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Thanks for reading my book. Here are some of my thoughts on the stories. I've also included some of the illustrations that friends of mine have made based on the stories. This is the only place you can find most of these drawings. The Man Who Photographed Angels (2001) I once met a Mexican girl who had stories in her eyes. Stories that had been told to her by ancient relatives. Older relatives always have the best stories and you should remember them. So you can reveal them with your eyes. And you should always bring a camera with you when you dream so you can take pictures of the angels you see. Click on the title to read how the story came to be written. Whispering (1991) Around October of 1991 I took out the story I had written the previous Christmas and decided I didn't like it. So I panicked and wrote "Whispering" one Friday night in a crazy blur. I had already asked Bet (Paper Angels book cover artist) to make a sketch of Autumn as a toddler so I had that idea in mind when writing the story. Autumn (as an adult) is in my first novel, Flaws and Desires. Strings (1991) I wrote this story for a woman I knew at the time who was from Arkansas and loved bluegrass. I set it in rural Missouri because I've never been to Arkansas. I was born in Missouri but didn't grow up there. Many of the story's details are from very vague memories of long ago. Like the time I visited my great uncle's farm in the middle of Kansas when I was a small child. Dodging Snowflakes (1991) While going over the stories for the book I discovered that I didn't like this one very much so I rewrote it. It's the only story that went through any major changes. I really enjoyed visiting the story again because Ellen is a great character to work with. I borrowed a fragment -- the description of the Christmas tree lot -- from an unused winter story I had written in the late eighties and added it to the story. And a new ending was written. I like it now. Each year at Christmas a copy of this story is given to a Salvation Army bell ringer along with 2 quarters. From the Land of Lolly (1992) Lolly Laughter (1993) Max and Elsie are characters in my second novel, The Misadventures of Max. Elsie is a sculptor with a strange imagination. Max adores her, but is completely baffled by her silent ways. Click on "Lolly Laughter" to see what Goblins look like. Gazing Upward (1994) Arianne insisted on being in a Christmas story so I gave her this one. She has a mouth and I tried to temper it while writing this story. But she wouldn't let me. A Doll for Christmas (1995) The "little dog" in this story is really called Monster. She lives on the street, begs for food and has dread locks. One day a gypsy fairy rescued her from the perils of Aurora and took her to live with a Hob and a flame haired angel. The angel gave her to me before going off to live in an artist's commune where she learned the secrets of how frescos are made. Ancient glowing paintings that are really alive. Today the wee Monster has no dread locks, but she still begs for food. Angels in the Snow (1996) The story that Isabelle tells is set in the northwest Denver neighborhood I lived in at the time I wrote it. The spooky house on the hill is still there. Across the street the angels appear, then disappear, whenever it snows. Paper Angels (1997) I wander out onto the Golden Gate Bridge every time I visit San Francisco. It's a magical place where the wind is alive and sly spirit creatures hide in the fog. I saw two angels turn the bridge into a cathedral once, so I decided to tell their story. To Hear the Angels Sing (1998) In Dublin City on Grafton Street you can find a string quartet with a fifteen year old violist called Malvina. She has Irish hair and sharp eyes for finding the angelic creatures that occasionally wander past. Just up the street a scruffy kid with a battered guitar will sing you a Bob Marley song for free. But if you toss him a coin, he will smile at you. Jessi & the Gargoyle (1999) After finishing my third novel, Angel Dance I went back and read through it. And found this forgotten passage... "The zesty din of church bells woke Jessi, and the last thing she could recall from the dream was the image of a mischievous gargoyle, silently watching the scurrying people from his perch on a steeple. And it was this same gargoyle that she would later befriend in another dream." But I found no other dream later in the book. So I wrote this story. It has developed a small cult following and even has its own website (click on the title). You won't find the story there but you can see some of the drawings Emily did for the original booklet, and a photograph of the actual gargoyle that inspired the one in the story. Dream Feather (2000) Carmina is Latin for song. I knew an Italian woman with that name once, but she ran away back to Italy (where she is rosy and plump, and has dozens of children). I've always liked the name. In September of 2000 I drove to California for a vacation. This story was dreamed up somewhere in Utah on the way there. After visiting some friends in Los Angeles I drove up the coast and wrote the story in Carmel. I had my laptop with me so I typed the story in the Carmel library, one of my favorite places in the whole world. The story was inspired by the line, "A small breeze came up and took with it a feather from one of Jessi's wings," from "Jessi & the Gargoyle." While driving through Utah I started wondering what happens to the feather. I like the way it travels from Jessi's dream to Peter's reality. "Awake or a dream. Makes no difference." |
 Autumn & Flopper by Bet Sirianni Bet is a graphic designer/illustrator who lives in San Francisco, California. She also designed the Paper Angels book cover.  The Angel Jessica by Shawn Strub Shawn is a graphic designer and singer/songwriter. She lives in Southern California. Visit her website.  Dream Feather by Lynne Cuthrell Lynne is a visual artist and student who lives in Denver, Colorado. |