News

Signed Bookplates

Comment:

My sister and I love your books! Could you please send us 60 signed bookplates? If you don’t have bookplates we would be happy to send some

 

Phyllis replied:

You are asking a lot.  Which books of mine have you read?    Why are you asking for so many bookplates, and what do you intend to do with them?

Computer was going nuts.

Comment:

Computer was going nuts, i tried to send it twice, the first time it didn’t work but the second time it worked.

 

Phyllis replied:

Thanks for getting back to me.  This time your comment appeared only once, not nineteen or twenty times.   I’m hoping that readers will wait a bit after they email me and click “send,” to give my old computer a chance to forward it–once–to me.

Librarian Workshop

Comment:

I am a librarian and a member of the Children’s Services Division of the Maryland Library Association and the Maryland Black Eyed Susan Committee.
I have contacted you to invite you to speak to a group of librarians and media specialists……

Phyllis replied:

I’m sorry that I can’t speak at your workshop, and had tried to send you an email at the email address listed at the bottom of your letter.  It kept coming back marked “invalid email address.”  So I sent you a letter by U.S. mail at the address that was also at the bottom of your letter, and you should receive it in a few days.  I’m so sorry that I could not reach you by email.

Hoosier Project, thank you

Comment:

Dear Phyllis,I kind of became you in disguise I wanted to say thank you for all the info you gave me about you and I emailed to show you the finished product on my famous hoosier, you, here it is!

 

Phyllis replied:

I’m sorry that I can’t reprint your long essay here, but this blog is only for correspondence.  I enjoyed reading it, however, and can see that you did quite a bit of research to get so many facts.  I hope your teacher was pleased.  One thing you didn’t get right, however:  I am not retired.  I am always working on a new book.  Last Saturday, in fact, I wrote for twelve hours–not all at once, but between breakfast and bedtime.  The great thing about being a writer is that you can do it in your pajamas.

Warsaw Elementary School

Comment:

I am a teacher assistant at Warsaw Elementary School. I have been working with eleven of the most awesome third graders in my intervention group. We read your book Shiloh and we enjoyed it so much! My students are interested in writing letters to you, if you would be so kind as to be interested in this writing activity with our student we would be so honored.
In this world of technology, I would like for them to experience letter writing via “Snail Mail”
We await your response with great anticipation! Thank you!

 

Phyllis replied:

I get a lot of letters by snail mail.  Unless you want your students to address separate envelopes, please send them altogether, with a self-addressed envelope to you, so that I can send my answering letter back to you.  I’ll be glad to reply.

Education

Comment:

What was your education?

Phyllis replied:

I have a bachelor of the arts from American University, Washington DC.  Majored in psychology.

Questions for 4th grade research paper

comment:

My daughter Rachel is doing a 4th grade research paper on your (we are Hoosiers). Information we are looking for is do you participate in any charities or community service?
Thanks for taking the time to answer!
Rachel and mom

 

Phyllis replied:

I contribute to a large number of charities–environmental, social justice, feeding the hungry, etc., and from time to time take part in a protest march or a letter writing campaign.  But a large part of my time is taken up with answering letters from readers, many of whom may be having problems at home or with friends or who are worried about things they don’t feel comfortable asking their parents.  I try to be a good listener, and always answer my mail.

March for our Lives–a note from Phyllis

Alice McKinley and Marty Preston would have been out there marching with the young people in Washington yesterday.  I am so proud of all of you, all over the country–the world!– who are not afraid to demand sensible and profound changes to the regulation of guns in the United  States.  I think of the young Freedom  Riders who ushered in Civil Rights legislation; the draft-age protesters who saw no end to the Vietnam War–just the slaughter of young men on both sides go on and on; and now you, who will take action when Congress is often too timid to even bring a vote to the floor on even the most reasonable of gun control measures.  In two or three years your generation will hit the polls.  Remember what you heard yesterday:  tell your state and federal lawmakers that if they don’t vote for universal background checks, They’re out!  If they don’t have the courage to stand up to the NRA, Get out!  Organize a town hall and invite your congress person to attend.  If he or she won’t come, invite their opponent.  You have more power than you know.

Source for print biography and textbook or journal article

Comment:

Good evening, for a Research Paper assignment if possible for links/sources to find biography, work and influences?
I’ve asked my school Liberian and together we found this website 🙂 however my Teacher requires that I have one print biography and textbook or journal article. Anything would be greatly appreciated!

Phyllis replied:

I’d suggest two of my books:  How I Came to be a Writer and The Craft of Writing the Novel

Mailing address

Comment:

My students would like to write a letter to you. Is there a way to mail you letters?

Phyllis replied:   Yes, they may write to me at 401 Russell Avenue, Apt. 713,  Gaithersburg, MD  20877.   If these are just a few individual letters, it would be great it they would include a stamped, self-addressed envelope so I could respond.  If this is a whole class of letters, please just give me the name of the school so I could send a reply to the whole class.