Mazza

I’m just back from a visit to the Mazza Museum of International Art from Children’s Picture Books at the University of Findlay, in Findlay, Ohio. I had only one problem there, which was a recurrent desire to pronounce Mazza with my best Italian accent (such as it is): MAHT sa. The pronunciation is instead pure Ohio: ma za. We all worked around that, though, and I had a great time meeting and milling around with esteemed fellow authors and illustrators, and a great time speaking to the most supportive and interested crowd an illustrator could desire. They take their picture books and picture book creators seriously at Mazza! Probably I should have known this before now, but I know it now. Thanks to Jerry Mallett and Ben Sapp and everyone at Findlay for their work and enthusiasm and for a great trip.

Above: The Ohio state quarter. The Wright Brothers and Neil Armstrong. That’s my kind of place.