Writing is a lot like Painting: Robert Henri at the Georgia O' Keefe museum

"If you paint children you must have no patronizing attitude toward them. Whoever approaches a child without humility, without wonderment, and without infinite respect misses in his judgement of what is before him."

---Robert Henri

Indeed the same is true of writing for children.

I was at the Georgia O'Keefe museum in Santa Fe in January. The travel exhibit of the work of Robert Henri had much to inspire as did the work of O'Keefe.

So much of what Henri says about painting resonates with the writer.

The artist should be intoxicated with the idea of the thing he wants to express. (Robert Henri)

Do whatever you do intensely. (Robert Henri)

You will never draw the sense of a thing unless you are feeling it at the time you work. (Robert Henri)

Pretend you are dancing or singing a picture. A worker or painter should enjoy his work, else the observer will not enjoy it. (Robert Henri)

For more of Henri's quotes about painting and art and life that will also apply to the writer in us all see:

http://quote.robertgenn.com/auth_search.php?authid=171

A Writer never stops: Silverton, CO

Last weekend found me in Silverton Co. for the last of the season's snowshoeing. The trail was rutted with snowmobile tracks and the snow slushy. But this tiny town nestled in the San Juan mountains offers plenty for the writer's imagination.

It is impossible for a writer to "turn off" even when poor conditions challenge tired muscles .

Silverton smacks of the wild west and is all about setting. Every nook and cranny offers up colorful local detail. I would love to imbed myself here and write. For now I settle for photos and soak up place. After all it is all about location, location, location.

A strong setting here but what about character? I find my self wondering who is the child who lives here? Who explores the abandoned buildings? Who built and plays with this unique wagon?

In a town this size there can only be a handful of children the same age. Perhaps these sleds are enough for you and all of your friends.

Character. Who are the mother's, wives, women who erected this Christ of the Miners to look after the husband's, boys, sons, men who risked their lives in the mines?

And what about plot?

A hike to the grave yard suggests a number of plots and subplots with twists and turns all along the way.

It's all there. Mine explosion, Soiled Doves(think prostitute) a benevolent Madam, suicide and alcoholism....the imaginings begin and the writer never stops plotting.

Tucson book Festival: Part two: Books alive and well

Imagine a school that greets you with a Mariachi Band! Note I do not have an instrument and I do not sing ;-). These kids were great. I want to dance!

A school with Acquabioponics in the library...my kind of place...I want one!

A school that is bilingual....REALLY Bilingual. I want to learn Spanish!

Attentive listeners...that author must be good;-)

And finally? It was all about books...thousands of people and there would have been more if they could have found a place to park...I guess that was a good thing...too many people coming together for books.

I even sold a few!

Beatrice Reviewed on Pirate Tree

Beatrice's Dream was reviewed on Pirate Tree

Check it out: http://www.thepiratetree.com/2012/03/08/beatrices-dream-a-story-of-kibera-slum/

And make sure you check back at this site regularly for reviews and good news. Thank you Nancy Bo Flood!

Tucson book Festival: Captains log: March 7, 2012

8:45 AM:

Leave Chinle in a dust

storm. Visibility poor.

8:52 Ganado. Left home with only half a tank of gas...still have a half of tank of gas.

I stop for gas.

Gas costs $3.59.

My dilemma. Map quest says turn left, GPS says go straight.

TMI.

I turn left.

9:16: I am in the middle of a snow storm even though the sign says, "High Dust Warning".

Note to self: should have followed the GPS directions.

9:41 Snow stops.

Signs for Wide Ruins.

I muse: This is the name of Famous Navajo rug design. Wish I were home weaving.

9:41- 11:32: Not much happens. I eat a lot of junk food.

11:32 Tank is down a 1/4.

Must stop for gas.

$4.19? Really????

Really!

11:32-2:21 Not much happens. Eat junk food.

Stop at every gas station .

Use rest room...often.

Low on coffee. Switch to diet Pepsi

Stock up on junk food.

More driving. Maybe I should have flown.

There really are places like:

and

They sell Gas!!!!

Next hour and a half: Mountains forever.

Good thing I have gas....and water...and junk food.

No rest rooms.

Many signs that say: Watch for falling Rocks.

Ya think?

Much time to contemplate. Should I drive fast so rocks will not fall on me? Or slow so I do not hit rocks?

GPS keeps recalculating my arrival time: Do they keep moving Tucson?..it takes longer and longer to get there.

Sometime mid afternoon: Cactus!

And Wildflowers.

4:15-ish: Tucson. Schools and Book Festival. Stay tuned.

More Good News About Beatrice!

Book Dragon, the blog of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific Program has good things to say about Beatrice's Dream.

Check out this review at http://bookdragon.si.edu/2012/03/03/beatrices-dream-by-karen-lynn-williams-photographs-by-wendy-stone/

BookDragon

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Some Schools go All Out!

It's not necessary to decorate your entire school to look like Africa or Haiti when I come. But some schools have done just that and more.

Early this month I visited

New Wilmington Elementary School tucked away behind the high school and the middle school in an Amish community in New Wilmington, PA.

Check out the amazing mural that greeted me as I walked in the door. The rays of sun and the green stalks of grass are formed from handprints of every student and teacher in the school. If you could see the tiny print you would know that every member of the school community also has their name on this amazing work of art inspired by several of my books.

But these teachers and students went beyond Africa. They recognized that the theme of several of my books has to do with recycling so everything used to make this unique work of art is recycled...I especially like the use of cereal boxes cut up for tusks and grass.

But that was not all! Look what greeted me on the stage where I was speaking in the all purpose room: A nearly life sized tap-tap with heads of the riders made out of paper bags. The wheels are vinyl...that's right the kind that some of us used to spin on record players.

Every classroom door was decorated around a theme or title from one of my books.

There were Galimotos made from all kinds of recycled and found objects all over the school.

It's not necessary but these dedicated teachers, administrators, librarians and parents know that you get so much more out of an author visit, the more you put into it.

At least one student proclaimed it would be an awesome day.

And it was!