Grace Lin's Blog, page 17
September 21, 2015
on my desk moday
Today, there are flowers, a throwback to my past writing companions.
These are to celebrate the almost-end of the novel writing, but mostly they are a last goodbye from the summer.
These are to celebrate the almost-end of the novel writing, but mostly they are a last goodbye from the summer.
September 16, 2015
Preparing for the the Moon Festival!
from Round is a Mooncake: A Book of ShapesThis year the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival falls on Sept. 27th! As I've said before, the Moon Festival is one my favorite holidays. Now that I don't live in the city anymore, I can't just go pick up some mooncakes in Chinatown, which makes me feel a little sad. But I'm still going to celebrate!
Many of my books, from Thanking the Moon to Starry River of the Sky deal with Chinese moon myths. I have oodles of activity suggestions to help celebrate it! I even started a Moon Festival Activities Pinterest board as well as a Book list board in honor of the holiday!
The Moon Festival is basically a Chinese version of thanksgiving, centered around the moon. One big tradition of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is to share poetry--either ones you love or ones you, yourself, write!Me, personally, I've always thought of myself as more of a poetry-hack so I've always been a bit hesitant to share my poems. But over a year ago, my friend Janet Wong encouraged me to participate in her Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations and so I submitted one of my Moon Festival poems.
And, in honor of the upcoming Moon Festival I share it with you now:
On the Moon Festival
I am allowed to playOutside tonightClimb and slide and SWINGHigher HigherI will knock on the moonAnd the Moon Lady will sayYes, tonightThe rabbit can come out to play
(Note: On the night of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, people send the Moon Goddess or Moon Lady a secret wish in hopes that she will grant it. The Moon Lady's companion is the Jade Rabbit. Read more here.)
September 14, 2015
on my desk monday
On my desk today is the most beautiful blue and white rabbit rice bowl! It was handmade by Jade Schuyler of Chatham Pottery. Why did she make me such a beautiful gift? Well, those tickets should be a hint:
Because I saw the Where the Mountain Meets the Moon production at the Harwich Junior Theater:
and Jade was one of the actresses (she played Ma and she was so moving that she made the audience cry):
She was out of costume when she gave me the bowl, but she was fantastic!The whole show was great! To the evil green tiger:
to Minli (the so, so talented Caroline Workman!) and the hilarious Dragon (B. Christopher Williams):
Honestly, they were all terrific! And it was so much fun seeing the story come to life again. Here's me and the great cast and creative directors Nina Schuessler and Jane Staab:
And this is the selfie I tried to take with them:
I kind of like this one better, don't you? You can just make my glasses out at the bottom.
Great fun and a great way to end the summer!
Because I saw the Where the Mountain Meets the Moon production at the Harwich Junior Theater:
and Jade was one of the actresses (she played Ma and she was so moving that she made the audience cry):
She was out of costume when she gave me the bowl, but she was fantastic!The whole show was great! To the evil green tiger:
to Minli (the so, so talented Caroline Workman!) and the hilarious Dragon (B. Christopher Williams):
Honestly, they were all terrific! And it was so much fun seeing the story come to life again. Here's me and the great cast and creative directors Nina Schuessler and Jane Staab:
And this is the selfie I tried to take with them:
I kind of like this one better, don't you? You can just make my glasses out at the bottom.Great fun and a great way to end the summer!
September 10, 2015
accomplishment
The days of summer are ticking away! I was determined to cross off more than one thing on my summer to-do list, so even though I needed to be working on sketches and other things, I took the day off to paint the downstairs bathroom (#4 on the list).
This bathroom has been my responsibility to paint since we moved into the house over two years ago. There are still SO many projects...but the downstairs bathroom has gnawed at me. It's the guest bathroom and it was rather dingy:
You can't tell so much in the photo, but it is a well-worn, much marked-up, off white.
But a new nice green (fyi, Benjamin Moore Jolly Green) and a whole day of labor made it into:
maybe i should get prettier hand towels!Looks nice, doesn't it? Anyway, I feel much better! How many more things do you think I can knock off the list before summer is officially over?
This bathroom has been my responsibility to paint since we moved into the house over two years ago. There are still SO many projects...but the downstairs bathroom has gnawed at me. It's the guest bathroom and it was rather dingy:
You can't tell so much in the photo, but it is a well-worn, much marked-up, off white.But a new nice green (fyi, Benjamin Moore Jolly Green) and a whole day of labor made it into:
maybe i should get prettier hand towels!Looks nice, doesn't it? Anyway, I feel much better! How many more things do you think I can knock off the list before summer is officially over?
September 9, 2015
back to our regularly scheduled program...
Hello!
