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Sunday Letter from Spring Break

March 24, 2019 By Talya Tate Boerner

Sunday Letter

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Today’s writing is really a What I Did On My Spring Break letter.

Remember writing that specific “what I did” essay in school? As if going back to school wasn’t bad enough, the teachers made us write about our summer vacations during the first week of school. For me (and for Gracie Lee), that essay served one purpose. It was a depressing reminder that barefoot lake days were over. For the foreseeable future I would be spending a bunch of hours sitting at my school desk looking at the back of Timmy Stone’s head.

Nothing against Timmy Stone. We were good friends. It’s just that we sat in alphabetical order, you know.

As we fast forward from elementary school to last week, I hope you enjoyed your first few official days of spring!Continue Reading

How to be a good Literary Citizen

March 21, 2019 By Talya Tate Boerner

How to be a good literary citizen

Literary Citizenship?

Lately I’ve been thinking about the topic of literary citizenship. I learned of this concept from author, Kathleen Rooney. When Kathleen spoke about it at a writer conference, she credited Cathy Day who teaches a class on the idea. Kathleen’s talk on literary citizenship was a light bulb moment for me. I’d been working to be a good literary citizen without knowing there was an official term for it. But I realized there was more I could do in that department. There’s always more we can do, right?

No, this isn’t anything new. Anyone who tries to follow the golden rule will likely do many of these things already. But putting a title on the concept expanded the idea for me and gave me a clear pathway to follow.

So what does it mean to be a literary citizen?

Literary citizenship is about supporting the literary community, whether you are a writer or a reader, a storyteller of any sort. That’s all of us! Continue Reading

Sunday Letter: 03.17.19

March 17, 2019 By Talya Tate Boerner

Sunday Letter

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all my Sunday Letter friends!

Don’t forget to wear green. In case you’ve forgotten, the reason for green is because mischievous leprechauns can’t see that particular color. If you aren’t wearing green, they’ll pinch you. There’s probably a more historical reason, but that’s the story we heard in elementary school back when kids could pinch each other and no one complained with more than a giggle or a whine and maybe a shove on the playground.Continue Reading

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Our Garden Mission Statement
  • Goodbye, 2025. Hello, 2026.
  • Sunday Letter: 11.23.25
  • Maggie and Miss Ladybug: My New Children’s Nature Book
  • Sunday Letter: November 9, 2025

Novels:

Coloring Books:

Fiction-Themed Coloring Books

Backyard Phenology:

Children’s Nature Book:

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