Sculptor and Spy: Debut Novel by Julie Phend ~interview with Christy Mihaly

Julie Phend

Greetings, and welcome back from summer break! Today we interview GROGger Julie Phend about her recent book, Sculptor and Spy: Romance and Rebellion in the Time of the American Revolution.

This is compelling historical fiction for readers of all ages. It focuses on Betsy Wright, a real person and wax artist who Julie imagines as a spy in the Revolutionary War.

As a nonfiction author, I especially admire how well Julie brings a turbulent historical period to life with compelling characters, romance, and adventure. I was intrigued by her writing process and the decisions she made about what to include, facts and fiction, in writing this book.

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GROG: Julie, you're a former middle-school language arts teacher and now a children's author. How has your teaching background influenced your writing?

Julie:

I loved teaching literature and writing, my own favorite subjects. In our school, the language arts curriculum was tied to the social studies curriculum: the study of American history. So, in my classes, students were reading and writing about the period of history they were currently studying. This was fun for me, as I’d always enjoyed history. But I noticed that some periods of American history were well-represented in literature, while others, including the American Revolution, were sadly lacking. I was especially disappointed by the lack of good books featuring female characters during that period. I think this lack led me to later research and write the story of Patience Wright and her family.

I think your teaching experiences also led you to write your earlier book, too?

Yes. When we studied WWII, we brought veterans in to talk to the students. One of those vets was Stanley Edwards, whose story of being a young pilot shot down on D-Day captivated me. Mr. Edwards’ health was fading, and I wanted to capture his story for future generations of students. This led to our collaboration on the book D-Day and Beyond: A True Story of Escape and POW Survival, which was my first published work. 

What brought you to write this story about Elizabeth Wright?

I discovered Patience Wright (Elizabeth's mother) years ago, at the Spy Museum in Washington, DC. In an exhibit on Women Spies, there was just a short paragraph saying she was a wax artist who traveled to London to sculpt Benjamin Franklin, King George III and other notables. She sent spy messages to the Continental Congress inside wax heads shipped to her sister in Philadelphia.

I found the idea of a woman who was both an artist and a spy very intriguing and wanted to know more. At the time, there was far less information on the internet, but I found a 1976 biography of Patience Wright by Charles Coleman Sellers. As I read it, a picture of this woman emerged. Besides being talented, Wright was bold, brash, and outspoken, truly unusual for a woman of her time. In addition, she was a widow who left her three children in America when she went to London. Patience Wright’s story seemed like an intriguing topic for a novel—one that might fill a gap in literature of that period. Thinking of my students, I wondered what it would be like to be Patience Wright’s child. That question became a central theme for the book.

I know you did a ton of research, from New York to London to Savannah and points between. You must have deep knowledge to write convincingly of this time and these places, and I think you nailed it. Tell us about the research.

I was fortunate to live in London for several months. While there, I pursued this topic through many different venues. While I did do library research, the “hands-on” experiences were even more valuable. I followed Patience and Betsy Wright throughout London, locating where they lived and visiting Benjamin Franklin’s home nearby. I toured Buckingham Palace and walked the paths of St. James’s Park. I visited Madame Tussaud’s wax museum and talked with their historians. I took countless walking tours, soaking up the knowledge of London’s incredibly knowledgeable tour guides and becoming familiar with the geography. I even became a trial junkie, attending trials at the Old Bailey and Court of the King’s Bench, learning the language and customs of the English court system. 

Julie consulting with Ben Franklin

Back in the states, I visited New York, finding the approximate location of Patience Wright’s home and waxwork, the Battery and shipyards, and the Fraunces Tavern, which was the scene of much of the New York Sons of Liberty activity. The original Fraunces Tavern is now a museum devoted to Colonial and Revolutionary-era history and is a wealth of information on the topic. I also visited Boston, Philadelphia, and Savannah, all sites of Revolutionary War history, many of which appear in the book. Wherever I went, I toured colonial homes, becoming immersed in the way of life of the period. 

I think the reader can sense your depth of understanding in the pages of your book. As with all historical fiction, you faced the peculiar challenge of creating believable characters from and around historical figures. How do you give us characters consistent with known facts – how do you decide what to make up and what to alter? For example, was the real historical Betsy Wright a spy, or not?

These were really hard decisions for me, and I rewrote the book several times trying to get it right. My earlier drafts stuck to known facts, but that left too many unanswered questions. Editors and agents who reviewed the work urged me to find the story lurking under the facts.

