On this edition of ST, we speak with the multi-faceted, multi-talented Amy Krouse Rosenthal. She's written more than 20 books for children, and her popular adult book of 2005, "Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life," was named by Amazon as one of the top ten memoirs of the previous decade. Rosenthal has also created several widely viewed videos (as seen on YouTube and elsewhere) --- among them "The Beckoning of Lovely," "The Money Tree," and "Life Is a Marathon" --- and some of these videos have gone viral online. She's also been a contributor to the TED conference, and to NPR, and she's now the host and creator of the public radio blog, Mission Amy KR.com, produced by WBEZ in Chicago. Also, as a writer noted in Chicago Magazine in 2010: "Rosenthal's masterpiece, unfolding over the past two years, began with a YouTube video called '17 Things I Made.' In it, she invited viewers to meet her on August 8, 2008 (8/8/08), at 8:08pm in Millennium Park to make an 18th thing together. That thing was a party. She expected a group of maybe 30, but roughly 400 curious people showed up, surprised to find themselves singing, dancing, blowing bubbles, and giving flowers to strangers. One couple met and fell in love." Rosenthal (at her own website) describes herself as a person who likes to make things. And as we learn on today's show, she makes lots of different things...but all of these seem focused on a single theme: bringing people together, or if you prefer, celebrating our common humanity.
Getting to Know the Acclaimed Author, Blogger, Videographer, and Radio Host Amy Krouse Rosenthal
