“Good symbolism should be as natural as breathing … and as unobtrusive.”
Famous Novelists on Symbolism in Their Work—and Whether It Was Intentional :: Mental Floss
“The back matter is not the place for an author to include everything they couldn’t fit in the main text, and I do not believe that the best back matter is necessarily the longest back matter. Instead, the right elements are those that enhance the reading experience and add to our understanding of whatever it is the book is about.”
A Closer Look: What’s the Deal with Back Matter? :: The Lerner Blog
When writing (or anything else!) is a challenge: “If you’re excited about doing something, most likely you’ll be happy to have done it. You just have to go through a short time of something challenging to emerge to this happy state.”
A Mental Trick to Make Any Task Less Intimidating by Laura Vanderkam :: Forge Medium
“‘My kid has outgrown picture books.’ I hear this often when enthusing about a new picture book and offering to pass one along to a friend. It’s the kind of thing parents will say with a certain amount of pride because of what it implies: My child is now reading independently and no longer requires the crutch of pictures. Just as he once relinquished the binky, he has moved on. I hear this and I think, ‘Poor kid,’ and also, ‘Poor parent.’ Nobody moves on from picture books. At least, nobody should.”
Your Kids Aren’t Too Old for Picture Books, and Neither Are You :: The New York Times
A writing friend once described Jane Yolen as the Fairy Godmother of Children’s Literature, which is exactly right.
Owl Moon Author Jane Yolen Looks Back at 400 Books :: Boston Globe
A generous way to approach reading from a book every creative person should read.
Three questions to ask yourself when you finish reading a book :: Modern Mrs. Darcy
Why are responses to queries so slow right now? This is a really good look at the last year and a half from an agent’s perspective.
Ask the Agent :: Jennifer Laughran
And…
This last one has nothing to do with reading or writing, but if you’re a soon-to-be empty nester (like me), I hope you find it as encouraging as I did.
Wistfulness Over Kids Growing Up :: The Frugal Girl
Welcome back, Caroline! Hope you had a nice break in July.
Love these. Especially the article from the NYT about picture books! I still buy picture books for myself. Recent purchase: RUNAWAY: The Daring Escape of Ona Judge, by Ray Anthony Shepard.
And I’ve been an empty-nester for a while now. It can be difficult at first, but you’ll manage. Appreciate the Now. When our sons come back to visit, it’s better than ever (especially since we all got vaccinated)! They’re adults, with their own lives, and I admire them so much. I may never be a grandmother, but I enjoy interacting with my grandnephew, who is, of course, growing up too fast!
Thank you! It was great to have some time away. Wasn’t that a great article? It makes me sad when parents want their kids to age out of picture books quickly. There is such a rich experience in reading and sharing picture books — really, there’s nothing like it. I’ll have to look into RUNAWAY.
Thank you for your kind words. I love your perspective! <3