When I was asked to write an essay for the 25th Anniversary Edition of "The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963," I jumped at the chance. I had met Christoper Paul Curtis in 2014 in Las Vegas at the Newbery Awards presented by the American Library Association. Here is my...

A contract crew was in our neighborhood recently trimming trees away from power lines. I walked across the road to ask the crew chief if he would dump a couple loads from his woodchipper so I could line my garden paths. He said he would be glad to. Green woodchips...

This blog I started more than seven years ago was intended to be about books and writing. I find myself, however, occasionally slipping into something else I love – dogs. In a blog post from last April, I reflected on Willie, my writing dog. Today’s post is devoted to...