Susi Gregg Fowler

11/8/07 The paragraphs below are old, but until I figure out how to archive them somewhere, I'll leave them as an introduction to who I am and why I write. I like to think I have surprises in me still, but what I've written still pretty much tells my story. Other than aging up a little, watching my children, and now grandchildren, do the same, and adding a wonderful new (now almost 10 months old) golden retriever/standard poodle mix dog to the family, much in my life is the same as it was. I've added a section "Writing News" to the menu on my website, so that I can add publication credits, news, experiences, thoughts, related to the writing life. I've been watching with much interest the growing world of blogs and on-line articles other writing friends and acquaintances are including on their sites. "Writing News" is my first tentative exploration into that arena. Thanks for checking in! - susi

I'm sitting at my desk, looking out at the mountains across the Gastineau Channel near my downtown Juneau home. It is autumn, and on this blessedly rainfree day (they tend to be few in a typical southeast Alaska fall), the backdrop of deep green and copper, bathed in golden light, gives me goosebumps it is so excruciatingly lovely. My neighbors' spuce tree waves in friendly fashion, and I am content, for the moment, and cognizant of how fortunate I am.

This, alas, is not always the case. So often I neglect the world right outside my window - an invitation to mindfulness and gratitude - and focus instead on - oh my gosh - this unbelievable clutter that is my writing studio and the seemingly endless list of things on my to do list (which is where?), publishing this website being one of them (as I recall). I forget that I do this work, this writing and its attendant business, by choice -- maybe by compulsion, somewhat, but mostly by choice, by good fortune, and with love.

So who am I and why am I rattling on like this? I guess the "why" is the desire to connect - with readers, with other writers, with students. As with most of us, I could answer "who I am" in any number of ways, depending on the day, the weather, my mood, how reflective I have or haven't been. So, for today I'll say that I'm a writer -- a children's book author and a poet, and I'm a mom, grandma, wife, worker. I've had eight children's books published, seven of them by Greenwillow Books, one by Scholastic. I grew up in Juneau, Alaska, attended Antioch in Yellow Springs, Ohio, colleges in the San Diego area, and University of Alaska/Southeast. I've worked and travelled from coast to coast and overseas, lived awhile in Greece, spent time in Colombia where we adopted one of our daughters. I've been involved with theater, a women's band, peace and human rights work, public schools and homeschooling, and the Society of Friends (Quakers). My husband and I have two grown daughters, one an aspiring modern dancer in New York and the other a full time university student, married with two young children. My husband is a plein-air (outdoor) landscape painter and children's book illustrator who has illustrated six of my books and another six besides.

Thanks for checking in. I hope you'll do it again, as the site develops.

-Susi