Tales from the Rushmore Kid

Teacher of the year

Congratulations to our own SCBWI member Yuki Yoshino for being named Walt Disney Elementary School Teacher of the Year! 

Yuki and I have been friends for many years and have taken this journey with the SCBWI together.  I have been impressed with her total dedication, devotion and self sacrifice for her students.  She is one amazing teacher.

Congratulations Again!

Petra-Art for art sake

My traveling buddy Ann Tanous and I have a passion about ancient ruins.  Most of the time we can talk the hubbies into joining us, but, on this trip to Jordan, we left them at home. With a local guide, we hiked and I sketched through the rose-red city of Petra for days.

To Toast or not to toast?

To toast or not to toast, that is the question? Some of my writing buddies have been going to Toastmasters to improve their public speaking skills. I am toying with the idea.  I've been somewhat suspicious of the group since it has been around since my parents time.  But I have more  school appearances in the near future and I am sure I could pick up a few tips.  Probably the best tip I have gotten from friends is wing it.  Don'€™t read a prepared speech.  Have talking points.  So, any alumni out there, pipe up and convince me that is the thing to do.

The photo shows the only toasting that I'm familiar with.

Shrinking Violet Blog!

Award-winning authors Robin L. LaFevers and Mary Hershey started a blog about methods of promotion for writers who might be reluctant to appear in public.  Both are very active in our region of the SCBWI. I have been lucky enough to take a terrific workshop from Robin on plotting. 

When they realized that they had gotten carried away with the answers to my questions, I was given permission to edit their response.  But I left in every hilarious word.

Why did you start The Shrinking Violet Blog?

mh: Robin and I go all the way back to the last millennium together, and have traveled each step of the writing journey together-- the agonies and the ecstasies.  We share the same Myers Briggs profile, which is a rather unique type, save for a few souls that gone completely mad in their lifetimes.  (Okay, I might have made that part up.)  We are very similar in make-up, but very different in manifestation.  We 'get' each other but don't bore each other, by being too similar.

Love of Art

This is so indulgent.  I paint my pets.  This is Star our nine year old doberman.  She has been to many writer's group, smoozes and critiquenics.  So you could say she is a dog of the SCBWI.  We sent her to puppy college where she learned hand signal off leash training.  When we can, we travel with her,  Star's favorite hotel is the Cypress Lodge in Carmel.  Known for it's famous owner, the 50's movie star Doris Day.  Down in the bar at happy hour dogs are under the tables as Doris Day songs are played for all to enjoy.  Que Sera, Sera............

Rushmore Fact

Gutzon Borglum was a brilliant artist, inventor and orator, much in demand at the time. He worked for presidents and kings, traveling all over world on business.  What is really unusual for the time is that Gutzon took his son Lincoln everywhere.  From the time he was four months old, Lincoln traveled with his father wherever the elder Borglum went.  Usually, the only child at these meetings or speaking events, Lincoln later said that he generally felt pretty awkward. But he loved traveling with his dad.  Lincoln's on the far left.

Fact not in the book:  When Lincoln was around 7 years old, after his dad had spoken to a crowded auditorium,  Lincoln asked if he could make a speech too.  His father said yes and introduced his son. Lincoln stood up on stage and recited the Midnight ride of Paul Revere.

Art for cash sake/Aussie books

Art for cash sake is just what it is.  Art that I have made dough with.


This illustration was for a travel magazine on Australia.  It made me think of all the fabulous children's authors coming out of that continent.

Australian Markus Zusak wrote the amazing story The Book Thief.  It is narrated by death who tells the tale of the regular Christian Germans who were bullied into submission by the Nazis.  One girl survives this ordeal by stealing books for comfort.  She takes them from a graveyard, library and a smoldering book burning pile.  It is an crossover from adult and is quite an edgy YA.  Markus breaks every rule of writing and makes it work in this story.  Have a box of Kleenex near when reading this.

Goofy children's book authors

I am a writer because of the SCBWI.  I know I repeat this on a continual basis, but it is the most wonderful organization.  Where else can you belong and the competition not only roots for your success, but also helps you to become even more successful.  But the heart of it all is the spirit of children’s book writers.  Forever 12, part of a gang of kids, all we want to do is have some fun. Here  I am  with  the  disco  mermaids  at  the  Jade  ball  in 2006.  Eve  Porinchack  is  in  my  writer's  group.  We all live in this goofy world of children’s literature.

Book to recommend:  Montmorency, Thief, Liar and Gentleman by Eleanor Updale.
This is some fun YA.  A convict in 18-century London learns manners, thievery and the art of disguise in prison.  He is rescued from this drudgery by a well-meaning physician who had saved his life.  He takes on a new role as gentleman and scholar as he keeps a double life as thief and servant.  It is a rags to riches tale and you can’t help but cheer for this character. 

