A nice moment

One of my Lichtenbergian Proposed Efforts for 2020—goodness, 2020 is easy to type!—is a children’s picture book. Technically I started jotting down text last year, but I think I’m going to be serious about it this year. Cras melior est.

My most recent phase is to start copying all the random bits and pieces in order, a “first runthrough” if you will of the story. Yesterday at Backstreet Arts I was to the final section of the main part of the story, which involved some actual writing and not just transcribing—and Kim, our founder, asked what I was working on.

I told her, and she asked what it was about, and for some reason I asked if she’d like to read it. She did, and I even showed her the last two bits, still in ABORTIVE ATTEMPT mode.

When she finished, she had tears in her eyes.

Wow. Of course, that’s exactly the reaction I’m going for, so I was very gratified. Kim said, “This is a book for parents, not really the kids,” and I confessed that my goal was to write something along the lines of Love You Forever, the bedtime scourge of parents everywhere.

Then she ruined the moment by asking if I were going to illustrate it myself.

Pffft. Maybe. No. I don’t know. LEAVE ME ALONE, KIM, OR I’LL MAKE IT EVEN SADDER!