little mr red socks

And... The winners of the Big Blog Book Give-away (who get a free copy of Angry Conversations With God) ARE ... SO impossible to choose because so many of you gave such funny stories... But, hard as it is I have to choose, so the winners are: Jennifer, Robyn Blaikie Collins, Maryann MacDonald and Sennie. Please send me your mailing address and email if I don't already have it and I'll get you your book. (Thank you everyone for joining in the fun and sorry we couldn't have everyone win!)

happy quilt

(don't know the name of this one but I like it) (no that's not the name) (really) Quilt by Denyse Schmidt. More here. PS: TODAY is the last day of the Big Blog Book Give-away and your last chance to get a free copy of Angry Conversations With God. More: here.

magical sleepy book

Who will read me my bedtime story? Oh cool you will. look, it sent someone here straight to sleep and it wasn't me
BY POPULAR DEMAND... this favorite is NOW OUT IN PAPERBACK! More here. REMEMBER to enter The Big Blog Book Give-Away and your chance to get a free copy of Angry Conversations With God. More: here.

charity:water

it's world water day... here's a great charity that builds wells... and 100% of the money you give goes only to that PS: Big Blog Book Give-Away and your chance to get a free copy of Angry Conversations With God. More: here.

apple pie from scratch

"In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." –Carl Sagan (1934-1996) PS The Big Blog Book Give-Away is still open and so is your chance to get a free copy of Angry Conversations With God. More: here.

happy quilt: On and On

"On and On" Quilt by Denyse Schmidt. More here. Big Blog Book Give-away still going and your chance to get a free copy of Angry Conversations With God. More: here.

Not at this address

"This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don't consider it rejected. Consider that you've addressed it 'to the editor who can appreciate my work' and it has simply come back stamped 'Not at this address'."
—Barbara Kingsolver (b.1955) How great is that? Reminds me too, how grateful I am for my editors. They're the best. We have a mutual admiration society. For me that helps me do my best work. But I'm also grateful for those editors who, when I was first starting out, did return my manuscripts. Because, as far as I can tell, the very worst thing for a writer, worse even than not being published--is be to be published by someone who hasn't fallen in love your text... REMEMBER: The Big Blog Book Give-away and your chance to get a free copy of Angry Conversations With God. More: here.

the subway is singing to you

(photo: Walker Evans Subway portraits) For a few years I've been noticing three notes that play out on some NYC subway lines as the train leaves the station (you hear them on some 2, 4 and 5 lines). A NYT article uncovered what they are. They are the first three notes of the song "Somewhere" from "West Side Story". "There's a place"... for us how strangely fitting for New York City a place for people from every corner of the globe a place you come to find your place, to take your place a place you fit when you don't fit anywhere else And now to find there's a love song being sung to us day and night, night and day, year in year out from the ground under our feet by subway trains underneath Broadway there's a place for us I love New York! PS: big blog book giveway going on and your chance to get a free copy of Angry Conversations With God. More: here.