My daughter Madeline and I both remember the night, 25-years ago, when I raced home from an east coast business trip to wake her from a sound sleep to describe an idea for an illustrated book I wanted to create with her. It concerned an adventure we shared most summers on a sandbar in a Massachusetts bay, and it was important to us. Rather than being upset, she was excited! We both stayed up talking the idea through. “The Island Rose” depicts the crucial moment of discovery in the story. Remarkably, I finally finished the book just last month, you can’t imagine the relief – 25 years! While life prevented me from working on it every year in between, it does represent the most sustained effort I’ve put into any creative endeavor in my life. I’m not sure I’ve thought anything through more, while simultaneously letting deep feelings be the predominant guide. A challenging balance. Madeline has admitted being worried that I might expire before finishing it. I think we’re both relieved now.

Lots of people have been involved: from Juli’s editorial and home-front support, to Kathy Larsdotter’s Harbor School art classes, where I worked through sketch stages with the kids, to all the friends and family (and our dog Hazel) who posed for the weirdest collection of reference pictures.

I love telling stories. Before the Pandemic, I was a regular at The Moth Story Slams, and I know, I carry on too much at dinner parties. However, “Memories of Castle Island” is probably my best try at doing the same, only with a pencil. This might be the soft, narrative side of my usual physical world fascinations. The drawing style is complicated, and I like the way that counterposes the simplicity of a parent/guardian-child story, which almost everyone has experienced. Is it a kid’s book or an adult’s book? Yup. The drawings are black and white, while the book and video are in color. Still not sure which I like best. Thoughts?

Copies of the book are on sale here at VCA, and I will also show a video version of the book during my presentation on creativity, “If I Only Had a Brain,”
in The Kay on Wed. April 16.