'When a book comes and says: Write Me'

 

“Abook comes and says, 'Write me.' My job is to try to serve it to the best of myability, which is never good enough, but all I can do is listen to it, do whatit tells me and collaborate.” – Madeleine L'Engle

 

Bornin New York City on Nov. 28, 1918 L’Engle is best known for her Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time andits sequels: A Wind in the Door and the National BookAward-winning A Swiftly Tilting Planet.  Her worksreflect both her Christian faith and her strong interest in modern science 

 

L'Englewrote her first story at age 5 and began keeping a journal at age 8, butdespite writing frequently, she had little financial success and decided togive up writing as a career at age 40.  But her family encouraged herto keep going and she penned A Wrinkle in Time while on afamily camping excursion.  The book was rejected 30 times beforepublisher John Farrar decided to give it a chance, and the rest is history . . . as old thesaying goes. 

 

Onceshe made her breakthrough, L’Engle wrote dozens of successful books,earning multiple writing awards capped by  the Margaret A. Edwards Award fromthe American Library Association, recognizing her lifetime body of work.  She died in 2007.

 

“Wecan't take any credit for our talents,” L’Engle said.  “It's how weuse them that counts.”