Fans of historical fiction will enjoy The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. The authors give readers a close-up look at legendary American financier, J.P. Morgan, and the woman he hired to be his personal librarian, Belle Da Costa Greene, in the early 1900s. Unbeknownst to Morgan, Greene was a Black woman…
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An Artist’s Date: The Morgan Library
Writing Resource: How To Write Short Stories and Use Them To Further Your Writing Career by James Scott Bell
Writers looking to sharpen their short story skills and increase productivity will benefit from James Scott Bell’s manual, How To Write Short Stories and Use Them To Further Your Writing Career. The slim text breaks down the components of a short story into a shattering moment + the emotional fallout of said moment. Bell likens…
What I’m Reading: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I’ve recently finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and I have to say that I loved it. Reid is a master of creating complex characters that keep readers engaged in the story. Following Evelyn throughout her career and love life was fascinating – a trip through old Hollywood glamour combined…
Writing Resource: The Magic Words by Cheryl B. Klein
Writers of children’s books will benefit from the advice of Cheryl B. Klein’s The Magic Words. Klein offers list after list of practical, tangible, effective advice for every aspect of the writing process from generating ideas to drafting and revision. Her detailed instructions on creating a scene-by-scene bookmap might seem overwhelming, but if you can’t…
Art in the Classroom: Ansel Adams
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in Art in the English Classroom, Teacher Resources, Teacher Tuesday, Writing InspirationLeave a Reply
One aspect of natural disasters, such as the current fires burning across Los Angeles, is the need for images of what was there before. Taking photographs has never been easier than it is today. No film, no waiting to get the pictures back. And yet how many of our pictures are meaningful? A potential research…
A Gem of a Poem: “Snow Dust” by Robert Frost
Posted on Author Jill M SmithPosted in A Gem of A Poem, Teacher Tuesday, Writing InspirationLeave a Reply
“Snow Dust” by Robert Frost is a the perfect poem to energize kids who are sluggish after break. It is short enough to pair with one or two other poems, but also complex enough to stand on its own. Students can grasp the meaning of the poem and list imagery words. Then they can think…
On My Bookshelf: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth has, admittedly, sat on my bookshelf for several years, and only recently have I been able to read it. It may be several more years before I fully grasp his meaning. If you keep a journal, as I do, you may discover that Tolle offers several points to consider in…
What I’m Reading: The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
The Art Thief by Michael Finkel is a welcome change from other novels I’ve been reading. It is narrative non-fiction – a true story written like a novel. I consider it a cross between The Thomas Crown Affair, and Catch Me If You Can. The hard part is deciding if Pierce Brosnan or Leo DiCaprio…
Bookstores & More: The Bear and the Books
On a recent excursion to the quaint town of Hopewell, NJ, I found a children’s bookstore called The Bear and the Books. Their motto is “Books to grow up with” and I find that to be so true – that the books we read as children become part of our identity (I’m channeling Kathleen Kelly…