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.
The Meandering Walk Called Writing: Mark Karlins on Kiyoshi's Walk, Part 1
Happy Book Birthday to Mark Karlins on Lee and Low's release of Mark's picture book, Kiyoshi's Walk, illustrated by Nicole Wong. I sent Mark a couple of meandering questions, since I was lucky enough to stroll alongside during part of this book's journey. Here's our conversation.
Sarvinder Naberhaus on Blue Sky, White Stars
Illustrated by the acclaimed Kadir Nelson, and filled with a dazzling array of beautifully diverse people claiming a complicated national identity, here is a picture book that does an enormous amount with very few words. I was intrigued by Blue Sky, White Stars by Sarvinder Naberhaus, so I invited her to chat with me here at Writing With a Broken Tusk: