Subhanallah! I survived. I feel like a wrung out dish cloth, but I survived. Having two major trips so close together was NOT a good idea! It might seem really cool and fun, and it is, if they’re spaced way apart! But having basically two days in between to recuperate…uh uh, not good. Sharjah was […]

That fuzzy muzzy feeling when you’ve had enough sleep but you’re still woozy because of the time of day. Hope it gets over soon. Got back in from Sharjah yesterday afternoon and I’m still digesting the trip. The best attitude to have in such a situation is a ‘just to go with the flow’ a […]

I know it’s been a while since my last post. Been thinking of things to blog about but I’ve often been too busy to blog. And then something really sent me for a loop. Every once in a while that will happen. You’ll be coasting along and something impacts you with enough force to change […]

Things have calmed down somewhat with regards to the infamous comments of Daniel Handler during the National Book Award ceremonies where he pointed out that Jacqueline Woodson was allergic to watermelon, ‘make of that what you will’. Jacqueline Woodson then posted a very interesting open letter in the New York Times talking about how hurtful […]

So yesterday I did the baby storytelling again at the library and I relied on poems and stories that I had grown up with. It was interesting because most of the audience of babies and toddlers were immigrants/Asian/and South Asian and to them these poems and pieces were completely new! I did an old favorite, […]

Been being interviewed a lot these days! Here’s me on Radio Islam out of Chicago: https://soundcloud.com/radioislam1450/sat-oct-11-2014-topic-shaping-the-next-generation-islamic-resources-for-children And here’s the mayor of Edmonton reading Big Red Lollipop! http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_organization/mayor/video-the-mayor-reads-eps2-big-red-lollipop.aspx?doAutoPlay=true  

I just told a good friend of mine that when the writing is going well, the blog isn’t, and vice versa, so please have patience with me. Sometimes there are just other priorities. I really do feel like a juggler with too many balls in the air, and the blog ball is important, but at […]

with all the new stuff I’ve been learning! But of course it’s been a very *uncomfortable* process. You know that feeling when you’re in the midst of the learning curve,  you’re not proficient yet, you’re still struggling… Well that’s where I am right now. And it’s funny but with this artist residency, I’m dealing with […]

I can’t believe how busy I am! My schedule as artist in library at Fairview is chugging along! Sometimes I feel like I barely have time to catch my breath before I need to begin a new program/project/presentation. But it’s fun! And the people I’m meeting might very well be teaching me more than I’m […]

Apologies for the infrequency of my blog posts. This summer has been beyond hectic! And with all the work I’ve been doing, both writing, updating websites, preparing for conferences/workshops and preparing for Artist in Library residency that started today, well…things have been crazy. And blogging has not been a priority. I’m doing a workshop at […]