et ceteras
Welcome to et ceteras, a blog featuring posts about Joann, animals, childhood, The Mollys B. (her latest book coming out soon!), and writing in general. An insight to her writing, Joann shares thoughts on topics regarding her inspiration, ethics, companionship with animals, and imagination. Check back often, or subscribe to receive the latest updates by email!
Winning FIRST PLACE in the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Competition
Winning First Place in the Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Competition for my book SOMETIMES has unveiled some interesting emotions: I am unabashedly proud! I'm also gratified that people are beginning to see its merit. My intention was to help other children living in difficult situations. I hoped to give them courage & permission to speak up - this award has validated that intention.
The Value of Fairy Tales Part 1
Is the faculty of wonder and imagination alive and well – are young readers able to discern the difference between the fantasy worlds of fairy tales and realty? Have we lost faith that they can detect the boundaries? Felicita Sala, author and illustrator, addresses these questions in her keynote speech for The Society of Children’s Writer’s and Illustrators annual summer conference.
A Gracious Audience
Ironically, reading to farm animals is not dissimilar to reading to 7-year-olds. Both audiences listen politely, adopt curious expressions, show interest in the pictures, and laugh in all the right places. Best of all they treat me like a rockstar.
Margaret Tobin Brown - The Suffragist
The one and only “Unsinkable Molly Brown" was born in 1867 in Hannibal, Missouri. In addition to surviving the sinking of the RMS Titanic, Margaret was also a suffragist fighting alongside a multitude of women in their attempts to change laws so that women in the USA would be afforded the right to vote. Their efforts didn't come to fruition until 1920. As women today, can we truly recognize how lucky we are because of those brave women?
Keeping Hope Alive in the Face of Disappointment Part 3
Are hope and optimism related? I believe they are. I think optimists find their way to feeling hopeful quicker than pessimists. There’s a springiness to their thinking that helps them more readily bounce back from disappointments, whether by virtue of natural disposition or nurtured encouragement. That blend of nature and nurture exists for pessimists, too – they just have to work harder at it.
Keeping Hope Alive in the Face of Disappointment Part 2
If animals are capable of feeling negative emotions like fear and aggression and positive emotions like trust and love, isn’t it also possible that they can feel hope? Not in a “planning for the future” kind-of-way, but in a “positive outlook” kind-of-way. We’ve all seen the dog who brings his leash to his owner – isn’t he hoping to go for a walk?
Keeping Hope Alive in the Face of Disappointment Part 1
The balance between disappointment and hope: An individual who lived two hundred years ago and was consistently challenged to renew his relationship with hope was poet and short story writer, Edgar Allan Poe. He suffered devastating disappointments during his lifetime, yet he remained inherently hopeful that aspects of his life would improve. How did he keep hope alive? And is the ability to feel hope an emotion relegated only to humans?
I Have a Dream . . .
Being raised in a small rural town in Montana afforded me limited opportunities to experience the arts – theater, music, ballet, museums. And the fine art I was exposed to fell short of my definition of “real” art. I was in my thirties before I got to visit a museum that housed the classical paintings and sculpture of the European artists I had been longing to see. From that first encounter, my passion blossomed into the lifetime engagement of an armchair art historian.
Making Friends
My work at the farm animal sanctuary is completely self-serving. I’m there for those sweet animals and there is no bigger thrill than when one of them initiates contact with me. At first, they didn’t exactly ignore me, but regarded me with indifference. Slowly that’s been changing – probably because of the apples I bring. I adore them all, but Thistle, the mini mule, having already claimed my heart, cemented my affection for him when he extended his friendship.
REMEMBER THE SMELL OF BRAND-NEW CRAYONS?
Not too long ago I talked about a few of my favorite fiction picture books. Today I want to talk about a non-fiction favorite: “THE CRAYON MAN The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons” written by Natascha Biebow and illustrated by Steven Salerno. It’s the story of Edwin Binney, who with his cousin, C. Harold Smith, invented the Crayola crayon in 1903. Besides being gorgeously illustrated, it’s a super cool biography full of fun facts and leaves readers asking, “Where would we be today without crayons?”
