A few years ago I wrote a newspaper story about two Chicago women who’d won a trip to the Academy Awards. They bought new outfits at a studio on N. Elston that names dresses after old movie stars. One of the women would be wearing the Grace. Glancing down at her own figure, she laughed […]
Hello from our seat on the Hiawatha train to Wisconsin. Hanni and I are on our way to Waukesha, where I’ll be leading a couple sessions at the Southeast Wisconsin Festival of Books. I’ll be sitting on a panel about blogging, too, and the moderator sent some questions for we panelists to ponder in advance. […]
When I found out that three students at Eastview Elementary School were blind, I arranged to have Braille copies of Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound sent there before our visit this week. I’d use one myself to show the kids at different grade levels what Braille looks like and how it works, and the […]
When I first lost my sight, friends came up with suggestions. “Here’s something you could do,” they’d say, their voices gushing with enthusiasm. They’d read a story about a blind guy who para-sails, a blind woman who ran the Chicago marathon, someone who canoed, another who loved his tandem kayak. “You could do that, Beth!” […]
Some teachers struggle to get students to take part in class. Not me. My blindness sometimes makes class participation necessary. I take advantage of that. Take the How to Get a Children’s Book Published session I gave this morning, for example. My publisher at Blue Marlin Publications generously provided me with handouts she uses during […]