Rafe’s Favorite Links
Nora Cohen, Children’s Book Editing — This is the website of Rafe's first editor, a former Senior Editor and Managing Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons. She is now a freelance editor and edits the work of children’s book writers who would like their manuscripts to be edited, polished, and finessed before their work is ready for them to submit to agents or publishers.
Diane Wolkstein — The website of award-winning storyteller Diane Wolstein, who died in 2013 at the age of 70.
New Orleans Camera Project — Rafe writes: “My daughter, Ariya Martin, was recently volunteering in New Orleans in the very terribly devastated 9th Ward. She was so moved by what she experienced she is going back for several months, this time, not to do toxic clean-up, but to volunteer in her capacity as an artist, photographer, and teacher. She and her friend, Tara, will work on creating darkrooms and teaching children—many with no schools or classrooms yet in place—to photograph and document and to regain some creative control of their lives. She will be working with the New Orleans Camera Project. Check her website for periodic updates.”
And here’s a link to Ariya’s own website: Ariya Martin
Seventh Generation — This is the passionate voice of Seventh Generation. Their very successful vision of business and social responsibility means a committment to thinking along traditional Native American (Iroquois) lines—to consider the effects of our actions and decisions now, seven generations ahead. This is true, long-term thinking, and offers a vision of responsibility to the future which makes sense both practically and imaginatively. Seventh Generation offers a wide-range of ecologically sound products.
Healing Story Alliance — Here’s a site I recommend and have been going to myself to engage in various (and interesting) story-discussions through their “Forum” page. You’ll find some of my entries on story and storytelling from a healing perspective posted there as well as an article written for The Healing Story (on page 2). This ishow The Healing Arts Special Interest Group of the National Storytelling Network describe what they’re about:
“Welcome. Our purpose is to explore and promote the use of storytelling in healing. Our goal for this special interest group is to share our experience and our skills, to increase our knowledge of stories and our knowledge of the best ways to use stories to inform, inspire, nurture and heal. We also wish to reach beyond our storytelling community to share with those in other service professions; therapists, clergy, health care practitioners of all kinds, anyone who can see the benefit of story as a tool for healing. Thank you for visiting our web site. We hope you will join us.”
Putnam is the publisher of: Boy Who Lived with the Seals, The Brave Little Parrot, The Eagle’s Gift, The Foolish Rabbit’s Big Mistake, The Language of the Birds, Mysterious Tales of Japan, The Rough-Face Girl, The Storytelling Princess and Will’s Mammoth.
Yellow Moon is the publisher of The Boy Who Loved Mammoths, and The Hungry Tigressas well as of Rafe’s audio-cassettes (soon to be on CD). They will also soon be re-printing and publishing the award-winning picture book The Boy Who Lived With Seals by Rafe Martin, illustrated by David Shannon.
Spirit of Trees — You will find here an abundance of resources, in particular a varied collection of multicultural folktales and myths.
Joseph Sorrentino — Here’s another of my favorite sites. Joseph Sorrentino, who interviewed me for City Newspaper is a good friend, and a playwright and photographer.
Richard Owens, Publisher — They have a great series of autobiographies of children’s book authors called “Meet The Author.” Some of the authors included in their extensive listing are Jane Yolen, Paul Goble, Patricia Polacco, and Rafe Martin.
Arthur A. Levine is a vice-president of Scholastic Inc. and editorial director of Arthur A. Levine Books. He is also the editor and publisher of all the Harry Potter books as well as of Philip Pullman’s, The Golden Compass. He is Rafe Martin’s editor for the novels The World Before This One and Birdwing. In addition, Arthur was Rafe’s editor for the picture books, The Rough-Faced Girl, The Boy Who Lived With Seals, The Brave Little Parrot, The Shark God and The Monkey Bridge, and for the collection, Mysterious Tales of Japan.
Breakfast Serials is a great new idea. Founded by Newberry-winning author, Avi, its aim is to bring great authors, great stories and families together for a good old fashioned read, by putting superb, serialized stories out, chapter by chapter, in newspapers around the country.
