Photo of Norman Stevens, Tib Shaw, Tomie, Nora Stevens after breakfast at MacKenna’s Restaurant in New London during Tib and the Stevens’ visit to the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair at Mt. Sunapee. Norman was the longtime director of the University of Connecticut Libraries. Nora called yesterday and triggered these memories. Tomie was asked to speak at Norman’s 80th birthday celebration. Tomie was puzzled as to what he would say. I told Tomie that his comments did not need to be truthful. Just the permission he needed! He so convincingly told a tale about when Nora and Norman met for the first time that their relatives were heard to say at the gathering, “I didn’t know that about Norman.” Years later, Tomie spoke at Norman’s memorial service. Tomie explained that Norman was the elementary school librarian when Tomie was in the first grade. It was obvious that people were glancing at their programs and their inner calculators were at work to determine how this could be possible. (Norman was less than two years older than Tomie.) It wasn’t unusual for folks to look at me when the veracity of a tale Tomie was telling was, shall I say, questionable. I would comment, “After all, he is a storyteller.” (Bob) Pray for Peace, Justice, and Equality
