We had an unfortunate flood in our basement. Luckily the boxes of my children's books I stored down there were on shelves just high enough to be out of the water. But as we had to empty the entire basement of the stuff we owned, it got me into a down-sizing mood. When your "stuff" is laid out before you, you see how much of it you don't use or don't need.
After cleaning out the basement, I directed my attention to my office and the inventory of books that I've been stockpiling - author copies, out-of-print books, mis-counted school orders - and decided it was time to reduce my inventory as well. (If you are interested in signed copies, message me for the price). Also, next year I am turning 60 so this year feels like a transition year as I decide what to do until I can "officially" retire at 67. Part of my transition is to try another genre so I am re-visiting manuscripts of novels I wrote way back when and finishing them off. Fingers crossed the one I have with my agent gets picked up. It's a fun undersea fantasy that I can visualize being made into a movie.
Upon thinking about retirement, I became quite nostalgic and wanted to share my journey and preserve my books somewhere other than my office where others could have access to them. I am grateful that two well-respected institutions agreed to house my books. And now, scholars, students, writers, librarians and others interested in the creative process of an author, can access Natasha Wing books at these locations:
The University of Minnesota
Children's Literature Research Collections
222 21st Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55455
The University of Southern Mississippi
de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
118 College Dr., #5148
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
601-266-6543
The next phase is to download manuscripts and as many revisions still stored on my computer and submit those to the de Grummond as well. No doubt there will be more books to add to the collection, since more Night Befores are on the way. And maybe I'll be able to add a novel or two.
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