Writer in Residence - Han Nolan
Han Nolan served as the Writer in Residence my first summer at Hollins. Her name rang familiar, and then I connected her to a book I’d read years earlier called DANCING ON THE EDGE. Since it was my first summer, I didn’t have a work in progress, so I didn’t schedule any appointments with her, much to my disappointment.
On the night she did her book signing, I told her I preferred the original artwork on the cover of Dancing on the Edge, and she said she did, too. Then she told me about her dance training, and the next thing I knew, we were friends.
This is the original cover that caught my attention at the bookstore. This image always reminded me of a Brian Froud flat fairy.
The following summer, Han invited me to spend a few days at her beautiful Victorian home, not too far from Roanoke and Hollins. She and her husband were packing to move to another town in Virginia, but I could still appreciate the charm and character in the architecture of the lovely, old house.
Enjoying a summer day on the porch of Han’s old Victorian home.
By the time I visited her new house, she and I had nicknames for one another, and we danced on her deck, attended an Annie Sloan paint workshop, enjoyed her husband’s music, and she even let me write at her desk. What an honor that was for this budding writer!
Han’s very humble about her writing achievements, but I have no problem applauding her many awards.
One summer, the scheduled Writer in Residence had to bow out due to illness, so Han stepped in for her. I finally had work ready to be critiqued, and Han demonstrated her ability to give constructive feedback in a way that elicited positive changes in my work. If she ever retires as a writer, she would be a fabulous writing coach. I bought CRAZY at her book signing that year, and I marveled at the way she wove Greek mythology into the storyline.
Crazy is a great story about a young boy whose father is dealing with mental illness. I read this book in one sitting.
After reading Crazy, I dove down the Han Nolan rabbit hole, and I added her books to my collection. Her books cover a wide range of characters and scenarios, each one well-written and compelling.
My experience at Hollins not only gave me a solid foundation as a writer of Children’s Literature, it was a place where I made many lasting friendships.
A necklace Han gave me (Garza means “flamingo” in Italian) that I keep near my desk where I write.