What's in a Name?

I found out that my new niece or nephew is officially a girl. I can not wait to meet her sometime in February. The next hurdle is to pick out a name.

Names can tell you a lot about a person's family since we have no control over the name that is given to us. I've often toyed with the fact that a name can tell you a lot about a person, but that goes into the ageless chicken and egg theory. Does a name tell you a lot about the person or does the person tell you a lot about the name?

TuPac and Walking Through the Rain

It is hard to believe eleven years has passed since one of my favorite poets/rappers died. Mainly because they release his music like he is still belting them out in the studio. But I digress, I was listening to a mainstream radio station and they were in the middle of a TuPac tribute. Radio (and it's choice of music) is disappointing to me so I rarely listen, but today I was enjoying the playlist.

I have so many favorite TuPac songs and collaborations, it would read like a album collection, so I will not go into my list.

Why do I like TuPac?

Above all else he was a great poet, he could come off hard one on song and almost melancholy on the next. Who else could make you truly believe to Keep Ya' Head Up while in the next breath say I Get Around? You could enjoy his good looks and wish to the heavens that he would shut his big mouth.

Eleven years ago I also gained an unlikely friend who helps to bring out the poet/writer in me. So, as I enjoy walking through the rain, I find myself smiling and humming one of my favorite songs by Pac...and it is not hard at all to keep my head up.

A Conversation with Ms. Gwynne Forster

Recently I attended a book signing for a literary group because I heard that one of my favorite authors might be in attendance. I was a bit saddened to find out that she was not one of the authors in the signing, but another author "beckoned me over" and sparked a conversation.

Ms. Gwynne Forster told me to stop at her table and go buy a book so she could sign it for me. She said it in a way that reminded me of my Grandmother's "stern, but loving" manner, and I had no choice but to drop my head slightly and "do as I was told". (With a slight smile, of course!)

As she asked my name and I instinctively spelled it for her (because I have only met three or four others in my life) she smiled and told me that is the name of her next book's character.

Of course I was elated as she told me about her character's story. We spoke of her writing process and how her characters come about their names. We chatted so long that when we looked up she had a line behind me. Out of disappointment, came a great conversation that I will cherish.

Oh yeah....I almost forgot to mention the book ;-)

Storytelling with Carmen Deedy

I had the good fortune today to attend a storytelling session featuring Children’s Book Author Carmen Deedy. To add icing to the cake, I was also getting paid for it since I was there in my “official capacity of photographer” for my job’s Web site. There are a few times when I love my job and today was definitely one of those times.

This was my first experience with Ms. Deedy and what a treat! I have to admit I surrendered to my urge to table my camera and enjoy the story as she held about 100 or so fourth graders (and about 10 adults) captive as she told the story of her first library experience. Using delightful voices, faces and hand jesters, she told the story of being a seven-year-old who found her love of the library through her first book. I could not stay the rest of the day to find out if the second, third and fifth graders got a different story, but if you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend a Deedy storytelling.

Ms. Deedy is absolutely wonderful and even the adults were entranced as she finished her forty-five minute story in what seemed like ten.

It was a wonderful way to spend an hour of my day.