Postcard Rex: Miss Rumphius
Flower power
Hi, all.
I hope the new year is off to a good start for you! Mine has already been fairly frenetic, so this year’s postcards will be short and sweet. This month’s rec is in that vein, too.
Miss Rumphius, Barbara Cooney
After spending her life quietly teaching in her hometown, Miss Rumphius sets off to do the two things she wants to achieve most with her life: explore the world, and leave it a better place.
I’m not telling you how to live your life, but when I find myself wondering about my own, I often think back to this book. In children’s books, the complexity of life is simmered and reduced into an easy, palatable lesson. But sometimes amid the daily stresses and details—and usually, the stresses are in the details—it’s helpful to go back to the most basic elements of what matters to you. I’m not saying you should go out and plant lupines, with Miss Rumphius/Johnny Appleseed vibes, but…I’m not not saying that, either. Whatever you choose, enjoy it.
If you like it
The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats, is a gentle reminder of the power of wonder in the world.
If you don’t
If you prefer a grown-up book that’s still filled with wonder, try intrepid 19th-century reporter Nellie Bly’s travelogue about her race Around the World in 72 Days.
Things I’ve written lately:
A few pieces about subjects I’ve pondered/researched a lot, so very excited to have these out in the world!
Art Classes are Helping Transform Medical Education, Hyperallergic
The California Dream in the Prints of Frances Gearhart, Hyperallergic