For the past four years, my husband and I have dutifully walked into Bob the Tax Guy's office- still furnished with the 1970's furnishings from when he originally opened up shop- plopped down in matching vinyl chairs, laid our hands on our laps and waited for Bob's annual opening question… “So, Robin, have you made any money on your writing this year?”
A few weeks ago, along with the past few years, my answer was a sheepish, “Umm…no,” as I bowed my head and quietly sobbed.
But next year, my answer will be a thunderous, “Why, yes, Bob! I did make money on my writing this year. So, hah! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!” (A little much?)
Jay will also get to answer that way to his tax guy (or girl) next year since we have been asked by a research group at UCLA to help write creative math assessments for middle schoolers learning algebra concepts. We get to write narrative stories that involve given math problems and have hired a great illustrator for the artwork. It's such a cool project and we're so excited to be on board, but the best part? THEY'RE GOING TO PAY US MONEY!
So while I'm thrilled to be using my background as a middle school math teacher to help with my goal to become a children's book writer, I'm most looking forward to the day when I get to watch Bob the Tax Guy lean back in his squeaky metal chair then stick it in his pipe and smoke it.
--Robin
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2 comments:
Hooray! Congratulations! If I had to take math again (which I don't, thank gawd), I'd love to learn with your stuff.
Did you ever in your life think your math training would come in handy for fiction writing?
(I used to work part-time at UCLA's graduate math program. We're talking two decades ago. It was a highly intellectual job consisting of setting out tea and cookies for the daily tea in the math lounge, trying not to eat too many cookies, playing hearts with the grad students for a couple of hours, and then cleaning the teapot. For a bunch of nerds, the math people were really cool.
Also, my brother has a math PhD from UCLA. Hard to believe we share DNA.)
Thanks,Debby. I'm just happy I can spell UCLA.
And for me, combining math and fiction is about as cool as it gets, strangely enough!
Robin
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