CLARICE STASZ
Writer Musician
DADDY'S GIRL, INNOCENT OF THE LIFE TO COME.
I am an old woman, but I wear blue, not purple. It is strange to have one part of my life displayed this way. It's so reductionist. So much of my productivity depended on the emotional and financial support of others. Nor can I document the days in the classroom, the honor of coaching students to find their way. Of raising two very independent daughters. Still, this is a format to continue linking with people, and it works. No FB, twitting, Xing, Instagram, etc., those immoral marketing sites, for me. Thanks for checking in.
My writing includes published text books, social commentary, education studies, and biographies. Serving as Director of the Academic Games Project at Johns Hopkins University, I became an advocate of active learning in the classroom and took that style into my university teaching.
After joining Sonoma State University, I discovered Jack London State Historic Park and became fascinated by the women in his life. This led to the use of biography as a means to convey American history to a wider public. Through these writings run the themes of gender, race, and power relations. A lifelong reader of mysteries, in retirement I created the Slanderley series as my first venture into the genre. "Beautifully written and impeccably researched. A twisty, gripping mystery that will keep readers guessing." Kirkus Reviews on Slanderley: Nuns and Mayhem in Cornwall.
It can be difficult for many to access scholarly journals, so I have scanned all my Jack London papers into this site. Research is costly. I thank the many who funded me, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, Association for the Advancement of Science, the California State University System, and the Rockefeller Archives.
A lifelong musician, I am active now as a singer, percussionist, flutist, ukulele player, bass player, and songwriter. I thank my junior high teacher for setting me up with a Philadelphia Orchestra cellist instructor and a 5/8 instrument. That kindness led me on a most satisfying secondary life throughout my professional career. Writers are often lonely, but musicians are not.
When not writing or playing music, I'm out in nature, either in my native plant garden or watching birds as an excuse for a long walk.
Oh, and reading, always, a lot. With a cat snuggling in.
Except for my earliest books and musical endeavors, everything else described on this site was grounded by the support of my late husband, Michael Orton. His role, and much more, is revealed in his obituary. I can't honor him enough.
My writing includes published text books, social commentary, education studies, and biographies. Serving as Director of the Academic Games Project at Johns Hopkins University, I became an advocate of active learning in the classroom and took that style into my university teaching.
After joining Sonoma State University, I discovered Jack London State Historic Park and became fascinated by the women in his life. This led to the use of biography as a means to convey American history to a wider public. Through these writings run the themes of gender, race, and power relations. A lifelong reader of mysteries, in retirement I created the Slanderley series as my first venture into the genre. "Beautifully written and impeccably researched. A twisty, gripping mystery that will keep readers guessing." Kirkus Reviews on Slanderley: Nuns and Mayhem in Cornwall.
It can be difficult for many to access scholarly journals, so I have scanned all my Jack London papers into this site. Research is costly. I thank the many who funded me, including the National Endowment for the Humanities, Association for the Advancement of Science, the California State University System, and the Rockefeller Archives.
A lifelong musician, I am active now as a singer, percussionist, flutist, ukulele player, bass player, and songwriter. I thank my junior high teacher for setting me up with a Philadelphia Orchestra cellist instructor and a 5/8 instrument. That kindness led me on a most satisfying secondary life throughout my professional career. Writers are often lonely, but musicians are not.
When not writing or playing music, I'm out in nature, either in my native plant garden or watching birds as an excuse for a long walk.
Oh, and reading, always, a lot. With a cat snuggling in.
Except for my earliest books and musical endeavors, everything else described on this site was grounded by the support of my late husband, Michael Orton. His role, and much more, is revealed in his obituary. I can't honor him enough.