Thank you readers!
"We are starved of the truth now." ~ reader Sharon
This a big thank you to all those who are reading my essays. I’ve received so many wonderful comments, I wanted to share some of them here, along with a few of my illustrations from my children’s books.
I started writing on Substack in April with zero readership, having lost pretty much all my connections over the years due to not being “woke” enough.
Ironically, in this time of extreme censorship, I, along with many other writers, have finally found platforms such as Substack where our voices can be heard. These platforms have sprung up thanks to all those who are sick and tired of the constant bombardment from mainstream media, telling them how they should think and feel, ordering them to obey the State unquestioningly. There will always be rebels who stand against totalitarianism. Thankfully, that number seems to be growing. As long as the channels of communication stay open, I will speak out, but with the realization that at any moment, my voice can be silenced on an even greater scale than it ever was before.
Upon publication of my first essay, one of my first readers thanked me for my writing and said he hoped I got more readers soon, assuring me that “if you build it they will come.”
I took that to heart and kept writing, committing to one essay a week—although sometimes it turns into every other week. I’ve been greatly encouraged by the growing response. Over and over folks are telling me how alone they’ve felt, how scared and confused, and how my writing has encouraged them not to give up.
If even one person is inspired in this way, it’s well worth the effort.
When I was writing and illustrating children’s books with Harvest House Publishing, I illustrated George McDonald’s The Lost Princess. The book didn’t do very well and it was discouraging. I felt I hadn’t done my best work. Years later, when it was out of print, a principal of a school in New Jersey wrote to me, asking if I had a copy of the book I could sign and dedicate to a girl in their school, for their school library. The girl had died of cancer and The Lost Princess was the book that had given her courage and strength through all the pain and suffering until her death.
How do you determine success and failure? Surely, knowing how my book had helped that girl made it more successful than any amount of royalty payments and big accolades. When I get discouraged, I think of that book in the library. How many others that I will never know about have picked it off the shelf and been inspired by its words and pictures? Often, we don’t know who we are influencing. A kind word said to a stranger could be exactly what they needed at that precise moment. It would be easy to pass them by, but you are drawn to say something and so you do.
Over the years, I’ve received countless letters from parents about my Rumpoles and Barleys series, saying how their son or daughter wouldn’t go to bed at night without them. Even now, after the books are out of print for years, I receive messages—a mother telling me how her mom read those books to her as a child and now she reads them to her kids. Or a grandmother saying how she reads it them to her grandchildren. Just recently, a woman knitted me the characters from Christmas at Rumpole Mansion and sent them to me. Here they are!
Now, I write essays. The subject matter is much darker and even scary at times, but the intent is no different: to comfort and encourage people, to inspire and instill courage.
Here are some comments:
From David, responding to The Perfect Little Town: A Woke Fairytale
“You are the type of people we should be reading and listening to on a daily basis.”
From MarieGee, responding to Warriors in the Time of COVID
Wow. Thank you. I was feeling so alone out here in this little northern town while people around me drop me like a fly....malign me to others and now my husband will be forced to take it if Trudeau gets his way with fed employees. We are trying to just ride it out quietly without confrontation because I think the right path for me is to see everyone making their choices with compassion.
And Sharon:
You are a wonderful writer. Never stop speaking your truth. We are starved of the truth now. Lies abound and God knows where this is leading us. My children are holding firm but I fear for my grandchildren, one 15 months and two on the way.
From Dave Paydii, responding to The Devil's Playground
As a recovering addict clean & sober 2 years...thank you Karen, I just happened to start reading your article "The demonization of the unvaxed "..I was on/off the street for years....
From Brokelynnmama The War for Children's Minds
You say it well and speak from the heart. It's okay to write at length (nobody is gave Tolstoy or Dickens grief for that!) Some of us don't think in small sound bytes and condense material to be phone friendly. I've just discovered your writing and am SO glad I did--speaks truth to me (I've been labeled too for speaking frankly). Thank you! Looking forward to more!
From Ed BlenDr Bertrand, responding to Amusing Ourselves to Death
Another thoughtful and provoking look at our landscape 👍
I'm tempted to say "ever was it thus", only because the idea of complete surrender to television and programming was the theme of a favorite album in my college years, "Remote Control", by The Tubes, from 1979 (the first song is titled "TV is King"😀). (Recommended one time)
What you describe is omnipresent, immersive, and damn near inescapable,… Thank you, Karen!
From Kimberly Malibu responding to The Demonization of the Unvaxxed
Wow, what a well written and powerful piece! You touched on every thought I've had since this first began in March 2020. I've noticed there is just no going against the one and only narrative, or one will be censored. I can't believe how many people are not realizing what they are going along with. THANK YOU! Your writing is a brilliant and artistic, emotional piece of truth! God bless you!
Anyway, I could go on but I will leave it at that. Again, thank you everyone. Keep the faith and stay strong.
I am reminded of a line from one of the movies about C. S. Lewis. I don't recall the title of the film but have always remembered this: "We read to know we are not alone." Powerful, I thought, but never have I felt its power more than in reading your essays. Thank you.
Absolutely LOVE all your artwork!