Four Presidents were almost five!

 

A fact not in the book:  In 1937 as Congress was appropriating more money for Rushmore there was much talk and a bill in Congress to add Susan B Anthony, the suffragette, to the mountain. You can imagine how that sat with all the men involved.  The women now had the right to vote, so no one wanted to insult the ladies, but  Mount Rushmore honored presidents and Ms Anthony had never been president.  The men squirmed out of it and quietly the bill went away and Rushmore got more funding.

Fact in the book: The presidents were to be carved from the waist up!  But after Gutzon died, money had run out so Lincoln decided just to concentrate on the faces to make the mountain look complete.  This is a model they used on Mount Rushmore to take measurements from.

Terry Pierce Interview

Here is an interview I did with children's book author TERRY PIERCE.

 

When and why did  you start writing for children?
Throughout my life  as a teacher (twenty-two years), I'd always thought about writing for kids,  but the year before I stopped teaching, the desire to do so became very  strong.  I knew it was something I had to pour myself  into 100%. In 1999, I went against all "sound" advice and quit teaching  to follow the dream of writing for children. I gave myself a five year time  limit to get a book published. Four years later, I received my first  book contract (for Greatest Goofiest Jokes).

 

Hoot

Several times in my life, knowledge that I gained from children's books has help me out.  As I was walking my dog a few months ago through the dunes on the beach I noticed a small bird on the ground that looked surprisingly like an owl. Then I remembered "Hoot" by Carl  Hiaasen.  The story of three middle grade kids saving burrowing owls from a housing project in Florida.   Sure enough in Calfornia we have burrowing owls.  I  am now monitoring a  pair for the California Burrowing Owl Project.  These are my owls. The top picture is George and bottom one is Gracie. I am told they might just be wintering here, but if they stay through the spring that is big news.  They live in seperate burrows that ground squirrels abandoned.  George has been enlarging several new burrows in hopes of attracting Gracie to his side of the dunes.  Spring is in the air!

Art for Art sake

Yes, I do have a thing about painting cats.  Picasso had his blue period, I have had my cat period.  This was part portfolio piece, part labor of love.  I was desperate for some cat photos and my friend Sarah obliged.

It was a fun series and I was happy to give her as a gift to Sarah and Tom when I  was done.

Gracie now lives in Kitty Heaven, but her partying days are remembered.

Cat book to recommend:
In the third of the Garth Nix triliogy, Abhorsen, an obnoxious cat spirit Mogget provides the surprisingly twist in the ending of this spooky YA fantasy.

Rushmore recipe

I wanted to post some Borglum family recipes. Lincoln Borglum had passed away in the early 80’s, but his daughter Robin was a great help with these.  She told me that he was a meat and potatoes kind of guy and that he often said, “ It has taken mankind thousands of years to progress from cooking over an open fire to an advanced stove and he saw no point in moving back to the barbecue pit.

She also said that her grandmother, Mary, Gutzon’s wife had a famous chocolate cake recipe that no one could duplicate.  Years later the family found out that while the cake was rising in a wood stove she would jump up and down until it fell.  Then she would even it up with icing making it a chocolate icing cake.

Robin remembered her dad making these French pancakes. 

LINCOLN BORGLUM PANCAKES

1/2 Cup flour
3 Tbls powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
            Mix dry ingredients.
1/2 cup milk - add and stir until perfectly smooth
1 egg   - add and beat thoroughly
            
Cook like any pancakes. Since they are thin, best to try one at a time until you
see how much they spread out. They can be rolled up and used for Crepes Suzette's or filled with your choice. He generally like them hot, with melted butter and brown sugar!

Golden Kite Awards

The golden kite  awards came out last week.  Like all awards I love to see a exceptional book I've read get recognized. Team Moon won the nonfiction honor.  This is one exciting piece of nonfiction.  Catherine Thimmesh weaved a great story of hope, worries and teamwork of the Appollo 11 landing. The layout of this book is fabulous.  It has a scrap book kind of feel that brings you into the story even more.


Congratulations to all the winners of the golden kite awards.

Lincoln Borglum

Not only was Gutzon a talent artist he was known for his temper as well.  No one could dispute his ability, but he was quick to the flame.  Since all his jobs at the time were usually delegated by committee, you could see his frustration on having to answer to non-artist businessmen who were only interested in the bottom line that could change as job progressed.  Gutzon spared no expense or time on his projects often making little money in the end and forcing the family into revolving debt.

Fact not in the book:  When Gutzon died suddenly,  Mary Borglum was saddled with much debt.  Lincoln, being a loyal son, worked 5 years to pay it off.  That Lincoln Borglum was some kind of guy!