To answer your specific question, there is no historical evidence that Betsy Wright was a spy. Patience gets all the credit for that. At the same time, Patience was such an outspoken person that she wasn’t a very effective spy. But there is very little known about Betsy, other than that she married Ebeneezer Platt and started her own waxwork business after the war. I couldn’t even find a portrait of her. It made her very appealing as a main character because it allowed me to create her as I wished, within known facts. I speculated that a quiet, little-known young woman could be a more effective spy than someone as recognizable as Patience Wright. 

I love how you point out that there were many women spies during the Revolution. My own recent book, America's Founding Myths, mentions women spies during the Revolutionary War period, and points out (as you do) that women made effective spies because they were disregarded and often not taken seriously.

I particularly appreciate your back matter notes revealing what is true and known, and what is not, about the figures and events in your book. Those questions are always in the back of my mind when reading a story like this. Your thoughts about back matter?

I, too, love reading the back matter of a historical novel to find out which parts are true. It’s hard to decide how much to include in the Author’s Notes, but I hope I’ve answered the reader’s most pressing questions.

I believe you have! Regarding the fictional elements ... I loved Ten, your "street urchin" character – what made you create him?

Ah, Ten!  He just walked (or rather, ran) onto the page when I was writing the Covent Garden scene, and I immediately fell in love with that cheeky little boy.  I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I went to work finding ways to incorporate Ten into the story. (I wrote several charming scenes featuring Ten that didn’t make it to the final draft because they don’t tie directly to the plot. I’m thinking of putting some of these deleted scenes on my website, like the “outtakes” from movies and TV shows.)

I love that idea, Julie! I'll look forward to reading your outtakes.

The relationship between sisters Betsy and Phoebe in your book is important and difficult, as sister relationships can be. What inspired you to write it this way? 

History tells us that Phoebe stayed in London and married a painter, William Hopner, who frequently used her as his subject. His portraits reveal Phoebe to be a lovely young woman, but I think she also looks rather vain. This, coupled with her decision not to return to America, led me to characterize her as self-centered and a Loyalist, both of which would put her in opposition to Betsy’s goals and lead to intense sibling rivalry. Growing up with two sisters of my own, I can appreciate that dynamic. 

Anything else you want to tell us about your characters and their stories?

The true story of American Patriot Eb (Ebeneezer Platt), was the biggest surprise, and the hardest to uncover. It gave me great satisfaction to dig out the facts behind his capture and arrest. I had to invent some parts of Eb and Betsy's story. I still don’t know how Betsy really discovered him in Newgate Prison or exactly why he was released, but Ten helped me find a fictional resolution. 

I'm wondering how long it took you to write this book?

It's been in the works for years! Being a true “pantser,” I started to write before I even finished researching. My first draft was from Phoebe’s point of view, when she accidentally started the fire in the waxwork, but I quickly decided that Betsy had the more compelling story. My early drafts began when Betsy first arrived in London, but I found I needed to give the reader more time with Eb, especially after I discovered how exciting his side of the story was. 

As an inexperienced novelist, I made lots of mistakes, got stuck in the middle, and only outlined the book then. But I was determined to learn. I took courses, attended conferences of the Historical Novel Society and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), got professional critiques from editors and agents, as well as feedback from beta readers and my two wonderful critique groups. At one point, I had an agent who fell in love with the book but was unable to sell it or tell me what needed to change. After that, I put the project away for almost five years while I wrote two middle-grade novels (still unpublished). But this story still called to me, and the nation’s 250th birthday was coming up, so I pulled it out, completely revamped the outline, and rewrote it again, this time with the benefit of experience and input from my many readers and editors. I’m finally satisfied and truly proud of how it turned out.

Persistence pays off! And the book is better than it would have been, had you met with immediate success, right? Okay, tell us about your publisher.

The book is self-published, and StoryWeaver Press is my own imprint. That’s another whole story and a huge learning curve, but I’m pleased with the outcome.

That is very impressive! How can readers find your book?

Sculptor and Spy: Romance and Rebellion in the Time of the American Revolution is available in print and eBook on Amazon, Bookshop, and anywhere books are sold. It may be necessary to ask for it in bookstores and libraries. 

The paperback ISBN# is 979-8-9954922-0-7. 

