About Ritu Anand

Ritu Anand started writing when she could hold a pencil, but life kept getting in the way. For the past four years, she has chosen Writing as her career. She draws her inspiration from nature around her and her scripture—Sri Guru Granth Sahibjee.

When she sat down to write Kara’s Dreams, her pen flowed its ink onto paper, as a river floods its banks. The beautiful verse within the scripture that guided her story provides—Pavan Guru, Paani Pita, Mata Dharadh Mahat, Divas Raat Duii Dayee Daya, Khaileh Sagal Jagat. It means the Wind is the Guru. Water is the Father. Earth is the Mother. Day and Night are caretakers. All the elements—Wind, Water, Earth, Night and Day work in concert to enable creatures to play and enjoy this playground called Earth.

Ritu Anand lives in Sarasota, Florida with her loving husband. Her interests include reading, writing, singing Indian classical music, dancing to Bollywood music, traveling and playing golf.

About Kara’s Dreams

Little Kara had big dreams. But she had seen others around her defeated by the obstacles thrown at them, and she was fearful she might endure the same fate and never attain her dreams.

Was she good enough?

Was she strong enough?

Would she be able to overcome hardships?

Kara, a young tree in the forest, decides to ask a wise, mature tree for advice. The mentoring helps Kara realize that she has everything within her to reach her dreams; she just needs to adjust to her surroundings and believe in herself.

This wonderful children’s story represents the debut book by Ritu Anand of Sarasota, Florida. The tale is augmented by Veen Redwood’s rich, beautiful illustrations.

Kara’s Dreams is a tale of faith, growth, and resilience. Any child will love the story and pictures.

Interview with Ritu Anand

Olivia Fisher: What made you want to write for kids?

Ritu Anand: From the day I was born I was writing, whether on office walls or newspapers. My mom had a hard time handling me, haha. In the space of my mind, I think of myself as a child and imagine that I never grew up. I like doing activities that are spontaneous and propelled by my innermost desires. I also love, love, love working with kids because when I look into the eyes of a child, I see a whole new world. I see magic. I see possibilities, and suddenly, my creativity starts to flow. That’s how I know I belong in the kid lit world, and I’m here to stay. Childhood is such a brief and beautiful time, and honestly, for both children and adults, I would prefer it to be eternal. That’s my wish for every child and adult.

OF: That’s such a lovely way of expressing your desire to write for kids! 

Tell us a little bit about your first book Kara’s Dreams!

RA: My inspiration for my book Kara’s Dreams comes from my holy book, and the scripture Kara’s Dreams is based on is very beautiful. It’s universal, and on my author page in the book, I describe the actual verse. It explains how this entire Earth is a playground in which all the creatures play and how that’s the beauty and definition of life. We’re here to play responsibly and should rejoice. This life is a beautiful gift. 

OF: What an incredible theme for a book. It’s such a great message for kids and adults!

RA: Yes! As a seven-year-old, I was scared of the dark. I grew up in twin homes in New Delhi and had to cross an alley to get home. I wasn’t normally allowed to cross it in the dark. But one day, I made a promise to myself to gather the courage to cross it. So I started reciting my scripture to give myself courage. In doing that, I said to myself, “Wow, I can do this. I can cross this.” That’s the theme of Kara’s Dreams. It’s about survival. It’s about empowering ourselves in the midst of adversity and maintaining a positive attitude.

What did the publishing process look like for you and your book?

RA: I wanted to do independent publishing on purpose because I’m a control freak, haha. I wanted creative freedom. I was terrified at the thought of giving up control of my book to a traditional publisher. My husband and I are both avid hikers, and we come across some very challenging hikes and visit the forests often. Because of this, I decided I wanted to make Kara’s Dreams an anthropomorphic tale with all these trees as characters, and I worried that an illustrator wouldn’t be able to get my vision across if I wasn’t able to tell them what I was thinking. How could they accurately depict that? So that’s the main reason why I wanted to go with Indie publishing. I befriended the wonderful Veen Redwood, who is from Sri Lanka. Kara’s Dreams is her nineteenth book, and she’s done an amazing job connecting with me as a person and creating the illustrations for the book. I’ve really enjoyed the journey of indie publishing!

