Penny Colman

Expanded website/new blog URL

2010-11-16T22:15:00.002-05:00

For several months, we've been working hard & creatively, I hope, to add cool features and engaging images & content to my newly expanded website, which is now "live." In the process, we moved my blog to: www.pennycolman.com/blog
You can also access my blog at my website at: www.pennycolman.com

Thank you!

"Pioneering Women War Correspondents"

2010-11-11T08:47:00.004-05:00

Milena Jovanovich recently produced "Pioneering Women War Correspondents," a short documentary based on my book, Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents in World War II. I narrate the video, which includes dramatic historic footage. You can watch it at:
http://www.newswomensclubnewyork.com/

Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony

2010-10-28T07:46:00.006-04:00

This morning I found an email from Molly Murphy MacGregor, Executive Director and Cofounder of the National Women's History Project (www.nwhp.org) asking for a description of my "wonderful book"--Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed the World. After sending it to her, I thought I should also post it here, along with two quotes that are on the back cover:

"Failure is impossible."
Susan B. Anthony

In the Spring of 1851 two women met on a street corner in Seneca Falls, New York—Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a thirty-five year old mother of four boys, and Susan B. Anthony, a thirty-one year old, unmarried, former school teacher. Immediately drawn to each other, they formed an everlasting and legendary friendship. Together they challenged entrenched beliefs, customs, and laws that oppressed women and spearheaded the fight to gain legal rights, including the right to vote despite fierce opposition, daunting conditions, scandalous entanglements and betrayal by their friends and allies.
Weaving events, quotations, personalities, and commentary into a page-turning narrative, Penny Colman tells this compelling story and vividly portrays the friendship between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a friendship that changed history.

"It is fifty-one years since we first met and we have been busy through every one of them, stirring up the world to recognize the rights of women."

Susan B. Anthony

"Nothing that Susan could say or do could break my friendship with her, and I know nothing could uproot her affection for me."

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony

2010-10-25T11:47:00.002-04:00

Hurrah! Here's the cover of my forthcoming book: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed the World. It will be out in 2011.

Barnegat Bay: Goldenrod, Monarchs, and a Cloudless Sulphur

2010-10-16T11:32:00.000-04:00

The Seaside Goldenrod is in bloom and the Monarch butterflies are migrating at the Jersey Shore. (I count nine in this photo.) Last weekend kayaking on Barnegat Bay, I spotted a Great Blue Heron, a Dunlin, Double-Crested Cormorants, Monarchs and smaller yellow butterflies. Wondering if a butterfly would land on my yellow kayak, I sat very still and very quiet . . . .and a yellow one did, probably a Cloudless Sulphur, just inches from my hand!

Women War Correspondents

2010-10-12T14:15:00.004-04:00

Tonight the Newswomen's Club of New York is sponsoring an event, "War Correspondents, Reporting from the Frontline" with an impressive panel of women war correspondents: Edith M. Lederer, who began her career as a foreign correspondent in 1972, becoming the first woman assigned full-time to the AP staff reporting on the Vietnam War; Cami McCormick, a CBS news correspondent, who served nine tours embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq between 2003-2009, and was seriously injured in August 2009; and Gina Chon, who was based in Baghdad from 2007-2009 . Milena Jovanovitch, who had read and loved my book, Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents in World War II, had contacted me this summer to be the expert in a short documentary she was making for the event. Tonight I get to see the result of the time I spent with her as she interviewed and filmed me. Recently Milena reported that the documentary also includes "great historical photos and archival video of wars, including World War I, a B-17 bombing run, Gen. MacArthur in Korea, along with other visuals such as copies of some of Sigrid Schultz's stories and the Life magazine with Margaret Bourke-White's B-17 photo shoot." I'm eager to see it and hear the panel!

Amazing coincidence

2010-10-08T10:55:00.005-04:00

We were in Vermont on Sunday to bury my older brother Vin; an event that amazingly coincided with the first visit to the cemetery by a woman named Sue who had been close friends with my younger brother Jon, who had died at the age of 20 in 1966. It was a short friendship, a month or so in person & a year or so of writing letters, but one, she said with tears streaming down her face, that had "changed her life." Although I have no memory of writing to her about Jon's death, she said I did and she still has my letter; she also has all of Jon's letters.

When the service for Vin started, I motioned for Sue and Bill (her husband of eleven months) to join us. They stood slightly behind and off to the right of me in front of Jon's grave. It was quite amazing--beautiful, Linda said--to experience her quietly mourning for Jon, 44 years later.

As you can see, it was a gorgeous New England day. The headstones from left to right are: Vin, Dad, Jon.

Quirky epitaph

2010-10-05T13:26:00.005-04:00

Since the mid-1990s, when I was writing and taking photographs for my book Corpses, Coffins, and Crypts: A History of Burial (I took many of the 130 photos), I have had an eye out for quirky epitaphs. Two days ago, I found this one in a cemetery in Vermont. (click on it for a larger image)

Catching up

2010-09-27T21:00:00.003-04:00

Wow! Thanks to everyone who came to hear Jon Colman (www.colmanmusic.com)perform yesterday at the DUMBOArts Festival in Brooklyn. What a setting--Buzzito's beside the East River with a spectacular view of Manhattan on a beautiful day. I'll post some terrific video when I figure out how to do that.

I'm sorry to get behind on my blog posts, although the reason is forward moving, i.e., the page proofs arrived for Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed the World. Since this is the last time I get to make corrections or changes, I went into total obsessive mode for a couple of week, surfacing only to teach my class at Teachers College & pick up Sophie for an overnight, actually two overnights. There were stray commas from the copy editing stage to delete, facts to triple check, photos that somehow could mixed up in the production process, and a missing source that drove me crazy until I finally tracked it down! Anyhow I just got a grateful email from my editor re my "thoughtful and thorough job." I also scheduled my first book signing; it's at the Gerrit Smith Estate Historic Site in Peterboro, NY on August 27, 2010. Gerrit was ECS's cousin, and the father of Elizabeth Smith Miller, ECS's lifelong friend who is credited with introducing Bloomers.

Save the Date

2010-09-07T09:57:00.001-04:00

Come if you can to Jon Colman Acoustic Show at the Dumbo Arts Festival--Fulton Landing, Sept 26, 1-2 p.m. www.colmanmusic.com
www.dumboartsfestival.com

Fun Time!

2010-09-03T14:50:00.005-04:00

Wow! I turned 66 yesterday and had a fabulous celebration with my precious family! l-r: Linda, me, Katrin, Jonathan, Steve, Crystal, David, and, of course, Sophie! The band at Havana Central at the West End played a rousing salsa Happy Birthday accompanied by hearty singing, it seemed by most everyone in the restaurant & at the bar; in my youth I would have been under the table with embarrassment, but I'm so glad to be alive & loved that I went along with the fun of it all! (click to enlarge photo)

Sophie's back

2010-08-29T22:12:00.003-04:00

Finally got some Shore time this summer--3 overnights with Sophie: we rode a rollercoaster (her idea) & laughed and laughed, dribbled a basketball, crocheted bracelets, and saw the fox! Returned home tonight to find an email from my editor with news that my forthcoming book, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed the World has an official publication date--May 10, 2011!! Hip, hip, hurrah!!!

Women's Equality Day

2010-08-25T19:54:00.005-04:00

90 years ago on August 26th, women finally won the right to vote when the 19th Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution. Established by Congress as Women's Equality Day, August 26th is a day to mark the long and fierce battle to win a right that in 2010 many people take for granted. The Territory of Wyoming granted women that right in 1869. In 1870, Louisa Gardner Swain, who lived in Laramie, was the first woman in Wyoming to cast her ballot. During our road trip to Yellowstone in May, Linda & I stopped in Laramie, to photograph this statue to Louise Swain.
Last year Sophie, Linda & I celebrated Women's Equality Day with a tour of Alva Belmont's mansion in Newport, RI, where Alva held suffrage fund raising events, much to the consternation of her conservative neighbors. This year we'll spend it at a barrier island off the coast of New Jersey, the home state of Alice Paul the fearless suffragist who was jailed & force fed as she led the final push to win the vote.

wildlife spottings and a book

2010-08-17T16:21:00.004-04:00

I was transfixed by an array of zinnias in a formal garden at the New Jersey State Botanical Garden (yes, there is such a place in Ringwood State Forest located in the relatively unpopulated northwest part of the state) when a large, dark shape edged into my line of vision.
"Pets aren't allowed here," I thought as my brain sorted through breeds to match the shape. Just as I settled on "Afghan Hound . . . ," I heard Linda gasp--"Bear!" It was about 20 feet away and oblivious to us--what a thrill. A day later, we were walking along the beach to the end of Barnegat Peninsula in Island Beach State Park (one of my all-time favorite walks) when we got a good long look at a black & white shore bird with a long bright orange bill that we had never seen before. "That's an Oystercatcher," I said, having no idea where I got that name, except perhaps from the gazillion of books I've read with Sophie about animals and nature.
Driving out of the park, Linda shouted "Fox!" And there it was, close enough to the car to reach out and pet, which of course we didn't!
On our way home, we stopped at the Ben Franklin store stuffed with everything from trinkets to towels to toys to books. Holding a copy of a book, Linda exclaimed, "It was an Oystercatcher!" And there it was illustrated by Barbara Patrizzi on the cover of her book O is for Oystercatcher: A Book of Seaside ABCs. Delighted that I had somehow from somewhere retrieved that name, I bought the book, which is a beautiful book published by Down the Shore Publishing, a reminder of what readers give up when they limit themselves to Kindles & Nooks (which I'm not against, but there is something so special about the look, the feel of a carefully, lovingly written, illustrated, produced book.)

