QOTW: Who the Heck Am I?

(QOTW = Question of the Week)
"I'm a (w)itch, I'm a lover, I'm a child, I'm a mother, I'm a sinner, I'm a saint, I do not feel ashamed..." from a song by Meredith Brooks, and it sums me up as well as anything, I guess. I'm also a writer and illustrator and an observer of life. (photo by Eric Luper at the SCBWI National Conference in NYC, Feb 08)
I grew up with an oversize sense of shame and am trying to shed it. It's not easy.
I worked in advertising -- creative problem-solving under tight deadlines with a shoestring budget. I loved it, but I love writing and illustrating kids' books much more.
My first book, Ellie McDoodle, came out last year. The sequel comes out next month (bring me to your school to talk about it!).
This author stuff thrills me and I don't take any of it for granted; I've endured a very healthy share of rejection, and insecurity still haunts me.
This blog brings together some of my dearest friends, my critique group. I don't always agree with their assessment of my work (especially when they like it -- ha!) but I know they're brilliant and they have something to say that's worth hearing. And that's why I'm glad they're blogging; it'll be like being on permanent vacation with them. :)

Who the Heck am I?

As far as I know, I’ve got the only Y chromosome out of 16 chromies in this group. Don’t think anyone cuts me any slack on that account.

I am, in one sense, self-published: I am a storyteller who writes his own stories and tells them all over the place – mostly at school assemblies. Many thousands of children have heard my stories. None have read them.

My current project was originally intended as a YA novel for boys. I think of it as speculative fiction. But because it has a medieval setting, it might be pigeonholed as fantasy – even though there’s no magic, no elves or dragons, not much blood. So maybe it’s really for adults. A later draft will determine that. What it is about is brothers, family, loyalty, honor, duty, responsibility. And very, very strong men.

I work for a union newspaper, published by the UAW. I have been a peace activist (seems pointless now, doesn’t it?). I currently put more effort into environmental causes.

I’m single, with one grown daughter.