N.Y.C.

Lately I’ve been tripping down memory lane, in part b/c I’m heading to Toronto soon and in part b/c I’ve been reviewing “the novel of my youth,” which was based on my experience as a teaching artist in Brooklyn back in the day. I started working with kids when I still was a kid myself—both [...]

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picturing Brooklyn

I’m working on preparing an old manuscript for publication—what do you think of these two covers? I woke up this morning and took my camera for a walk. A lot has changed since I first came to Brooklyn, and I felt uncomfortable snapping photos of brownstones when I know that longtime residents are wary of [...]

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one perfect hour

I just lost my entire post—grrrrr.  This mac is acting nutty, so I’ll keep this short: had to share this beautiful drawing sent to me by my niece, Maya.  How did she know that I read “Millie Eckstine the Singing Swine” during my poetry workshop this morning? I love that Maya gave her earrings… There’s [...]

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Listen to this: elders speak…

Remember when I told you I was interviewed by the Crown Heights Oral History Project?  Well, they’re hosting a celebration next week that will feature some of the interviews they’ve recorded—I already had my portrait taken (!!)—and can’t wait to hear the voices of some of the elders in our community.  If you’re in NYC, [...]

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a taste of BEA

I think The Rejectionist summed it up best, but BEA is hard on an HSP (highly sensitive person) like myself.  Shmoozing and mingling and networking aren’t my strengths, so I only lasted an hour at yesterday’s Book Blogger reception.  I did get to meet some nice people, including author Melanie Hope Greenberg and author/blogger/radio host [...]

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out & about

This has been a busy week!  Part of me wants to crawl under a rock and not emerge for several weeks, but another part of me feels so blessed to have these opportunities to connect with book lovers.  On Tuesday night I was invited by Karen Alford, VP for Elementary Schools at The United Federation [...]

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8th Grade Super Zero

The thing about being a teacher is that you can’t look at anything, really, without instantly thinking of ways you could use it in the classroom.  I’ve been telling you about the gentrification exhibit at MoCADA, and how I think about gentrification a lot, and now I’ve just finished a middle grade novel that would [...]

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the pink elephant

My friends and I talk about gentrification ALL the time, and have for years…but as MoCADA founder Laurie Cumbo points out in this great NY1 interview, gentrification is often a topic that gets discreetly avoided “in mixed company.”  Two years ago I moved into my friend’s apartment here in Brooklyn and immediately noticed that the [...]

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