The first author I ever met was Charlotte Huck. She was about 75 by the time our paths crossed, but I credit her with encouraging me to write again after 20 years of silence. Here are ten things I remember about her:
1. She wrote Princess Furball and Creepy Countdown, among other things.
2. She was a beloved Professor at Ohio State.
3. Mem Fox and Anita Lobel were close friends of hers.
4. Annie was the name of her Sheltie.
5. She had a children's book library that rivalled any library I'd ever visited.
6. She hosted a dynamic children's book conference in Redlands.
7. African Violets sat on the windowsill of her dining room.
8. She had a wicked sense of humor and said "Oh Spit," when she messed up.
9. She loved children's literature and its writers.
10. She was generous with her time and talents.
I think of her often and thank her for pushing me forward.
7 comments:
That's really cool. I still treasure getting to meet her and going to her house after.
Hi Diane,
Perhaps I met you there at her house too? That's the conference where Stephanie and I spoke at dinner. Charlotte was gracious and inspiring. I remember we spoke about William Stafford. Everything is linking together.
I loved that she said, "Oh spit!" when she made a mistake! A little detail like that conjures up a whole personality in my mind!
Another wonderful teacher who inspired writers! It sounds as if she had a passionate and compelling personality.
I am just now checking in with our blog-- this election and many other things has had me elsewhere, but I want to say that I had the honor of speaking at the Charlotte Huck Lectures last year where I learned so much about her. I wish I had met her when she was alive. What an inspiring woman.
Hi Christy,
Yes, we did meet many years ago, and Lauren, I saw you speak last year. Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet - who knew we'd be potatoes together?
David, yes, "Oh spit!" is a perfect start to Charlotte's personality.
Post a Comment