As part of our ongoing series introducing readers to Penny Candy authors and illustrators, we're happy to present Amy Losak. Amy's mother, Syd, as you'll read below, is the author of H is for Haiku, scheduled for release next April. It is with Amy's help and blessing that we're publishing her mom's work, as Syd is no longer alive. Here's a great photo of mother and daughter back in the day:
Amy Losak is a New Yorker (Queens) who now lives in Bergen County, NJ. A seasoned public relations professional (healthcare, corporate, nonprofit, arts/education, etc.), Amy has been on a mission for several years to revive some of her late mother’s literary works—especially her poetry, and most especially, her haiku and senryu for kids. Sydell Rosenberg (1929-1996) was a public school teacher, ESL instructor, and a published writer. She was a charter member of the Haiku Society of America, established in NY in 1968, and her short poems were anthologized in journals, books, and other media over the years. Syd’s alphabet picture book, H Is For Haiku, will be published in April of 2018 (National Poetry Month). Inspired by Syd, Amy dabbles in short-form poetry too now. Some of her work has been published in print and online journals.
Two books had a transformative influence on Amy as she was growing up: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith and the Anne of Green Gables series, by L.M. Montgomery. According to Amy, “Francie and Anne are from vastly different worlds, each one with its own set of challenges. But they are, I think, 'kindred spirits' despite the disparities in their external circumstances. These amazing young women possess a singular vision, compassion, and imagination. They have a deep desire to learn and carve out their own place, their own destiny. Francie and Anne are strong, even indomitable—made of 'thin invisible steel'."
Amy continued, “I wanted to be like them—perhaps Anne, especially, with her feistiness, romantic views about life, and her love of language and nature—and yes, even her 'carrot'-red hair (though she yearned for 'handsome auburn' tresses!). I loved their grit and creative ideas and hopes. These great books (and others by Smith and Montgomery) had a profound impact on my life when I was a girl. My parents even took my brother Nathan and me on a 'pilgrimage' to Anne’s home when she came to live with the Cuthberts: Prince Edward Island. I think I was around 13 or 14 then. It was a wonderful adventure—a dream come true.”
An added bonus: one of Amy's own haiku:
sun clock . . .
my day unwinds
with low-flying sparrows