Cari Noga's Blog, page 3

A rare and precious combination

y children’s school has a walk-up pickup policy. No car lines – classes are dismissed outside, where parents must meet their child in person. I always did this before it was official policy, because it affords a daily chance to talk to the teacher. However brief, those moments are invaluable for cultivating a relationship and [...]

Why book clubs will save civilization

or the last year, I’ve been on a book club tour, joining about a half-dozen different groups for their discussions of Sparrow Migrations. As the founder of my own book club more than a decade ago, I knew book clubs were cool. But now, I think they might just be the salvation of civilization. Here’s my [...]

Why are second (and third) chances so hard?

ast week I heard from another autism mom whose son was expelled from school after two behavior incidents. She felt the incidents should be viewed in the context of her child’s diagnosis, Asperger’s, and that the school bore some responsibility for inciting the first, in particular. She was frustrated. “Am I wrong?” was the last [...]

#My Writing Process Blog Hop

Ever been to a blog hop? Me neither. My fellow TC Wrimo Jacque Burke invited me, though, and it sounded like a fun way to network with other writers and maybe even learn something. So thanks, Jacque. Please head over to the Jacqueverse to read about the two books she has in progress, along with [...]

#AutismReads in April. $1.68 per book

ne in 68 kids has autism, according to 2010 data released today. (CDC, Disability Scoop) Two years ago, it was one in 88. Two years before that, one in 110. In 2002, it was 1 in 150, meaning prevalence has more than doubled in barely more than a decade. That’s a lot of kids. Too [...]

#ReadAutism in April. $1.68 per book

ne in 68 kids has autism, according to 2010 data released today. (CDC, Disability Scoop) Two years ago, it was one in 88. Two years before that, one in 110. In 2002, it was 1 in 150, meaning prevalence has more than doubled in barely more than a decade. That’s a lot of kids. Too [...]

Successes and lessons, one year after self-pubbing

Last weekend my daughter lost her first tooth. I knew she’d anticipated this, but not nearly the order of magnitude. It happened at a restaurant, and they gave her one of those little salad dressing cups with a lid to keep it safe for the Tooth Fairy. Shaking it like a maraca, my downright giddy [...]

Light at the end of the tunnel

or the last month, I’ve worked on this tunnel through a snowbank in our front yard. First I’d chisel away at one side, then switch to the other. Last night, digging away on the far side, where the truck is, I thought I saw the porch light glimmering through, from the other side. I jabbed [...]

On reviews…100 and counting

ast month a new Twitter hashtag surfaced: #Readwomen2014. It aims to change the inequitable treatment of male and female authors by the literary establishment — i.e., critical reviewers who historically published in print. Think New York Times, New York Review of Books, New Yorker, the Atlantic. As a female author, I can’t argue against being read. But [...]

It’s not you. It’s me.

emember Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, how he melted down if his daily Jeopardy viewing was threatened?  That’s extreme Exhibit A of how autistic people rely on routine. But as we mark Snow Day No. 7 today (really a Cold, Blowing and Drifting Day, as there’s no new snow) I am ready to admit I’ve [...]