OF: I’ve read Kara’s Dreams, and the illustrations blew me away, so I’m glad you chose indie publishing and had such a wonderful illustrator in Veen Redwood to work with.

What was the hardest part about publishing independently?

RA: I think trusting which publisher would be the right one was one of the hardest parts of publishing independently. I really prayed about it. I prayed that I would come in contact with the right publisher. At the time, the publisher I chose was going through some difficult experiences, and there was a lack of communication for a while, but my connection with them came from a personal recommendation I trusted. I went with Pathfinder, and I really respect them. The publisher has almost twenty-five years of journalism experience behind him and comes from the writing world. That’s why I went with them. But it was such a hard decision to make, you know?

OF: Yes! I can imagine how hard it would be to choose a publisher for yourself. I’m glad you found a publisher that helped you create the book you dreamed of.

What’s next on your author journey?

OF: Okay, this has been a beautiful interview, and I’m always so sad that I only get to share a small portion of it through words on the blog, but I know readers will love getting to know you and your writing journey. Speaking of your author journey, what’s next? Do you have any books in mind or stories that you’re looking forward to telling? 

RA: Yes. I Am My Language is my next book. It’s about a little seven-year-old me. I taught myself how to read and write a new language, which is typically my first language, Punjabi. I went to an all-girls Catholic school in India where I was only taught English and not the language of my heart. I would listen to people at home talking in Punjabi and speaking it. I could understand it, but I could not speak it. I undertook this task to teach it to myself. The adults at home were super busy people, and nobody had the time to sit with me or read to me. So I grabbed hold of this translator, which belonged to my aunt who maintained a little library at home, and started teaching myself. She had some Punjabi books, and the translator enabled me to translate Punjabi letters and words to Romanized English. I could literally see each letter and how it could be pronounced. I would bug the hell out of my adults by reading aloud so that they could hear me and correct me over and over and over until I got it. I wanted to share this experience in a picture book for kids, so that’s my next project!

OF: That’s so beautiful that you are capturing this in a book for kids! So will this be a picture book?

RA: Yes!

OF: That’s great! I can’t wait to see it!

Ritu, thank you for taking the time to share your beautiful picture book with us and offering some valuable insight on indie publishing and your experience as an author! Congratulations on Kara’s Dreams! You can follow along with Ritu’s writing on her website! Be sure to check out her beautiful poems as well there!

Tell us in the comments: What were your big takeaways from this interview with Ritu Anand?

Olivia Fisher is a children’s lit writer and freelance editor with an English degree from BYU-Idaho. When she isn’t dreaming about living in a treehouse or chasing down her two young boys, she enjoys curling up with a book, watching Star Wars, writing her next adventure, and trying to live in the state of child-like wonder that we all secretly, or not so secretly, miss. Follow her adventures on Twitter or Instagram, or hire her for your next editing escapade on Fiverr.

The post Kid Lit Craft: Interview with Ritu Anand appeared first on DIY MFA.

Whether they influenced my childhood or made me smile during my latest hours of reading time, they gave me joy, wonder, and mental stimulation at some point. We all need those things no matter our age, especially right now.

Without further ado…

My Favorite Children’s Mysteries…

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

When Sam Westing dies and names most of the residents of Sunset Towers apartments as heirs, he sets them a task. They must solve a complicated set of clues with another heir as partner in order to win his fortune. They do not get to choose their partner. It turns out that Sam Westing knows exactly who needs whom in their life. 

This book contains problematic elements (such as the stereotypical portrayal of the Hoo family and the characters’ ableist treatment of Chris Theodorakis, who is physically disabled), but is also somewhat forward-thinking in terms of race (shown through the skewering of Grace Windsor Wexler’s bigotry) and feminism. 

It is one of the best children’s mysteries ever, maybe the best. TWG is smart, twisty, and has just enough danger to be exciting, but not too scary. I never tire of reading it. I sometimes even forget all the ins and outs of the very clever, twisty solution. If you’re a mystery lover and you haven’t read it, go do it now. Even if you’re not into children’s mysteries. 

There is a movie adaptation from 1997 called Get a Clue. It’s a decent adaptation (even though they changed a lot) and fun to watch. I’m super excited for the HBO Max series that is on the way. 

