Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns is one of my favorite novels. It begins in July of 1906, three weeks after the main character’s grandmother has died. Grandpa has an announcement: he is engaged to another woman. The main character, Will Tweedy, is fourteen at the time, loves his grandfather, misses his grandmother, but…
All posts in May 2024
What I’m Reading: Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Bookstores & More, Care Givers, Monthly Reads, What I'm ReadingLeave a Reply
Looking for something patriotic to read this Memorial Day? Kick off your summer reading with Miss Morgan’s Book Brigade by Janet Skeslien Charles. Set during WW1 in France, Miss Morgan’s tells the story of a group of women, most of them volunteers, who helped the citizens of France while the country was at war. In…
Writing Resource: How to Write Short Stories and Get Them Published by Ashley Lister
I thought that after writing, three novels writing a short story would be simple. I would easily crank out a short story each month to submit for publication or a contest. Little did I know that while the literary components of a short story are similar to those in a novel, writing them is a…
What I’m Reading: Italian American by Luigina Vecchione
If you are looking for a great story about family, perseverance, love, tradition, jealousy, and the American dream, look no further than Luigina Vecchione’s Italian American, the much-anticipated sequel to Greetings From Asbury Park. Both novels are inspired by real-life events and tell the story of when the author’s parents met during World War 2…
Teacher Resource: “Tender” by Cherline Bazile
Teachers, looking for a short story that can evolve into a two or three day lesson? Take a look at “Tender” by Cherline Bazile, which appears in The Best American Short Stories, 2023. Bazile’s story tells of two Black immigrant students who become friends in their predominantly white high school. The story details the girls’…
Writing News: I am a published poet!
I am proud and humbled to have two poems published in the 2024 Caldwell University literary magazine, Calyx. While my primary focus is fiction, life events inspire me to wax poetic once in a while. One poem, “A Little Bit of Everything” is a memory of my grandmother and all the little things about her…
Teacher Inspiration
Teacher Inspo: Hearing from a former student One of the best parts of being a teacher is hearing from a former student. Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending an art show for a former student who is graduating as an art major at Montclair State University. I was honored that Salena invited me, and…
