Writing With a Broken Tusk
Writing With a Broken Tusk began in 2006 as a blog about overlapping geographies, personal and real-world, and writing books for children. The blog name refers to the mythical pact made between the poet Vyaasa and the Hindu elephant headed god Ganesha who was his scribe during the composition of the Mahabharata. It also refers to my second published book, edited by the generous and brilliant Diantha Thorpe of Linnet Books/The Shoe String Press, published in 1996, acquired and republished by August House and still miraculously in print.
Laughter and Hats: Remembering Betty-Erle Rhodes
When I met Betty-Erle Rhodes, she’d just moved to northwest New Mexico. She was a storyteller. She had the kind of face that always seemed ready to break into a smile. She wore embroidered skirts and glorious hats. We served together on the board of the local arts council and met up for lunch and tea every so often. A few of my books were out in the world, but I struggled constantly with self-doubt, never knowing when the publishing faucets would run dry. Betty-Erle had been a children’s librarian and she believed passionately in the power of books and reading.