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, writer and former student Jen Breach 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—Venn diagrams, anyone?
Above All, the Children
Russian authorities, Masha Gessen tells us in her New Yorker article, have banned words like “war” or “invasion” to describe what they want to call a “special operation” in Ukraine. Whatever they may choose to call it, it’s about walking into someone else’s home and suggesting that it’s not a home at all, and the people in it are not who they think they are.
And what about the children? I’m reminded of the Ukrainian folktale retold in America by Jan Brett in her beloved book, The Mitten.