Sloths and Jackie Jackson

A sloth

When I was nine, I was so impressed by the book, Julie's Secret Sloth, that I
remember it to this day almost 50 years later. The book was charming and the idea of a young girl hiding a sloth from her parents was enticing. It helped nurture my desire to write.

 Fast-forward 25 years. I am living in Springfield, Illinois and working on my master's degree in English at the local college. I take an English class from Prof. Jackie Jackson, a

Jackie Jackson

wonderful writer and all-round nice person. Turns out that Julie's Secret Sloth was her first book, written in 1953, two years before I was born.

I end up abandoning the master's degree but continue to have ambitions to write. In 2008, I self-publish Water and Fire, a historical fiction novel set in the Dana-Thomas House and climaxing with the Springfield race riots, which are commemorating their 100th anniversary that year. A woman in my book group knows Jackie Jackson and arranges for the three of us to have lunch. Jackie remembers me and offers to review the book in a local newspaper for which she writes poetry. She gives me several collections of her poetry (one shown at left). Her poems are delightful and her positive review of my book warms my soul.

Present day. My daughter discovers sloths via a TV show called Meet the Sloths.  She thinks they are cute (they are). I request Julie's Secret Sloth from the library and it is as good as I remember. Isn't it great how things work their way around?

Thank you Jackie Jackson for bringing sloths into my life and making my world a better place.