Angela Marie Morton

A section of one of my bookcases All you bibliophiles out there, this one is for you. I have been a reader all my life, and the 20+ years I spent working in bookstores provided me with amazing access to millions of books. I do not currently work in the book industry, but I am still an avid reader, and love to promote reading, share my knowledge, and write about all things book-related. That said, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of my favorite writers, as well as include my favorite books by each of them. As I was putting this list together, I noticed several recurring themes. I don’t know what they say about me, or my taste in authors and books, but here are my observations: ○ All the writers are dead ○ Most of them were gay/lesbian ○ Several of them were from the American South ○ Catholicism is a recurring theme in many of their works ○ Buddhism and Eastern philosophies feature in several of my favorite titles ○ Spiritual journeys are central to quite a few of the books on...

Me, aged 29. Portland Japanese Garden, 2008  If you decide, as I have, to pursue your creative passion, steadfast belief in your work is necessary for motivation. Also, if you are serious about your craft, discipline is essential, especially if you are working alone. Creativity and talent are not enough on their own, and discipline is crucial for sticking with your creative endeavor over the long term. My own creative pursuit is art and illustration, and much of what I draw and paint is whimsical, spontaneous, and restrained. What appears on the surface to be a quick, minimal brush stroke, or a subtly soft pencil smudge has, behind-the-scenes, taken practice, objectivity, and refinement (and a lot of paper), all of which fall under the general heading of discipline. Without that key element, there is no improvement. Additionally, as living a creative-centered life is much more than simply making art, discipline is an extremely useful asset for structuring your days.  The oppor...

  Four Cranes Taking Flight from Water by Angela Marie Morton As someone who prefers an unpleasant truth to a comforting delusion, I am unable to escape the reality of the current hellscape humans have brought upon our tiny blue dot called Earth, and upon all its inhabitants. Despite my best efforts and intentions to not actively participate in our collective doom, I, too, am complicit in contributing to it. As are we all, to varying degrees. By acknowledging this disturbing and unsettling fact, I am able to see it clearly, and take skillful, creative actions to counter it, using whatever means are available to me, and in ways that are aligned with my values and principles. One of those methods is through making and sharing art. That being said, at times I have worried that my work is not relevant to the events playing out in our daily lives. When I expressed this to my husband recently, he reminded me that, throughout history, people have continued to live their lives in the face ...

A Winter's Walk photo by Angela Marie Morton Regardless of whether the previous year was a good one, or one I am glad to see the back of, I always enjoy the sense of a fresh start that January brings. As I usually do in December, I spent some time last month thinking about, and writing down, what I would like to work on in the new year, both artistically, and in all areas of my life. This helps solidify my intentions, and gives me that little nudge I need to stay motivated when I start to wilt, or when I become indecisive as to what to work on.  Creatively, I have lately been drawn to the concept of doing bodies of work that fit together as a theme. So far, I have 4 series planned, and have started working on each of them, to varying degrees. This might be the year of “fewer, but better.” Pair of Cranes through the Seasons (minis) Close-up of the minis First finished piece of the series Rough minis of a planned palm leaf series  Close-up of the minis Minis of a planned series:...

This recipe is an excellent one for the holidays, as it is not only simple and delicious, it makes a rather nice presentation. It is fancy enough to feel a bit elevated and special, but not too fancy as to make it cumbersome to prepare. As with all my recipes, feel free to use this more as a template, as there are so many yummy alternatives to use in your stuffing (I've listed a few at the end of the recipe to get you started). Simple Stuffed Acorn Squash Ingredients (I use frozen veggies, but fresh or canned are fine as well.) 1 acorn squash ½ cup brown rice, uncooked handful of frozen carrots handful of frozen corn handful of frozen kale handful of frozen mushrooms handful of frozen peas ⅓ block of firm or extra firm tofu Spices (I just shake out a little of each, and season to taste.) Black pepper Garlic salt Nutritional yeast Onion powder Instructions 1. Cook the rice a bit ahead of time so that it’s ready to add to the stuffing. 2. Carefully slice the acorn squash in half an...

As someone who has spent her entire life steeped in children’s literature, in one way or another, and as a strong advocate for encouraging reading, I truly enjoy sharing what I have learned with others. In addition to spending a large portion of my former bookstore career running children"s departments for many years, I also had an opportunity to deepen my knowledge of children's literature in an academic setting, which provided me with a historic perspective, specifically in regards to picture books. In order to complete my degrees in sociology and social science, during my senior year of college, I was required to take a research course, which was a semester-long group project. The class was broken into small groups, and we were given parameters and requirements for the project itself, as well as for the paper and presentation we would need to complete by the end of the term. Our group chose to research and analyze the evolution of gender roles in the Caldecott Award  winner...

  Bean burgers, of any variety, are such an easy and cheap dinner option, which is especially important in these difficult economic times. As someone who eats a vegan diet, and is on a limited budget, these chickpea burgers are a regular go-to for my household. I’ve written the recipe for how I typically make them, though you can use it as a template, and switch up the veggies, spices, and quantities to your liking. Cheap Chickpea Burgers Ingredients (I typically use frozen vegetables, but fresh and canned are also fine. I also always use dried beans, as they are extremely cost effective.) *½ cup dried chickpeas, cooked (or 1 can. A ½ cup dried chickpeas equals about a can when cooked. See instructions at the end for how to prep and cook them.) Handful of kale Handful of corn Handful of cauliflower Handful of chopped or sliced carrots A tablespoon or so of all-purpose flour for each burger Vegetable oil (to coat the bottom of the pan) Spices (all optional) Garlic salt Nutritional ...