Politics and Race

 Right now, I'm just going to blog about politics. Okay, I know, we're never supposed to talk about politics but that was then and this is now. I was watching Melissa Harris-Perry today (6-17-12) and the subject was white voters. What determines whether a person is white? Is it the way they look, where they live, what education they have? Or is it what they say they are? The recent census added a category called mixed race. What if someone is 1/8 black and 7/8 white. Are they white? And what if they are 1/3 Asian, 1/6 black and 1/2 white? Is there a blood test that determines race? I don't think so.

Alzheimer's

At present, I'm completing a book written with my husband's niece and her friend. They both have early onset Alzheimer's and the book is called "A Look Inside Alzheimer's disease." Pub date is Oct 15, 2012. It's not a children's book but the subject should be discussed in a children's book, especially for families with small children. It's difficult to know how to educate children about the disease because they don't care if a family member has Alzheimer's. It's unconditional love between them, while adults tend to let the disease interfere with attitudes and acceptance.

Oh my! Spent all day yesterday and the day before setting up a new printer and finally had to connect to live on line. It took awhile, but I can finally use my printer. Then, I decided to connect computer to TV monitor. It worked, but I didn't have sound and I wanted to watch a Netflix instant movie. After unhooking everything on my computer and TV and then trying to put it back together, I became totally confused, nothing was working and I was convinced I had to call a computer expert. I called my son John and he gave me name of expert, but it was too late in the evening to call. In the meantime, I decided to try and put things back together again and voila - I did and everything but sound was working. Today, I discovered sound was not plugged in. Now, all is well.

I am applying for a Work In Progress Grant for young adult novel and signed up at NESCBWI Conference to consult with an agent on middle grade fiction novel. Now I can concentrate on material for a fantasy novel called "Myth of Mordo."

It's been almost a week since I last updated my blog, but after attending the New York SCBWI conference, I've been updating my website, creating this blog site, looking over unpublished manuscripts, signing up for New England SCBWI conference in Fitchburg, MA, May 14 - 16. Oh yes, also filed income tax and went to Barnes and Noble to check out what is available in children's books. Okay, back to work on manuscripts. I'm so motivated.

Okay. Here is my first off-the-cuff comment: Work ethic defines America and is its most important quality.

I'm starting anew to recreate myself as a writer. I'm not sure where I'm going with this blog, but it does give me the opportunity to put in writing the brilliant thoughts that flash in my brain every day. In my mind, they're brilliant; on paper, I don't know. I do hope to receive posts from other people interested in writing for children. This past weekend I attended the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Conference in New York City. Stayed at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and went to broadway show, "Wicked." As an Oz lover, I found it spectacular. Blogging seems to be an accepted practice for writers. Don't know why it took me so long to enter the blogging world. Enough for now. I have linked this site to my website at www.marjorienallen.com. Please write.