By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Southborough – According to Lorraine Gilmore of Southborough, the biggest lesson she learned from writing and self-publishing her first children’s picture book, “Matilde,” is that writing was easier than marketing it. Yet, she has a managed to schedule upcoming promotional appearances in Lancaster, Marlborough, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Upton and Westborough.
She also recently promoted “Matilde” at the Sunday festival of the Heritage Weekend in Marlborough.
“I enjoyed that day very much – except for the weather,” she said of the intermittent drizzle. “It was fun to talk with people who stopped by the booth and I got some good sales.”
Originally from Hattiesburg, Miss., Gilmore moved to Massachusetts to attend Boston University, where she graduated in 1962 with a bachelor’s degree in history of fine art. Other than the frequent reminders of her Southern accent, which she has since lost, she immediately appreciated Boston and the surrounding areas.
“I fell in love with the arts culture in Boston,” she declared. “I’ve never really wanted to live anywhere else.”
And other than brief periods living elsewhere, she has continued residing in Massachusetts including a home in Wellesley on a street with noisy traffic. A few years ago, she and her
husband relocated to a quieter neighborhood in Southborough.
“In Southborough, we can sit on our deck and enjoy nothing but the sound of birds,” she said. “And we have deer stroll by, along with a fox and a woodchuck.”
About two years ago, Gilmore revisited her first draft of “Matilde,” which she wrote in 1997. She partnered with illustrator Kendra D’Angora, who introduced her to an editor and a graphic designer. They worked together on the manuscript for about a year and a half, and the book was released in September.
It’s the story about Matilde, a donkey originally owned by an unhappy farmer named Giuseppe during the time when his wife died.
“Often when people are unhappy, they make others around them miserable, too,” Gilmore noted. “So Giuseppe doesn’t treat Matilde very well.”
Matilde soon finds a new home with the family of a young girl named Bella and learns what it’s like to live with people her treat her well. The importance of treating each other respectfully is the lesson that Gilmore hopes children and parents learn from the book. While writing the story, she reflected upon her personal experience with family including her late older brother and parents.
“Growing up, my oldest brother was extremely smart, thought everybody else was stupid and teased me a lot,” she shared. “And my parents were wonderful people, but they just didn’t get the training manual on me. I’m very happy now, but I would have been much happier when I was growing up if I had nurturing and praise. Children need to know when they’ve done a good job.”
Gilmore will be the guest speaker Wednesday, Nov. 18, 10:30 a.m., for the Exciting Women’s Club at the Southborough Senior Center. She’ll meet holiday shoppers Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., during the Festival of Wreaths at Trinity Church of Northborough. An author meet-and-greet followed by a book reading is scheduled Sunday, Dec. 6, from 1 to 3 p.m., at Tatnuck Bookseller Gift Gallery & Café in Westborough.
Her schedule also includes story times Thursday, Dec. 3, 10:30 a.m., at Thayer Memorial Library in Lancaster; Thursday, Dec. 17, 10:30 a.m., at Upton Town Library; Tuesday, Dec. 29, 3 p.m., at Shrewsbury Public Library; Saturday, Jan. 9, 2 p.m., at Marlborough Public Library; and Saturday, Jan. 30, 10:30 a.m., at Southborough Library.
“Matilde” is available online at Amazon and facebook.com/Matildethedonkey.