Karen Cushman
Newbery award-winning children’s book author
What did you study in college?
I entered college as an English major but quickly became enamored of the Classics department because it was much smaller and more interesting and they had sherry parties every Friday afternoon. My final major was double—Greek and English.
What’s your strongest memory of the 1950s?
Elvis. No question. I also remember looking at all the unhappy housewives on our suburban street, sipping martinis and making lunches, and feared I would end up like that.
PS: I didn’t.
This young woman not only read Catherine, Called Birdy, she thought about it and then put her thoughts into action.
Good for Kendra and the other TAG (Talented and Gifted) Girls from Central Decatur!
In this troubled and troubling world, I am amazed at how much I have to be thankful for, starting with these two beloved people here,
Thank you to my readers, who make it possible for me to continue in this impossibly difficult, impossibly rewarding profession.
I hope your Thanksgiving is joyous and meaningful.
I just happened upon this splendid website for all things medieval: Medievalists.net, a website for people interested in the Middle Ages.
“We are creating an online resource for all things of the Middle Ages. Whether you are a medieval professor or a fan of video games with knights in it, this site will be for you.
On our site you can find articles, news, books, videos and more related to the medieval period.”
I don’t know who does it but I have already found it very helpful.
Here’s a sample from the website, an article about a “Byzantine-era map restored in Israel.”
“A Greek inscription preserved alongside one of the buildings exposed in the mosaic indicates that the place which is depicted is the settlement Chortaso, in Egypt. Although the Byzantine-era church that existed about 1500 years ago in southern Israel no longer exists, its mosaic floor has now been restored and shows a map revealing a scene of streets and buildings from an Egyptian town. According to Christian tradition, the prophet Habakkuk was buried in Chortaso. The appearance of this Egyptian city on the floor of the public building in Qiryat Gat might allude to the origin of the church’s congregation”
(photo: Nikki Davidov, Israeli Antiquities Authority)
Q: What does “home” means to you?
A: We live in the woods, on an island. Coming home from the big city, I really experience the importance of place. The closer the ferry gets to the island, the more relaxed I feel. My shoulders let go, my head empties. This place is where I leave traffic and crowds behind and become more me. This place, this island, nurtures and supports me. It is, therefore, pretty odd that after 13 years, I don’t think of this place as home. Home is still the Bay Area, California, where Leah grew up, where we had three cats and a dog, where we were a family together.
Q: What drew you to working in museums?
A: I loved the idea of learning from objects and listening to their stories. Who made this? Why? How was it used? Why did someone make this? What is the story behind it? What does it say about the people who made and used it or the world they lived in?
In 2013 (most recent figures), more than 128 million people visited the top 20 museums in North America, Europe, and Asia.
The top five museums in the world, according to attendance figures, are:
Louvre, Paris, France 9,334,000 (paid admissions)
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, 8,000,000 (free)
National Museum of China, Beijing, China, 7,450,000 (free)
National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC, 6,970,000 (free)
British Museum, London, UK, 6,701,000 (free)
(Report from AECOM, www.aecom.com)
What’s your favorite museum?
Ah, Thanksgiving, a holiday all about family and food and being grateful. No wonder it’s my favorite of the holidays.
Except for Thanksgiving, 1952. We had recently moved from Chicago to Los Angeles. Thanksgiving Day dawned bright and sunny and 80 degrees. My parents were thrilled and set up the picnic table in the backyard. We ate in our shorts and flip flops.
I was devastated—Thanksgiving meant frost on the pumpkins and long cold walks after dinner and “over the river and through the woods,” not picking oranges in the yard and sunglasses. Those of you who have read The Ballad of Lucy Whipple will have a clue to how I felt about the move.
Here in the Pacific Northwest I have the Thanksgiving I always wanted, except that we make heaps of turkey thighs instead of a whole bird because my loved ones and I are all dark-meat eaters. I hope your Thanksgiving is just the way you want, filled with light and love and gratitude.
Thank you for all your support. I couldn’t do it without you.
Saturday I was part of the cultural phenomenon that is Lena Dunham. We had brunch on Saturday before I attended her reading and frenzied fan festival. Lena is funny, warm, open, vulnerable, bright, articulate, passionate, and compassionate. She seems to adore her fans, and they are over the moon about her. I had a terrific time. If all goes well, Lena and her production company will be turning Catherine, Called Birdy into a movie. I can’t wait to make a bowl of popcorn and watch it. Thank you, Lena, for a great time.
Each Thursday as I head to my Pilates class, I pass these birds—not crows, not ravens, cravens—on the side of an empty building in Vashon. They make me smile each time. My friend, artist and performer Steffon Moody, painted them last May, free hand and in six hours (time lapse video). Aren’t they wonderful? The building will shortly be torn down to make room for a new art center. I will be in mourning but I’m sure he has something else artistic and wonderful up his sleeve.
