ABOUT
Paul Paolilli and Dan Brewer are a writing team who have collaborated on many creative projects over the years with a focus on vibrant, accessible poetry for young readers. Their first picture book, SILVER SEEDS, received the International Reading Association's award for Best Children's Book by first-time authors.
What is unusual is that they are related as uncle and nephew, and grew up in the same Italian household. A love of poetry began early with a long-standing family tradition of creating rhyming poems to celebrate special occasions. Sunday dinners added to this interest. These meals were filled with laughter and food (Rigatoni! Che Bella!). Afterwards, “Grandpa” would play his concertina and everyone would join in because music and song made the best dessert. Add to this the odd fact that their family's hometown in Italy is the birthplace of Ovid, the Roman poet. Poetry, you might say, is in their DNA.
For both Paul and Dan inspiration and creativity have involved many areas. Dan plays the guitar and the harmonica, and was in a rock and roll band for some time. Both have dabbled in drawing, painting and woodworking. But writing cast a spell on them long ago. For more than twenty years they have worked together on such diverse projects as writing a movie script, short stories and a novel. Yet poetry and poetic language is their passion.
Paul and Dan's desire to teach and learn drew them both into education. Dan teaches high school English. Paul is a retired school psychologist and family therapist.
Both live in sunny Southern California.
Paul and Dan in their beatnik days.
DAN SAYS…
“There is nothing greater than watching a child read a poem and then write one of their own. The world needs more poets so why not teach them early. I want to believe our books do that.”
PAUL SAYS…
“From heart beats to ocean tides we are born into rhythm. Poetry comes naturally. Express yourself."