Home Front Girl

The Morrison Writing Factory

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Susan Morrison

Last fall I gave a talk at my favorite library in the world: my hometown Morristown and Morris Township Public Library in Morristown, New Jersey.

Morristown and Morris Township Public Library in Morristown, New Jersey

So many high school friends of mine came, and fans of my mom, Joan, author of Home Front Girl, arrived in droves–even in wheelchairs. It was really amazing.

My high school pal and fellow thespian, Tony Boyadjis, and I reading “Frazier” and “Joan”

The reporter, Lorraine Ash, did a beautiful job summing up the event. You can read her article here. What really touched me was how she also wrote about my mom’s other books, as well as my dad’s “seminal textbook,” Organic Chemistry. Since everyone in our family has published books, my mom called us “The Morrison Writing Factory.”

Hubbub after the talk

Those words still ring true. After the physical copies of Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America, written by my mother Joan and edited by me, arrived in fall 2012, the kids eagerly each grabbed a book. Chatter and delight.

“My name appears twice,” crows Sarah, who is not only mentioned in the Acknowledgements but also credited with the book jacket photo of my mom and me. While Jim had taken the photo, Sarah touched it up and focused it in that magical way only experts on Photoshop can (more on her expertise in other posts).

Meanwhile, John gloats about how I describe him in the Acknowledgements. “She says I’m ‘tender-hearted!'” he triumphs in a distinctly untender-hearted manner.

John, Sarah, and Susie reading Home Front Girl around the dining room table.

Then we all settle in to read while Jim prepares dinner. All are intent on the book. Occasional banter bubbles up about some word or line of Grandma’s.

At one point, Sarah says, “I say ‘purdy good’ just like Grandma does here.” She seems pleased to find this link between herself and her grandmother. Little does she know how many more there will be that she will discover! Beyond how everyone thinks she looks like Joan.

The quiet grace while reading Home Front Girl

At dinner Sarah tells about how, when she couldn’t fall asleep the night before, she created a television series in her head about a post-apocalyptic world. John pipes up suggestions and soon–they’re off to the races. Creating, describing, fashioning dialogue.

A new generation of what my mother dubbed our family, all of whom write: The Morrison Writing Factory.

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“After Harry Potter: A Reading and Workshop on Publishing Children’s and YA [Young Adult] Literature,” Swarthmore College

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Susan Morrison

In my guise at Swarthmore College Alumni Council President (2011-2013), I had the great pleasure of meeting Donna Jo Napoli, Professor of Linguistics, at a reception in fall 2012. We chatted merrily and Donna Jo mentioned she wrote children’s books. Later, when I googled her, I discovered she had written over 70 books!!! And had won many awards! You can read about Donna Jo here.

At the same time, I had know that one of the Alumni Council members, Josh Green, Class of ’92, had written a Young Adult chapter book, The Idea Man. That he did when he wasn’t working as an emergency room doctor or Hawaii State Senator!!!

So the idea came to me that it would be wonderful to create at panel entitled ““After Harry Potter: A Reading and Workshop on Publishing Children’s and YA [Young Adult] Literature.”

The poster for the event designed by my brilliant daughter, Sarah Kilfoyle. Thanks, Sarah!

It consisted of readings, Q & A, student input, and signings.

Book Display at Swarthmore Event with Josh Green’s The Idea Man, Susan Morrison’s Home Front Girl, and Donna Jo Napoli’s The Wager, Greek Mythology, Mama Miti, and The Crossing.

Josh read from The Idea Man, I read from Home Front Girl, and Donna Jo read from The Wager.

Award-Winning Donna Jo Napoli reading from her exciting book, The Wager (Susan taking photo)

Over 20 students participated, along with a number of older folks. They clearly had great interest in Children’s and YA literature. In fact, about half of them said that they were working on their own children’s and YA literature. Two young women told about how they were collaborating on a children’s book; one doing the writing, the other the illustrations.

Josh Green reading from his fun chapter book, The Idea Man (Susan taking photo)

After I told about how I had written a Harlequin Romance named Stairway to Love (unpublished–so far!) when I was a freshman at Swarthmore, Donna Jo encouraged that students to write anything, any genre: from erotica to SciFi to Children’s books. I hope the students form a writing group focused on Children’s and YA literature! We’d love to support you!

Donna Jo and Josh at the reading (Susan taking photo)

Everyone should witness this incredible video of Donna Jo’s TEDx Swarthmore talk on What Children (and Everyone Else) Need to Know. It’s about censorship and how children (and all of us!) need to read things that may not be happy– because such works of art help foster empathy. Thank you, Donna Jo, for your incredible presence in the world of Children’s and YA Literature and being a leading voice!

Here is an article about the event in the Swarthmore Bulletin.

The event with Donna Jo and Josh came about because I work with a wonderful team. Here I am with my wonderful executive committee at Swarthmore College.

Swarthmore College Alumni Council Executive Committee (2011-13)

Tag Archives: Home Front Girl

The Morrison Writing Factory

Last fall I gave a talk at my favorite library in the world: my hometown Morristown and Morris Township Public Library in Morristown, New Jersey.

So many high school friends of mine came, and fans of my mom, Joan, author of Home Front Girl, arrived in droves–even in wheelchairs. It was really amazing.

Those words still ring true. After the physical copies of Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America, written by my mother Joan and edited by me, arrived in fall 2012, the kids eagerly each grabbed a book. Chatter and delight.

Meanwhile, John gloats about how I describe him in the Acknowledgements. “She says I’m ‘tender-hearted!'” he triumphs in a distinctly untender-hearted manner.

Then we all settle in to read while Jim prepares dinner. All are intent on the book. Occasional banter bubbles up about some word or line of Grandma’s.

At one point, Sarah says, “I say ‘purdy good’ just like Grandma does here.” She seems pleased to find this link between herself and her grandmother. Little does she know how many more there will be that she will discover! Beyond how everyone thinks she looks like Joan.

At dinner Sarah tells about how, when she couldn’t fall asleep the night before, she created a television series in her head about a post-apocalyptic world. John pipes up suggestions and soon–they’re off to the races. Creating, describing, fashioning dialogue.

A new generation of what my mother dubbed our family, all of whom write: The Morrison Writing Factory.

“After Harry Potter: A Reading and Workshop on Publishing Children’s and YA [Young Adult] Literature,” Swarthmore College

At the same time, I had know that one of the Alumni Council members, Josh Green, Class of ’92, had written a Young Adult chapter book, The Idea Man. That he did when he wasn’t working as an emergency room doctor or Hawaii State Senator!!!

So the idea came to me that it would be wonderful to create at panel entitled ““After Harry Potter: A Reading and Workshop on Publishing Children’s and YA [Young Adult] Literature.”

It consisted of readings, Q & A, student input, and signings.

Josh read from The Idea Man, I read from Home Front Girl, and Donna Jo read from The Wager.

Here is an article about the event in the Swarthmore Bulletin.

The event with Donna Jo and Josh came about because I work with a wonderful team. Here I am with my wonderful executive committee at Swarthmore College.

Keep in touch via email

Archives

Home Front Girl

Tag Archives: Home Front Girl

The Morrison Writing Factory

Last fall I gave a talk at my favorite library in the world: my hometown Morristown and Morris Township Public Library in Morristown, New Jersey.

So many high school friends of mine came, and fans of my mom, Joan, author of Home Front Girl, arrived in droves–even in wheelchairs. It was really amazing.

Those words still ring true. After the physical copies of Home Front Girl: A Diary of Love, Literature, and Growing Up in Wartime America, written by my mother Joan and edited by me, arrived in fall 2012, the kids eagerly each grabbed a book. Chatter and delight.

Meanwhile, John gloats about how I describe him in the Acknowledgements. “She says I’m ‘tender-hearted!'” he triumphs in a distinctly untender-hearted manner.

Then we all settle in to read while Jim prepares dinner. All are intent on the book. Occasional banter bubbles up about some word or line of Grandma’s.

At one point, Sarah says, “I say ‘purdy good’ just like Grandma does here.” She seems pleased to find this link between herself and her grandmother. Little does she know how many more there will be that she will discover! Beyond how everyone thinks she looks like Joan.

At dinner Sarah tells about how, when she couldn’t fall asleep the night before, she created a television series in her head about a post-apocalyptic world. John pipes up suggestions and soon–they’re off to the races. Creating, describing, fashioning dialogue.

A new generation of what my mother dubbed our family, all of whom write: The Morrison Writing Factory.

Share this: http://www.facebook.com/HomeFrontGirlDiary

Like this:

“After Harry Potter: A Reading and Workshop on Publishing Children’s and YA [Young Adult] Literature,” Swarthmore College

At the same time, I had know that one of the Alumni Council members, Josh Green, Class of ’92, had written a Young Adult chapter book, The Idea Man. That he did when he wasn’t working as an emergency room doctor or Hawaii State Senator!!!

So the idea came to me that it would be wonderful to create at panel entitled ““After Harry Potter: A Reading and Workshop on Publishing Children’s and YA [Young Adult] Literature.”

It consisted of readings, Q & A, student input, and signings.

Josh read from The Idea Man, I read from Home Front Girl, and Donna Jo read from The Wager.

Here is an article about the event in the Swarthmore Bulletin.

The event with Donna Jo and Josh came about because I work with a wonderful team. Here I am with my wonderful executive committee at Swarthmore College.

Share this: http://www.facebook.com/HomeFrontGirlDiary

Like this:

Keep in touch via email

Archives