Susan Morrison | Home Front Girl

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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After I told about how I had written a Harlequin Romance named Stairway to Love (unpublished–so far!)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)

Author’s Books

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Susan Morrison

One of the most exciting moments in a writer’s life is when the book you’ve been devoting your life to — not only physically, but emotionally and, in this case, even spiritually — arrives in the mail as an actual physical object.

The other night, my family gathered ’round: Jim (my husband), Sarah (age 16), and John (age 11). Jim placed the box before me that had arrived in the mail from Chicago Review Press. We all stared at it like it was some strange and ancient talisman.

I recall my parents’ reminiscence of their first grandchild. My niece, Lizzie, was 6 months old and proudly displayed to the family. My brother, Jim, and his wife, Ruth, placed Lizzie on a blanket before the fireplace on a bleak, midwinter day in New Jersey. We all sat on sofas and recliners and just….gazed at the baby. In wonderment. Here was this lovely creature, otherworldly almost, now gracing our lives.

Well, it seemed like that to us other other night. This strange and magnificent gift, a bounty from my mother after her death–the diaries squirreled away in the file cabinet not opened in decades–permitting us to get to know her in her teenage years.

Jim handed me the scissors and I tear at the tape holding the box together. I lift the lid —

And the lovely face of my mom gazes out at me. The red background pops. The raised fonts tactically beckon.

And we all, in a hush, are grateful.

Susie and Sarah with Home Front Girl, just arrived from the publishers.

: Susie holding the physical copy of Home Front Girl by her mother Joan Wehlen Morrison and edited by Susie–here at last!