Thank you, Julie! If it's not already clear, I highly recommend Sculptor and Spy. And I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

History and Finding Out What is True ~Christy Mihaly

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, I'm excited to say I have a semi-quincentennial book coming out on May 26. It's America's Founding Myths ... And What REALLY Happened!, illustrated by Marta Sevilla and published by Barefoot Books. It's intended as a book that kids will enjoy, even as they learn that they've been lied to. 

The Barefoot Books team, Marta, and I worked to create a lively, kid-friendly book that would engage kids while letting them know that some of the history they've been told was wrong. Marta's art incorporates historic images, photographs, and comic-like art. We have sprinkled cartoons, jokes, and humorous asides throughout.

The image below shows how each of the fifteen main spreads begins by stating a myth:

The spread features a large gatefold flap on the left-hand side. A myth is briefly restated on the front of this flap. The reader then lifts the flap to the left to open the full spread, revealing the true story. Here's an explanatory graphic from the book:

And here's what the full spread looks like with the flap opened. On the reverse of the flap on the left is an explanation of "Where did the myth come from?" then the true story is summarized in the remainder of the double-page spread: 

The book debunks some of the central myths that kids have been told for generations, from Columbus to the First Thanksgiving to Paul Revere's ride and beyond. I also sought to elevate unsung heroes including important female, Black, and Indigenous people. 

Crucially, the book shows readers that to learn about history, we have to ask questions and question assumptions. The introduction starts by asking, "Where does history come from?" -- pointing out that history is messy and that stories change. It proposes other questions for readers to ponder as they read, such as why people tell these myths and what we can learn from them. 

While hoping to make kids laugh, we also model critical thinking and asking questions. Each of the main spreads includes a provocative question related to the myth discussed. For example, on the Boston Tea Party spread, we ask, "Do YOU think it is ever okay for protesters to break the law?" For the myth of Columbus, "How do YOU think celebrating something with a holiday changes the way we think about it?"

In addition, we offer resources on information literacy. A section in the back matter asks, "How do I know what is true?"

This material gives kids tools to use and questions to ask when confronted with new information. It empowers them to evaluate the truth of what they're told. 

Christy Mihaly

I hope America's Founding Myths inspires many conversations among kids and adults about what really happened in our history and what it means for the nation's present and our future. Such conversations are critical to help young people develop the skills they need to be active participants in a vibrant democracy. 

For the educators among you, Barefoot Books has provided a discussion guide for the book, with activities and a Junior Myth Buster certificate for readers who complete the activities. As an aside, the book is "officially" for the 8 to 12 year old age range, but younger kids can use it to learn the true stories early, and high school students as a starting point for further research. 

If you're interested in more new books for young readers centering untold stories of the Revolution, check out author Beth Anderson's blog series, #AmericanRevolution250. 

Happy reading, and happy semiquincentennial!

Celebrate Poetry Month With Roberto Germán ~ Christy Mihaly

This April is the 30th anniversary of National Poetry Month, a time to celebrate the important role poetry plays in our lives and well-being. Today GROG is pleased to welcome poet Roberto Germán to share some poetry insights.

Many people assume poets must be "special" people, but Roberto believes that anyone can be a poet. He points out that writing poetry connects us with our innermost emotions and thoughts, and helps us make order of the chaos. That's something we can all use!

Educators

Roberto and his wife Lorena Germán founded and run Multicultural Classroom, which offers schools and other organizations training in social justice and inclusivity. They travel nationwide to bring their programs, workshops, and wisdom to educators and students, seeking to bring a diversity of perspectives to education.

Roberto and Lorena Germán

Poetry Workshops

Roberto also runs poetry workshops in schools. These are designed to help students find their voices through poems. Poetry, Roberto points out, is a powerful tool to help young people tell their stories. Writing poetry helps kids process their experiences and emotions as they develop their identities. He tells students of his own turbulent early years as a Black Dominican-American, the son of immigrants.

In 2023, Roberto published Blue Ink Tears, a bilingual collection of poems interspersed with handwritten notes and photographs.  Roberto wrote the poems over many years, starting when he was still a teen. He tells students that if he could do this, they can, too. His poems explore themes of immigration, race, family, masculinity, love, and loss.

In reading his work to students, Roberto models how poetry helps tap into our emotional truth. He teaches young people to honor vulnerability rather than burying their feelings. He told me he didn't have a mentor to share these lessons when he was growing up, but eventually he realized that writing could be a tool to process his thoughts and feelings. He hopes his poetry workshops help students do the same.

