Hip Hens

More than a year ago, I wrote an early review of a Jan. 2009 picture book by Terry Golson, called Tillie Lays An Egg. As you'll see from my review, I found Tillie a charming book in its own right, but it had special resonance for me because I keep backyard hens - I have 4 at the moment. Terry's webcam of her own wonderful hens is a big inspiration (that coop is gorgeous).





I've kept in touch with Terry over the months, and when she came to Los Angeles for the SCBWI conference, she very kindly presented a Chicken Storytime at the Palms-Rancho Park Branch Library - with a live hen, no less! That's Terry reading her book, with her friend in green holding a hen (just barely visible) on her lap. I wish I could have brought one of my own gals, but family obligations got in the way. In fact, Terry and I still haven't met, although we were both at SCBWI.

I was excited to hear that Terry has been interviewed by Susan Orlean for an article ("The It Bird") in the September 28th edition of the New Yorker. Only the abstract is available online and I haven't received my own copy yet (we always get it late, thanks to being on the west coast or to our lackadaisical post office or both), but I'm sure it's terrific and can't wait to read it. In the meantime, here is Susan Orlean and her own chickens: