Greetings from Susan Basquin

Some of us are compelled to write and we write, whatever the reason—letters to friends, college papers, business letters, newspaper articles. But when I began writing for myself, I discovered the intriguing reality that one learns what one really thinks by writing. It's as if one's feelings and perhaps even one's philosophy crystallize and become apparent in the process of making words that fit. Or as Richard Cohen suggests in his book How to Write Like Tolstoy, perhaps the act of writing 'releases thoughts that have not been on the conscious level.'

I began writing seriously when I retired from a career in education. I had always loved to read and had always been a decent writer, but I had never had the time or the inclination to write for myself. When I retired, I found myself with time on my hands and a desire to explore my own thoughts and feelings. I began with a memoir about my experiences raising Angora goats on a small island in Lake Michigan.

Writing that memoir taught me a great deal about myself and about the goats I had raised. I discovered that I had a deep connection with animals and that I had always been able to sense what they were feeling and thinking. This led me to explore the concept of intuitive interspecies communication, which became a central theme in my middle-grade novel, Listen and They Will Tell You.

Writing is a journey of discovery. Each time I sit down to write, I learn something new about myself and about the world around me. I find that writing helps me to process my experiences and to make sense of the world. It is a way of exploring my own thoughts and feelings, and of sharing those thoughts and feelings with others.

I hope that my writing will inspire others to explore their own connections with animals and with the natural world. I believe that we all have the capacity to communicate with animals on a deeper level, and that this communication can enrich our lives in profound ways. I look forward to continuing to write and to share my experiences with readers who love animals and the natural world.

Writing also gives me the pure pleasure of putting words together in ways that feel right and true. And as I continue to write, I hope I'll discover new perspectives and perhaps more insightful understanding than I can glean from merely reading books, conducting interviews, or making observations.