This is the first of many puzzle mysteries on this list. If you’ve read this column regularly, you know I love puzzles and code-cracking, especially if literary references are involved. 

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Zoe Washington lives in Boston with her mom and dad, right next door to her best friend Trevor. Her dad is technically her stepdad, but he has raised her since she was 5. She doesn’t have a relationship with her biological dad, Marcus. 

This is because Marcus is in prison for murder. Her mother does not want them to have contact and Zoe has always been fine with this. Zoe also loves to bake and is very talented at it. Her summer would be shaping up well, except for two things. She and Trevor are on the outs and a letter from Marcus suddenly arrives on Zoe’s 12th birthday. Zoe decides to answer without telling her mother and soon finds out that Marcus says he is innocent. 

This is not exactly a mystery, but Zoe does some detecting to figure out if her biological dad really has an alibi witness for the time of the murder. Plus, it was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. If the Mystery Writers of America count it, I will, too. 

Zoe is an ambitious and determined character with her baking and even invents her own flavor of cupcake. Also, the book highlights the number of innocent people in jail, especially Black men, and the Innocence Project. This book warmed my heart and put a smile on my face. It also made me hungry. 

An adaptation is forthcoming with Kerry Washington producing. That sounds like a great combination to me. 

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (author and illustrator)

One of the most famous books on this list, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler probably needs no introduction or description. It won the Newbery Medal in 1968 and several generations have read and loved it and shared it with their kids. 

I first encountered it when one of my teachers read it to our class. During a recent reread with my kids, I was instantly hooked by Claudia and Jamie Kincaid and their repartee. Claudia is delightful and complex. She longs to be an individual, to be special and “different,” not realizing she already is. She sees the world a little differently and wants dreadfully for people to notice. One of my favorite scenes is where she tries to get Jamie to say the little Angel statue they’re researching looks like her. I’ve felt that before, longing to be special by being like something special. 

Jamie is a precocious child, keenly aware of money, but still quite naive about the world. Also ignorant of proper grammar and speech to Claudia’s never-ending frustration. Some of Claudia’s nitpicking is just plain silly, though.

The two come up with a remarkable plan to run away from their home in Greenwich, Connecticut, and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Claudia thinks this will make her “different” and make her parents appreciate her. Jamie just wants an adventure. Claudia needs him for money and company. 

Soon after they move in, a special exhibit arrives—a little statue that might have been sculpted by Michelangelo. Claudia falls in love with the statue and determines to find out for sure whether it is one of Michelangelo’s works. 

One of the joys of this book is seeing the relationship between the two develop and deepen. They become a team as they learn more about Michelangelo and each other. 

There are two adaptations—one from 1973 starring Ingrid Bergman (called The Hideaways) and the other from 1995 starring Lauren Bacall. (Talk about A-list talent.) I hope they both do justice to that relationship. 

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

This book is so fun. I think practically any reader could enjoy it, but if you like games and are a book nerd, you are all set. I was in heaven. I so wish this library was real.

Kyle Keeley loves games. His favorites are by Luigi Lemoncello, who just happens to be from Kyle’s hometown of Alexandriaville, Ohio. Mr. Lemoncello funded and designed a fabulous new library to replace the old one torn down twelve years ago. Twelve 12-year-olds who write the best essays about what most excites them about the new library get to attend a lock-in and see the new library before anyone else. Kyle is determined to be one of them and meet his hero. 

Oh, my literary puzzle-loving heart. This book is jam-packed with literary references (mostly children’s books, but not all) and employs rebuses and several other kinds of codes to challenge the characters and readers. I read this book for the first time this week. I just finished a second reading, to my kids this time. It is that good. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. 

I just found out there is a Nickelodeon movie adaptation from 2017.  Heading off to watch that now.

Greystone Secrets #1: The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix and Anne Lambelet (illustrator)

This book was not what I expected, but I loved it. It is a page-turner, almost like a thriller for adults, but still appropriate for kids. It’s over 400 pages and I finished it in two days! 

The narrators are adorable, smart, and fun. They are the Greystone kids, siblings Chess (short for Rochester), Emma, and Finn. Their father is dead and they adore their mother Kate, a graphic designer who raised them on her own. 

But one day after school, everything is different. Three siblings with the same names and ages as the Greystones have been kidnapped. And Mom is not acting like Mom. 

