From: Steven
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 11:46:20 -0800 (PST)

Since we're singing Cynthia Rylant's mastery of all forms of writing (though maybe not illustrating), I sometimes think that her short stories might even be best of all. It seems like a perfect setting for her understated, careful, and beautiful language. I haven't had time to reread "A Couple of Kooks" or
"Children of Christmas" lately, but I remember loving them when I first read them. She took two topics that are so overdone (romance & Christmas), and made them new with her insights and characters. The title story of "Kooks" was just perfect, about a pair of future teen parents who obviously has all kinds of love to give their unborn child, but sadly realize they're not ready to be parents and will have to give it up for adoption. "Silver Packages," from the Christmas collection, is one of my favorite holiday stories ever. I tell it to kids and it's about the only story I've ever had to learn word by word, exactly, because the language is so just right. I was actually disappointed that they made a picturebook version because the pictures were already so vivid in my mind. Interesting that she rarely (or never?) has her short stories in anthologies, like the ones edited by Gallo. Probably by her own choice? Maybe she likes the way her similarly themed stories work together in her own separate book? Which is probably true, now that I think about it...

-------------------------------------------------------Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library 1595 Burns Streeet West Linn, OR 97068 ph: 503e6x57 fax: 503e6'46 e-mail: steven at westlinn.lib.or.us
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Received on Wed 15 Jul 1998 02:46:20 PM CDT