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Postcard Rex: Miss Rumphius

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Postcard Rex: Miss Rumphius

Flower power

Annie Wallentine
Jan 30, 2022
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Postcard Rex: Miss Rumphius

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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.

2022(!) recommended booklist


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!

  • Reflections on the Mirror in Art, ArtUK

  • Art Classes are Helping Transform Medical Education, Hyperallergic

  • The California Dream in the Prints of Frances Gearhart, Hyperallergic

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Postcard Rex: Miss Rumphius

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