The Buchtelite

Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Melissa Dunfee Vanita Oelschlager shows the audience one of her latest children's books, Made In China.

Vanita Oelschlager, the College of Education literacy program's new writer-in-residence, spoke to students early Wednesday morning on how the she goes about writing a book.

Oelschlager spoke about incorporating her life experiences and time helping her husband Jim, who has multiple sclerosis. Through her presentation, she previewed her new books not yet in print and some of her first works to show how she incorporates her husband, family and life experiences into her writing.

Oelschlager and her husband Jim donated $10 million to the University of Akron in 2000 to create the Oelschlager scholarship fund and summer leadership program. At the time, it was the largest single donation ever received in the university's 130 years.

The first children's book she printed and sold, which was in 2006, is titled My Grampy Can't Walk.

She said it is based on her husband, who uses a wheelchair due to MS, and it incorporates many things that relate to him such as the stock market, Dilly bars and the wheelchair.

"Four year olds ask what stocks are and of course they can't understand," she said. "Stocks are Jim's business so I put that in."

There is also a picture of a Dilly bar in the book because "it's Jim's favorite food," she said.

However, the book is expensive to print. Oelschlager said this is because of the colors used and because it is printed in America.

"It cost almost twice what it cost to print a book," she said. "My husband says every time you sell a book, it costs me money."

She told students that in order to write and be published, a person has to have money.

"If you're going to do the small-press thing you have to have the money to get it started," she said.

She said she now prints from China because it costs $5 a book to print in America and only $1 in China.

Oelschlager said she volunteers all of her time when writing, but still has to pay the artists and the printing expenses.

While printing is expensive, the author did find ways to make a profit.

She composed a book of poems about multiple sclerosis titled Air Mask, which she said was made at a much lower cost. The profits go to MS research and the book is dedicated to professional caregivers.

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