sneaks
into my nose,
hides there
then tiptoes
down to my mouth,
where it ties my tongue tightly
and robs my breath.

Happy New Year!

January 4, 2012 Educators, Kids, Writers 2 comments

And a most happy and healthy New Year to all. 2011 was a very interesting and exciting year; I expect 2012 to be the same. A little calmer would be fine, but I’m not complaining. Not only did I get to travel last year (Idaho, central Oregon, San Diego), but I also had a book published (The Magic of A.C. Gilbert) in both print and electronic (my first) formats. 2012 is looking quite good, with two more books scheduled or release, and shortly, too.

Despite being highly focused on house-building matters, the writing life continues. Currently, I’m creating a display for the Eugene Public Library that will highlight the A.C. book. Hope to have it set up sometime this week. A Ferris wheel made from a 1960 Erector Set will be part of the display. If you live in the area, drop by the children’s section of the library and check it out.

Driftwood Reading Council

December 5, 2011 Educators No comments

‘Twas a grand visit to the coast and the enthusiastic teachers of the Driftwood Reading Council. The weather was stellar, the company inspiring, and the topic…well, it was my favorite. As usual, I left with more ideas and schemes for learning than I came with. Thank you, folks, for your good humor and your willingness to be active participants. And many thanks to Ann Marineau for organizing the event.

The magical Driftwood Reading Council

To The Sea

December 2, 2011 Educators No comments

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

– John Masefield

Off to “the sea” today, well really the bay – Coos Bay – which is adjacent to the sea (Pacific Ocean). I’m headed there to work with the fine teachers of Coos and Curry counties (southwest Oregon). The topic? You guessed it: Nonfiction. Real writing. I’m looking forward to sharing with them and learning from them. And, of course, visiting the sea, which I don’t get to often enough.

Road Trip

November 16, 2011 Educators, Writers No comments

Writing a book is one thing. Selling it is another. Authors write books because we love to write. Being a sales person doesn’t have quite the same appeal. But sale persons we are – all of us (even non-writers) in one way of the other. And there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as we believe in what we’re selling.

With that firmly in mind, I took off yesterday for a road trip in order to…you got it…sell my A.C. Gilbert book. My aim was to find book and gift stores that would carry the book. Believe me, this is not my favorite way to spend time -“Good day, I’d like to share with you my latest book for children…” – but I have to admit it was a lot better than I anticipated.

Writers (at least the ones I know) have to steel themselves for rejection because the simple fact is that most things that are written never even get published. So, coming from a rejection mindset, it’s a challenge not to carry that into the stores you enter. What a pleasant surprise, however, when booksellers greet you amicably, make positive comments about your work, and then order on the spot. Cool! I’m not saying this happened in every store I went, but it did in most. What this did was reinvigorate me about the work I’ve done.

If you live in or around Corvallis and Salem, Oregon, here are some great places to find The Magic of A.C. Gilbert:

Corvallis – OSU Bookstore, Grassroots Bookstore

Kaiser – Booksmart

Salem – A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village, Mission Mill Museum

Carrying books and inflated confidence, I will continue on.

p.s. I’ll keep writing, too.

I Love to Write Day

November 9, 2011 Educators, Writers No comments

Oh, no, not another holiday. But wait, this one is different. No gifts to buy, dinners to prepare, or relatives to endure. Just fun. Writing fun!

November 15 is national I Love to Write Day. Founded in 2002 by Delaware author John Riddle, this is a special day to celebrate writing and remember its importance (ed. note: this can also be done every day of the year). Of course there is a website to visit – http://www.ilovetowriteday.org/ – where you can find activities for kids as well as parents. Enjoy!

And, if you miss this day, make I Love to Write Day the next day. And the next. And the next…

Vacation

October 31, 2011 Educators, Kids, Writers No comments

Hiking with llamas

Everybody, including writers, deserve vacations and I recently had the good fortune of experiencing one. My muse and I traveled to central Oregon and spent a week at Eagle Crest. An advantage of no longer teaching is that you can vacation during the more mellow travel times of the year: spring and fall. And mellow it was at “the Crest.” Hiking, biking, and viewing birds during the day as well as stars at night.

Of course, “mental vacations” are another matter for some writers, including me. So, during the week I proofread a middle-grade novel I am planning to submit. I also spent time jotting down ideas for other projects and planning marketing strategies for current books. It was a great time.

Prepping

October 13, 2011 Educators No comments

It’s a great today as I prepare for a workshop session I’ll be presenting tomorrow for the Eugene Emerald Reading Council. The topic: nonfiction, something near and dear to my heart. Nonfiction is a topic more and more teachers are paying attention to now, which is a very good thing since most of what we write in our lives is nonfiction. When was the last time you wrote a piece of fiction? Uhh, it’s been awhile, right?

This does not mean that we shouldn’t be instructing kids how to write stories. Using your imagination to create stories is very important, too. But, fiction should not (in my humble opinion) be the primary emphasis of a writing program. Or, a reading program for that matter.

If you want handouts for the session, you’ll find them in the Workshops tab at the top of my home page of the website. They will only be available for a limited time, so get ’em while they’re hot! I’d also direct you to the Emerald Empire Reading Council’s website that appears on my Blogroll (on the right). They have many useful resources as well.

Welcome Amazon

October 11, 2011 Educators, Writers No comments

And here’s a warm welcome to blog readers from the Amazon Author Page site. I have recently set up this page to share the work I have done, and the work I am doing. The latest is a picture book biography of America’s most famous toymaker: A.C. Gilbert. The book is titled The Magic of A.C. Gilbert and is an e-book version, my very first ever. This version comes as a result of my association with eReadia, a very cool company that’s offering e-books as well as innovative tech support for both teachers and writers. Check out their site at www.eReadia.com. Thanks, Will (the Prez), for your vision and your support.

Another e-book will soon be available on the Amazon site, too. Stay tuned…

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