author • speaker • teacher • volunteer
The swirl of travel
December 6, 2015
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As my Vermont College semester winds to a close, two new adventures loom in my imagination: the January residency, where I will be leading a workshop focusing on picture books, and a trip to Ethiopia where I will be leading–am trying to invent–a workshop for creating some super simple, playful, patterned, culturally appropriate books that
Drinking water???
June 15, 2015
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I like global projects that leave everyone surprised and a little more open-hearted. This photo is from a day when artist Stephanie Schlatter and her artist friend Aklilu decided to show kids in Ethiopia that anything can be a canvas–including YOU. Today my neighbor was telling me about a time when he was a young
Catching up with myself
June 5, 2015
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On May 24, I was in Washington DC to be honored by SEED for my work in spreading literacy through my books and my volunteer work with Ethiopia Reads. As you notice, the invitation says the ending time of the event = 12:30 a.m. That Ethiopian oration is not for the fainthearted! And it actually
5 Ethiopian traditions that should be brought to America
February 10, 2015
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Yes! Beautifully put and makes me miss both Ethiopia and my little bit of Ethiopia here in the US.
Curing the Reading GERM by Jim Bailey
February 9, 2015
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Ahhhh…this blog fills me with hope!
Stop Making (so Much) Sense by Dev Petty
December 1, 2014
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Thinking about this as I start getting ready to teach the picture book semester at VCFA…
Family on the hot, hot savanna
September 8, 2014
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It only takes me a second or two to bring back the delicious sensations of the hot, hot savanna. When I was speaking at an Ethiopian heritage and culture camp this summer, I showed this picture. Someone asked me, “But aren’t there crocodiles in some of the rivers in the warm part of Ethiopia?” Um…yes.
Back to School in Ethiopia and always
August 9, 2014
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Not long after we got to Ethiopia, my big sister got to go to kindergarten. Her teacher was so fond of her, she even gave her a lovely, big doll. I was probably mildly jealous of my sister’s having such a doll, but I was REALLY jealous that she got to go to school and
Foodie process/writing process
July 1, 2014
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I picked up the baton on talking about writing process from one of the writers who often goes on retreat with me in the fall: http://jacquelinebriggsmartin.blogspot.com/ She and I have a lot of the same themes going on in our work and lives. She writes… “Right now I’m very happy to be planning for the release
