A little about me...

Hi.  I'm Susan SpanglerI'm a writer, artist, teacher, observer and dreamer. Among life's gifts have been lots of events of the unexpected kind. Some of which are described in my graphic memoir, The Year of the Bird. My blog, Shy Girl Talking, is inspired by real things, too. Funny, confounding, astounding and encouraging, all at once. Like life. 

Art. What can I say? I was born to draw. Portraits, landscapes, skyscapes, homescapes, wordscapes. My artwork has appeared in numerous exhibits, including the Aesthetic Gallery in Asheville, NC. I've designed & illustrated too many books, booklets, posters and brochures to count.

Influences.  I love the mystery of moments. Old black & white snapshots. Vintage comic strips. Fruit crate labels. New Yorker covers. Matisse and Chagall. Maurice Sendak. The way the morning light shines through the blue glass jar on my kitchen window sill.

The Year of the Bird. I started writing the stories that became The Year of the Bird at a time when our family's life was in turmoil. Illness, displacement, death, conflict and sorrow. All happening, all at once. While, at the same time, supper still had to be served every night, deadlines met, dishes washed, babies changed, lullabies sung.  

Writing about life helped me feel less overwhelmed. So did sharing my stories with family and friends. "Why don't you illustrate them?" they asked. So I did. And eventually the stories and pictures became my book: The Year of the Bird.

Teaching Homeschool. Did I ever dream I'd be a homeschool teacher? Short answer: Are you kidding? Shorter answer: No. But here I am. Teaching two very bright grandsons who couldn't make it in a classroom. But, what luck, they can learn in the living room. The stories on my blog, http://theunschool-ablekid.com, are a book-in-progress about homeschool, ADHD, and learning about learning.

My kitchen window sill

Our littlest grandson

George & our biggest grandson

Our beautiful daughters

All material © Copyright Susan Spangler. All rights reserved. Not for use without permission.