Gloria Hardman died on August 25th from complications of Posterior Cortical Atrophy (Alzheimer’s) at the age of 81. She was an educator whose sharp mind was tempered by kindness and a gently irreverent sense of humor. Born November 16, 1941, in Pretoria, South Africa, Gloria Dawn Webb was the third child of Leslie Ralph
Why are people afraid of multicultural children’s books? To answer that question, I look back to the roots of American censorship — which, as you doubtless know, has been enjoying a renaissance lately. My piece makes its debut today in Geschichte der Gegenwart, a Swiss publication the title of which means History of the Present. That’s
Look what just arrived in the mail! This is Syd Hoff’s first book. But you probably don’t know it. It was published under a pseudonym in 1935. And it’s never been republished — until now. Also, Syd Hoff didn’t want you to know about it. I tell that story and others in my introduction to the
Since the pandemic is now over-ish, I’m posting what I had intended to post as my final “Plague Song,” last March: Carsie Blanton’s “Buck Up”! I never quite got around to it last year. Several reasons. The pandemic doesn’t have a definitive end point because, well, we will still need vaccinations, which are unequally distributed,
Call for Papers: Nostalgia in and for Children’s Literature CFP for a guaranteed session sponsored by the MLA Forum on Children’s and Young Adult Literature. To be held at the 2024 MLA in Philadelphia, January 4-7, 2024 Nostalgia is a transideological phenomenon. Its politics depend upon the direction of its longing. There’s the restorative variety that
While I too am fond of nostalgic detours into the music of my youth, there’s lots of great new music! These days, it’s harder to find — or, it feels that way to me. But I’m always listening, making note of what I like, and… compiling this Best of 2022 playlist! I was going to
Here are all of the Children’s Literature and Comics/Graphic Novels sessions at the 2023 MLA, held this year in person in San Francisco — and on-line, as noted below. I’ll actually be there this year. (I’d planned to attend last year’s, but Omicron pushed most of the conference on-line. Here’s hoping any new variants prove
I was asked to give the commencement speech at the College of Arts and Sciences ceremony this morning. Here is the video — my speech begins at 15:01. Below, the full text. Good morning, graduates, families, friends, fellow teachers and fellow learners — for we are all always learning and, I think, all always teaching.
For Crockett Johnson’s 116th Birthday, here is the signed first edition of Harold and the Purple Crayon that he gave to Maurice Sendak. During this period, he was spending many a weekend at the Rowayton home of Johnson and Ruth Krauss, working on her children’s books. Between 1951 and 1960, Sendak illustrated 8 of Krauss’s books.
I haven’t seen any PSAs encouraging people to get the bivalent covid vaccine. So, I made my own. I got my bivalent booster shot today. The medical community recommends waiting 4 months since either your last booster or your last covid infection. The CDC says a 2-month interval is fine. I did the 4-month interval.
