I am pleased to welcome the first guest writer at Prairie Lily Arts and doubly so to introduce him as my son, Andrew, a recently published young author. I previously shared with you here that one of Andrew's goals for the year was to publish a piece of writing. How delighted he was to have both a family history story and its companion illustration published within weeks! While Andrew was keenly aware that publication can be a long and elusive quest, he was determined to capture the flag. I love that about my little man... a heart that envisions... a spirit that attains. Andrew, I love you.
If you have visited the wonderful city of St. Louis, then you know what an amazing place it is to be! I had the pleasure of getting to see this astonishing place just last week! My book signing at Left Bank Books was great fun. I very much enjoyed getting to share my story with others and hearing the other authors, too. I also got to meet Miss Connie and Miss Fran, co-founders of The Grannie Annie! Thanks to their work, many family stories have been shared such as "The Grape Story", "Related to a Spy", and mine, "Grandpa's Saddle"!
The Grannie Annie would be a good start for kids to get published. I love the way they help people understand their family history. This is something that cannot only teach children about their family history, but also help children get closer to their families... to write their stories. My grandpa was the person I interviewed about my story. He told me everything he knew about my great-great-great-grandpa. Not only did I learn a lot about the saddle, I discovered how interesting my great- grandfather was.
I chose to draw the saddle for my illustration because I wanted to draw something that I have seen myself. I wanted everyone to see an accurate picture from my story, and the saddle was the only thing I could draw accurately. The saddle was also important to draw because it is a family heirloom, and heirlooms can bring us together as a family. They can help our memories come back to us. They help us tell people who don' t know the memories about the heirlooms, such as our children.
I will try to be published in The Grannie Annie again next year, and if I am chosen, I'll have another book signing and another chance to see that marvelous city, St. Louis!
Sincerely,
Andrew
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Fran Hamilton and Connie McIntyre of The Grannie Annie for offering children and their families an opportunity to remember, or perhaps discover for the first time, treasured pieces of family history. Through The Grannie Annie, these legacies are preserved for generations to come, and memories are created during the process which words simply cannot adequately convey. Through personal step-by-step communication, press releases, commemorative certificates, the book signing celebration and literal warm embraces once we were able to meet face to face, Fran and Connie became family friends. I hope some of you will have the pleasure of getting to know them, too. Fran... Connie... thank you.
