Summer Reading Lists

Because we subscribe to The New York Times we get part of the Sunday paper on Saturday, including The Book Review. That's why this morning, while drinking coffee and eating Silver Palate's thick and rough oatmeal with pump juicy raisins, I know that the issue dated 5/31/09 is devoted to "Summer Readings." I counted the titles and found 15 fiction books, including 2 for children and 62--yup, sixty-two--nonfiction books, including 10 about cooking, 12 about gardening, 6 about travel and 4 about music, plus there was a nonfiction essay.
That ratio of fiction to nonfiction books, however, will be flipped, on the 2009 summer reading lists that teachers and librarians compile for children & young adults; in fact, in my experience, many--if not most--of those summer reading lists will have no, or only a few nonfiction books, or list books as nonfiction that aren't like the Magic School Bus.
Let's challenge the hegemony of fiction on summer reading lists for children and young adults & compile a list of nonfiction books; please send me your recommendations! Thank you!
p.s. (For more about the importance of nonfiction, check my podcast, "The Potential of Nonfiction," on my website.)

Author visit

I am about to do a Q & A with eight middle school girls at Saint Andrew's School in Boca Raton, FL via Skype. My long time friend Dot Emer (Dot Chastney in Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II) is the middle school librarian at Saint Andrew's. This is a first for the girls & the school. But we're all prepared--the technology is OK, the girls read some of my books, reviewed my web site, including examples of Q & A & I "talked" with two of the girls yesterday in a trail run. Ooops, better sign off & turn on my Skype or I won't be "show up" on time!
Update:

This picture was posted on the Saint Andrew's web site shortly after our fun Skype conversation. Here is an excerpt from the accompanying article: "On May 19, 6th and 7th grade students gathered in the Schmitt Library in the Middle School to skype online with acclaimed author Penny Colman, who was in Englewood, New Jersey. Each student was able to get behind the Web cam to ask Penny for advice on the writing process and about her professional career as an author. . . . Using Skype as an Internet connectivity in the classroom provides opportunities for interactive exchange and collaboration between students and the outside world. These synchronous, real-time discussions using VOIP software like Skype can tangibly expand the walls of the traditional classroom and engage students to write, share, and communicate with an authentic audience inaccessible just a few years ago." (Picture/article posted at: www.saintandrews.net & click on "Middle School Skypes with Author Penny Colman"/click on this pic for larger image.)

Saturday & Sunday--We finally managed two days & overnights at our bungalow at the Jersey Shore; unlike many people we typically go year round--I kayak into December--but this year our work pressures have been toooo intense to spend time there. Plus Stirring Up the World: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a Biography of a Powerful Friendship was too big a writing project to do there, i.e., not enough room for all my research material, no wireless internet connection, etc.
The days were sunless, but peaceful with few other intrepid people & Linda finally had the time to finish reading my manuscript. Getting to "know" Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony through my writing, she said, was a "deeply emotional experience." That was what I discovered too; so what a wonderful response to receive from her, my relentlessly perfectionist critic.

This evening my son Jonathan, a singer-songwriter, also president of the National Down Syndrome Society, is performing at a club in New York City. Another son David, a professor of African American history, is talking about his book Race Against Liberalism: Black Workers and the UAW in Detroit at the Englewood Library. We've gone to two of Jonathan's fabulous performances, plus he said tonight is for a "young" crowd, so we don't have to flip a coin to decide where to be--we'll go to hear David!

Eventful Day

This morning I spoke on "Celebrating Women," at the 18th Annual Women Veterans Health Conference at the VA Hospital in Brooklyn. Here a picture of one of the veterans showing me her portfolio of amazing art work--wood carvings, paintings, sculptures. I have a video of our conversation that I'll post later. Thank you to Catherine Nadal, Women's Veterans Program Manager, who invited me to speak. (click on pic for larger image)
Afterwards I drove to a section of Brooklyn that's been on my list of "women's history site to visit" for a long time--Gravesend, a permanent colonial settlement founded by a woman--Lady Deborah Moody in 1645(the date the Dutch granted her the town patent). A religious dissenter, Lady Moody had been dubbed a "dangerous woeman" by the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts, who had expelled her. In the town she founded, people were granted religious freedom and women could vote. From there I drove home, change clothes and returned to NYC to picked up Sophie. I'm driving, she's telling me about school, when suddenly she says: "Grammy, I remember when your hair was brown."

Rosy Red Nose

Sophie was waiting for me to put on my shoes so that we could go out for pizza. She had a page of stickers & we were joking about something--I don't remember what--when she spontaneously stuck one on end of my nose.
What's that?
A red star.
What will people think at the pizza store?
They'll think you're a writer.
Really?
Yes, writers look like that.
They do?
Let's pretend you're a poet and you want to imagine yourself:
Look at my
rosy red
nose with a
bright
star on it.

Award

Last night I was thrilled to be honored as a 2009 Woman of Achievement by the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs of General Federation of Women's Clubs and Douglass College of Rutgers, the State University. It was a glorious event and experience!!! Thank you to Anne H. Redlus, President of NJSFWC and all the members!!!!! The pictures L-R (click on pic for larger image): me giving my thank-you speech; Joint Legislative Resolution of commendation and congratulations from the Senate and General Assembly of New Jersey; Certificate of Recognition from NJSFWC

What a Concert

Yesterday morning, Linda came home from the bagel store with the news of a 5:00 p.m. concert at Madison Square Garden in honor of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday; a once-in-a-lifetime concert, she said, sad that we would miss it. But we didn't, I got tickets & there we were--4 1/2 hours of music performed by, among many others--Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, Ani DiFranco, Arlo Guthrie, Emmylou Harris, Richie Havens, Dave Matthews, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Toshi Reagon, and Bruce Springsteen. The crowd greeted Bruce with a chant we couldn't deciper & that prompted the woman sitting next to Linda to worry that he was being booed. "What are they saying?" I asked the young woman next to me. In a flash, the boy and his father, from Austin, Texas, who were sitting in front of me, spun around to say in their twang, "Bruuuuuuuuce, they're saying Bruuuuuuuuuce."

We all did lots of singing & the concert ended with Peggy Seeger, Pete's half-sister and a renown folk singer, getting the entire ensemble (everyone packed on stage) plus the audience to sing "Irene Goodnight." Very coooool evening!
p.s. At point, I politely asked a group of Madison Square Garden bouncer-like ushers who were loudly chattering to "please, keep it down." "Lady, you're at a concert, not the opera," a tough looking guy snarled back. FYI: No, I was not dressed for the opera! Yes, they quieted down.