Poems from Blue Ink Tears

I've chosen some shorter selections from Roberto's collection to share today. Enjoy! 

Roberto addresses themes of love ... 

... and immigration, heritage, and metaphorical belonging (also, there's a food thread) ...

... with some haiku exploring themes of history and heritage: 

                                   

For more of Roberto's poetry, you can hear him recite his work here. To see a student reading his own poem after one of Roberto's workshops, check this out. 

Profound thanks to Roberto for sharing.

And Happy Poetry Month to all. 

Christy Mihaly writes about the power of Music and Silence

by Sue Heavenrich

Today I’m talking with GROG’s own Christy Mihaly about her book, Music and Silence: The Passion and Protest of Pablo Casals, illustrated by Mariona Cabassa. It will be released next month by‎ Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Christy and I have been critique partners for nearly as long as she’s been working on this book, and it’s been a wonderful journey to watch it grow up and, now, hit the shelves. 

When Christy began working on her story that would become Music and Silence, she was at the beginning of her writing journey. She had just returned from a year of living in Spain (her husband was on sabbatical). 

Christy: When our family moved to Seville, I left my job as a lawyer in Vermont and resolved to spend the year evaluating whether I could start a new career as a writer for children. 

in Cordoba

During that year, I encountered fresh inspiration on every corner. Everything I did and saw felt new and unfamiliar. Everywhere I went I thought, “This would make a fun story for kids.” So, I wrote and sold an article to AppleSeeds magazine about the Pinzon brothers, Spanish sailors and navigators that all Spanish schoolchildren know about and without whom Columbus wouldn’t have succeeded. 

I also continued with my cello lessons, and I decided to learn more about Pablo Casals. So we visited Barcelona and went to his birthplace and museum. The more I learned about him and his life, the more I admired and appreciated him, his ideals, his activism, his pacificism, his principles, and his passion. I started thinking I’d like to write a book for kids about Casals. I realized lots of people in the U.S. didn’t know his story, but I thought maybe they should!

 dressed for la feria

Sue: With all that inspiration, you wanted to write something for children. Can you share your navigation from story idea to writing a book?

Christy: When I returned from Spain, I attended a workshop at the Highlights Foundation about writing nonfiction for kids. I learned a huge amount and started seriously on the path to becoming a nonfiction children’s author. 

Sue: We met at that workshop!

Christy: And that was the beginning of our years-long collaborative friendship. In 2014 I took an online writing class and wrote an initial draft of the Casals book. I was still researching the life of Pablo Casals, viewing videotapes and movies about him, listening to recordings, and studying the co-written memoirs he left as well as biographies and press articles. I studied mentor texts. I explored possible themes and put together musical word lists. I shared drafts with critique partners and revised. I also started, prematurely, sending the manuscript out to editors. Editors under a certain age didn’t know who Casals was, so they didn’t understand why people would want to know read about him. Clearly, I had more work to do.

Sue: One of the things we’re told as writers is to come to our story from different angles. 

Christy: Yes. I changed the focus and tried different approaches. Some of my drafts included direct quotations from Casals, in boxes. I loved this; the editors, not so much. I laid out the page turns and tried to squeeze Casals’s whole life into 12 spreads - thankfully, the final book is much longer than the typical 32 pages! I cut down the words about his childhood and then put them back in. I cut pages from his later years. One time, I received a thoughtful critique from an editor and, at her invitation, edited and re-submitted. But that revision was rejected.

I must have revised my story more than twenty times that year, and I continued working on it into the next year, 2015 when I sold my first picture book, Hey, Hey, Hay! – a rhyming picture book about making hay. That was a thrill, and an educational process. 

signing the contract with Erzsi

And then, in 2016, I submitted the Pablo Casals story to literary agent Erzsi Deak, who loved it enough to offer to represent me. Yay! At last! Erzsi had a couple suggestions, so I tweaked the manuscript and then she started submitting the story. But nobody bit. 

Meanwhile, the political winds in the U.S. were shifting, and Erzsi and I discussed bringing more emphasis to the anti-fascism theme in Casals’s story. I made more revisions while also trying new approaches to the story. In one draft Pablo’s cello narrates, and another draft is told in verse. I didn’t end up with any of those versions, but each one informed how I eventually wrote the story of Casals’s life. 

