http://www.ellendavidsonlevine.com/ I was a firecracker baby, born on the 4th of July. My earliest years were spent in the Bronx, in a one-bedroom apartment stuffed with three generations of family.   I fondly remember the small table and chair, just my size, that my Nana set up in the corner of the living room. She gave me paper and crayons and told me this was my special place. I spent many happy hours scribbling page after page. After I folded the paper together, I offered the "books" to my family. "Read," I would tell them. "Read."   Our apartment building was just off the Grand Concourse and not too far from Poe Park. This was where Edgar Allen Poe, Annabel Lee and her mother lived together in a doll-sized house. Their house had been preserved as a museum and was open to visitors. I loved going there, and I did go often with my Grandpa, who was very indulgent. We'd walk under the shade of the trees, we'd tour the house and then we'd go down the street where Cousin Abe owned a candy store. He always gave us free egg creams.   Out of these beginnings, grew the themes of my life as a teacher, a reader and a writer. Like my Grandpa, I'm a walker, a doting grandparent, a lover of good food. Born on Independence Day, I consider myself a patriot. I'm not a flag waver but I've voted in every election since I came of age and I make it a point to educate myself about issues and candidates, local and  national. I volunteer at the local food bank and for community activities like clean-up days and charity events. Perhaps my streak of independence is what motivated the move to Oregon, when my husband and I gave up our jobs and house in the city to live out in the country and to actively care for the land we live on.   And now, as an Oregon writer, I am offering real books to people, urging them to "Read. Read."     Sun, 20 May 2012 14:10:53 GMT http://www.ellendavidsonlevine.com/blog/1/2011/3/5 From Author's Talk at Medford Library, 3/29/11 Some advice about writing groups . . . . Starting a group   ·        Determine a schedule (weekly? evenings? weekends?) ·        Find a convenient location (library? homes? what about online?) ·        Agree on a structure (calendar of readings? read out loud? bring copies of email beforehand? writing exercises?) and be f... Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:03:00 GMT http://www.ellendavidsonlevine.com/blog/1/2011/3/5 http://www.ellendavidsonlevine.com/blog/1/2010/9/4 Many readers of Looking for Karma at the Eden Cafe have asked if the Eden actually exists. They want a slice of that delicious pie, they say, and a good, cheap meal to go with it. Others say the Eden Cafe reminds them of a restaurant in Bozeman, Montana, or in Oxnard, California, or even a neighborhood place in Brooklyn, N.Y. One reader questioned the very idea of the Eden Cafe. "Unbelievable," she said. "So many people standing on line to get into the cafe? No way. And would paying customers allow Riva or... Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:45:00 GMT http://www.ellendavidsonlevine.com/blog/1/2010/9/4 http://www.ellendavidsonlevine.com/blog/1/2010/6/3 Like the adventurers who came before us, Rick and I arrived in Oregon with few possessions and plenty of dreams. It was 1969 and we were ready for something new, something better than breathing smog, working in offices, traveling freeways, being uptight. Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:28:00 GMT http://www.ellendavidsonlevine.com/blog/1/2010/6/3