SUE'S VIEWS
SueMacy.com 2.0
March 25, 2011
If you’ve visited my Web site anytime over the last nine years, you’ve no doubt noticed that things have changed. The old site has undergone a complete visual overhaul, along with the addition of new features and the revision of some old ones. Although I loved the rich blue background of my original site, it seemed time to rethink how information was being presented, as well as to update the content. When I launched the original site in 2002, for example, neither Facebook nor Twitter existed, and though the word “blog” had been coined five years earlier, the concept was still somewhat foreign to me. (The blog on my old site was added a few years ago and never seemed to work right.)
In deciding to relaunch this site, I turned to Marty Ittner, the talented woman responsible for the design of all five of my books for National Geographic, including the stunning new one, Wheels of Change. I love the clean look of the pages Marty designed for this site, as well as the dynamic use of type and images. I asked her to explain her overall approach to the redesign. "I wanted to preserve the essence of the original site, which was friendly, engaging, and fun, just like you,” she said. “An author's page should be about words, but it's also about ideas and images. We settled on an airy typographic approach that interweaves the threads of your love of women's sports and history into the narrative, like the fabulous sepia print of Annie Oakley on the home page. The design needed to appeal to both adults and children, and I think it straddles that line beautifully.”
Now the site includes a blog, which you are currently reading and which I will try my best to update at least weekly. We’ve also added Sue’s News to announce my upcoming appearances and other exciting developments. Plus the Other Work tab is a gateway to my work beyond books for kids and young adults, including curriculum materials, magazine articles, museum exhibits, and writing for adults. And within the Books section, you’ll find write-ups of my two newest books, Wheels of Change and my first picture book, Basketball Belles.
If you have questions or comments about my work, want to arrange a school visit, need help with a History Day project, or would like to order an autographed copy of one of my books, feel free to write. You can contact me directly by clicking on the Contact Me tab. You’re also invited to react to my blog posts by clicking on the word Comments and then having your say. Please do.
I’d love to hear from you.
Inspiring Optimism
March 27, 2011
There are times when you know you’re witnessing history. That was the case in the summer of 1984, when Walter Mondale named Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate in the race for the presidency. It was the first time a woman ran on a major party presidential ticket, and it was enough to propel me out of my political lethargy to brave the crowd at a Democratic rally at a synagogue in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Ferraro was the featured speaker, and she inspired us with her wisdom and passion. This button is a concrete reminder of the experience, but the picture she painted of an America where everybody’s interests are important, no matter what their gender, economic status, or social standing, still stirs me with a hopeful vision of what this country can become.
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Misspelling of the Month
I don't often turn to Chinese restaurant menus for misspellings because they can be easy targets. But this one invented a new word that has a bit of charm. Quite accidentally, it's the second "steak"-related Misspelling of the Month in a row. So thanks to Empire Szechuan Village on Seventh Avenue, South, in New York City for this meaty mistake. (Of course, "waterchestnut" should be plural and two words as well.)
Click on the photo to see a larger image.
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