My husband and I were out to dinner tonight and overheard a conversation between a mother and her son, who I would guess was around 10. The boy was upset about something to do with a friend named Joe. I heard the mom say, “Well, you just tell him, you say, ‘Joe, I know it was an accident when you knocked the X-Box off the table, but my mom says you have to tell your parents or she will.’ ”And this is where the boy became particularly distressed. He responded, “But I already told him that, sort of. And he said that I should let him talk to you.… Read the rest
For the last 12+ years I’ve had long hair, but not anymore. Today I had 10 inches cut off and donated it to Locks of Love.
My friend Jen (who donated her hair over the summer) and my hairdresser planted the seed for donating my hair. Now, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t worried a bit about doing this. The last time I cut my hair shorter than shoulder length, I looked 12. I was 17. When you are a 17-year-old starting college, the last thing you want is to look 12. Nowadays, I’m pretty confident I won’t be mistaken for 12.… Read the rest
Have you heard of The Grotto? No, not the one of Playboy Mansion fame. The writer’s grotto in San Francisco. It’s a collaborative workspace filled entirely with writers and filmmakers, started initially by Po Bronson, Ethan Watters, and Ethan Canin. I love this idea—an office of artists. Maybe not financially feasible for most, but I love the idea of having a place to go every day where I’d have my own work space and could get writing done, but also have regular, in-person access to a community of like-minded, creative individuals.
This was one of my favorite things about the SCBWI summer conference: The sense of community.… Read the rest