2010-07-22T13:34:00.002-04:00

Sophie aboard the Research Vessel Oceanic on Long Island Sound about to release a whelk after it had been examined, measured and catalogued. (See previous post)

Sophie and Grammy Adventures

2010-07-19T19:52:00.006-04:00

Thanks to those of you who have reminded me that it's been awhile since my last post. I've been juggling adventures with Sophie, who is now in Switzerland & two weeks in Crete with her European relatives until the end of August. Before she left, I took her on an activity-packed road trip, including, now that she is six, the "Whales Up Close" program at Mystic Aquarium with Kelly, a trainer, and a beluga whale named Keyla. First Kelly explained and with Keyla demonstrated training methods. We felt Keyla's melon (beluga whale's enlarged forehead where it produces a variety of vocalizations), gave her hand signals for different vocalizations, and patted her tongue (positive reinforcement, Kelly explained); from beginning to end it was an astonishing, amazing experience!
The following week, on a blistering hot day, we spent 2 1/2 hours on the Research Vessel Oceanic, a 40-foot trawler that does marine research on Long Island Sound. Sophie threw in a seine net, helped haul in a large net, sort through what the dredge brought up, catalogue all the marine life in the net and throw it--flounder, whelk, snails, crabs--back into the Sound. The crew/educators were terrific & the experience fascinating.

Terrific girls and Moms and women's history tour

2010-06-28T14:00:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday I led a women's history tour in New York City with a terrific group of girls and their mothers! I had donated the tour as an item for the auction to raise money for Sophie's school and the Mom of a 7th grader made the winning bid. We met at Eleanor Roosevelt's statue at 72nd and Riverside Drive at noon on a very hot day. Three hours and several subway stops to visit sites, including Anna Hyatt Huntington's magnificent sculpture, Joan of Arc, and The Stanton, the apartment building where Elizabeth Cady Stanton died, we ended at 155th where this picture was taken by a willing dog walker. We're standing in front of the bronze doors at the American Academy of Arts and Letter, which are "Dedicated to the Memory of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman and the Women Writers of America."

2010-06-14T10:15:00.005-04:00

I met a wonderful group of women yesterday when I spoke at the
Emmanuel Cancer Foundation's event, "A Classical English Afternoon Tea with a Splash of Generosity." Established in 1983, ECF provides free, in-home support for New Jersey's pediatric cancer patients and their families. Yesterday's event was to honor the mothers of children who have cancer. In recognition of the EFC Moms, I presented "Celebrating Women, Especially Mothers," in which I highlighted historic women, including Abigail Adams, Sacajawea, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and their role as mothers. Rita Slatterly, an ECF volunteer who invited me to speak, took this picture. From l to r: Elsa Saucedo, an ECF Mom, me, Yanira Ceara, an ECF caseworker. The link to ECF is: www.emmanuelcancer.org.

Serendipitous Meeting and Churro Sheep

2010-06-13T08:58:00.013-04:00

During our recent road trip through Wyoming, we serendipitously discovered Polly Hinds, a dynamic used bookseller & sheep rancher who introduced us to the Churro sheep. This morning I happened to hear an NPR piece on the Churro, "Sacred Sheep Revive Navajo Tradition, for Now." Here's my video of Polly & one of her Churros (the background noise is the sound of the Wyoming wind) & a link to the NPR piece
and the Navajo Sheep Project (the logo on Polly's Hat)www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127797442 Note: The NPR story left out a critical piece of the story: it was the Navajo women who hide & tended to the Churro sheep in the canyons for forty years. The NPR story appears to give all the credit for their recovery to the male professor.
Here's a link to a great story about how Polly & her partner & their adventures:
http://www.newwest.net/city/article/mad_dog_and_the_pilgrim_booksellers/C101/L101/

Celebrating Women

2010-06-13T07:59:00.002-04:00

Despite being in the throes of a systemic case of poison ivy (& I have no idea how I got it 'cause I'm really careful considering how allergic I am to it!!??), today I'm giving a speech, "Celebrating Women, Especially Mothers!" at the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation Benefit's English Tea. The invitation said that hats are optional & given the splotches on my face, perhaps I should wear one with a very broad brim!

Road trip and manuscript update

2010-05-29T13:00:00.005-04:00

We're back from our road trip from Denver, Colorado, (where I was born many years ago) to Yellowstone. We left NJ with the trees in full leaf, which is why we were surprised to find a snow/ice scraper in the trunk of our rental car! Then we arrived in Yellowstone; snow was piled high beside the mountain roads, and snow squalls blew in & out during our drives & walks, including one with a cold wind & "ice balls," as Linda called them when we were at the West Thumb Geyser Basin (photo). Needless to say, we were glad to have the scraper.
So, did I finish checking the copyedited manuscript of my forthcoming book, Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed History, that arrived the day before we left? (See previous post.) Yes, by working many hours, including some in the Denver airport (photo).

Connections, ECS/SBA

2010-05-18T18:58:00.008-04:00

My dear, dear friend Annie Unverzagt & I were roommates in graduate school 44 years ago! We went on to have flip-flop life trajectories: I had children first, then a career; she had a career and then children. We kept in touch via Christmas cards until a couple of year ago when we reconnected in person. What a special treat!! She was in NYC for a few days & today we ignored the chilly rain to see the engaging exhibit, "Emily Dickinson's Garden: The Poetry of Flowers," at the New York Botanical Garden.
After a stimulating, joyous day of catching up, I arrived home to discover the copyedited manuscript of my forthcoming book, Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed History, waiting for me with a letter from editor saying she needs it back ASAP. Since Linda & I leaving early tomorrow morning & traveling until the 26th, guess what's coming with us in the red bag--to quote Linda, "What's a vacation without a manuscript."

Yellowwood

2010-05-17T20:50:00.004-04:00

There's a wonderful path along the Hudson River that runs about a mile between the Englewood Boat Basin and Ross Dock Park, which in just north of the George Washington Bridge. Yesterday when Linda & I were walking there, we detected a light, fresh, sort-of-like honeysuckle-but-not-so-sweet fragrance (describing smells is an interesting writing challenge!?) in the air. We followed our noses to these loose clusters of white flowers cascading from branches that poked here and there through a tangle of trees, vines, & bushes. Checking my favorite tree guide: New York City Trees, written & illustrated by Edward Sibley Barnard, I discovered we had found Yellowwood trees, which, according to Barnard, only grow naturally in the southern Appalachian Mountains of TN and adjacent states, and in portions of Missouri and Arkansas. Pioneers used the bark of the roots to make a yellow dye. I returned this morning with my camera so I could post this picture.

Sophie's School

2010-05-17T12:09:00.004-04:00

Stephanie Leung, Sophie's wonderful first grade teacher, emailed me photographs she took during my recent author visit to P.S. 334 in New York City. Sophie & her classmates are already serious and skilled writers. I had fun showing them my PowerPoint (with zooming words, etc.)and answering their interesting questions about my job.

Author Visit

2010-05-16T11:56:00.007-04:00

Last week I made a return author visit to Marie Russell's 6th grade classes at P.S. 174 in Rego Park, NY. Last semester Marie, who is a highly skilled & creative teacher, used my book Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents in World War II, as a class read aloud. In December, I went to the school to talk to her terrific students. They were just as terrific the second time I visited! Good luck to all of them as they graduate and go to middle school next fall!

