The Writing Mama with hosts VS Grenier & Marsha Casper Cook

Our show guest is  Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen never thought she’d grow up to be a writer. As a child, she thought of being a doctor (but she’s afraid of blood), a lawyer (but she doesn’t like losing arguments), a carpenter (but she’s too clumsy), a model (but she likes eating too much), a presidential candidate (but she had a dissolute youth), a UN ambassador (the argument losing thing again)… almost everything but a writer.

In fact, in 2001, Sudipta was well on her way to not being a writer. She had graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 1998 with a BS in Biology, spent a year in Boston, and then had returned to Caltech as a PhD candidate in developmental biology. Even the birth of her first child, Isabella, didn’t change Sudipta’s plans – she thought she’d take a long maternity leave then return to graduate school. Then, her daughter Brooklyn came along.

With two small children, Sudipta found herself less interested in biology as she was in parenting. After a half-dozen rejections, in 2003, Sudipta sold her first story to a children’s magazine, Highlights for Children.

Using her science background as a springboard, Sudipta began writing nonfiction for children. She has now written 18 nonfiction books for kids, ranging from science to history to biography. Her first love, however, was always picture books, so using a facility with word play and a love for animals (especially pigs), Sudipta worked on a number of manuscripts. Sudipta visits schools to share her stories and experience, and teaches writing to children and adults. She lives in New Jersey with her family and an imaginary pony named Penny.

http://www.sudipta.com

This is going to be one fun show and full of information on writing and being a mom. We'll be live 2pm PST-3pm MST-4pm CST-5pm EST.