WRITING MEMOIR
My story is about being a grandmother in the twenty-first century.
Two standalone essays excerpted from the book are out or forthcoming. Hooray! I will post links when available.
- “More Than Human.” Issue #50. Milestones. Halfway Down the Stairs, March 1, 2020.
- “Surviving.” Issue #72. The Power of Play. Creative Nonfiction, fall 2019.
A guest blog post for Westport Writers Website and a Pushcart-nominated essay for the inaugural issue of Centered can be found online.
- “November Iris.” Westport Writer’s Website / November 5, 2019.
- “Partners.” Centered: The magazine of personal stories, spring 2019 issue. Pushcart-nominated essay.
(FLASHBACK)
What about writing in the middle phase of my life, that hefty chunk between thirty something and retirement?
Several decades ago, I arrived in New York City as a modern dancer after college, honed my skills and performed with several groups. Life circumstances changed my course. I became a widow with a two-year-old son in my care. The door to a dance career closed …
But another opened! Bank Street College and its creative ways of teaching young children beckoned. I entered that world and never looked back.
Luckily, it was followed by an offer to complete a doctorate in education at New York University, entirely funded by the Federal Government. Wow. An offer I couldn’t refuse. Ultimately it led me to a position in the Department of Education at Queens College, CUNY.
Teaching teachers turned out to be a more satisfying and creative career than I’d ever imagined. Language education became my specialty, and I made my own contributions to the field with many articles and two books.
Literacy Learning in the Early Years:
Through Children’s Eyes.
New York, NY.
Teachers College Press.
Word Play and Language
Learning for Children.
Urbana, IL.
Nat. Council of Teachers of English.