Nonfiction Rocks!

2010-05-12T10:24:00.003-04:00

Last night I wrapped up my teaching career as a Distinguished Lecturer at Queens College, the City University of New York. I was delightedly surprised when Christine Schachter arrived at my Nonfiction Literature class with this very cool & delicious cake. David J. Jansen took the photo. Thank you to my former and current students who have made my years at Queens so stimulating, rewarding, and fun!

Speaking and 3 Springs

2010-05-02T19:41:00.009-04:00

I'm back from speaking at the 3rd Annual Nonfiction Institute at the University of Maine. In my mind, I think it's about a five hour drive, except that's just to the border, the University is another 3 hours north! Sophie was hoping I'd see a moose, but I didn't, although I did see periodic warning signs to watch out for moose along the Maine Turnpike. I've been making the trip for a number of years, and, as always, I stopped in Wells, Maine, to walk through the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and indulge in two nearby establishments--one the Maine Diner where I thoroughly enjoyed a hearty helping of Indian Pudding (mixture of molasses & corn meal topped with vanilla ice cream, which I've loved since I was a kid). The other at Douglas H. Harding Used Book Store where I bought a bunch of books. I did that going on Thursday and returning on Saturday. The weather was gorgeous and Spring was in the early stages, which was cool because my first sight of Spring this year was when I went to Washington & Baltimore in March, then it unfolded in New Jersey, and now it's emerging in Maine. Having three Springs this year reminded me of Edwin Way Teale's book, North with the Spring: A Naturalist's Record, that I read many years ago. Teale and his wife Nellie started on a long road trip in the Florida Everglades and headed north to follow the arrival of Spring.
The pictures are: the marker to Rachel Carson with a view of the salt marshes and estuary and ocean in the distance and me talking about making the writing/reading connection.

Author Visit

2010-04-28T22:14:00.003-04:00

Today, I had fun doing an Author Visit with Sophie's first grade class at PS 334, The Anderson School in New York City. I showed a PowerPoint about how I write both fiction and nonfiction stories. The kids were delighted with the words I had animated to zoom & swish & asked great questions! Together we read a shape poem I wrote titled, "Who Writes?"
Tomorrow I drive to Maine where, on Friday, I'm speaking at the 3rd Annual Nonfiction Institute at the University of Maine, which means that I'd better sign off and pack!

Sophie, butterfies, and tickets

2010-04-25T21:04:00.006-04:00

Several friends recently reminded me that they check my blog to see what I am up to, in particular with Sophie. Last weekend she came for a two-night sleepover, which meant we could spend all day at the Bronx zoo. Today we spent a rainy day in a park at the foot of the Palisades, played inside games, reviewed new books, etc. About mid-afternoon her mother called to report that the Painted Lady Butterflies had emerged!!!! Of course, when I took Sophie home, she wanted me to come in and see them, but typical New York City--no parking!!! We drove around and around and around. Finally I saw a SUV parked but partially blocking a fire hydrant. There was enough room for me to park behind it, although I, too, would partially block the hydrant. Since the space was close to Sophie's apartment, I figured I could be in and out in ten minutes.
"Sophie, I'll park here, but I'll have to come right back because the car is too close to the fire hydrant and I might get a ticket."
"That's OK, Grammy, because a ticket is a good thing."
"It is?"
"Yes, because tickets teach you something."
"What?"
"Not, to do that again."
Sophie dispensed her wisdom in such a calm voice that I resisted pontificating about not needing a ticket to learn a lesson, etc. And when she added, "Besides I liked tickets," I smiled because she's been making tickets for this and for that since she was very little. I just hustled up to her room, marveled at the butterflies, returned to my ticketless car and went out to dinner with Linda.

Sophie and me with a bird in the tree

2010-04-12T12:14:00.005-04:00

Sophie and I celebrated Spring Break with a road trip to Baltimore to explore the National Aquarium, tour historic ships, ride the water taxi, "hang out" in the Inner Harbor, etc. Note in the pictures--one in the aquarium's rain forest (note the Ibis)the other onboard the Lightship 116 'Chesapeake,'which had an exhibit of historic dog mascots, Sophie is wearing the beluga whale t-shirt I got her in Tadoussac, Quebec (see earlier post) last year.

YouTube

2010-04-11T21:50:00.002-04:00

My web manager set up a new PennyColman YouTube Channel & is adding my eclectic mix of videos. You can check them out and/or subscribe at
http://www.youtube.com/user/PennyColman

Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi and Women's History Month

2010-03-25T22:57:00.012-04:00

What a day!! I'm just back from Washington, DC, where I had the amazing opportunity to attend a Women's History luncheon at the Capitol hosted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in honor of
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The other woman in the first
picture is Representative Lynn Woolsey.
Here's a link to Ann Gerhart's article in Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/25/AR2010032504598.html

What a storm

2010-03-15T10:19:00.007-04:00

What a wind & rain storm! Huge trees uprooted all over our town & surrounding area. We were without power for 36 hours, at least. On Friday, the night before it hit, we had Sophie and Linda's 18-month old granddaughter Francesca for a fun-filled sleepover! The next day, in a blustery downpour, we returned Sophie & Francesca to their respective parents; then we set out in an increasingly serious storm to met our friends Sue (the science educator in earlier posts, e.g., why cranberries float) and Moshe at the Orchid Show at the New York Botanical Garden. Moshe took this picture of us--dripping wet, but happy--beside a Jade Vine. The theme was Cuba. (Click on picture for larger image.)

National Women's History Month

2010-03-01T11:54:00.002-05:00

Happy March 1 & the beginning of National Women's History Month.
Check out the National Women's History Project at: www.nwhp.org
Also check out: Herstory Scrapbook at www.herstoryscrapbook.com

Snowing

2010-02-25T19:03:00.003-05:00

Tonight I called Sophie to compare notes on the snowstorm & she asked if I had "done the thing with the cardboard," i.e., try to see a snow crystal (there's an earlier post about that). I had tried earlier but the snow was too wet; so, I tried again. By the light of the porch light, I think I saw one!

Happy Birthday

2010-02-24T17:20:00.003-05:00

Today is it, the actual day David and Stephen were born, eight minutes apart, forty years ago--and what a fabulous adventures we have all had together along the way!!!! Here's a picture from our celebration on Sunday at Sophie's, Jonathan's & Katrin's home in New York. Crystal, David's wife, and Sophie are presenting the cakes. Jonathan & Linda are in the pics also.

catching up

2010-02-21T10:29:00.003-05:00

At last!!! A few days ago, I sent to my editor everything that is needed to publish my forthcoming book about the friendship between Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony that changed history--revised manuscript, front matter and back matter, captions, jpgs, etc. etc.! What a job--interrupted by shoveling snow, teaching three classes, baking chocolate cookies to keep our energy up, etc.--but it's done! Special thank you to Denise Gilrane and Debbie Ganeles who read the manuscript and gave me feedback. Then there is Christine Schachter who undertook a last-minute close read and emailed me pages of indispensable comments, which ranged from typos to her responses to ECS & SBA--thank you, thank you!!!!!

I surfaced on Friday, the day before the "drop-dead" deadline for my essay in response to a chapter, "Nonfiction Literature for Children: Old Assumptions and New Directions," by Barbara Kiefer and Melissa Wilson for the Handbook of Research on Children's and Young Adult Literature, co-edited by Shelby Wolf, Patricia Enciso, Karen Coats, and Christine Jenkins, to be published by Routledge/Taylor & Francis in October 2010. Made it!!! Today we're gathering to celebrate my twins' 40th birthday!!!! Hip, hip, hurrah!!!!!!

Sophie

2010-02-08T08:15:00.003-05:00

Without realizing what we were saying, "Yes," to, Sophie and I had a terrific experience on Saturday.
We regularly go to the American Museum of Natural History, although not usually on a Saturday. This Saturday, however, there we were making our way through a crowd of adults and kids who were waiting to get into the Discovery Room. Everyone had tickets; we didn't, but as we got to the ticket-taker, I said, "We're members."
"Are you going to 'Meet the Scientist?'
Sophie looked at me, I at her, neither one of us knowing what that was, but, since it seemed like a "ticket" in, plus who wouldn't want to meet a scientist, I said "Yes."
We were directed up a flight of stair, through a narrow room with books and microscopes to a back room with a young woman standing in front of a screen with the word "Scorpiology."
That is how we happened to hear a scorpiologist tell us all about scorpions, including how to catch specimens (go out at night with an ultraviolet flashlight and long tweezers)!

Picture Research

2010-02-04T11:39:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, I do my own picture research and photography for my books (my photographs range from many to a few in my various books). What with revisions, i.e., putting four chapters into two, plus the scope & complexity of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony: A Friendship that Changed History (how do you like version #3 of the title?), yesterday I decided to revert back to scissors-and-paper-cut-&-paste. The pink strips are chapter headings under which I've placed the images I've selected. Now I'm keying the images (each has a number) in the margin of the relevant page in my manuscript (in the blue notebook, lower right corner) to ensure balance, e.g. images spread, not clumped, which means I am also revising my selections. The process is intense, but engaging, even fun.

Sophie & Stirring

2010-01-22T20:21:00.003-05:00

Quick catch-up: I've been in the throes of revising and revising my manuscript, Stirring Up The World: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, A Biography of a Powerful Friendship (although today a new subtitle popped into my head, i.e. "A Biography of a Friendship that Changed History"). Worrying about getting my revisions mixed up, I decided to print each one on different color paper. The original is white, #2 is yellow, #3 revisions within #2 are beige. Late last night I started the final revision but couldn't print any pages because I didn't have a different color of paper! In the middle of a restless night, I decided to use blue (Elizabeth's favorite color.) First thing this morning, I got a package of blue paper. Later in the day, I picked up Sophie for our Sophie/Grammy time. During our chatting about our day, I told her about doing revisions and using different color paper.
"So, Sophie," I asked, "What color do you think I'm using for the final revision?"
"Blue," she replied.
"How did you guess that?"
"It's Elizabeth's favorite color."
"How did you know that?"
"I don't know. I just did."

Colman's New Album

2010-01-06T12:54:00.004-05:00

Today is the release date of my singer/songwriter son's album, "Swallowed by the Sun COLMAN." Powerful and evocative, "Swallowed by the Sun COLMAN," will grab your heart and mind! Listen for yourself at: www.colmanmusic.com

Endings & Beginnings

2009-12-31T16:08:00.005-05:00

Last day of 2009: yesterday Sophie & I enjoyed our final Sophie/Grammy Day of 2009, happily Linda was free to join us. Today I'm back to doing picture research but just took a break to shovel snow, bake bread with these yummy ingredients--honey, butter, rough cut oatmeal, bananas, whole wheat flour, buttermilk and believe it or not a tablespoon of baking soda and baking powder, eggs, vanilla, pecans and raisins. Our evening New Year's tradition is to listen to the Classical Music Countdown on the radio--lots of Beethoven (Sophie & I are still going back & forth about the phenomenon of Beethoven the composer & Beethoven the dog)-- and make a puzzle; It's simple but heartfelt as we move from one year to the next.

Update

2009-12-29T13:09:00.004-05:00

Chilly, chilly day in my basement office where I'm immersed in selecting images for Sitrring Up The World: Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony, A Biography of a Powerful Friendship. Yes, I do all the picture research, including some photography for my books, an enormously time-consuming, intense activity. (There's more info about my process in the author's note in my books Adventurous Women: Eight True Stories About Women Who Made a Difference and Thanksgiving: The True Story.) Sophie just called: "Can we have a Grammie Day tomorrow?"
Of course, I said--Yes! So shiver, shiver--back to work because my editor wants all the images and captions on 1/4!!!

Books, Wildflower Seeds, Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T10:42:00.004-05:00

So, the gifts are wrapped--books galore, including one I'm really excited about--The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter's Wonder; in fact, I bought two copies--one for Sophie & one for Sue, my friend & science educator at NYU. I also tracked down a copy of the December 1934 (yup, 1934) "The National Geographic Magazine" that featured the article, "Half-Mile Down," by William Beebe, about his first descent in the Bathysphere, which he co-invented with Otis Barton. Recently Sophie & I had read a picture book biography about William Beebe that listed his article in the bibliography--yes, we check out all the front and back matter when we read together! Sophie expressed interest in it so I set off on a quest to buy it--hurrah for the Internet. I'll be interested to see if it engages her?!?!
My other cool gift, at least I think so, was to parcel out pieces from a puzzle (I'm a avid jigsaw puzzle maker) that are embedded with wildflower seeds!! Each person on my list is getting a baggie with puzzle pieces & a baggie of soil & instructions to soak the seeds overnight in water and plant in the soil in a pot (no, I didn't include a pot, hum) or wait until Spring then soak and plant outside.
Ooops, Linda just called down, "Should I be watching the pot that's on the stove?" Better get back to my cooking for tonight & tomorrow. . . . Happy Holidays to all!!!!!!

Author Visit at P.S. 174

2009-12-18T11:11:00.004-05:00

Last week I visited with two classes of sixth grade students & their teacher Marie Russell at P.S. 174. The students had read my book, Where the Action Was: Women War Correspondents in World War II, so I brought in samples of the production process from revised manuscript pages to page proofs to the advanced readers copy that gets sent to reviewers. The students were lively, smart, fun & asked great questions!

Sophie's Birthday

2009-12-07T21:41:00.006-05:00

Tomorrow is Sophie's 6th birthday. But, since it's a school day she had a sleep-over on Saturday. On Sunday, we gathered for a bowling-birthday party. Katrin just emailed these pictures: l-r: Katrin, me, Linda, Sophie, Sarah, David, Crystal(cupcake & cookie maker), Steve; bottom picture: l-r Sophie, Crystal, David, Jonathan, Steve, me, Linda, Sarah, Katrin). Tomorrow I'll join Sophie & her parents for dinner; as I have since she was born I'll continuing the tradition of making the cake in the shape Sophie requests--this year it's a star, vanilla on vanilla.

A modern postcard

2009-12-01T13:41:00.004-05:00

"Greetings from the Seine," is the caption on this photo that Steve just sent via his iPhone to my email. He titled it "A modern postcard."
Note: Steve & Sarah celebrated Thanksgiving and Sarah's birthday in Paris."

Guest Blogger

2009-11-28T13:43:00.004-05:00

Today I'm a guest blogger "Moonlight, Lace, Mayhew." The host Carrie Hinkel-Gill posted a Q & A that I had fun answering. Please, if you're so inclined, check it out and post your comments &/or
questions at: http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/2009/11/starlight-saturday_28.html

Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T19:40:00.007-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!! This year we gathered in New York City at Jonathan's, Katrin's, & Sophie's apartment. Katrin cooked a fabulous meal, e.g., check out the roasted vegetables on the plate in the foreground--beets, parsnips, turnips, fingerling potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes that Sophie selected when Linda & I took her grocery shopping at Fairway. (That's not to say she ate all of them, but we did!) Desserts were Katrin's spectacular chocolate mousse and apple crisp and Linda's delicious pumpkin pie. We played a new game. Here we are trying to figure out the rules, no easy task!

Then Linda & I took Sophie outside to run races up & down the sidewalk, or, I should say, Linda strolled, I raced twice, then appointed myself the timer for Sophie who loves to run! Once when she was getting too far ahead, I yelled, "STOP!" She did, as so did everyone else between her and me! (l to r: Sophie, Linda, me, Jonathan; click on image to enlarge)

Radio Interview Thanksgiving: The True Story

2009-11-19T20:03:00.002-05:00

You can listen to a lively radio interview I did with Dov Hirsch, creator and host of Crop to Cuisine
at http://www.croptocuisine.org/Thanksgiving.htm There are three parts: "Thanksgiving the True Story by Penny Colman;" "Penny Colman on Sarah Josepha Hale," and "Penny Colman on Wamsutta and the National Day of Mourning."
Dov was great fun to talk with & here's an excerpt from his web site about Crop to Cuisine:
Produced in Boulder, Colorado, Crop To Cuisine reminds people that improving our communities and our world should be a pleasurable, affordable, and delicious experience. While the program is designed to educate the public about the problems of safety, sustainability, and the economics surrounding the food we eat, it's emphasis is to provide our listeners with easy and accessible solutions that can be seamlessly integrated into daily life.

At the Jersey Shore

2009-11-09T11:54:00.006-05:00

On Friday, Sophie came for an overnight. After breakfast--(pancakes in whatever shape she wants; this time it was dolphins)--we took a day-trip to our Jersey Shore bungalow, located on a barrier island between the ocean & bay. Gorgeous day, as you can see. The first pic needs no explanation. However, here's the scoop re the second pic: occasionally at high tide, especially in the Fall, the water from the bay comes up through the storm sewer at the end of our driveway. Seeing it, Sophie spontaneously went into the house, returned with the bowl in which she placed alyssum blossoms & petals from the geranium that were still in bloom in the pot on the bulkhead and put them in the bowl, which she carried to the end of our driveway. Then she walked along the wall around the neighbor's flower garden, and sprinkled the flowers on the water. Linda told her it was a good idea 'cause the water was looking "kind of scuzzy."

