Adam and I have been gone for a year now, the bulk of of which was spent in South America. We've launched a YouTube Channel that supports our podcast, and this is definitely my favorite video within it. It's basically a million snippets of video I took on my phone throughout our time, and it makes me a little misty whenever I watch it. It's basically a scrapbook our time abroad.
I love The Rumpus, and am very excited that a short story of mine, Mustard Seeds, has been published there! It's a retelling of a Buddhist story, with witches and pot and comic book stores and stuff.
Writing, and now podcasting, too!
Ever wanted to quit your job, hit the road and chase some adventure? Well, that's just what my husband, Adam, and I are doing. Follow our travels and travails from San Francisco to Patagonia (and back again!) on our podcast, available on Apple Podcasts or your podcatcher of choice.
Buy it from my Indie of choice, Books Inc.
Or from my eRetailer of choice, iBooks (bonus, I narrate this edition)
Here's a bunch of reasons you should buy it, according to people who are not me:
It's a Parent's Choice Award Gold Medal Winner!
A Bank Street Best Children's Book of 2017 --Humor Category
"There’s a playful look at plot mechanics in Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Benji Davies’ Also an Octopus (Walker), which first asks what a story needs, then supplies it – in the shape of an eight-legged protagonist, a space-travel dream and a ukulele. With dynamic, polychromatic illustrations and finely judged text, this paean to the “little bit of nothing” with which a book begins should be a sure-fire hit for aspiring writers of any age." --The Guardian
"This is a smart and uplifting look at how stories work and the power of imagination – paired with bright colours and a very cuddly octopus in a cosy red hat. One for the creative kids out there (which is to say, all of them)." --The Irish Times
"Tokuda-Hall subtly introduces concepts like conflict and emotional stakes... and the concluding image—of a rocket scientist water-skiing atop a rhino while wearing a colander on her head—cements the idea that, when it comes to storytelling, anything is possible." --Publisher's Weekly
"A perceptive how-to for beginner storytellers." --Kirkus Reviews
"In terms of new children’s writers, Maggie Tokuda-Hall is definitely one to watch." --The Fountain
"The payoff for an adult reading a child’s book is in the child’s reaction. Tokuda-Hall’s tale of an octopus (quite darling, in the illustrator Benji Davies’s rendering) building a spaceship out of waffles made my kids laugh hysterically. There’s no sweeter sound," --The New York Times
"Funny and engaging, this book has an interactive quality that will inspire kids to imagine a story of their own." --Booklist
I did an interview with SF Weekly's regular column, The Write Stuff, courtesy of the fantastic Evan Karp, which you can read here. We also recorded the video, above.
I left Chronicle Books about 2 months ago, but they still posted my last few blog entries for them anyway! You can read one I wrote about princesses here.
I visited KALW radio station, and recorded my recommendation of The Secret History by Donna Tartt, as part of the Litography Project. You can hear it here!
You can see a video of me reading my story, Mother Miri Full of Grace, published by Joyland Magazine at the fabulous Why There Are Words reading series in Sausalito.