The summer is pretty much over. My goals for this past summer were pretty much the same as last year (I even used the same list) BUT this time I got to cross something off:
it's only one thing, but it was biggie!
Yes, I finished my novel!!!!
When the Sea Turned to Silver (and that is the final, set-in-stone title) will be out in Sept. 2016!!!
Of course, now I have to do the art for it and a million other little tweaky revisions to it, but because the majority of it is done, I can now return to other things--like this blog! Yes, I am now officially back from hiatus!
My newsletter, of course, will ALWAYS be the best way to hear the important stuff (like when I give away advanced reading copies of the book, so sign up!) but I'm so happy to be able to come back to blog and fill this place again with silly posts about writing, Rain Dragon and dying gardens...more on that later!
The summer is pretty much over. My goals for this past summer were pretty much the same as last year (I even used the same list) BUT this time I got to cross something off:
it's only one thing, but it was biggie!Yes, I finished my novel!!!!
When the Sea Turned to Silver (and that is the final, set-in-stone title) will be out in Sept. 2016!!!
Of course, now I have to do the art for it and a million other little tweaky revisions to it, but because the majority of it is done, I can now return to other things--like this blog! Yes, I am now officially back from hiatus!
My newsletter, of course, will ALWAYS be the best way to hear the important stuff (like when I give away advanced reading copies of the book, so sign up!) but I'm so happy to be able to come back to blog and fill this place again with silly posts about writing, Rain Dragon and dying gardens...more on that later!
August 27, 2015
Everyday
There are days I don't think about
taking a shower
or what I will feed her for lunch.
I forget
to call back my mom
or to pay the electric bill.
I don't remember
that dentist appointment
or to answer that e-mail.
Everyday
there are things I don't
think about.
But there is
never
a day
I don't think of you.
Robert Mercer 5/30/72-8/27/07
taking a shower
or what I will feed her for lunch.
I forget
to call back my mom
or to pay the electric bill.
I don't remember
that dentist appointment
or to answer that e-mail.
Everyday
there are things I don't
think about.
But there is
never
a day
I don't think of you.
Robert Mercer 5/30/72-8/27/07July 10, 2015
memory pearl
Me: Are you having a tea party?
Rain Dragon: No, silly! I'm having a pea party!
June 30, 2015
catching up on school visits: here, there and everywhere
I know I am really lucky to have the opportunity to the visit the schools that I do and I am always so honored to see the connections the students have made with my work. It's because of this that I post so much about all my different visits!
But I admit the other reason why I continue to post about these visits is because I hope that by seeing other schools' projects it may help other schools with ideas on how they can integrate my books into the classroom. I've actually started using my Pinterest profile to this end, hoping that having images in one place (instead of having to scroll through on this blog) is even more helpful.
In the meantime, here are images from other school visits I did this past school year! These are all lumped together because I didn't take enough photos at each school to give them their own post but ALL the schools I visited were great! I just forget to take out the camera phone, sometimes...
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon book reports in book form!
which included author flaps!
fan fiction!
tweets about Dumpling Days! I like the hungryfordumplings hastag!
Kites for Kite Flying!
beautiful welcome display including student made paper lanterns (decorated with dragons), Chinese cherry-blossom paintings, fans and a Chinese palace (with lit up windows!)
a fun way for younger students to make dragons--using a red yarn "thread," construction paper slices and googly eyes!
But I admit the other reason why I continue to post about these visits is because I hope that by seeing other schools' projects it may help other schools with ideas on how they can integrate my books into the classroom. I've actually started using my Pinterest profile to this end, hoping that having images in one place (instead of having to scroll through on this blog) is even more helpful.
In the meantime, here are images from other school visits I did this past school year! These are all lumped together because I didn't take enough photos at each school to give them their own post but ALL the schools I visited were great! I just forget to take out the camera phone, sometimes...
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon book reports in book form!
which included author flaps!
fan fiction!
tweets about Dumpling Days! I like the hungryfordumplings hastag!
Kites for Kite Flying!
beautiful welcome display including student made paper lanterns (decorated with dragons), Chinese cherry-blossom paintings, fans and a Chinese palace (with lit up windows!)
a fun way for younger students to make dragons--using a red yarn "thread," construction paper slices and googly eyes!June 26, 2015
progress
The garden is showing great promise:
The peas are now taller than Rain Dragon:
And there is the start of peas:
The peas are now taller than Rain Dragon:
And there is the start of peas:
June 23, 2015
coming soon!
Look! Look! Here's the cover for Ling & Ting: Together in All Weather!
Do you like it? It comes out in November! I can't wait!
Do you like it? It comes out in November! I can't wait!
