Gretchen Woelfle
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Author |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Introduction | Ten Quick Facts About Me 1. I have three cats: Jelly, Gus, and LV (Little Voice.) 2. Jelly looks just like Katje, the Windmill Cat [written by me, illustrated by Nicola Bayley], only fatter. 3. I once lived in a little grass hut on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 4. I live on a miniature farm in Los Angeles with seven fruit trees, three kinds of berries, lots of vegetables, and a tree drooping with dozens of avocados. 5. My garden glows with golden California poppies every spring. 6. My son and daughter think I have an awful singing voice, but I joined a choir anyway. I sing softly so I don't spoil the music. 7. I like to go boogieboarding in the Pacific Ocean and hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. 8. If I didn't love the California sunshine so much, I'd move to London. 9. I like to write all kinds of stories for all ages of children. 10. When I visit schools, kids help me act out my books with props, costumes, and songs. I try to sing quietly. |
| Favorite Music | Bach and the Beatles. |
| Favorite Books | I hesitate to admit it, but most of my favorite writers come from across the pond. #1 perhaps is Charles Dickens;also Virginia Woolf, Nick Hornby, Roddy Doyle, Jacqueline Wilson, Dick King-Smith, Pat Barker, David Mitchell, J.K. Rowling, biographies by Claire Tomalin, history by Charles Nicholl, and most recently a terrific memoir by Lavinia Greenlaw: The Importance of Music to Girls. This list will no doubt change weekly, whether or not I update it. I do, however, love many books by many American writers, including my colleagues, some of whom are part of this blog. |