This is an Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter (1963). It is one of the first portable typewriters. And how fitting because it is an extremely well-traveled typewriter. A globe-trotter. It’s lived in: London, Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Oxford and now New York City. (Like me.) It was my mother’s and she gave it to me… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Writing
Beauty hiding in plain sight
I was walking in Central Park when I was stopped by this tree. It was only tiny—totally dwarfed by the great elms. But it was caught by the sun—as if in a spotlight—and transformed into a blazing bush. Moses was minding his own business when something caught his eye—a bush was behaving oddly… he came… Read more »
the lesser-known superpower of children (thoughts for your Easter weekend)
Have you noticed the super powers small children wield? One morning, I was riding the NYC subway when the doors opened and into the car walked a little child. She was maybe 2. Instantly, all of us—these defended New Yorkers, all avoiding eye contact, all guarding our space—were transformed. We smiled at her. At her… Read more »
Happy Dr Seuss Day! And here are 10 great Seuss quotes
Happy Read Across America Day! I for one will be staying in my pajamas and reading all day long (I have to– I’ve already taken the pledge). And how fitting to celebrate Read Across America Day on the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel– the one and only Dr. Seuss! If you follow me on Twitter… Read more »
THE Lloyd-Jones
People often ask me, “Are you related to THE Lloyd-Jones?” To which, of course, I respond … “But I AM the Lloyd-Jones.” What they’re really asking, though, is: “Are you related to THE Doctor David Martyn Lloyd-Jones?” Dr David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) is the rock star of theologians, writers, thinkers, a children’s book writer like… Read more »
workspaces to inspire you
Where do you make art? write? compose? create? When I started out I thought it would be in a library. So I found the perfect one. It was very beautiful. And very silent. And very serious. And all I could think was, “GET ME OUT OF HERE!” I kept looking around at everyone writing great… Read more »
the art of simplicity
It’s hard to believe… but Miffy, that adorable white baby bunny, turns 60 this year! In 1955, on a rainy seaside holiday in North Holland, Dick Bruna sketched a little bunny for his young son. The bunny kept hopping about. Each evening he would make stories up about the bunny and… Miffy was born. I… Read more »
Visiting Ann Voskamp
(Welcome to readers hopping over from Ann Voskamp’s A Holy Experience blog!) Ann and I knew each other via the Twitterverse and Planet Instagram and were each other’s big fans. (Ann has generously shared my books with children in Guatemala, in Africa, in other underserved areas of the world, working alongside Compassion International and returning… Read more »
Happy Birthday, Eeyore!
“Eeyore Alone”. Alone. Poor Eyeore. Of course, he would be alone on his birthday that no one has remembered. Did you remember? No of course not. I didn’t either. But the Guardian remembered. They wrote a whole article about him and how great a literary character Eeyore is (“archetypal” is what they said). You can… Read more »
Following Clues with Jane Dyer
With many picture book projects, the author and illustrator never meet — or even communicate with each other. And that was how it was with THE HOUSE THAT’S YOUR HOME. I didn’t share any notes with Jane about what I’d had in mind as I wrote. Jane was sent the text and then it was… Read more »