Higher Power of Lucky

With all the fuss over that one word, Scrotum, I was expecting quite an edgy middle grade.  What I found was a sweet heart warming story of Lucky yearning to belong to someone.  I love this book on several levels.  First, the people of this town of 45 are very poor.  With all the materials things that kids need to have today it is wonderful to see how Susan brought in these happy kids that are poor as dirt and live off government hand outs of old food.
It reminded me of how kids take care of each other through tough times.  The ending, that I didn’t see coming, made me weep.  Buy this book not only to take the stand against censorship, but because it is a wonderful heartwarming story.  Those judges on the Newbery committee knew what they were doing.

Clean, clutter and create.

I am a messy person by nature and struggle with organized neatness.  I also have a hard time throwing out any container, old clothes or used wrapping paper.  All that stuff could be used in an art project.  With that in mind I have dragged tons of stuff from studio to studio.  But when I moved my studio into my house for the first time I had to get serious about organization.  The spare bedroom is the smallest studio that I ever had (if I could have talked my husband into giving up the master bedroom I would have.)  So organization was a must.  I cataloged, threw out and gave away to schools mountains of supplies.  Now 7 years later I am bursting at the seams again. I’ve toyed with the idea of moving to a studio space, but the convience of working at all odd hours is so productive.  After all, how many jobs can you work in your jammies?  It is time for the massive clean up.  I figured if I wrote it in my blog that some time I would actually have to do it. 

Doane Robinson

Fact not in the book.  Like all public art, it is the collaboration of many and in the case of Mount Rushmore, an idea of one.  Around 1924, State historian, Doane Robinson had dreamed of a tourist attraction to bring visitors to South Dakota.  He thought  a  heroic sculpture of Wild West figures.  Doane had many sculptors in mind, but at the time Gutzon was getting much publicity in the press about walking away from carving  Stone Mountain in Georgia.  Pissed off, Gutzon had thrown the model off the mountain and made it impossible for anyone else to finish the carving.  A war of words between Gutzon and the Stone Mountain Comission filled the papers.  Doane saw it and wrote to Gutzon about the job.

Fact in the book:  Lincoln accompanied his Dad on the first trip to South Dakota to look into the job.  It was Gutzon who brought up carving the Presidents.

Laser Tag

One of the best things my husband gave me was two wonderful stepchildren.  Over the years they married, had four children and made me a very young grandma.  The magical land of grand parenting is everything I had ever heard, fun, fun, fun...my national anthem.  I thank my stepchildren every day for this wonderful gift. 

Well last week was our oldest, Colt, 11th birthday party at Laser Tag.   Talk about big fun.  They break you into teams as you are let loose with 60 kids inside darken tunnels for 20 minute at a time as you zap an opponent, look for the elusive golden boxes of the other team to zap and just run around like crazy.  As usual, I was the only adult to play.  Maybe because I’m children’s writer that I find a group of 11 year old boys trying to make the loudest farting noises with their hands entertaining.

Book to recommend that is about team work.  A View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg This Newberry winner is about a 6 grade academic team that competes and wins against many grades older than themselves.  A wonderful middle grade.

Art for Art sake

This sculpture of hot air balloons started out as Art for Arts sake. 


I had gone to an exhibit at
LACMA on Faberge Eggs.  They were so fabulous that I wanted to make one, minus the real jewels.
So I made these balloons and encrusted them with crystals.  They were so popular, I sold them through a gallery and also a Mc Donalds bought a few to go in their lobby. 
Have a Big Mac under the Faberge balloons.  The Czars must be turning in their graves.

Out of the slush pile

L.A. is the home of the SCBWI.  So for 35 years they’ve been educating, promoting and encouraging the writing of children’s literature.  I’ve been lucky enough to live here. 

When I am asked by a newbie what can they do to be successful? I comment that more SCBWI events that you attend, the quicker you’ll be published.  It is almost like being in the minor leagues.

My moment came at a Santa Barbara/Ventura Writer’s day in 2005 when an editor critique my manuscript and asked to acquire it.  I live near Santa Barbara now, and our regional advisory, is author Alexis O'Neill.  She is remarkable.  Not only do I adore her picture books, Recess Queen in particular, I am grateful for her passion to encourage children’s writer’s through workshops, retreats and smoozes. 

Rushmore is everywhere

Mount Rushmore is everywhere.  Around Presidents Day we are soaked by media using the mountain to sell cars, mattresses and even cell phones.  Since I worked on this book for so long people do send me funny Rushmore stuff.  I hope they continue to do so.

Fact not in the book: The crew played a game when they came down the 700 steps twice a day.

It was called billy goat and they would see how many steps they could leap over to get to the next ramp.

It is amazing that they never broke their legs.

Art for Art sake

I came across a sketch book from college, more Art for Art sake.  I was fasinated by these flowers at the time.  I thought they looked like ballerinas.   The next page has a homework assignment from Craig Nelson's class, left undone.   Even then I believed you needed to feed your soul before you get down to work.