Larva I Have Loved
Three times in my life I have had the extraordinary experience of coming across a Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Larva. In street language? A caterpillar. Always in a place of risk and danger – on a walking path, in a parking lot, on the metal frame of a hot screen door. “Where are they going?”
Unforeseen Satisfaction
Recently I started volunteering at a farm animal sanctuary once a week near my home - mostly I just scoop poop (say that three times fast), but with that mundane task comes the big thrill of getting to bond with the menagerie of animals who live at the sanctuary. I am a city girl through and through, so this has been the neatest experience for me. I bring apples for everyone, which makes me very popular. And I’m in heaven for a couple of hours a week.
So, What is the Right Thing to Do? Part 3
When Molly and her companions were loaded onto a stock trailer that was headed to the slaughterhouse/meat packing plant in January of 2006, I can’t help but wonder what they sensed. All mammals have hormones that surge through their bodies when stressed. So, the morning Molly made her escape – what motivated her run? Was it fear? Gumption? An understanding that her life was in danger?
Picture Books I Wish I Had Written
Plain and simple, it’s a characteristic of our species – we compare ourselves to others. In what ways do I play this game? Well . . . There are some picture books out there that I dearly wish had my name on them.
I have a healthy collection of manuscripts in my file cabinet – from half-scribbled ideas to finished and critiqued – just waiting. And even though the activity of writing is satisfying all by itself, a great deal of the effort I expend is driven by the aspiration to write a picture book as wonderful as some of my favorites. Here are a few.
So, What is the Right Thing to Do? Part 2
I am so interested in the natural world that you would think I’d have gone into the sciences and become something official, like a biologist. I’ve certainly been quite moved by the encounters I’ve had with the natural world - some of it pedestrian, some of it wondrous. All experiences have spawned questions and have compelled me forward into new learning.
So, What is the Right Thing to Do? Part 1
Wild animals have their lives figured out. They’re out there contentedly doing their wild thing. They don’t need us or want us around. But how many times have I gotten involved because I think I’m helping – how many times have I swooped in to help an injured bird with, if I’m being honest, very poor results. Countless! When is it right to step in? And when should we leave mother nature alone?
Cows are Cool
Do you know what a “doddie” is? How about a “hummlie?” Fun to pronounce! These are what the black cattle of northeast Scotland are called – the Aberdeen Angus breed that was developed in the early 19th Century. Molly, the second protagonist in my picture book, THE MOLLYS B. is a Brockle-faced Angus meaning that she is mostly black but has white markings on her face. I think the blaze on her forehead – shaped like a tornado – tells you everything you need to know about this gal’s personality.
Inspiration Behind the Writing of THE MOLLYS B. Part 2
(Continued from part 1)
How does a children’s book writer responsibly approach a subject that has tricky connotations? It does require imagination. My paring of Molly the cow with Molly Brown (aka Margaret Tobin Brown of Titanic fame) raised some eyebrows from people in the industry. One agent told me she couldn’t see the value of my approach. But my defense is - while unique, I wasn’t concentrating on the comparison of a human and a bovine – I was focusing on the experience these two females shared – nearly drowning and surviving – a sisterhood of conquering adversity.
Inspiration Behind the Writing of THE MOLLYS B. Part 1
The birth of a picture book can take years, endless quantities of patience, and the kind of creativity that doesn’t blush – THE MOLLYS B. is a perfect example. The incident that sparked my getting this story down on paper was 18 years in the making. When asked what inspired me, I immediately think about Molly the cow’s spirit and gumption, which is uncannily similar to the “Molly” she was named after – Margaret Tobin Brown of Titanic fame.
The Allure of Picture Books
My writing journey started when I was a kid, but like so many childhood dreams it was set aside when life got busy. Timing, in the end, turned out to be on my side. When I finally got serious, I was attracted to picture books - that delicious blend and balance of words and illustrations. Although challenging to write, when done well, the reward is indescribable and is regarded as an art form.