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I receive many inquiries from students who have chosen to write about me for an "author study" or "poet project." If you have chosen me for such a project, thank you! Unfortunately, given my busy writing and teaching schedule, it is very difficult for me to respond to your e-mail questions. I have listed, however, some of the most common questions, and my answers. Read below, and also read the Bio and Books sections of my Web site. Look for articles about me in your library (I've listed some at my Web site, in the Bio section). Good luck! When and where were you born? I was born on September 30, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. You'll find a reference to my birthplace in the third section of my book A SUITCASE OF SEAWEED. I even say which hospital I was born in! Where do you live? I live in Medina, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. If you look at the back flaps of my books, you will see that, during my writing career, I have lived in Los Angeles, Bainbridge Island, and Medina. Who are your family members? My parents are Joyce and Roger Wong. My husband's name is Glenn, and our son is named Andrew. Do you have any pets? We have a dog, a Norwegian Buhund, named Nissa. She inspired my forthcoming picture book ALPHA DOG, a book about the life of a dog, from birth to eight weeks. Who inspired you to write poetry? Myra Cohn Livingston, author of over 80 books of poetry for children, was my poetry teacher and mentor. I took her UCLA Extension classes in poetry for several years. Look for her books in your library! She has an excellent book on how to write poetry called POEM-MAKING. Where do you get your ideas? Many of my stories and poems are inspired from personal memories and observation. Some are inspired by the stories of friends, and still others are completely made up! Writing from our own experiences is the theme of my book YOU HAVE TO WRITE. Sometimes I will take a true memory, and change it to create a new piece of fiction. Which is your favorite of your books? I have two favorites. My favorite of my poetry collections is GOOD LUCK GOLD, my first book. I am not sure that it is the book with the best poems. I like it because it is the book with the greatest variety of poems, some very serious, sad poems--and also some silly ones. My favorite of my picture books is THE TRIP BACK HOME because I believe very strongly in its message: it is not always the expensive gifts that are the best, but rather, the homemade, inexpensive (but well-chosen) gifts are the ones that usually mean the most. |
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