A Writer's Moment: 'Looking out to a rich, wonderful universe'

A Writer's Moment: 'Looking out to a rich, wonderful universe':   “Books were the window from which I looked out of a rather meager and decidedly narrow room onto a rich and wonderful universe. I loved th...

'Looking out to a rich, wonderful universe'

 

“Books were the window from which I looked out of a rather meager and decidedly narrow room onto a rich and wonderful universe. I loved the look and feel of books, even the smell... Libraries were treasure houses. I always entered them with a slight thrill of disbelief that all their endless riches were mine for the borrowing.” –  Zilpha Keatley Snyder

 

Born in California in May of 1927, Snyder primarily wrote books for children and young adults – at a rate of nearly one per year during the height of her writing prowess.  She won three Newbery Awards along the way for The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm.  Often a blend of realism and the supernatural, her books feature thoughtful, courageous girls or young women as the protagonists.

 

A graduate of Whittier College, Snyder was an elementary and middle school teacher before she began writing fiction in the 1960s, starting with short stories.  Her 1964 debut novel Season of Ponies made several bestseller lists, and she was soon writing full time, completing 46 books between 1964 and 2011.  She died in 2014.

  

Snyder said even though she was a teacher first, she always dreamed of writing and couldn’t imagine any other profession.  

 

“It grew from the dreams I always had as a child,” she said. “I think writing is an extension of a childhood habit - the habit of entertaining oneself by taking interesting bits of reality and building upon them.”

A Writer's Moment: 'Once hooked, always involved'

A Writer's Moment: 'Once hooked, always involved':   “The thing about reading is that if you are hooked, you're not going to stop just because one series is over; you're going to go a...

'Once hooked, always involved'

 

“The thing about reading is that if you are hooked, you're not going to stop just because one series is over; you're going to go and find something else.” – Eoin Colfer

Born in Ireland in May of 1965 Colfer, whose first name is pronounced Owen, is best known for his Artemis Fowl children’s book series, although he also gained considerable fame as the author of the 6^th edition of the popular Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series – titled And Another Thing.

 

Colfer was a teacher of Middle Schoolers before writing a standalone book called Benny and Omar, which his students loved.  Encouraged by their response, he then wrote Artemis Fowl, about a 12-year-old criminal mastermind.  His many Fowl tales since have been wildly popular and are now out in 44 languages, also spinning off into graphic novels and movie productions. 

 

His books have earned numerous awards, including the British Children’s Book of the Year, The Irish Book Awards ‘Children’s Book of the Year,’ and The German Children’s Book of the Year.   His most recent titles are 2025’s Firefox Moon and the 2023 children’s picture book Three Tasks for a Dragon (written with P.J. Lynch).

 

Ever a teacher, Cofer is a popular speaker at writing conferences and workshops for aspiring writers, where he encourages persistence as a key to success.

 

“I often meet frustrated young writers who say they've only got so far and just can't finish a book,” he said.  “Even if you don't happen to use what you've worked on that day, it has taught you something and you'll be amazed when you might come back to it and use it again.”

A Writer's Moment: 'A reason to continue'

A Writer's Moment: 'A reason to continue':   “ I think what gets a poem going is an initiating line. Sometimes a first line will occur, and it goes nowhere; but other times - and this...

'A reason to continue'

 

“I think what gets a poem going is an initiating line. Sometimes a first line will occur, and it goes nowhere; but other times - and this, I think, is a sense you develop - I can tell that the line wants to continue. If it does, I can feel a sense of momentum - the poem finds a reason for continuing.” – Billy Collins

 

Born in New York City in 1941, Collins is a former U.S. Poet Laureate, internationally acclaimed author of dozens of collections of poetry, and recipient of several international prizes for his contributions to the field of literature and letters.  For Saturday’s Poem, here is Collins’, 

                                                Morning

Why do we bother with the rest of the day,
the swale of the afternoon,
the sudden dip into evening,

then night with his notorious perfumes,
his many-pointed stars?

This is the best—
throwing off the light covers,
feet on the cold floor,
and buzzing around the house on espresso—

maybe a splash of water on the face,
a palmful of vitamins—
but mostly buzzing around the house on espresso,

dictionary and atlas open on the rug,
the typewriter waiting for the key of the head,
a cello on the radio,

and, if necessary, the windows—
trees fifty, a hundred years old
out there,
heavy clouds on the way
and the lawn steaming like a horse

A Writer's Moment: It's a discipline 'you have to love'

A Writer's Moment: It's a discipline 'you have to love':   “ Writing is sweat and drudgery most of the time. And you have to love it in order to endure the solitude and the discipline.”  – Peter Be...