Would Hemingway tweet?
Would Shakespeare blog?
Would Simone de Beauvoir
be caught dead on Facebook?
I am not a huge fan of social networking, but Facebook did bring me a delicious, unexpected treat: I was able to locate and re-connect with my old pal, Jean-Claude Suares. J.C. was a marvelous character and a mountain of talent: He was a gifted artist, illustrator, book and magazine designer, and that’s just the half of it. I reconnected with J.C. right when I was wrapping up the Zelda book, and he jumped in and volunteered to do all the illustrations. His drawings captured Zelda in all her zany charm and glory, and they pay proper homage to Zelda and make my little memoir a delicious read and the very best it can be.
J.C. and I also shared a common commitment: To teaching and mentoring. In my case, I have been teaching writing and journalism off and on for 30 years, first in Paris and most recently here in the Napa Valley. In recent years, my greatest joy has come from mentoring emerging writers, of all ages. To help them find their voice and master the fundamentals and finer points of writing narrative, well, who could ask for more? You will find many of the fine books they went on to create at our website: www.valdegracebooks.com.
Readers, thank you so much for spending a little time with me on this website. If you want to leave a comment or contact me, please feel free to email me at:
“A Matisse, With Gecko.”
From the pen of Jean-Claude Suares
How Zelda loved Marie-Christine’s borscht!
And how I love J.C.’s drawings!
Rest in peace, mon ami...
Website design by Paul Chutkow © Paul Chutkow, 2018
Live in truth and be grateful for what you have
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