In 2018 we started a new round of submissions. The story felt more timely than ever. After about a half dozen rejections, we received an offer from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Over the next seven years the story wended its way through the publishing process, getting delayed for a bit by Covid. In 2022, when the search for an illustrator started, I knew I wanted an illustrator from Catalonia, Casals’s homeland. I pushed for Mariona Cabassa, whose work I knew because she had beautifully illustrated my 2021 book, Barefoot Books WATER: A Deep Dive of Discovery. It took a while, but it was worth the wait. I am so glad she brought her gorgeous art – and love of Casals – to this project.

Sue: Fourteen years is a long time to keep believing in a book. What words of wisdom might you offer to kidlit writers who are having a hard time getting an editor to love their stories? 

Christy: Write the story that is in your heart. Because that’s what writing is about. Don’t get distracted when people tell you what the market wants, or how to sell to a certain editor – unless those are stories your heart also wants to tell. Editors and agents love to read work in which they can sense the author’s passion and commitment, stories that are animated by the author’s love of the topic, the characters. If you don’t love what you’re writing, write about something you do love writing about.

Sue: You started playing the cello as an adult. What advice might you offer to folks who want to learn how to play a cello – or any instrument – later in life?

Christy on the cello

Christy: First, accept that you’ll never be a brilliant player. Or, you won’t develop the level of competence you would have if you’d started young. So let go of that expectation. Do it for the joy of making music, for the pleasure of learning a new skill – that’s what keeps us young.

Second, you must practice. A lot. But don’t overdo it, because you do not want to injure yourself. (I speak from experience.) Take breaks. 

And third, find others to play with. My cello teacher organized a group of students to play together. I love making music in a group, together with other (older) musicians. I also loved playing duets with my daughter, who was taking violin lessons and who is  a better player than I’ll ever be. What a joy! You might look for a local community orchestra or band to play with. Or draft your family members and friends.

Sue: I should probably have asked you this first. What is it about Pablo Casals’s music that absolutely gobsmacks you?

Christy: I love the emotion that permeates his playing. I love that he isn’t afraid to show us his passion through his musicianship. His technique, obviously, is lovely, and he produces a gorgeous, mellow tone. But what I love most is that when he makes his cello sing, you can hear the music of his heart.

Thank you, Christy, for sharing your book love and your lessons on how to courageously dive into new things! 

Christy Mihaly has written books on topics from civics to sunlight, and math to moose, including a picture book about making hay when the sun shines! You can find out more about Christy’s books and writing life at her website, www.christymihaly.com. 

And if you'd like to preorder Music and Silence here, (OR Christy's book coming out in May, America's Founding Myths ... And What Really Happened here), her local indie, Bear Pond Books, is taking orders online. Christy will sign your book before it goes out. You can specify how you want it personalized .... or call the bookstore and let them know. Thank you!

Poetry Month 2025: You Can Be a Poet! Poet Libby VanBuskirk talks about her debut poetry collection ~Christy Mihaly

Greetings, GROGgers. It's National Poetry Month! 

How will you celebrate? Let us know in the comments! And for more poetic inspiration, check out these  prior GROG posts: here, here, and here.

You may be feeling that you're not a poet, or that it's too late for you to learn to write poetry. Today I have the enormous pleasure of introducing someone who proves that you are wrong: poet Libby VanBuskirk, who at 91 years young is currently anticipating the publication of her first poetry collection, Living With Time, by Kelsay Books.

Libby VanBuskirk

Libby and I have been writing partners for many years. Her feedback is always kind and wise. She models a whole-hearted embrace of living authentically, and has dedicated herself to continuing to practice and grow in her writing, finding fresh inspiration in each new decade.  

Libby took a few moments out from her writing regimen to share some thoughts on poetry and on her soon-to-be-published collection, which was inspired, in part, by the loss of her husband in 2019.

GROG: Libby, your forthcoming poetry collection takes its title from your poem "Living With Time." Tell us a little about the book. 

LIBBY: Most of the poems in the book take place at a northern New England lake which feels almost holy to me. Through poetry and living close to the natural world, I have observed and explored the changes that time brings—present, past and future. I am intrigued by the movement of time, how it shapes our lives.

GROG: I found the title poem deeply moving -- you can read it here. Libby, why do you write poetry?

LIBBY: I love the sounds in poetry. I also have seen that the beauty and power of poetry can help us explore themes we sometimes avoid. Poems can lead to thought-provoking discussions about our changing lives, aging, and death.

GROG: Agreed those are topics we sometimes want to avoid. What inspired you to write the poems in your collection?