You are plunged into this story in the very first chapter and it barely lets up. It is exciting, intriguing (more code-cracking, but getting into the hard stuff with Vigenère ciphers), heartwarming, and kept me guessing more than many books written for adults.

Winterhouse by Ben Guterson and Chloe Bristol (illustrator)

This is the most magical book I’ve read in a while. Between the amazing hotel, the snowy winter setting, and the Christmas celebrations, I wanted to move right in. 

Elizabeth Somers doesn’t know what to expect when she is invited to spend Christmas away from her aunt and uncle at the Winterhouse hotel, while her aunt and uncle vacation, thanks to a mysterious benefactor. Despite the unpleasantness of living with Aunt Purdy and Uncle Burlap, she would rather spend Christmas alone than brave this new place with strange people. 

But Winterhouse is a place of magic and fun. Puzzles (both word and jigsaw) abound, there is a huge library, and the intriguing Falls family, proprietors of the hotel, are full of mysterious secrets. Elizabeth even makes a friend named Freddy, who helps her discover the secret behind the sinister couple who seem to be stalking Elizabeth at the hotel. Between enjoying the snow and food, especially Flurschen, a special candy made only at Winterhouse.

In addition to the magical environment, this book is also full of word games and ciphers. Elizabeth and Freddy initially bond over their mutual love of word ladders, one of which starts off every chapter, connecting both to the chapter title and its events. I never thought much about word ladders before I read this book, but I think I’m a fan now. 

The cover and illustrations are gorgeous, definitely adding to the magic of the storyline. I first wanted to read this book because the beautiful cover caught my eye. I don’t usually care if a book has pictures (although I do buy beautiful picture books at times, even with my kids outgrowing them), but I wouldn’t want this book to be without them. 

The writing is vivid with some unique turns of phrase. The beauty and the menace leap off the page. As soon as I finished the first one, I bought the next one to read. 

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (author and illustrator) 

WARNING:  I don’t usually include spoilers, but there are some mild ones in this entry. I needed them to make a point and the book has been out for decades. You have been warned. 

We don’t see books like Harriet the Spy anymore. In some ways that’s good. Talk about fat phobia. Every unpleasant person in this book is described as fat and it’s not meant as a compliment. 

But people seem to have forgotten that the world of children can be ruthless and unforgiving. That children themselves can be ruthless and unforgiving. And that back when parents were a little less involved, kids learned to work things out. Obviously, it’s good for parents to be involved, but I regret that kids don’t have their own world to learn to navigate as much anymore.

This is a much darker story than I remembered from reading it as a child. Harriet M. Welsch wants to be a writer. Her nanny Ole Golly told her she needs to observe people and write down everything. Harriet takes this to a bit of an extreme by developing a regular “spy route” where she watches people in her neighborhood and writes down her thoughts about them. 

She also does that with her friends and classmates at school. They find her notebook. And read it. And they are not happy. Harriet suffers the consequences of her actions, but she is one against many, who, by the way, haven’t paid for reading her private notebook. Except in embarrassment maybe.

Harriet rallies and fights back. She learns what she did wrong, apologizes, and fixes it. That’s why I love her. I think that’s why people still love her. She stands up for herself and learns to admit when she’s wrong and change. 

Harriet is a very compelling book. The writing is smart and nuanced and the characters very realistic. Fitzhugh isn’t trying to make these kids lovable or even likable. She wanted to show what life could be like for all kids, but especially kids who are different. Especially kids whose parents are indifferent or caught up in their own lives. This is one of those books where the sheer act of reading it is satisfying. It’s not a mystery, but I think it works to call it a spy novel for kids. It’s also more than that, though. 

I was surprised to find out that Harriet the Spy is the first book in a series. There are 4 books, including Harriet. The second, The Long Secret, is a mystery. This is a very strange book that couldn’t be more different than its predecessor. It’s worth a read and could probably fill a whole column on its own. The story is told from Harriet’s classmate Beth Ellen’s point of view. The third is about her best friend Sport. And the fourth is another mystery. There are also several companion books.

