The Journey: from bedside to book launch
My mother can tell amazing tales. She can tell amazing tales in a tongue my kids do not comprehend.
Lisa can tell amazing tales too. She can tell amazing tales using blank canvas and a paint brush.
I can write. I can write in a tongue my children can read, understand and enjoy and I can write well enough to inspire Lisa to paint to the rhythm of my words.
Hence, in 2010 when I first met Lisa by the Memphis Fogelman YMCA poolside, the marriage of Amma’s stories, my writing skills and Lisa’s painting talents was inevitable.
I had picked out one of the many delectable stories from my mother’s desk, translated it from Urdu to English and was looking for an illustrator to help me out in completing this homegrown project of the self-publishing era.
The life guard at the YMCA was a helpful young man who randomly, quite instantly, introduced me to Lisa who just happened to be there that evening and was busy watching over her girls and mine as they danced and splashed around in the large pool.
“Hi, I’m Humi! I’m looking for an illustrator for my children’s book,” I said.
“Hi, I’m Lisa! I’d love to work on a children’s book!” she replied.
It was a match made in heaven.
I emailed her the manuscript that same night and she got back to me upon receiving it. We exchanged a few more messages and two months or so later, she’d already painted three pages! I went over to her house, saw the artwork and instantly knew she was the one for my stories. She knew what was in my mind through my words and she could illustrate that.
Our precious brainchild took one year to blossom and shine its light so strong that it was selected for a local juried arts show from among some 300 plus entrees.
BOONDON KA KHEL (The Playful Game of the Tiny Water Droplets) made its stunning debut as the only book at the Winter Arts Show that took the shops of Saddle Creek Mall, Germantown this past December of 2011 by storm.
Sure we made sales. But more than that we made memories – from our exciting work moments to insightful meetings with every shopper who was kind enough to behold the book, praise or critique it, ask questions, buy it then or promise to own it later. A huge number of my non-Memphian friends patiently awaited the end of the festival so that the book could go public and be not exclusively available to the residents of Shelby County.
Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement! We never would’ve had so much fun if we were in this alone.
The book is now available in hardcover at Lulu.
My mother can tell amazing tales. She can tell amazing tales in a tongue my kids do not comprehend.
Lisa can tell amazing tales too. She can tell amazing tales using blank canvas and a paint brush.
I can write. I can write in a tongue my children can read, understand and enjoy and I can write well enough to inspire Lisa to paint to the rhythm of my words.
Hence, in 2010 when I first met Lisa by the Memphis Fogelman YMCA poolside, the marriage of Amma’s stories, my writing skills and Lisa’s painting talents was inevitable.
I had picked out one of the many delectable stories from my mother’s desk, translated it from Urdu to English and was looking for an illustrator to help me out in completing this homegrown project of the self-publishing era.
The life guard at the YMCA was a helpful young man who randomly, quite instantly, introduced me to Lisa who just happened to be there that evening and was busy watching over her girls and mine as they danced and splashed around in the large pool.
“Hi, I’m Humi! I’m looking for an illustrator for my children’s book,” I said.
“Hi, I’m Lisa! I’d love to work on a children’s book!” she replied.
It was a match made in heaven.
I emailed her the manuscript that same night and she got back to me upon receiving it. We exchanged a few more messages and two months or so later, she’d already painted three pages! I went over to her house, saw the artwork and instantly knew she was the one for my stories. She knew what was in my mind through my words and she could illustrate that.
Our precious brainchild took one year to blossom and shine its light so strong that it was selected for a local juried arts show from among some 300 plus entrees.
BOONDON KA KHEL (The Playful Game of the Tiny Water Droplets) made its stunning debut as the only book at the Winter Arts Show that took the shops of Saddle Creek Mall, Germantown this past December of 2011 by storm.
Sure we made sales. But more than that we made memories – from our exciting work moments to insightful meetings with every shopper who was kind enough to behold the book, praise or critique it, ask questions, buy it then or promise to own it later. A huge number of my non-Memphian friends patiently awaited the end of the festival so that the book could go public and be not exclusively available to the residents of Shelby County.
Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement! We never would’ve had so much fun if we were in this alone.
The book is now available in hardcover at Lulu.