LIBBY: I was inspired by growing older, by the increasingly common experience of loss, and especially by the sudden loss of my husband by drowning. As some of my poems describe, loss can bring us terrible, shocking moments.

GROG: I'm so sorry that happened, Libby. I think you convey these feelings, moments, and images so beautifully in your poetry. What do you want readers to gain from reading your collection of poems?

LIBBY: I hope my poems help readers see the beauty in life at all ages. And maybe the collection, "Living with Time," can be helpful as a gift to mark an advanced birthday or to give to a relative or friend suffering a period of loss.

GROG: I like that, "an advanced birthday." Tell us about the poems in the collection.

LIBBY: The book includes about 65 poems. Some are lyric and others are formal poems, in forms that I’ve been learning over the past few years. I have loved reading and experimenting with these forms.

GROG: Yes! Poetry forms can be really fun. And how did you select and arrange those 65 poems?

LIBBY: The poems in Living with Time fall into three parts, all centered on the theme of time’s power to change our lives.

Part one probes life’s changes as I see them reflected in the natural world.

In the Part two poems, monumental change comes with my husband's sudden death. These poems address themes such as: How can I live without him, when our lives were so intertwined? Through metaphor and imagery and the clarity of poetry, I reflect on loss as I look for him everywhere and try to bring him back in odd ways, re-visit incidents in our lives together, or want to escape alone to a spot by the sea.

In Part three, the poems are about how I feel ready to grow again, and strive to build a new life through poetry.

GROG: So, it's not about loss only, but time, and living, and growing, and beauty. What steps did you take to get your collection published?

Libby's drafting process: "To Recycle"

LIBBY: It is very hard to get a poetry collection published! But, once I focused on wanting to write and publish poetry, over the last five years, I started submitting and publishing in poetry journals and anthologies.

My publisher, Kelsay Books, publishes both books and The Orchards Poetry Journal. Twice in recent years, the editors there accepted poems I wrote for the journal. I especially appreciated their kind words when they said they loved my work. Their enthusiasm encouraged me to submit my collection to Kelsay for publication, and I am so relieved they accepted it. 

GROG: And of course it takes a village, right?

LIBBY: Right! I am grateful to the many people who helped me make this book happen. I was lucky that a good friend, the poet Jeanne Svensson, served as my editor as I’ve worked on the book. In the very beginning of my dream to collect the poems into a book, she chose which poems to include and even helped to shape their order. Other friends have read and critiqued the poems.

I learned a great deal from Vermont poet David Weinstock, the leader of my weekly poetry group, and from studying with another Vermont poet, Rebecca Starks. With her, I have explored poetic forms—the sonnet, the villanelle, haiku and haibun, a beautiful Arabic form, the ghazal, and others.

GROG: Thank you for sharing these insights, Libby. I'm so excited that your book is on its way, and can't wait to hold a copy in my hand!

***

And here's more from Libby about her colorful life -- including that she once interviewed TS Eliot (!!) and has a passion for the indigenous textiles of the Andes:

I began my avid years of writing at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, studying with the poet Gray Burr. Since then I have studied writing at Radcliffe Seminars, the University of Vermont and recently in weekly intensive poetry seminars with Vermont poet Rebecca Starks.

Soon after college, I won a national writing award from Mademoiselle Magazine which led to an interview with T.S. Eliot. (GROG: !!!)

I received a Barbara Carlin grant from SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) for a picture book text, and won a poetry prize from Writers’ Digest.

My poetry has appeared in Beloit Poetry Journal, Orchards Poetry Journal, Quartet, Blueline Literary Review, and elsewhere. I published a book of short stories for children, Beyond the Stones of Machu Picchu, in 2013 (Thrums Books, Colorado). The stories offer a close-up look at Inca families today and their powerful ways of celebrating the natural world.

I have also followed my interests as an educator and a fiber artist, traveling to Peru eight times to research and write about indigenous Andean textiles and their meanings. My husband and I helped a Peruvian Inca weaver to found the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco. I co-taught courses on Inca history and culture at the University of Vermont, and guest-curated the exhibition, “Weaving the Patterns of the Land” at the Robert Hull Fleming Museum.

Currently, I am focused on poetry, my long-term love.

***

Visit Libby's beautiful website to read some of her poetry. 

You can also peruse the entire Summer 2024 issue of The Orchards Poetry Journal, here.   

Why not try a poetic form today? See this post for some ideas. And leave a comment about your own poetry practices.

Happy Poetry Month to one and all!