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Category: writing

from my novel in progress

“The next day the school summons me back to sign some papers. I take you along with me, owl-baby, to remind them that you, like any other child, deserve understanding, and also because I have no choice—there is no sitter left in all of Sacramento, I think sometimes, who hasn’t heard of you. You’re still just a baby, practically speaking. As we sit here together in the head teacher’s tiny office, the formerly optimistic head teacher won’t look us in the eye. She’s looking down at the Russ Berrie collectibles on her desk instead. I can tell I’ll get nowhere with her. The best I can hope for is a pro-rated tuition refund.” (from my novel-in-progress, illustration below)

The Joy of Not Knowing What You’re Doing

Most people who read my blog already know that I had never drawn anything before The Book of Dog, which I illustrated with black-and-white line drawings–like my dear friend Wanda Lubiejewski.

At the very end of my Book of Dog journey, though, I started fooling around with paper cuttings instead. It was so much fun that, when I realized my Book of Dog paperback cover didn’t work at all for the square format of an audio CD, I came up with this completely different look for the audiobook.

Now I’m having fun imagining the characters of my next novel as paper cuttings. Here is one possible picture for a scene that takes place in the Premature Owl-Baby Ward (why not):

Hans Christian Anderson was a master at this obscure art, by the way. He used to cut out characters while he told his stories and then unfold them at the end. Here is one of his amazing papercuttings:

On Being a Writer in the Age of Trump

I wrote an essay for the site “Women Writers, Women’s Books” on the ways our Misogynist in Chief is changing language–the way it is used to inform, the way it is used to dissemble. I would be honored if you give it a read, and tell me what you think. Here is the link. The very silly author selfie is taken in front of Rodin’s “The Gates of Hell,” on the Stanford campus. It’s a great spot. I’m listening to “Don Giovanni” btw…

Hello.

I wrote to the end of a new book today. It has pictures. I will publish it eventually, and if you happen to read it, I think you will be pleasantly surprised, and possibly delighted. After you read it, please run for public office, or march on Mar-a-Lago, or contribute to the ACLU.

Thanks for being a reader. We’re a vanishing breed.