Dear Annie

Judith Caseley was born in the small town of Winfield, New Jersey, a converted army development. She went to Syracuse University and majored in English, but felt she never would get all of the reading done because she worked in the cafeteria. I switched into art in my sophomore year. During her four years in college, she never took a single course in illustration or writing. Ten years later, from greeting cards to gallery work, she became an author and illustrator of children's books. She worked part-time as a receptionist for years until she could support herself. Much of Judith's work is semi-autobiographical. She takes small events from her life or from the lives of her children, and fictionalize them. "Field Day Friday" was based on her son Michael's field day, when his new sneaker fell off in the middle of the race. Judith wrote "Praying to A.L." while my father was dying of Alzheimer's Disease. It is a book that is close to her heart. It deals with loss, death, and rebirth.

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