Cirque de Synchronicity
It’s that time of year again: mud season in Maine and the circus is in town. In memory of my dad, William Hogan, a Shriner, I take my daughter and friends to the annual Kora Shrine Circus from Lewiston, Maine. It’s the cheapest trick in town and remains entertaining after 7 years in a row. There’s something nostalgic for me, wandering amongst the men in their burgundy blazers and fez, ever accomodating. I know I went to circuses as a kid, but not one of them stands out. Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to them as an adult. I went to an early Cirque de Soleil show in...
Read MoreBim, BEM, Bum: Bergey!
About four years ago I met Joshua Bergey, who told me he was working on a book about his illustrator grandfather, Earle K. Bergey. I honestly couldn’t conjur up an image of his work at the time. Recently, I assigned a project to my illustration class to draw the future. This prompted bringing in some books, Infinite Worlds by Vincent di Fate and Science Fiction of the 20th Century, an Illustrated History by Frank M. Robinson, both borrowed from my neighbor/illustrator, Doug Smith. Doug is both a fan and collector of pulp fiction art and science fiction illustration. Earle...
Read MoreLong live Lupine Land
YES!!! I am pinching myself still. Rickshaw Girl was chosen as the 2007 Lupine Honor Winner in the Juvenile/Young Adult category. The Lupine Awards have been presented annually since 1989 by the Youth Services Section of the Maine Library Association. Beloved author/artist Barbara Cooney’s Miss Rumphius was the inspiration for the Lupine Award. The awards were presented at the annual Reading Round-Up conference held at the Augusta Civic Center on April 17. Things got off to a swell start, with energetic assistance from my Lupine Committee host, Amy Hand, from the Camden Public Library....
Read MoreLook out for the skibbis!
I found this handy note from my daughter in my suitcase just after arriving at the New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference in Nashua, NH. I call it Skibby for short; leave it to an 11-year-old to manifest a mascot. I was there primarily to worship: so many great writers and illustrators in a single place all devoted to the celebration of craft and story for young readers. My hotelmate, Kirsten Cappy, graciously introduced me to new folks during the Friday evening cabaret. My island neighbor, Annie O’Brien was a hit in the off-off-Broadway parody...
Read MoreRickshaw in the rain
No amount of rain or dreary chill could dampen my excitement when the day finally came for my Brown Bag lecture at the Portland Public Library with Mitali Perkins. She gave an energetic and moving talk to the crowd of (mostly) young readers from three middle schools and several students from Deering High. I keep learning new things about Mitali’s source of stories, her heritage, and her strong connection to her audience. She’s one hard act to follow. The big question: how does a girl from New Hampshire illustrate a book set in Bangladesh? Well, it takes research and good drawing,...
Read MoreArt fuels my fires
Say what you want about a never-ending winter, life here has been pretty colorful. I attended the recent Celesoiree at the Portland Company one slushy Friday night. Having donated a piece of art, I scored a comp ticket and checked out this lively ILAP fundraiser to benefit Maine’s immigrant communities. Great food, African drumming and dance, and wonderful lighting by Pandora LaCasse made the whole place jump. As silent art auctions go (and I’ve done my share) this one was spacious, well-lit, and displayed quite a diversity of local art, with my fellow Peaks Islanders showing...
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