In the fourth grade, there were two girls in my class named Karen. To avoid confusion, Mrs. Davenport asked if she could call me Carrie (Kerry? Kari?). Taken aback, I agreed. I like to think I marched in there the next day and demanded to be addressed by the same combination of phonemes I had been responding to for almost a decade. I vaguely recall doing so, but as I wasn’t a troublemaker, it’s hard to say whether this memory is accurate.

In that class, we did what seemed to be a unique kind of book report. Granted, I had been delivering oral summaries of works of literature for only two years at that point, so my frame of reference was limited. We would stand before our peers and recite a synopsis of our chosen Nancy Drew mystery (in my case). As we reached the climax, we would look up from the paper and ask, “Who wants to buy my book?” No money was exchanged, of course, but the volume found its way into one of the raised hands. I like to think I really hooked them.

Fast-forward forty-one years, and I finally have a book of my own! (God forbid a student should ever have to write a report on it.) Determined to Be Visible features thirty-six of my blog posts, as well as some new material tying everything together. I considered using a pseudonym, since there is already an established author with my first and last names and middle initial. But instead of becoming Carrie, Kerry, or Kari, I chose to stick with the moniker by which I am known. I’ll do my best to stand out from the other Karen R. Greenfield.

The most amazing thing about my book is that it resembles, well, an actual book! The cover was designed by a graphic artist (Jay Schwartz) and features photographs taken by a professional (Lucia Kiel Portraits). There’s a testimonial on the back from a wonderful, accomplished author (Julie C. Gardner). And there’s a copyright page at the front, implying someone might actually want to steal the contents. (By the way, my copyright statement is possibly the only one with a joke in it.) Plus, you can “look inside” Determined to Be Visible on Amazon!

So, who wants to buy my book? Besides my mother, I mean.