If you want even more Harriet, there is a new Harriet the Spy cartoon series on AppleTV+. I’m very excited to try it. The Michelle Trachtenberg movie from 1996 is cute, maybe a little too cute at times. I do think it is a better adaptation than it is given credit for. The film stayed true to Harriet’s rebel spirit and the dark parts of her conflict with her friends and classmates. 

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

Like Greystone, this book was very different than I expected. It has an apocalyptic, 1984 aspect to it. The characters are complex and heartbreaking. I expected them to stay at Mr. Benedict’s house and be detectives. I didn’t realize there is an astounding worldwide threat (the “Emergency”) or that the kids would be undercover alone on such a dangerous mission.

Reynard “Reynie” Muldoon has spent his entire life at the Stonetown Orphanage, without close connections, except his teacher Miss Perumal. One day she tells him about a notice in the paper looking for gifted children to take a test to be eligible for “special opportunities.” She wants him to take it and Reynie agrees. 

The tests are weird and difficult, but Reynie makes it through, along with three other special kids—George “Sticky” Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. Together, they meet the mysterious Nicholas Benedict, along with his colleagues Number Two, Rhonda Kazembe, and Milligan. They discover that the “Emergency” that has all the adults worried is more serious than any of them realize and it’s up to them to stop it. 

Besides the interesting plot and excellent writing, the strength of this book is the team of four children. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance are tough, intelligent, resourceful, and able to trust each other and become a team, despite all of the abandonment and solitude in their lives up to this point. They work through their trauma to become this team, so they can hopefully save the world. In the process, they save themselves, which sounds very cliché, but Stewart renders it in a way that most definitely is not. 

I liked the first season of the TV show on Disney+. Everyone was well cast, despite the fact that Kristen Schaal is older than Number Two is in the book and I pictured Mr. Benedict as an older man. Now that I’ve seen Tony Hale play him, I can’t imagine anyone else in the part. 

Greenglass House by Kate Milford

This is a wonderful, intricate puzzle mystery bound up with the history of the house and its previous occupants. The house itself is a character and part of the mystery. Many of the clues are hidden in and around it, some actually built into it. I loved the descriptions of the beautiful stained glass.

Twelve-year-old Milo is excited for winter break to begin. During the holiday, there are usually no guests at the old smuggler’s inn in which he and his parents live and work called Greenglass House. But on the first night, the arrival bell begins to ring and doesn’t stop until five guests are ensconced in Milo’s living room telling stories, all of which end up connecting to the history of his home. 

Milo doesn’t appreciate this intrusion into his family holiday. He does end up befriending Meddy, the daughter of the cook, and they work together to solve the mystery when guests’ possessions disappear, which causes trouble for Milo’s parents. 

I appreciated that Milo is Chinese-American and the adoptive child of white parents (I am white and have a son adopted from China). Both the joys and difficulties of this situation were portrayed from Milo’s point of view. He loves his parents very much but still struggles with identity, belonging, and curiosity about his past. He is solving the mystery of himself as much as the one in the narrative. 

As a person who is neurodivergent, I appreciated the portrayal of Milo and his parents coping with that as well. It is difficult for them all, but he’s not stigmatized or criticized for it. He seems to have sensory sensitivities and anxiety, two conditions that really don’t mix with encountering strangers in your space all the time, especially when you weren’t expecting them. This is handled with sensitivity and realism. Milo isn’t put under a burden to change. He and his parents work to accommodate each other in the conditions of their lives. 

Greenglass House has been optioned by Paramount, but no adaptation has appeared as yet.

While we’re waiting, let me know—what are your favorite children’s mysteries?

Sara Farmer lives in Austin, TX, with her husband, three kids, and two cats. When she’s not chasing kids and cats, she reads and writes mysteries. You can find her at www.kittymomma.com and on Twitter @avonlea79.

The post Cozy to Cold-Blooded: My Favorite Children’s Mysteries (So Far) appeared first on DIY MFA.

Race has been a matter-of-life fact for me beginning with memories of being labeled a Negro girl in the 1950s. In 1963, when I was 8 years old, I recall accompanying my mother when she scoured New York City bookstores for literature about people like us. She curated my book collection to include tomes with black people, especially children, who transcended the chaos around them. In my teens, I learned that my mother’s experiences with race cemented her determination that my dreams would never be limited. Consistent exposure to exemplary literature and extraordinary stories referencing race subjects was an integral part of her plan.

