Kickstarter

A number of people have asked me whether Missing: Mrs. Cornblossom is based on a true story, or whether the characters are real people.

The characters in the story are fictional, but the settings—Arlington Court and the woodland trail across the river from it—could not be more real. 

Arlington Court is my home, and it’s not stretching the truth to tell you that Missing: Mrs. Cornblossom is a love letter to my neighborhood.

It’s a double row of old brick townhouses that face each other across a sidewalk. This kind of architecture obliges one to be aware of one’s neighbors: whether you like it or not, you’re going to run into one another in the course of your daily lives. And, having lived here for a long time, I can say with some authority that this architecture promotes healthy community values.

In the 30+ years I have lived here, much has changed. Families have grown up. People I knew as babies here are raising their own families. Elders have passed on. When I first moved here, I was a young woman; now I’m one of the bona fide senior citizens on the court. A new generation is moving in.

But one thing hasn’t changed: on Arlington Court, we care about one another. We look out for one another. We borrow cups of sugar from one another. We comfort one another in hard times. We have spontaneous porch parties and covered dish dinners. And, yes, sometimes we get on each other’s nerves, but we communicate. We are a community.

These days, we communicate by listserv as well as in person, and Arlington Court Community has its own Facebook page—recently created by one of our tech-savvy younger residents. Check it out to see more pictures of Mrs. Cornblossom’s neighborhood and to learn more about our history.

This year—2012—is Arlington Court’s centennial. So I’m particularly happy that my “love letter” will be published this summer; I guess it’s really my birthday gift to my neighborhood. And, because you're helping me, it's your gift to my neighborhood, as well.

In fact, as I write this, I have just learned that my campaign has passed the 50 percent marker—in less than 72 hours. Can you imagine how gratifying that feels? Thank you so much for making it happen!