Dori DeCamillis

Now Available: A colorful catalogue celebrating "Exhibit A, Paintings of Alabama Places." Funded in part by the Alabama Council on the Arts, the book highlights the stories and inspiration behind the 12 panel series, and features full-page reproductions of the panels. Search for other posts about Exhibit A on this blog.  Link to Exhibit A Book

I’m currently working on two new books that are quite different from my last two, but some of my readers will recognize a thread that connects them all. My first books, “ The Freeway ” and “ My Steamboat ” are memoirs from my younger years. Basically, I had some crazy, funny stories I needed to get on paper before I forgot them, and they hopefully made for an entertaining read. My new books are both about my art. The first one is a picture book (with minimal text) about “Exhibit A,” a series of paintings I created from 2006 to 2011. The project, partially funded by an Alabama Council on the Arts fellowship, highlighted places in my adopted home state. (The A in Exhibit A is for Alabama, if you haven’t figured it out.) I traveled around the state gathering images and information that inspired 12 intricate panels that incorporate oil painting and inlaid ceramic tile. The series was labor-intensive but very satisfying, and I’m happy to finally have the images ...

My good friend, Lee Sumner Irwin, just released her first book, "Play for Life." It's now available on Amazon, and I've posted below some info about it from her blog. Hurray for wonderful people who follow their dream! Congratulations to Lee! My book, Play for Life, just came out on Amazon! March 22, 2013 in  Adventures  | Tags:  Amazon ,  ask for help ,  big goals ,  book publishing , perfection ,  progress ,  writing a book Wowza! I’m over the moon today.  My (first) book came out on Amazon a few days ago and the feedback has been, well,  positively Amazon-azing. Play for Life: A Feel-Good Guide to Boost Your Brain Power, Spark Your Creativity and Inspire More Fun If you’ve ever wanted to accomplish something important to you (but you didn’t know where to start) let me say 3 things about this book-writing adventure that may help you. 1)  Ask for help.  I have a habit of not asking for other people’s he...

On Friday I went to a talk given by E.O. Wilson. Here is some info about this kind, humble, wise, and brilliant man: E.O. Wilson, recently called “one of the most important biological theorists since Darwin” by The New York Times, returns to Alabama for a special evening at McWane Science Center on Friday, May 7, 2010. Born in Birmingham, Wilson felt a fascination with nature from a young age and grew up to become one of the world’s leading environmentalists, as proclaimed by Time Magazine and Audubon Magazine, in addition to winning two Pulitzer Prizes and numerous other awards, he was also called one of the “Top 25 most influential Americans” by Time Magazine. Here are some quotes by EO Wilson: There is no better high than discovery. You are capable of more than you know. Choose a goal that seems right for you and strive to be the best, however hard the path. Aim high. Behave honorably. Prepare to be alone at times, and to endure failure. Persist! The world needs all you can give. We...

Old friend of mine took this picture of her reading "My Steamboat" while vacationing in the South Seas.

Above: Me in 1964 I’ll be home for Christmas. My hometown is Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and I’m driving there from Alabama. In addition to hanging out with family for the holidays, skiing, snow-shoeing, and eating too much, I have a little business to attend to. I’m having a book-signing for my new book, “My Steamboat: A Ski Town Childhood,” and I’m going to be on TV. From the emails and Facebook messages I’ve been receiving from old Steamboat friends, I think there will be more than 2 people at my book-signing, which is quite exciting when you’re not a famous author. (I call myself a micro-celebrity. Twenty-seven people know who I am.) I am pleased with the response to the book so far, which is a big relief after 8 years of writing and editing, wondering who in the world would care about my little story. In a previous blog post I expressed worry about the impending release of the book. I had that panicky last-minute regret feeling, wondering if people would hate it or dismiss...

My newest book, "My Steamboat" is now available on Amazon.com. I started the book in 2001, and what a wonderful feeling it is to be able to offer it to the world. Big sigh. And now we wait for the reviews.....

If you haven't read any books by Bill Bryson, you should. He is funny, a fantastic writer, and always throws in a little social commentary. I'm reading Notes From a Small Island , a travel memoir about England, his adopted country. (He's originally from the U.S.) I haven't read a book by him that I didn't like, but my favorite is probably The Adventures of the Thunderbolt Kid, another memoir, about growing up in Iowa in the 1950s. He could write about masking tape and make it fascinating and hilarious.