I remain moved by three books that strengthened my self-respect and swayed career choices. Each achieves excellence in character development, world building, and plot detail—all told from points of view that spoke directly to me—young black girls under the age of thirteen who displayed resilience in complicated worlds. The three books covering different eras share common factors around race: historic truths, inequitable obstacles, and jubilant aspirations all conveyed through the eyes of young characters just as relevant today as in their respective desegregation, depression, and slavery settings. 

Mary Jane by Dorothy Sterling 

Mary Jane, published in 1959, captured the brutalities faced by “Negro” children desegregating southern schools. I recall one chapter titled “Heads Up, Eyes Front.” It detailed 12 year old protagonist Mary Jane’s first day heading to Wilson Junior High under a police entourage that deflected physical blows but could not divert refrains of  “go back to Africa” and “pull her black curls out.” Heeding her mother’s instructions, Mary Jane held her head high and focused her eyes forward. This stance fortified her through that first day and full year of ups and downs.  Mary Jane armored me as well while attending my private school and sporadically encountering questions about my belonging there or in the co-op building where I lived in the home my parents bought in the 1950s.

Daddy was a Numbers by Louise Merriwether

Published in 1970, this story recounted the life of twelve year old year old Francie growing up in New York City’s Harlem community in the 1930s. She lived with a determined family fighting the scourges of poverty. Her parents and two older brothers survived by using legal and less legal systems to make rent payments on a substandard apartment they shared with shared rats and roaches. When unbearable hunger leads her parents to reluctantly sign up for government subsidies called “relief,” her father remarks, “They don’t give you enough money to live on so you have to bootleg some kind of work, then they want you to deduct that from your relief check too.” Francie’s wide social network spanned good friends, caring adults, bullies, and molesters. Her life both differed from and mirrored aspects of my own. I always admired Francie’s perseverance and ability to persist in dreaming.

Corrie and the Yankee by Mimi Cooper Levy

This was also published in 1959. Levy visited my elementary school in the mid-1960s for an author reading. I was spellbound by Levy’s fictional tale set in the mid-1860s. It featured a young girl, two years my senior at time, living with her grandparents in slave quarters near the end of the Civil War. Ten year old Corrie stumbles on a wounded white Yankee soldier while gathering wild strawberries one afternoon. They form a bond after he shares his escape story from a rebel prison and reflects on how much Corrie reminds him of his younger sister. She tends to him in her secret, wooded hiding place until his condition spirals downward. Corrie enlists her extended family’s help to heal him and ends up guiding him through wooded forests heavily patrolled by Confederates to the safety of an underground railroad station. I remember Corrie’s charisma and courage as well as her savvy and wit in the face of constant danger. I wanted to be like Corrie.

As a child, I reveled in all these stories because the action, adventure, and plots enthralled me. As an adult, I recognized that the complete characters and complex matters intertwined around race were spark plugs for inspiring societal change. As a parent, I’ve shared my childhood books with my children desiring the same for them as my mother sought for me.

I hope today’s writers push forward with creating young, multi-dimensional characters as prime central figures in stories about race, ethnicity, and more. I urge us all to craft stories from the multiple ways people experience being part of a specific group. For example in my case there are multiple “black experiences,” yet many of us share a common experience derived from encountering overt discrimination, micro aggression, implicit bias, or hateful violence.

Writers, never doubt your power to reach today’s children and young people who are destined to become tomorrow’s adults. Those adults are positioned to keep advancing changes and dreams. Mimi Cooper Levy’s book dedication remains relevant: “To Corrie and her people whose story is not yet finished.” I invite us all to help finish Corrie’s story, and those of many others through our writing.

Stacey Parkins Millett now pursues creative writing and non-profit consulting passions after full-time work in philanthropy, health equity, and community development. Her early journalism career with CBS and PBS TV stations in Pennsylvania involved writing news stories and documentaries. She shifted gears to leadership roles in community development and grantmaking in hopes of advancing the common good but kept writing on the back burner. Stacey has run sixty marathons, practices Yoga, and relishes swing dancing. She grew up on New York City’s Lower East Side and lives between her childhood home and Asheville, North Carolina. You can find Stacey on her website, staceyparkinsmillett.com.

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