CRAFT STUDIO: MARI ANDREW’S EVERYTHING I LOVED IN SEPTEMBER
What I was reading:
Do you subscribe to Mari Andrew’s newsletters? You should. Mari Andrew, acclaimed author, illustrator, and chronicler of life’s ups and downs, invites you to join her on a journey of self-discovery, resilience, and joy.
In her newsletters, Mari shares candid reflections, heartfelt anecdotes, and beautifully illustrated insights drawn from her own experiences and observations. From navigating the complexities of love and loss to finding beauty in the everyday moments, Mari’s newsletters offer a refreshing blend of honesty, humor, and hope.
I saved pieces from her September newsletter last year that would be fun to revisit as we begin a new school year.
Text:
| Oh September, you little weasel!
Instead of offering a silver platter full of crisp afternoons, moody evenings, and that mysterious temperature where it’s somehow actually appropriate to wear knee socks, you gave us a heat wave and days of downpours. The latter resulted in the most important moment of my September: When a grocery store cashier fashioned me a rain ensemble out of garbage bags, and I walked home for 45 minutes in a hurricane feeling like the Queen of New York. September is a teenager still trying to figure out its identity—days of hormonal angst follow days of rebellious arrogance—but we love her because she brings that rush of back-to-school cinnamon-scented adrenaline….and my birthday! In honor of both, I went on a shopping spree for new art supplies (including the deluxe box of crayons I always wanted in 2nd grade!!) and I expect a fall full of creative play is in my future. If you need me, I’ll be on my little yellow Mari couch watching my shows, working through my very first adult coloring book, and drawing portraits of my feelings, or something to that effect. |
Craft Moves I notice:
- Personification: Referring to September as a “teenager still trying to figure out its identity” personifies the month, giving it human-like qualities and behaviors and referring to the month as “her”.
- Imagery: Descriptions like “a silver platter full of crisp afternoons” and “days of downpours” create vivid images in the reader’s mind, enhancing the sensory experience of the narrative.
- Humor: The use of humor is evident in phrases like “September, you little weasel!” and “feeling like the Queen of New York” when wearing a rain ensemble made of garbage bags. Humor adds a light-hearted tone to the narrative.
- Nostalgia: The mention of purchasing “the deluxe box of crayons I always wanted in 2nd grade” and engaging in activities like coloring and drawing portraits evoke a sense of nostalgia, tapping into childhood memories and emotions.
- Personal Voice: The use of phrases like “If you need me, I’ll be on my little yellow Mari couch” and “drawing portraits of my feelings, or something to that effect” gives the passage a distinct personal voice, allowing the author’s personality to shine through.
Invitations for writers:
- Using her personification of September as a model, personify a different month or concept (like school!).
- Write to an inanimate time period, like Mari wrote to September. What does this time represent and where can you be found in the midst of it.
- Using the line “Instead of offering a silver platter full of crisp afternoons, moody evenings, and that mysterious temperature where it’s somehow actually appropriate to wear knee socks, you gave us a heat wave and days of downpours.”, write your own comparison of expectations vs reality.
- What is something you always wanted when you were younger. Write about the feeling of finally getting it or the grief of it never coming to fruition.
- Channel Mari Andrew’s vivid imagery and sensory descriptions by focusing on writing through the senses. Choose a moment from your own life or imagination and describe it using all five senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.