A String of Beads

About the Book

“Did my grandmother write this book?” Perhaps one day my grandchildren when grown will ask this question. Although written for them, I believe it will have universal appeal, because what is honest and true comes through to the reader. Here we have “This Is Your Life” type stories which people will relate to, short stories strung together like a bead necklace. The little gold beads in between the larger ones are poems I have written over the years. Some of my writings will be sad, some will be humorous but all will be slices of life and parts of the heart that will touch everyone.

About the Author

Shirley Newman was born and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating from Erasmus Hall High School, she entered the Traphagen School of Fashion in New York City to begin a two year course in Costume Design and Fashion Illustration. Upon completion of her studies, she concentrated on designing textiles. She worked for some of the finest textile firms in New York City. For many years she specialized in designing men’s neckwear fabrics. After marriage and while raising her two children, she continued to do freelance designing. Newman’s second career was in the Port Washington, New York School System teaching Special Education to learning disabled students. In 1983, she moved to San Diego, California and continued taking courses at San Diego State University, graduating with honors. In 1997 she began attending a Creative Writing Class and continued until she moved to Valencia, California in 2001. Soon after, she joined a Writing Class there. Newman has been published in the San Diego Writers/Editors Guild Publication many times. Her poems and short stories have been published in several Senior’s magazines as well as Santa Clarita’s, “The Mighty Oak”. She has also been published often in her temple’s newsletter, “The Shofar”. To date, she has written over two hundred fifty poems and memoirs and hopes to have her book published in the coming year.