WRITERS' RUMPUS

Interview with debut picture book author Laura De La Cruz … and a giveaway of LOWRIDER FOR SALE!

September 8, 2026 Laura Fineberg Cooper

Happy Book Birthday to LOWRIDER FOR SALE, the heartwarming picture book debut by talented and gracious author Laura De La Cruz. Laura has impressed me with her positive and supportive comments on our blog, so when she inquired about an interview, it was my honor and pleasure to enthusiastically say yes!

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Cool off on Winter Solstice Hill with Cathy Stefanec Ogren!

September 4, 2026 Marcia Strykowski

I’m excited to have talented author Cathy Stefanec Ogren here on the blog today! Her latest picture book releases on October 20, 2026, and I

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Cats, Chess, and Finding Your People: An Interview with CAT TAKES QUEEN Author Ilona Bray (and a Giveway!!)

September 1, 2026 Hilary Elizabeth Margitich

I first connected with Ilona Bray through social media and its vibrant online kidlit community. Right away, I was drawn to her warmth, thoughfulness, and

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#Kidlit Interview with the Effervescent Children’s Author Kelly Swemba

August 26, 2026 Monica Acker

Friendship is a special, wondrous thing. Great thinkers and creatives throughout time have shared their thoughts about how special friendship is: Kelly Swemba and illustrator

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Meet #kidlit Debut Author Evgenia Mantikas

August 18, 2026 Carol Gordon Ekster

CAROL GORDON EKSTER: I met Evgenia at the Kindling Words East retreat in 2026. What sweet and contagious energy she has! I am so excited

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Researching and Writing Nonfiction

August 11, 2026 Alumni & Guests

Guest Post by Lauren H. Kerstein I am beyond thrilled to be here. I’ve long enjoyed reading Writers’ Rumpus posts and am excited to share

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Why is a picture book thirty-two pages?

September 24, 2013 Joyce Audy Zarins

Most picture book writers and illustrators learn pretty quickly that a standard picture book is thirty-two pages long. But why? True, that is a convenient

Self-Publishing in the Land of Oz Part II

September 20, 2013 Alison Potoma

Read-Self Publishing in the Land of Oz Part I here. CreateSpace is Amazon’s platform for self-publishing paperback copies of a book, and the method I

Book Review: Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper

September 17, 2013 Kirsti Call

Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper, is the kind of book that should be shared. I read Out of My Mind for a library book

Interview with Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Picture Book Author and Presenter

September 13, 2013 Carol Gordon Ekster

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an author filling big high-heeled shoes in the world of picture books. (She LOVES high heels.) I met her when she

Just Keep Swimming

September 6, 2013 Alumni & Guests

By Jen Malone As a writer, I’m always searching for inspiration (read: procrastinating), but I especially love stories of perseverance because, as anyone who dreams