Sites (and People) I Love

To learn about some of my cool writer, artist, and musician friends, check out their websites:

Marty Crisp  My local co-conspirator in livening up staid Lancaster County with "The LO High School of B.S., Ruse, and Illusion."  She asks herself WWLD (What Would Linda Do?), and then does the opposite.  Marty and I earned our MFAs at Vermont College together, 2008-2010.

Lola Schaefer  My most organized friend, a good writer, and a helpful critiquer.  Keeps me in line, which is a most challenging task.  

Jeff Anderson  One of the funniest guys I know, a great writer, and one of the best educational presenters in the U.S.!  Jeff and Lola rocked my novel at the Lola Amicalola writing retreat.

Ted Lewin  He and Betsy make me laugh really hard.  Ted sadly passed on, but I think of him often. He was a joy and a treasure.

Betsy Lewin  She makes sure that Ted comes home from Gleason's Gym.

Marion Dane Bauer   My esteemed first semester advisor at Vermont College!

Martine Leavitt  Sweet second semester advisor at VCFA.

Louise Hawes  Terrific third semester advisor!

Rita Williams Garcia  My fab fourth semester advisor at Vermont College.

Michael Dooling  Best artist in Haddonfield, NJ.

Louis Glanzman Another great NJ artist.  Lou painted the first Pippi Longstocking, back in the '50s, and he's also known and painted many of the early jazz pioneers.

Anita Crane  Maker of art, teddy bears, lace, and other assorted projects.

Aileen Leijten  A woman with a cool accent & a talent for drawing dogs in sneakers.

John Rocco  John worked with Whoopie Goldberg.  His art is quirky and edgy.  I like his wife, too.  She's Aileen Leitjen, listed above.

Ken Shane  Ken is a great Jersey-based singer/songwriter.

Donna Upson  My song co-writer.  The most amazing guitarist in Pa.  I met Donna when we played in "Tickled Pink," an all-woman rock band.  I thought she was too serious.  She thought I was crazy.  We ended up liking each other.  Donna and I have just been offered our first song publishing contract, for a song called "Empty Chair." 

Mary McIntosh  Mary and I became great friends as I was critiquing her memoirs.  She lives in Florida, not too far from the Weeki Wachee Mermaids, and she's almost 40 years older than me.  She has a ghost in her house.  Mary Mac is a fine writer, a good friend, and a tough bird.  ("Just shut up and drive," she told me when I visited last March.) Mary has sadly passed on, but I think about her a lot, and am so happy that she was in my life.

Robert Bender  A fabulous artist, The Food Police to Christina, & father of Sophie.

Jen Bryant  A great writer and ever-cute.  

DyAnne DiSalvo  A NJ author/illustrator who plays in the band Smash Palace.

Laurie Halse Anderson  A National Book Award nominee!  (And to think I knew her when . . .)  

Margery Cuyler  My very first book editor, and a writer, too.  Margery is feisty, funny, and she writes about - HIC - hiccups.

Sara Holbrook  One slammin' poet girl.

Neil Waldman  Vincent Van Gogh, reincarnated

John Bressler  I grew up with John.  His weird sense of humor must have rubbed off.

Lois Szymanski   Check out Lois' amazing project Feather Fund, which assists children in buying Chincoteague ponies!  Lois & I like locating Hot Chili Pepper men for our friend MC.  We laugh a lot in hotel rooms, brainstorming the most inappropriate children's book ideas on the planet.

Laura Wiess  The author of the stunning young adult novel "Such a Pretty Girl."  Laura is an amazing writer and human being.

Melissa Wyatt Another great YA author, and my sister in Night Terrors and Loving David Cassidy

The Barn Saver  He saves old barns from being bulldozed and landfilled.  The entire barn lives on!  I even wrote a book about it:  "Barn Savers."

Jen Chapin  Jen's Dad, the late great Harry Chapin, is my hero.  Jen carries on her father's work in the wonderful organization WHY.  

Cloud Party  My cousin's son Mark plays a kick-butt guitar in this band.  His Dad - Johnny Steffy - taught me to play guitar, way back in the 1970s.