School Library Journal

Where I Work: Earl Sewell

This is my home, an old farm house built in 1923 by Dutch immigrants. The original owner of the land arrived in the 1840s. He became an onion farmer, and as his children matured he sold them plots of land, to build their homes and start families of their own. My house used to belong to one of the original landowner’s sons. The first property owner eventually sold sections of his farm to a railroad company. The railroad’s attorney was Abraham Lincoln. Also, the area I live in is connected to author Edner Ferber, who wrote the novels Showboat and So Big, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1925.

My office is in the basement. I have two computers, one of which serves as my backup. My dog Coco and my cat Storm are almost always situated under my desk while I write.

Earl Sewell will take part in a presentation titled “Who Will Mend This Broken Heart” for SLJ’s SummerTeen: A Celebration of Young Adult Books.