Congratulations Sarah!

2009-11-01T17:04:00.013-05:00

Sarah Jones, my daughter-in-law, completed the New York City Marathon in under 4 hours, 20 minutes faster than she ran last year!!! She ran for Shoe4Africa, a nonprofit organization that is raising money to build the first public children's hospital in Kenya. Linda and I met up with Sarah & Steve at the corner of 67th & Central Park West--hip, hip, hurrah for Sarah!!!!!
(click on image for larger view)

Sophie's New News

2009-10-31T16:51:00.005-04:00

Sophie had "new news" on Thursday--"I read my first chapter book!"
"Fabulous! That's sooooo exciting!!! What was it about?"
With that question, I was introduced to Bella The Bunny Fairy, one of a long list of titles
in the Rainbow Magic Book Series, written, (according to Wikipedia, I should note since I knew absolutely nothing about this phenomenon until I check it).

In celebration, we went to two independent bookstores & bought several more titles, including Penny the Pony Fairy (my, oh, my!).
As we chatted, I learned that Friday was Character Dress-up Day, which, Sophie, explained meant she was suppose to go to school dressed like a character from her favorite book.
As a nonfiction writer & lover, I was delighted when she said she was going as Knut, the real polar bear in Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World. Today she told me she wore white clothes and pink socks. She was thrilled to report that she got to read part of book to her classmates.

Sarah Jones

2009-10-27T15:01:00.003-04:00

Check out this great video, "A Roving Run with Sarah Jones." Sarah is a Tony Award winning actor and playwright known for her compelling characters & she is my daughter-in-law.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/10/25/sports/1247465337588/a-roving-run-with-sarah-jones.html?ref=sports

Gorgeous day

2009-10-26T17:11:00.010-04:00

Sunday was a gorgeous day & we took a long walk along the Hudson River. Our starting point was Ross Dock Park, located just north of the George Washington Bridge and at the foot of the Palisades Cliffs, which were saved in 1900 from destruction by the quarrying industry by tenacious members of the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs. The plaque, "Preserving the Palisades," in the first photo tells the story of the women's victory. The second photo explains why, I always stop to say, "Thank you, clubwomen!!!!!!!" (click on picture for a larger image)

Sophie's Surprise

2009-10-23T14:32:00.003-04:00

On Wed. Sophie's mother had emailed me that "Sophie is REALLY looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. She has a surprise and keeps asking to make sure you'll be there to pick her up. Very excited."

So, yesterday (Thursday), as always, I was there ( her school).

"Hi, Sophie, I hear you have a surprise!"
"Mmmmm," she replied through her clenched lips.
"What is it? I'm so excited!"
She held out--with one hand over her mouth. . . through which leaked giggles. . . .until she settled into her car seat--then off came her hand & she opened her mouth to show me--what you who are reading this have already guessed--she lost her first tooth!
"Grammy, last night, I was so excited to tell you that I woke up in the middle of the night!"
"Sophie, last night, I was so excited to find out that I woke up in the middle of the night, too!"

p.s. Yes, she reported, that the tooth fairy came & left her a note with fairy dust sprinkled on it, although Sophie thought that it was weird to sleep on a tooth.

Check it out

2009-10-16T19:45:00.002-04:00

Check out "Swallowed by the Sun Colman" at www.colmanmusic.com
Listen to "Hollywood, Florida" and join the mailing list. The Colman is my son Jon!

Sophie & Woody

2009-10-14T13:52:00.008-04:00

Recently, Sophie, who says she's going to be a vet, and her parents adopted Woody, a cuddly, rambunctious kitten. Monday I had a sleep-over at Sophie's, so her parents could stay as late as they wanted at the opening night party. Apparently intrigued, Woody entertained me throughout the night--batting at the venetian blind cords, etc.--and I didn't mind 'cause he's soooo cute!

Hip Hip Hurrah

2009-10-13T10:21:00.002-04:00

This is the morning after the opening of "The County of Kings," for which my son Steve is on the "formidable team of producers" to quote from Ben Brantley's fabulous review in today's The New York Times!!!! http://theater2.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/theater/reviews/13county.html?ref=theater
Congratulations to all!!!

Sophie and a "pourquoi" story

2009-10-08T20:45:00.004-04:00

Thursdays I drive into NYC to pick up Sophie after school for our Sophie/Grammie Day in NJ. Today we read How the Ostrich Got Its Long Neck retold by Verna Aardema & illustrated by Marcia Brown. It's a delightful, fun read & Sophie loved it. I also read her the author's note that introduced the concept of pourquoi (the French word for "why") stories, or stories that explain how a particular characteristic of a person or animal or a natural phenomenon came to be. Later, while "hanging out" in the kitchen, waiting for the pasta to cook, I said, "Hey, Sophie, you could make up a pourquoi story--like: "Why did Grammy get gray hair?"

"Grammy," she thoughtfully replied, "got gray hair because she got old."

Sophie's garden

2009-10-06T21:18:00.002-04:00

Since August, Sophie has had a vision of expanding her garden all the way to the edge of the sidewalk. I've been stalling, in part because her vision exceeds her time & passion for digging & turning the soil. Plus we'd loose a nice batch of grass. However, last week, as part of our Sophie/Grammy Day, we stopped at a garden store & ended up with a bunch of bulbs, in particular--tulips with fringed edges, which, of course, need a special spot, which, of course, jump started me to get out our shovels and start digging our way to the sidewalk.

My son Steve. . . .

2009-09-28T15:48:00.011-04:00

Check out "When Life Names You Lemon . . .," a terrific article in Sunday's The New York Times about "County of Kings," a one-man show by Lemon Andersen that opens at the Public Theater in New York, tomorrow, September 29th. Lemon and my son Steve Colman were two of the stars who shared a Tony Award for "Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway." Now, Steve is one of the producers of Lemon's memoir, "County of Kings." (The title refers to Brooklyn where he grew up.) Here's a picture of the cast of "Def Poetry Jam on Broadway that Sara Krulwich of the Times took in 2002. Steve is first on the left, Lemon is third. Here's a link to Sunday's article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/theater/27sont.html?scp=1&sq=Lemon&st=cse

Previews are this week; the opening is 10/12. We've got our tickets!

Chusok, or Korean Thanksgiving Festival

2009-09-21T22:25:00.005-04:00

I love being a writer for many reasons, including having learning adventures! For example, in writing Thanksgiving: The True Story I attended Chusok, the Korean Harvest, also called Korean Thanksgiving Festival, in a park near my house in northern New Jersey. Here videos from this year's event: The first are students at Rutgers University who belong to the Rutgers Korean Culture Group. The second group performed on the main stage:

The "R' Word

2009-09-20T20:50:00.008-04:00

We are not bumper-sticker people; that is we weren't until Friday, the day Linda led a "Train-the-Trainer Workshop" on the research-based curriculum that she and her colleague Ishita Khemka developed and evaluated--ESCAPE-DD: An Effective Strategy-Based Curriculum for Abuse Prevention and Empowerment for Men and Women with Developmental Disabilities. The workshop was sponsored by the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) in cooperation with the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women and New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. That's where Linda got a NJCDD bumper stickers protesting the use of the "R" word. Since Linda had objected to the use of that word for years, I wasn't surprised to see it on her car bumper. "Retard" is also a trigger word for bullying. (Click on the image to enlarge it.)

