Dahlia Karlin

When writing this blog and looking at my posts it appeared that they weren’t related to one another, and then suddenly, they were.

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My blog in a sense has become the backstory of my books and my personal backstory as well. You will find posts about music, learning disabilities, the holocaust and a few short, short stories that I’ve written along the way. 

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I write about my passion for music, which in turn serves as an inspiration for my writing. For me they go hand in hand. 

 

The inspiration to write about learning disabilities was personal as I saw my own daughter’s self-esteem crash in the classroom and with her friends from year to year. My books I am Me and I Can (children’s book) and If Only…  (YA realistic fiction) were written with the hope of opening up a window into the real struggle some children and teens encounter everyday. I hope my posts about LD will help others be more empathetic and sensitive to the needs of children and teens with learning disabilities. 

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The holocaust posts specifically give the reader a glimpse into G’s family background and how it affects her. She is one of the main characters in my YA realistic fiction If Only… Lisa, the protagonist of the story suffers from learning disabilities but it doesn’t mean that G her best friend is struggle free. As 2nd generation to holocaust survivors, I felt impelled to weave G’s struggle into If Only… in order to give teens a taste of another kind of struggle, one different from drugs, friendships, school or any other teen issues that might come up during adolescence. 

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I hope my blog will help build confidence and self-esteem for those children and teens who might feel “different,” and instill compassion in those around them (i.e. friends, parents, teacher…).