PODCAST INTERVIEW ABOUT JULIET FISH NICHOLS: Victorian Women Lighthouse Keepers

Podcast about Juliet Fish Nichols and other Women Lighthouse Keepers

March is Women’s History Month and the perfect time to promote KEEPER OF THE LIGHT. It was a busy month. On March 4^th I presented a session about the book to teachers and librarians at the Charlotte Huck Children’s Literacy Festival in Redlands, CA. It included projects done by 4^th graders at a local school that were inspired by the book. (I had met with them earlier via Zoom.)

Last week I featured the book when I did an author visit at Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley. Some of the kids had been to Angel Island. All of them were familiar with the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and loved the illustration of Juliet’s house shaking on the morning of the earthquake. I rang a bell when I read about the fog bell machine.

And earlier this month I was interviewed by Suki Wessling at the Babblery in Santa Cruz about the book and Juliet Nichols, along with two other people who have researched other women lighthouse keepers in California—one of them Juliet’s mother, Emily Fish, the light keeper at Point Pinos, and the other Laura Hecox, light keeper in Santa Cruz. It was fun being interviewed by Suki and sharing stories with author Lynn Guenther, who researched and wrote about Laura Hecox, and actor/interpreter Eleanor Morrice, who portrayed Emily Fish.

The interview was broadcast on Sunday March 26 on the KSQD radio station in Santa Cruz and is now available as a podcast online. (It is an hour long—so you have to be willing to set aside an hour to listen to it.)

Even if you don't have time to listen to all of the program, be sure to read the blurb and take a look at the photos and the links. Try to imagine what it would be like to do all the work of a lighthouse keeper--cleaning, sweeping, polishing, climbing ladders, rowing or sailing a boat, winding up the fog bell machine-- wearing a long skirt and sometimes a bustle!

AUTHOR VISIT AT ECOLE BILINGUE, BERKELEY, CA: Celebrating Women’s History Month with KEEPER OF THE LIGHT

Ecole Bilingue, Berkeley, CA

Last week on Friday I had a terrific visit with third, fourth and fifth graders at Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley, California. The main focus of my presentation was my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet FishNichols Fights the San Francisco Fog. Learning about Juliet’s experience at the Angel Island Lighthouse and during and after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake fit right in to the students’ studies of California history. While most of them had not personally visited Angel Island, it is a familiar sight, visible from any of the major bridges that cross San Francisco Bay—the Bay Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Rafael Bridge.

With the first slide of my power point presentation.

The timing of my visit was perfect because March is a national celebration of women’s history. After I shared the story of the book I asked the students what kind of a person Juliet had to be as a lighthouse keeper. Their answers: brave, persistent, hard-working, strong, committed. Clearly they understood that Juliet Nichols is a true hero. I also shared a few of my other books and details of my writing and illustrating process.

How plucky Mrs. Nichols wound up the fog bell machinery every fifty minutes for seventy-two hours and saved ships in Golden Gate from running on the rocks. (San Francisco Chronicle, 1906)

Ecole Bilingue is a bilingual school where children learn in both French and English. (I don’t speak French so my presentation was in English.) I have a special connection to EB because my granddaughter Paige was a student there from pre-school through middle school. My last visit to the school was in 2019 when she was in 8^th grade. It was a pleasure to return to EB and see many of her former teachers and meet the new staff as well. I especially thank Emily Kaltenbach, the English Program coordinator for arranging my visit and making sure that everything ran smoothly. I will be returning in April to celebrate Earth Day with the K-2 students.

 

BIRDS: NATURE'S MAGNIFICENT FLYING MACHINES: Twenty Years in Print and Still Flying

Happy Book Birthday to my book BIRDS: NATURE'S MAGNIFICENT FLYING MACHINES (Charlesbridge, 2003)--20 years old and counting. Illustrated with colorful and detailed paintings by Patricia Wynne, this book has been a winner, both with children and adults. I am happy to know that it is still available as a real paper book. Here's to another 20 years!

Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2003

A terrific example of the best sort of science book for young readers, this focuses on one aspect of birds, their ability to fly, and examines it from all angles. We see how a bird's flight is related to its anatomy--long wings are good for soaring, for example, while short, rounded wings are good for fast turns--and how that anatomy is also related to the bird's habitat and lifestyle. Ruffed grouses don't need to soar; albatrosses do. This form-follows function argument allows readers to extrapolate beyond the book, and more fully understand birds they might see on their own. The detailed, vibrant illustrations enhance and enliven the text; they and the lovely clear layout make this book a delight for the eye. A winner.

ZOOM AUTHOR VISIT with 4th GRADERS at Judson and Brown School, Redlands, CA

A week ago I had a wonderful Zoom author visit with the 4^th graders and their teachers at Judson and Brown School in Redlands, California. They had all read my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT: Juliet Fish Nichols Fights the San Francisco Fog. I shared some of the highlights of the book and a power point showing how I researched the story. The students then had a chance to ask me questions. One boy wanted to know how long it took me to write the book. In fact, it was ten years from my first visit to Angel Island in 2012 to the publication of the book in 2022. I explained that the process of writing a book involves many rewrites.

Manuscript pages for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT

I was interested to know how the students reacted to the story. I asked them, “What kind of person do you think Juliet had to be to take on the job of lighthouse keeper?” Their answers were very perceptive. She had to be brave. Determined. Take her job seriously. One boy said she was the Savior of the Ships.

Illustration by Rachell Sumpter for KEEPER OF THE LIGHT

In advance of my visit, the students had used the book as inspiration for several projects, which they shared with me. One class combined art and a creative writing project—writing their own log entries as if they were lighthouse keepers—and then illustrating them with a watercolor painting. 

Watercolor painting by 4th grade student.

Another class painted four types of weather on a piece of paper folded into four rectangles, using one word to describe each type of weather—eg sunny, cloudy, rainy, foggy. 

Weather paintings and labels by 4th grade student.

The students in the third class made their own weather logs, noting the temperature, wind speed and direction, precipitation, and description of the sky, following the model of Juliet Nichols' official lighthouse log.

Pages from Julie Nichols Angel Island Lighthouse log.

I was pleased to see how much the students had enjoyed learning about Juliet Nichols, lighthouses, and what it takes to be a lighthouse keeper and to see their enthusiasm for the projects inspired by the book. While we met on the last day of February, KEEPER OF THE LIGHT is a perfect lead-in to Women’s History month in March.

I want to thank Todd Rossi, principal of Judson and Brown School for setting up this cooperative endeavor with the fourth-grade students and teachers at his school. And I want to thank teachers Brooke Nakaoka, Stephanie Howard and Mary Ann Ufkes, for sharing the book with their students and leading the follow-up projects. They did a terrific job.

I shared the students’ response to KEEPER OF THE LIGHT in my presentation at the Charlotte Huck Children's Literature Festival at Redlands University, March 2-3, 2023.  I want to thank Marjorie Arnett for connecting me with Todd Rossi and the 4^th grade team at his school. I loved finding out how real students are responding to my book and using it to expand their knowledge of California history, and in particular women’s history. Juliet Fish Nichols battled the fog in San Francisco Bay more than one hundred years ago, but her grit and determination to do her job well make her an excellent role model for young people today.

 

THE 26th CHARLOTTE HUCK CHILDREN’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL, Redlands, CA

Last week I participated in the wonderful Charlotte Huck Children’s Literature Festival, held at the University of Redlands, in Redlands, California, named in honor of Charlotte S. Huck (1922-2005), who championed children’s literature throughout her long life and career. The festival brings educators, librarians, parents and students together with award-winning speakers and celebrates children's literature and the inspiration it brings to young readers. Featured speakers this year included Cynthia Leitich Smith, Lee Wardlaw, Liz Garton Scanlon, Marla Frazee and Deborah Hopkinson. Between the featured speeches we had many choices of breakout sessions.  I presented a breakout session on Saturday morning called Unsung Women in California History: Putting Them On the Map in Picture Book Biographies, featuring fun projects and classroom activities linked to my book KEEPER OF THE LIGHT, about Angel Island light keeper Juliet Nichols. I thoroughly enjoyed going to several of the other breakout sessions. I heard Deborah Hopkinson, Kristine O’Connell George, Joan Graham and Lisa Silverman. It was hard to choose! At the book signing table. Participants in the conference had the opportunity to buy books and have them autographed during the festive (and delicious) reception at the end of the afternoon on Friday. This was my fifth time at the Charlotte Huck Children's Literature Festival and I thoroughly enjoyed it once again. The success of the conference is due to Chair Marjorie Arnett and the hardworking Festival committee, whose members work tirelessly throughout the year to make sure everything runs smoothly. They are already at work on next year’s Festival!

View from the Redlands University campus of the San Bernardino Mountains.