NYC gig

I've never done this before, but my "mama gene" is kicking in. He'll probably be furious...

My son, Alex Mirkin, is playing at a place called the National Underground in New York City (lower east side) tomorrow night--Thursday, 2/28/10--from 9-10 pm. It's at 159 E. Houston between Allen and Eldridge.

So....if you're in the city, check it out. And cross your fingers that he doesn't disown me...

UPDATE: This performance was a success, and he's playing again next month:

February 18th, 8 -9 pm. Same place.

"What I hear when I listen to Alex play isn't exactly folk or of the broadly-dubbed "singer-songwriter" genre. Instead, I get a highly creative and unique alchemy of new and old sound. I hear Paris nights and London rain. I hear beauty and sadness. I hear Nick Drake, Sylvia Plath, and Colin Meloy. His free use of alternative guitar tunings and gorgeous lyrical lines stand out to me in a way that makes me believe we will be hearing greatness from this young man sooner than we know." - Jack Kerns

A Feast of Fun!

A sneaky snow storm snuck in last night and continued this morning, but many braved the weather to attend the MLK breakfast in Portland. We had about 50 in my group, and more than 100 in Annie's. The kids seemed to have a grand time! We couldn't have done it without the help of tremendously awesome volunteers. Dr. King would have been impressed with the great cooperation, friendship, and fun. For more photos, click HERE.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

"I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits"

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Portland, Maine, branch of the NAACP will hold their annual MLK celebration breakfast on Monday, Jan.18th. Click HERE for more information and to make reservations. The keynote speaker is the dynamic and wonderful Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell! Concurrently, there will be two programs for youth. Anne Sibley O'Brien will present a terrific interactive program for kids 9-12. Her book, After Gandhi, will be the springboard for group brainstorming, poster-making, and plans for an exciting service project. And for kids 4 - 8, I will be running an activity-filled program based on my book, Feast for 10. Various activity stations will engage children in games, arts & crafts, and active play with a focus on healthy bodies & healthy minds. We'll have Fruits & Veggies Bingo, jump roping, collage-making, bean-bag tosses, a garden mural, story time and more.

Here are some of the games I've been making for this event!

A large board game, a bean-bag toss board, and a Fruits & Veggies version of an old 60's floor game.

All attendees (both programs) will receive a free book.

For more information,

call the amazing Pious Ali at 207-807-4283.

Happy New Year

Looking back on 2009.... Highlights are great times with family and friends. Another wonderful memory was my good fortune of participating in a loon survey with the BioDiversity Research Institute in July, and watching the loon chicks grow on No Name Pond through the summer.

My hopes for the new year are good health, happiness, and creative dreams for my my family and friends. And for me? Working on a loon book would be grand!