On the go

2009-09-10T17:56:00.004-04:00

Since my last post, Sophie & I spent a day at the New York Aquarium, Linda & I went peach & apple picking & my semester started at Queens College.
The school bus ride & new school seem to suit Sophie; I'm picking her up tomorrow for the weekend & am looking forward to hearing her stories.
Saturday night I'm speaking to a group of women, who are on a book getaway retreat at the Jersey Shore led by my dear friend Mollie Hoben, co-founder of the Minnesota Women's Press, which among other wonderful activities publishes my favorite literary little journal, BookWomen. You can subscribe to BookWomen, order The Great Book: because women say so (includes a list of 400 titles, selected by book groups from 1986 through 2007, plus lists of books they've used around themes at their "Reading Retreats" and for "Book Groups on the Road") at www.womenspress.com

Happy Day

2009-09-03T08:58:00.005-04:00

65th

2009-09-02T07:46:00.002-04:00

On a "bright sunny day"--November 12, 1880, Elizabeth Cady Stanton started to keep a diary. She began with: "Today, I am sixty-five years old." In my forthcoming book, Stirring Up The World: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a Biography of a Powerful Friendship, I described how she spent the day in her house, in Tenafly, New Jersey, which is about three miles from where I live (Susan is Susan B. Anthony, Harriot through Kit are her seven children, Henry is her husband): Susan was away for several days, and her family was scattered--Harriot in France; Theodore in Germany; Maggie, Gat and Neil in Iowa; Bob away at college in New York; Kit and Henry were in New York City. Alone, she spent the day "writing letters and walking up and down the piazza."
"Dear Children," she wrote, "This is my birthday. . . . Looking back through life, I feel that our troubles are fully compensate by our joys."
Today, also a "bright sunny day," I am sixty-five years old!!!

Sophie Road Trip

2009-09-01T20:58:00.008-04:00

First stop on our recent road trip with Sophie was a return trip to Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut. When she was a toddler, one of the books I kept in the car for her to look at was about Arctic animals; the beluga whale was particularly eye-catching. Sophie was 3 1/2 the first time we went to see the belugas at the Mystic Aquarium. Now, two years later, here are Sophie & a beluga eye-to-eye. The next day we stopped at Watch Hill, Rhode Island, where Sophie rode the carousel, which was built in the late 1880s, had lunch in Port Judith, and then went on to Newport.

Since it was August 26th, Women's Equality Day, the day in 1920 women finally won the right to vote, we toured Marble House, Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont's mansion where she held lavish fundraisers for suffrage. In the gift shop, Sophie picked out a "Vote for Women" button to pin to her backpack.

School starts and "booktalks"

2009-08-31T10:08:00.005-04:00

We're abuzz with school starting preparation. So when does school start for us? Tomorrow for Linda at Teachers College, Wednesday for me at Queens, next week for David at Ramapo and Sue at New York University and Sophie, in first grade at a NYC public school, The Anderson School. Dot, my long-time friend and a captivating presence on my blog and in my book Rosie the Riveter, started last week. She's a middle school librarian and here's her report:
Hi Penny,
We started last week. It was one BUSY week! Everything seemed to go well. The 6th graders seemed confused, but no one was crying.
On the second day of classes, the reading teachers brought their students to the library for 20 minutes to select books. They never want to give up much time for this, so I can’t really do indepth booktalks. I had two carts selected; one for 7/8 grades and one for 6th grade. I gave 30 second book talks for about ten books to each group and really whipped through them fast. Almost every book I “talked” went out! I’m hoping teachers get the value of doing that, rather than letting the kids just float around the library.
I enthusiastically second Dot's comments re the power of "booktalks," a terrific technique for anyone--parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, teachers, librarians and strangers--who want to share their passion for reading. Yes, strangers; several years ago a stranger--a woman whose appearance initially made me think she might be homeless--who was standing next to me in the mystery section of an independent bookstore turned to me and said,
"Do you want to read a wonderful book?"
"Sure."
With that she headed off to another section with me in tow, plucked a nonfiction book, Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time, off the shelf, and handed it to me. Intrigued I bought it, read it, and loved it.
p.s. you can also do "articletalks."

Road trip

2009-08-25T06:55:00.007-04:00

We--Sophie, Linda & I--are off on a short road trip to the Mystic, Ct. & Newport, RI! Last fling before classes start for me & Linda next week. Sophie's start the following week. We'll see the beluga whales in Mystic, tour Alva Smith Vanderbilt Belmont's mansion in Newport where she held lavish fundraisers for suffrage, etc . On Wednesday, August 26th, we'll celebrate Women's Equality Day--the anniversary of women finally winning the right to vote (the resistance to woman suffrage is a mind-boggling story). You can download a brochure about Women's Equality Day at http://www.nwhp.org/.

Sophie

2009-08-23T11:53:00.005-04:00

Sophie's home! We've had two fun-filled days catching up, including checking out familiar places, e.g., the pond at Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, which, as you can see is covered with duckweed! Sophie spied a frog & pulled out a pocket magnifying glass; her Daddy gave it to her, she said. (The one beaded braid is what remains from the many beaded braids she and her cousins got during their time at Mallorca.)

Sarah Jones

2009-08-21T20:16:00.003-04:00

Here's a link to my daughter-in-law Sarah Jones' fabulous performance, "Sarah Jones As a One Woman Global Village," at the 2009 TED conference. Those of you who saw Sarah in "Bridge and Tunnel, her Tony-award-winning one-woman Broadway show, will be delighted to see some of her characters again. Those of you who go to Queens College--listen for her character who "teaches" at Queens College. All of you, I'm sure, will love Sarah and her characters.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/sarah_jones_as_a_one_woman_global_village.html

Wonderful Writing and Stone Creek Woman

2009-08-20T20:15:00.004-04:00

It's been tooo0 hot to do much more than dust and in the process refamiliarize myself with my books which are stacked everywhere. (Even now at 9 pm sweat is dripping down my face as I write in my un-air conditioned basement!) Anyhow, today I uncovered a beautifully done book--Women in the Wilderness: Writings and Photographs, selected and edited by Susan & Ann Zwinger. On p. 92, there's a gorgeous photo of a slot canyon followed by an excerpt from Unspoken Hunger by Terry Tempest Williams, a wonderfully descriptive & evocative nonfiction writer. The piece begins with: "Few know her, but she is always there--Stone Creek Woman--watching over the Colorado River. Over the years, I have made pilgrimages to her, descending into the Grand Canyon. . . .It is always a pleasant journey downriver to Mile 132--Stone Creek, a small tributary that flows into the Colorado."
With the thrill of recognition & connection, I exclaimed, "I know that place. I've been there!" Jumping up, I retrieved a copy of my account, Grand Canyon Magic, of my long ago paddle-raft trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. On p. 28, I read this:
Day Nine, I woke up feeling more rested this morning, maybe it's because I dreamt that I was being towed down the river in my tent.
We spent the morning hiking Stone Creek Canyon. The trail wandered back and forth across the creek, over red rock and multi-colored boulders, through lush vegetation to about a thirty-foot waterfall, surrounded by a profusion of greenery.

Williams describes Stone Creek Woman as emerging "from behind a veil of water. . . with her redrock face, her maidenhair ferns, and waterfall of expression." All those many years ago, did I see Stone Creek Woman? Not according to my written record, but I do now through the connection via William's vivid writing.

Scrabble

2009-08-18T10:34:00.003-04:00

Last night--we play Scrabble every night--I "wrote" BLOVIATE--for 101 points (we don't keep score but I couldn't resist adding up the points because the "b" was on the triple word square!)
"Do you know that word from speaking or reading?" Linda asked.
"Reading," I replied.

Dot's summer reading

2009-08-14T12:07:00.006-04:00

Readers of my book, Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II, "know" Dot Chastney; they've seen her grade school picture and read about her experiences growing up during World War II. Shortly after I interviewed her for Rosie, Dot moved to Florida where she is a middle school librarian, a continuation of her long career as an awesome & inspiring librarian. We have great e-mail conversations about books, reading, schools, kids, etc. (you'll find Dot in other posts & comments). Recently she sent me the list of books she read this summer. When I asked her if I could post it she replied:
Sure! You can also add that by far and away my favorite of the past six months is HUNGER GAMES, Book One by Suzanne Collins. It is also futuristic, and I prefer historical fiction or non-fiction. However, this kept me flipping the pages until I finished it. Book two is coming out in September and I can’t wait to get it. Our lower school 5th graders are reading it and I would say it would appeal to any age, right through high school.
Here are the books Dot read & her comments:
Hi, Penny,
Here’s a list of the books I read this summer:
SHIFT by Jennifer Bradbury, my favorite. Two boys bicycle across the country after high school graduation. One disappears near the end of the ride.
THINGS THAT ARE by Andrew Clements. This kept me reading, although I thought it was somewhat implausible. A blind girl has a boyfriend who has the ability to fade. She learns that a man who also has the ability to fade is stalking her boyfriend. The FBI contacts her because they are hunting for this man. It seems they fear someone with this ability could use it to threaten the safety of the country.
THE SKY INSIDE by Clare B. Dunkle. I had to force myself to keep going with this one--a futuristic, perfectly ordered society where children are genetically engineered. When the young children are taken away, a boy who loses his little sister begins to question why they were taken and sets out to search for them.
THE GIRL WHO COULD FLY by Victoria Forester. Also had to force myself, although the character development here was somewhat interesting. As the story moved along, some of the characters turned out to be different than they first appeared. It’s another story of a child with a unique ability who is taken away and placed in an underground school where she will be brainwashed and forget about her ability to fly. As she realizes what is happening to her and the other kids, they begin to plot an escape.
WHISPERS FROM THE BAY by John Tkac. (He is a local author; lives in Delray Beach.) A young boy living in Florida has a unique connection to dolphins. He actually talks to them and they carry on whole conversations with him. It’s the first book in a planned trilogy. When a friend and neighbor is kidnapped, he enlists the help of the dolphins to find and free the girl. Honestly, there is no way I can picture a kid having a conversation with dolphins who say, “Hey, Mike, you should fish around here. There are big sailfish in these waters.”
That old saying, “Truth is stranger and a thousand times more thrilling than fiction” seems more TRUE than ever. My next read definitely will be non-fiction. (I added the boldface!)
Dot Emer,
Middle School Librarian
Schmitt Library
Saint Andrew's School
Boca Raton, FL 33434

