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.
Since March 2024, Jen Breach (writer, VCFA graduate, and former student) has helped me manage guest posts and Process Talk pieces on this blog. They have lined up and conducted author/illustrator interviews and invited and coordinated guest posts. That support has helped me get through weeks when I’ve been in edit-copyedit-proofing mode, and it’s also introduced me to writers and books I might not have found otherwise. Our overlapping interests have led to posts for which I might not have had the time or attention-span. It’s the beauty of shared circles.
My Book at 30: Ganesha Dances On With Reading Is Fundamental
This year, the book this blog is named for, the second book I ever wrote, The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha, turns 30. In many ways, with the gentle guidance of editor Diantha Thorpe, this was the book that taught me how to write. Twenty years ago, in 2006, when its original independent publisher, Linnet Books, closed its doors, The Broken Tusk was picked up by another press known for its commitment to fine storytelling, August House.
August House kept The Broken Tusk in the world of print and e-books for another couple of decades. It sold steadily over the years. Parents began to email me telling me they’d read it as children and were now reading it to their kids. Now my book is traveling once more, this time in an unexpected yet fitting direction.