Friday, August 30, 2013

QUIET - 1




QUIET


I’ve always had a penchant for all things QUIET: quiet people, quiet places, quiet music, quiet walks, and quiet books, to name but a few.
Recently, I’ve read three books on QUIET  that warrant some reflection, especially from a storyteller’s perspective.





Front Cover


 A word or two (well actually a whole blog spot) on each!

“Quiet” by Susan Cain

The book’s appeal for me lies in the author’s ability to write with deep passion and humor on so many issues that I have often thought about – fleetingly, but have never taken the time to reflect or ponder upon more deeply – until now.I used to explain my predilection for all things QUIET to the noisier members of my family and friends by claiming a bit of fairy blood.  All Scots/Irish people know that fairies hate noise.
   (One of my favorite read-alouds on this is The Woman who Flummoxed the Fairies – an old Scots tale retold by Heather Forest). 

Of course, noisy skeptics (and maybe even a few quiet ones) might scoff at such airy fairy musings.  But in "Quiet", Susan Cain frequently alludes to the fact that many cultures are quieter than others.  Needless to say, America is right at the top of the noisy/loud/extrovert ladder, whereas we Scots/Irish are a little lower down!
The whole premise of the book is that introverts, who she defines as “quiet people who prefer listening to speaking, who create, but dislike self-promotion, and who prefer to work on their own rather than in  teams, have long been undervalued in our society.  She explores how extroverts have come to dominate our culture, she challenges us to see the value of silence and solitude, and she encourages us to offer kids in schools more QUIET time. 

  “Quiet leadership is not an oxymoron,” she says.
Hmmm…talk about singing to the choir!

After reading this book, I am more grateful than ever for my Scots/Irish childhood.  I grew up in a culture that valued all things QUIET. 

When I was a wee girl, my dad would always press his fingers to his lips and warn me to tread lightly as we passed by a lone bush in the fields of Ireland, lest we frighten off the fairy folk who would be hiding there. 

On winter mornings, when my dad came to wake us from our sleep, he would always whisper, so as not to disturb the hallowed hush of a new day dawning.

And as a young teacher in Scotland, I learned early on from an older, wiser colleague, that the best way to tame a rowdy class, was simply to start talking in a very low, soft voice.  Pretty soon a hush would descend, as the children strained to hear what I was saying.  Curiosity trumped the need to chatter!

In public places Scottish people speak much more softly than their American counterparts.  When we took our daughter back to visit Scotland, we ate lunch at a pub in the countryside.  Halfway through the meal, she leaned over and whispered to my husband and me, “This is like eating in a library!” (She had been raised in the era where libraries were actually places of QUIET!)

Thinking by talking aloud (a common practice in American culture) is frowned upon in Scotland. “Don’t talk the arms out of a waistcoat!” was a frequent admonition to the more loquacious members on a board or committee! 

The Scots subscribed to that old adage, “children should be seen and not heard,” and while that notion is somewhat outdated now (and rightly so), it did hold some merit.  As the youngest child, I spent many hours sitting on the edge of adult conversation, just listening. 

All of these cultural factors really served as my storyteller’s apprenticeship.  

So, how can we encourage our little ones to seek out more QUIET time, to value silence and listening and spend more time BEING versus DOING?

By basking in stories of course…..good stories that leave room for pondering and reflection, wonder, and mystery.

Coming soon - QUIET 2!

Monday, August 12, 2013

Youth Journalism Day

Here is the interview that was chosen to appear in The Denver Post, Colorado Kids section.

Well done, Ashleigh!