2009-08-09T21:45:00.005-04:00

The summer months when Sophie visits her mother's family in Europe, I write and send her & her cousins short nonfiction stories about various events; most recently I sent one, illustrated with photos, about the powwow (see previous posts with video). Moments ago I finished one (writing short pieces is time consuming; every word counts!) titled "Uncle David and Aunt Crystal and the Dresser." The gist is: David and Crystal moved a tall, heavy dresser (it's behind them in the car) from the third floor of our house to their apartment, only to discover that it made their bedroom toooo crowded. My stories always end with a "What do you think. . ." In this case: " What do you think is going to happen to the dresser now?" I illustrated the story with photos, including this one of David and Crystal saying "Hi, Sophie!"
(When they're not moving dressers, David is a history professor, Crystal is finishing her dissertation.) click on pic for lager image.

August

2009-08-05T13:11:00.004-04:00

This August instead of relocating to our bungalow on the barrier island off the coast of NJ, we're going back and forth in order to keep up with our work projects, i.e.,Linda's starting new research projects, etc.; I'm starting a new book & finishing the picture research for my forthcoming book Stirring Up the World: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, a Biography of a Powerful Friendship, etc. Happily we're both mostly engaged, even love, much of what we do work-wise because it's tempting to stay at the Shore when, for example, yesterday the ocean water temperature 74 degrees!! the waves rollicking. Kayaking on Barnegat Bay we saw many Great Egrets, a Little Blue Heron and Osprey (see picture).

The Indian Hoop Dancer

2009-07-27T20:43:00.006-04:00

More from the powwow--this is the Hoop Dancer. My previous post has more details about the powwow and another video.

Powwow

2009-07-25T12:34:00.011-04:00

Last night we went to a powwow at the Queens County Farm in Floral Park, NY. It was fabulous. Here's a clip of Keith (whose last name I didn't catch, but I'll try to track down), a Plain Cree from Alberta, Canada, doing the Chicken Dance-Indian. The announcer explained that it's a male "showing off" dance. It is also done during a "long and strenuous healing ceremony that lasts four days and nights." The singers and drummer are the Silver Clouds. I labeled this post "Teaching with Nonfiction" because typically the life and times of American Indians are taught as long ago history. This experience and video (I'll post more) are resources for me to use with students.

Ah, technology

2009-07-21T17:20:00.002-04:00

Just had a Skype call with Sophie and her two cousins--Alexa (a few months older than Sophie) and Georgia, who is a few years younger. It was a first & really fun. They're in Mallorca until Saturday, then back to Zurich. Before Sophie left, she wanted to plant her own garden so together we extended the flower/herb garden that is by the back door.
"How is my garden?" she asked.
"Fine," I replied. "I'll send you a picture."

The caterpillar mystery

2009-07-20T16:08:00.007-04:00

Arriving home this afternoon after two days at the Jersey Shore (no Glossy Ibis sighting, but a magnificent Great Egret), I spied an Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly in my garden. Wanting to photograph it for Sophie, I grabbed my camera and quietly walked toward the butterfly, took some pictures, and returned to help Linda unload the car. On my second trip into the house, she said, "Look--what's that on the kitchen floor?" Not quite believing my first impression, I knelt down to confirm that it was a Monarch butterfly caterpillar(Danaus plexippus)--right there on our kitchen floor! How it got there, I don't know, except that perhaps it "hitched" a ride on me when I was in the garden??
Perhaps our friend, "Sue the Science Educator" knows--I just left a message on her phone--"Hey Sue, how did a Monarch buttefly caterpillar get on our kitchen floor?" (click on image to enlarge)

Glossy Ibis

2009-07-14T21:41:00.007-04:00

Monday morning--a thrilling sight!!--After ten years of kayaking on Barnegat Bay, we spotted a Glossy Ibis (it was a juvenile) on the west side of one of the islands in the Bay! Linda & I got a good long close look, but I was so transfixed I forgot I had my camera, until the ibis took flight and then I snapped this picture. Look closely (click to enlarge), you'll see its long downward curved bill. David & Crystal arrived in the early afternoon & we headed for the ocean side of our barrier island. The water was clear, clean, 66 degrees with waves breaking every which way. Linda & Crystal stretched out on the sand. David & I swam/played/in the waves. He skillfully rode in on them; me, I got tumbled upside down a couple of times.
As we were packing up to head back to cook dinner--lobster bisque, scallops, Jersey corn, Jersey tomatoes & zucchini, Jersey blueberries, etc.-- I spontaneously asked David to riding in on one more wave so I could take a video to post for Sophie--he did, which meant we were still there when four pelicans flew by just off shore! (No video, 'cause I forgot to press the button.)

Sophie's Adventures

2009-07-11T21:17:00.004-04:00

Last week we had a wonderful 5-days with Sophie; wide range of activities from taking her with me to my Nonfiction Literature for Children class at Queens College to kayaking on Barnegat Bay where she spotted baby swans. A few days ago she & her mother left for Switzerland where her mother's family lives; actually right now she & Katrin, plus an aunt, uncle, & two close-in-age cousins are in Mallorca for two weeks. Jonathan--Sophie's Daddy met them there. She returns mid-August with lots of exciting adventures to share!

Bear Cub

2009-07-05T16:48:00.009-04:00

My son David just sent me these photos of a bear cub's "visit" to their apartment building located in a town in New York just across the NJ border. He reported that she was a 100 pound cub who first tried to run into their lobby and then onto a neighbor's balcony. Foiled, she climbed a tree and ate berries for three hours (first picture).
Finally she was tranquilized (pictures 2 & 3). Turned out she was a tagged cub & a "repeat offender" (picture 4) from NJ, which is where (last picture) she was relocated and set free.

Road Trip

2009-06-30T21:40:00.012-04:00

Back from our road trip north to Quebec, east to Tadoussac, ferry boat across the wide St. Lawrence River, south through New Brunswick & Maine, west across Massachusetts, south through Connecticut, New York, home--quick summary: discovered 3 terrific used book stores; went whale watching & saw porpoises, harbor seals, minke whales and many beluga whales; long walks through beautiful forests (but, oh, so many black flies that inflicted serious damage!!)--the muffins I made (previous post) saved us several times, including the night we ended up eating muffins, a banana, cheese & crackers for dinner.
Returned late last night, up early to begin teaching a nonfiction literature class at Queens College. The pics are the front & back of a beluga whale t-shirt I bought for Sophie at the The Center d'interpretation des manniferes marins (Center for Interpretation of Marine Mammals)in Tadoussac. Quebec, of course, is French speaking so the five behaviors pictured on the back are in French, which Marilou, the super attentive guide translated as: (top to bottom, l to r) porpoising, birthing, tail flapping, eye-spying, nursing, feeding. The artist is Frederick Bach. Check out the center at http://www.gremm.org
Note: the URL will take you to a page where you'll need to click on that URL again.)

