When Trisha Speed Shaskan was a girl, she wanted to become a superhero. Her mother gave her a Wonder Woman costume. Her dad crafted her a tiara and bracelets out of metal to match. Trisha imagined she could fight evil, fly an invisible airplane, and get anyone to tell the truth. While she didnrsquo;t grow up to be Wonder Woman, she still uses her imagination to write stories and to teach creative writing. Trisha has taught creative writing to children and adults for thirteen years. She has published 26 books for children, and more are forthcoming. She has an MFA in creative writing from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Trisha currently lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Stephen, and… their cat, Eartha, named after Eartha Kitt, famous for her role as Catwoman.
I always thought of books like a treasure chest, and the illustrations, like windows to look inside. My mother says, I was born with a pencil in hand...my left hand. I drew before I was able to speak. When I was eight years old, we moved into a new home, a big one. Our hobbies-room in this new home was so white that I had an idea. I decided to make it more colorful and I filled the walls with my characters. The ceiling was the only place that was not touched by my pencils. This was the beginning of my artist's freelance career. Since then, my funny characters have stayed with me everywhere, at grade school first, then at University in Rome where I studied Art and Literature. Now, the… characters share the attic where I work, with me and my sweet black dog, Luna.