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I was born and raised in the beautiful state of Kansas.
I'm amazed when I think back to childhood and how nice my mother was about all the animals we brought into her clean house and all the bowls, pots, and pans we took out for animal food and water bowls. My brother, sisters, and I also lost most of the spoons every summer in our yearly attempt to dig a swimming pool. Until junior high, I wanted to be a cowboy like Roy Rogers, or a veterinarian like my father. I loved being Daddy's assistant. I helped with surgeries, treating sick animals, working cattle, and delivering baby animals.
My parents encouraged creativity. So on those rides around the countryside to take care of animals, I made up stories and songs with my father. I also drew lots of animal pictures, especially horses. In high school, I discovered acting and spent the next 15 years always in a show. I acted throughout high school and college, in school, community, and professional theatre productions. When I graduated from Wichita State University, I moved to Lawrence, Kansas. There I started working with the Seem To Be Players, a professional children's theatre company. With them, I toured throughout the Midwestern states for 6 years, and have continued to work with them over the years, both as an actress and a writer...and also as the illustrator for their Seem to Be Player Songbook. Eventually, I went back to school to study art, because it had been one of my long term goals to write and illustrate my own books. I spent two years at the University of Kansas studying art and psychology before moving to New York, where I studied at the School of Visual Arts and the Art Students League. Now, I'm busy writing and
illustrating books, writing plays, teaching workshops for people of all ages,
being a production and research assistant for the emmy winning PBS show,
Keeping Kids Healthy,
and being a writing mentor for the Writing Circle Program at
Visible
Theatre in New York.
Over the years, I've had many jobs including: veterinarian's assistant, waiter, managing editor, editor, copywriter, advertising executive, creative consultant and script writer for Children's TV, and I've worked in creative arts therapy. Every job is important as a way to learn and grow. I also play the piano, guitar, and Ukelele; I knit, sew, crochet...and tap dance. Life is full of fun things to try.
Click and Hear Me Talk about My Name, Susanna, on TeachingBooks.net
Copyright 2007 Susanna Pitzer |
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My father was a country
veterinarian and my mother very tolerant. My childhood was filled with a
menagerie -- dogs, cats, calves,
horses, pigs, chickens, quail, hamsters, mice, gerbils, donkeys, goats,
sheep, guinea pigs, parakeets, canaries, guppies...you get the picture. 
Animals? I still have plenty of
those in my life...three little dog companions--Sheltie sisters
named Sofie, Zzazu, and Daisy.