Adventures

2009-06-22T22:03:00.002-04:00

We're off tomorrow on a road trip to Canada, one stop is Tadoussac, where the beluga whales breed in the summer. I'm psyched! I made banana-oatmeal-honey- pecan muffins to sustain us.
This is Sophie's last week of school; (the following week she leaves with her mother to spend six weeks with her Swiss relatives in Zurich, with side trips to Mallorca, Monstein, & Milan--very cool!) Instead of our usual Thursday, I picked her up today at school.
As we walked out, holding hands, I said, "Hey Sophie, this is the last time I'll pick you up at kindergarten."
"But you'll pick me up at first grade," she said with a slight question mark in her voice.
"Absolutely," I replied.
She wanted to see her garden so we headed to Englewood. After surveying it, she suggested we expand it, i.e. dig up more yard. Since I love to dig, I ordinarily would agree, but the ground is toooooo soggy! So we played inside board games (by the game rules, not Sophie rules). Then we played "ticket," which basically involves Sophie using my stack of post-its etc. to write ticket to admit me to various events.
"Who are you bringing with you?" she asked.
"Three girls and a cat," I replied.
"No cats," she said. "How old are you?" "Do you have a Blackberry?" etc.

I Wrote A Book Today

2009-06-17T19:19:00.003-04:00

"I wrote a book today," Sophie announced from her car seat.
"Tell me about it," I replied.
"The title is My Mommy, she said. "The story is--'I love you, but who is my Mommy? This is my Mommy.'"
"I like that," I said. "Did you draw a picture of your Mommy?"
"No, Grammie," she exclaimed. "It's about a baby tiger!"
Oooops, I thought--of course, Sophie-the-animal-lover! Curious, I asked how she went about writing the story.
"I took a piece of paper and folded it in the middle. The title is on the outside. The story is on the inside. I wrote one long sentence--'I love you, but who is my Mommy?' Then a short sentence--'This is my Mommy.' I made the baby tiger say in a bubble, 'Who is my Mommy?'"
"You mean a speech bubble?" I asked.
"Yes, a speech bubble."

Nonfiction Summer Reading List from P.S. 174

2009-06-15T18:12:00.004-04:00

Students in Marie Russell's 6th grade class at P.S. 174 in Queens put together this summer reading list of nonfiction books in response to my post about the absence of nonfiction books on lists (see May 30, 2009).
Marie e-mailed it to me with this message: "As promised, here is a list that my students put together of titles they recommend. We also read as a class the following and even though they weren't that eager to read them, in the end they rated them very highly. Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom, Dave Berger, eds. and Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of the Shakleton Expedition by Jennifer Armstrong. All of these books were part of a grant that our school library received and we were the first class to look at the books." Click on the list for a larger image.
Thank you to Marie Russell and her terrific students!

My Great Story! from NDSS

2009-06-12T10:51:00.007-04:00

Check out My Great Story, a new public awareness campaign launched by the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). Fascinating & truly inspiring great stories of the 400,000 Americans living with Down syndrome are showcased in a beautiful online storybook at www.ndss.org/stories. I'm thrilled to share news of this exciting & worthwhile venture on my blog (and not just because my son, Jonathan, is president of NDSS)--these are electrifying stories!

Two great stories will soon appear as national public service announcements (PSAs): Sujeet Desai, The Traveler and Sara Wolff, The Public Speaker (see pics). Anyone who loves stories--and we all do!!--will loved these!! Check them out at www.ndss.org/stories & watch for them in national media outlets.

Also teachers --the My Great Story website is a terrific online resource for teaching community, diversity, character education, writing, social issues, etc. etc. Check it out: www.ndss.org/stories

If you have Down syndrome, NDSS wants to hear your great story; or, if you have a great story about someone you know who has Down syndrome, NDSS wants to hear from you. You can contact them through: www.ndss.org/stories.

Quite the road trip!

2009-06-09T21:46:00.011-04:00

One hundred years ago today--June 9, 1909, twenty-two- year- old Alice Ramsey, with her two sisters-in-law and a friend, set off from New York CIty to drive across America in a Maxwell DA. Fifty-nine days later (41 actual driving days), after many hair-raising adventures, they arrived in San Francisco, where cheering crowds welcomed them. Thus, as the only driver, Alice earned the title of the first woman to complete the transcontinental trip. Today Emily Anderson with Christi Catania to help navigate, and a rotating list of two additional passengers set off to re-create Alice's historic trip in a Maxwell DA that Emily and her father have rebuilt from scratch. Linda and I cheered them on from the side of the road in Wappinger Falls, NY, then followed them to Poughkeepsie for a reception at Vassar College, Alice's alma mater. Fabulous experience!! You can learn more and follow their adventure (via map, blog, Twitter) at www.aliceramsey.org. The top picture is Emily holding her four-month old daughter, who along with her grandmother, is on the trip, too. (They ride in a car that follows the Maxwell DA.) The smiling woman at the right is Catharine Bond Hill, the president of Vassar. The bottom picture is me talking with Charlie MacDonald, an antique car buff, who waited for hours to see Emily drive by. We're standing by his 1936 Buick; the antique car community, I discovered, is quite interested in this trip and the Anderson's rebuilt Maxwell DA. The video is of their departure from Vassar.
For more information, to follow their progress, blog, Twitter go to: www.aliceramsey.org

Read Aloud

2009-06-09T09:29:00.005-04:00

Linda's 9-month old granddaughter is staying with us for a few days next week while her mother and father tend to work obligations. Since our children's book collection has aged up with Sophie, I just bought Mem Fox's new book, "Hello Baby." In the process, I discovered her web site & highly recommend it, in particular, check out her pages on "How To Read Aloud" and "See and Hear Mem." I'm going to be using both in the two classes that I'm teaching this summer. Here's the link:
www.memfox.net

Pasta with red sauce

2009-06-03T10:11:00.006-04:00

Sophie & her parents moved yesterday; six streets north and about 1/4 mile east to a larger place. She spent the night at our house, which meant getting up very early to get her to school in the city by 8 a.m. She's not a breakfast eater, except when I make her pancakes. But when the radio announcer said that traffic was backing up on the George Washington Bridge due to an accident, I decided there's wasn't time for pancakes; instead I followed her mother's recommendation to take a bag of Cherrios for her to eat in the car.
I handed her the Cherrios, but no luck. In my typical information-conveying style, I started telling her true stories, hoping to motivate her to eat. First, about how when I was on the NJ Commission on Hunger we did research to find out whether or not breakfast was important for school children & discovered that it is!
Sophie was interested but unmoved so I told her two more totally true stories, hoping to what?--I'm not sure. Anyhow, I confessed that a long time ago when I was a kid, I didn't like breakfast until one morning my grandmother offered me a cold hamburger, which I ate with gusto (a fun-to-say-word, Sophie said). Then there was the case of who-is-going-to-eat-the-trout: during my early teenage years, I spent two weeks in the summer with my grandparents, who lived in New Hampshire. Gramp & I we liked to go fly fishing for trout, until Grammie said we couldn't go anymore unless someone starting eating the trout that were piling up in the freezer. (Knowing that Sophie is a passionate animal lover, I interrupted my narrative to tell her that nowadays many fishers catch and release fish.)
Gramp refused; I agreed & ate trout every morning for the two weeks of my stay!
I ended my storytelling with a tidbit about how when Linda's son Jeremy was in kindergarten he said he'd only eat soup for breakfast.
Then I said (naming Sophie's favorite food), "I wonder--would you have eaten pasta with red sauce for breakfast this morning?"
"Yes," she enthusiastically answered.
"Ok, next time," I replied.
"But, I also like pancakes."

Summer Reading Lists

2009-05-30T08:22:00.011-04:00

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

2009-05-19T14:33:00.013-04:00

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.)

2009-05-18T13:36:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-14T22:28:00.006-04:00

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

2009-05-11T12:38:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-05T12:02:00.013-04:00

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

2009-05-04T10:02:00.008-04:00

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.

Libraries and Bookstores

2009-04-30T21:48:00.003-04:00

Where: My car
When: Just picked up Sophie
What: Deciding what to do during our time together

Note: it was "poem in a pocket day"
Me: I have a poem in my pocket for you.
Sophie: I have a poem in my backpack.
We read our poems and then talked about what to do together:
Me: We could go to the zoo, a museum, a park, playground, library, bookstore. . . .
Sophie: A library and bookstore are different!
Me: "That's interesting--tell me more."
Sophie: "In a library you have to be quiet. Someone shows you a book and you decide if you want to take it home but you can't keep it. In a bookstore you get to pick out what you like and take it with you and keep it."
Me: You mean you can keep it after you pay for it at the bookstore.
Sophie: Yes, but you can return it if you want to, like sometimes we have to return clothes."

p.s. we went to a woodland park with climbing equipment. Sophie is happy to share my enthusiasm as I point out all the things my mother pointed out to me, oh, so many years ago--skunk cabbage, violets and dog-tooth violets, may apples, etc.