Angel in the Parlor: Five Stories and Eight Essays

by Nancy Willard

This delightful collection brings together five short stories and eight essays on writing by Newbery Medal-winning author Nancy WillardNancy Willard's gift for bringing out the whimsical in all of us illuminates this memorable anthology." 'Who Invented Water?' " celebrates the craft and magic of creating children's books. In "Becoming a Writer," Willard admits she dislikes giving and receiving advice. She prefers telling a story, with real-life characters ranging from members of her own family to Jane Austen, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Charles Dickens on stilts. "The Well-tempered Falsehood" explores the fabulist art of storytelling; "The Rutabaga Lamp" is a dreamy, delightful riff on how to read and write fairy tales.In an autobiographical piece, "Her Father's House," Erica, Theo, and their three-year-old son travel home for the funeral of Erica's father. As the whole family gathers, the heroine is hit with an onslaught of memories, Willard style. "The Tailor Who Told the Truth" is Morgon Axel, who tells nothing but lies . . . until the day a wild boar comes into his shop.This ebook includes an introduction by Robert Pack, former director of the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.

Genres: Essays

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

NANCY WILLARD was an award-winning children's author, poet, and essayist who received the Newbery Medal in 1982 for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. She wrote dozens of volumes of children's fiction and poetry, including The Flying Bed, Sweep Dreams, and Cinderella's Dress. She also authored two novels for adults, Things Invisible to See and Sister Water, and twelve books of poetry, including Swimming Lessons: New and Selected Poems. She lived with her husband, photographer Eric Lindbloom, and taught at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.