Watching a seasoned pro pull off a book launch with grace and hospitality is such a joy. That was the case yesterday in the beautiful Provincetown Library, when Ellen Wittlinger celebrated the publication of her latest YA novel, LOCAL GIRL SWEPT AWAY. I'm a fan of...
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Gay Pride & Orlando: Never Going Back Again
I stare at the photo of a long-ago Gay Pride march. In it, I march with my girlfriend (now wife) and a bunch of young lesbians. I recently posted it on Facebook with the caption "I'm remembering my first gay pride, when my flamboyant 80's shorts conveniently...
Writing Middle Grade fiction with LGBTQ-parented families
Have you seen the Project Mayhem middle grade blog? It's devoted to crafting middle grade fiction, and it's chock full of resources, book reviews, author interviews, craft tips, and more. I'm part of the Project Mayhem team, and I recently shared some ideas from my...
Writing abt Characters w/LGBTQ Parents- our presentation!
Lively conversation and great questions added rocket fuel to our presentation yesterday on Writing about Characters with LGBT Parents. The New England SCBWI* Conference is broad and deep-- 700 attendees, many workshops on all aspects of the writing life, and powerful...
Radio interview: Instilling a love of reading in children
"Never the leave the house without a book." That's one of the tips we discussed yesterday on The Point, a morning program on WCAI-FM, the NPR station for Cape Cod and the Islands. Host Mindy Todd and I discussed how to instill a love of reading in the home, creating...
Writing about characters with LGBTQ parents
“Who’s your real mom?” “What do you mean you don’t have a dad/mom?” “Please bring these permission slips home to your moms and dads.” Life is just different for kids of LGBTQ parents. They navigate awkward questions, tricky social situations, and heteronormative...
How it’s done: author James Howe presenting to Middle Schoolers
I had the privilege of watching author James Howe present to Nauset Regional Middle School today-- the whole school. (I have an inside advantage: my wife Bonnie is a guidance counselor there!) He spoke at two different schools today, and will give an evening...
Raising a Reader: my class for parents/early educators!
Raising a Reader! I'm offering this community education class in May 2016 at the Cape Cod Campus of Bridgewater State University. Raising a Reader is a non-credit course aimed at parents and caregivers who want to infuse a love of reading and books into their...
Reviewing an Irish MG Novel
"You can't survive if you only see the darkness, if you cannot laugh and love and if you don't have hope in your heart." ~author Sarah Moore Fitzgerald When I was asked to review an Irish middle-grade novel for the Project Mayhem Middle-Grade blog, I felt like...
Advice from an Agent/Editor Combo!
"Don't be self-deprecating. Come at me with some confidence." That was the bracing advice on queries from agent Heather Alexander yesterday at the Whispering Pines writing retreat in Rhode Island, hosted by the New England SCBWI. If "Whispering Pines" sounds bucolic...