A NOTE FROM AUTHOR BILL ZIMMERMAN

After receiving my most recent newsletter, called "Who Are the New Storytellers?", author Bill Zimmerman sent this note:

Hi, Eleanor,

I enjoyed this edition of Creative Times and its theme of the new storytellers. When I wrote my first book, an oral history book -- How to Tape Instant Oral Biographies -- the defining thought was that everyone has a story to tell, if only someone would ask, if only someone would listen. I even put up some of the questions on my site -- http://www.billztreasurechest.com/fun_family.html -- where people can come to get ideas on how to tell their stories. You are welcome to share with your readers.

Things are going well at this end -- my online comic strip site --MakeBeliefsComix.com -- is now being used by families and educators in 180 countries to teach writing, reading and storytelling; it's getting about 80,000 visitors a month now, was just written up in Good Housekeeping, and was selected by Google and UNESCO as one of the world's most innovative sites to enourage reading and literacy. I'm very proud of that. I also added a WRITERS PROMPT feature with writing ideas for teachers and students.

And my new book, Pocketdoodles for Kids, will be out next month.

I hope you are well and thriving in this harsh time.

Sincerely,

Bill