Becoming a Writer
Karen Gray Ruelle: Author, Illustrator and Artist
Growing Up, Wanting to be a Writer (and a Spy)
I was born in the United States, in Salisbury, Maryland, and my family moved a lot when I was growing up. For at least half of my childhood, we lived in London, England, so I had an interesting accent and nobody could figure out where I was from.
When my little brother, Doug, was several months old, I tried to send him back, but now we’re good friends. I’ve always liked making art—my mother is an artist and we spent a lot of time in her studio–but I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. I also wanted to be a spy.
Ever since I was a toddler, I’ve been crazy about dogs. I dreamed of getting a puppy, but my parents said no, so I made one out of snow. When spring came, Snowy melted. Finally, my parents relented, and we got a terrier named Angus MacWhat’s-His-Name Paddington Gray. Ever since then, I’ve never been without at least one pet, and none of them have ever melted.
As a child, I was terrible at sports, but I could run faster than anyone in my grade, even the boys. I was also taller than everyone in my grade, including the boys. Now I’m a normal height, but I’m still terrible at sports. Sometimes I still run, just a bit more slowly than before.
This is Me Now–Writing about Spies
At University of Michigan, I studied everything except art, which I had already done at home. Since I loved languages, I learned as many as I could. I figured it would come in handy if I ever became a spy. After that, I went on to get a Master’s degree in Library Science, so I would be good at doing research. Then I moved to New York, where I met Lee, another artist, at a printmaking workshop. He’s half an inch taller than I am and he runs much faster than I do. We got married and our daughter, Nina, grew up to be an artist, too.
I’ve had lots of different jobs, including editor, book reviewer, librarian and ESL teacher. Did I ever become a spy? Perhaps. But if I did, I probably wouldn’t be allowed to tell you. Now I teach ESL to immigrants at a non-profit organization. I also make paintings of animals, which have been shown in exhibits in New York City. You can see some of my artwork and illustrations here on the Artwork page. But my main job is writing and illustrating books for children.