LOVE OF STORIES BEGAN A CAREER


Ashleigh Huntley
Kathleen T. Pelley grew up in Scotland with two older brothers and was raised to love stories. Her love of stories and writing led her to becoming an author for picture books.
Her father grew up in Ireland and told many stories. Kathleen loved the library and said it was a huge part of her life.
As she got older, Kathleen met her husband, who was from Kansas City, Kansas. They met and Scotland and lived there for a while. Then, they moved and lived in England for 11 years. Her husband began homesick for America and they moved to Denver, Colorado on 1991. She says that she enjoys America, and loves how there are so many opportunities. “But I miss getting in a car and driving to a little village. America is just so big!”
This wonderful state that we may call home was a different world for her. She learned the American cultures and started to get used to our ways.
She published her first book called “The Giant King. ” It was a Scottish folk tale from home that she decided to put in book form. Her other books were inspired about regular daily things. She got the idea for her book “Inventor McGregor” By being in her kitchen surrounded by everything she loves: knitting, baking, writing, and reading.
Because her father was a farmer and she was always surrounded by animals, Kathleen T. Pelley loves animals. She has two Labrador Retrievers named Ilea and Fergus.
“The color of your thought dyes your soul. ” She likes to say. “And the color of your soul dyes your world, but for me it dyes my stories. ”
She says that she enjoys America, and loves how there are so many opportunities. “But I miss getting in a car and driving to a little village. America is just so big!”
Kathleen’s biggest struggle in her career was when editors sent her stories back and saying they didn’t want it. “Don’t be too sad, you have to move on. ” She said.
Right now, Kathleen’s working on a novel about a girl with an older brother. She’ll be able to add life experiences and lessons. Really, those are the best things to put in a book. Like Kathleen T. Pelley once said, “Write, write, write, write; read, read, read, read; create, create, create, create. ”

Friday, August 2, 2013

Denver Post Youth Journalism Day


What a fun visit to The Denver Post last week.  I was invited to be their guest author for some budding young journalists.  The asked me some very thought provoking questions, such as:

What have you learned from being an author?

Hmm, I think I will have to ponder that for a while!  In the meantime, here is a great little article from one of the young journalists.  Well done, James!




An Inspiring Writer


James Green
She said always be true to yourself. The person who said is Kathleen T. Pelley. She is an inspiring picture book writer .She loves writing and listening to stories. That is what inspired her to start writing stories. She does not write adult books. Kathleen came to America because her husband lives in America. She misses Scotland but she is glad she moved to America too. She is also a teacher. Her dad inspired her to start writing books.
This all happened July 19, 2013 in a small group. She started writing books when she moved to America. She started writing when she could hold a pencil. She also said the color of your thought dies down your soul. Kathleen has two older brothers. She says it fun when you are the only brother or sister so you can play with your own stuff.
Her dad was a telephone operator. He works at night. She came to America in 1991. A favorite hobby for her is walking. Her favorite color is blue. She said nothing you write will be wasted. The library is a huge part of her life. She learned that writing takes you out of yourself and writing can teach you about a lot. One of her struggles was moving to America but one of her struggles in writing is writing her first book.
Kathleen is an inspiring writer and you should read her books.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Youth Journalism Day - Articles

Best thing about being a writer? 

HUGS like this!

Not only does Josephine give great hugs, she writes an excellent article.  Well done, Josephine!

Kathleen Pelley


Josephine Bevis
Kathleen Pelley is a picture book author. She came from Scotland and brought with her a very cool accent. She also has two older brothers. She grew up listening to stories and fell in love with them. Her dad took her to the library every week.
In 1991 she came to America because her husband was feeling homesick from Kansas City. 1991 was also when she began the wonderful and challenging world of being a picture book author. Her dad and the struggle of missing her home town inspired her to become the picture book author we know today. She loves writing very much and thinks it makes you a happier person.
She loves baking bread, reading, knitting, thinking during walking, and she has two golden retrievers that she loves to play with. She also loves creativity and inspiration. Her favorite animal is a dog and her favorite color is blue.
She has learned a lot about life as an author. Her struggle as an author was getting her first book published. Her happiest moment of the process of writing a book is holding the finished product in her hands. Her favorite quote is “The color of your thought dyes your soul”_ by Marcus Auriellius.
Here is her advice for young authors: READ, WRITE, CREATE!!!!!!! Most importantly “No act of writing is ever wasted” by Kathleen Pelley.