Syosset Native Liz Rosenberg Has the 'Write' Stuff

Award-winning children's author and poet Liz Rosenberg started writing as a young child living in Syosset. Inspired by her serene surroundings, Rosenberg wrote her first poem at the age of 8, and first novel at the age of 9.

"The poem was titled 'Gems as Seen in Nature,'" remembers Rosenberg during a phone interview. "It was a poem about the pomegranate fruit, which I loved, and the novel was titled Buff and Bunker. it was about my best friend Buff."

With an emphasis on children, Rosenberg has written more than two dozen books for young readers, including five best-selling anthologies of poetry. She has won a Children's Choice IRA award, Patterson Prize, Claudia Lewis Prize and Lee Bennett Hopkins Award for her work. Her book The Carousel was featured on the popular PBS children's show Reading Rainbow.

Rosenberg's reminiscing about Syosset includes her days at Syosset High School. There Rosenberg dated her first boyfriend, famed author and food activist Michael Pollan.

"He was absolutely brilliant in high school," she says. "It was a blessing to go to Syosset High School. I had the greatest teachers."

To Rosenberg, there was no better place to grow up than Syosset.

"Living in Syosset was a magical time for me," she says. "I thought it was the greatest place in the world to live. I used to ride my bike all the time to Bayville Beach and Cold Spring Harbor. I felt so lucky to be surrounded by such beauty. I also liked how the streets were named after flowers."

Initially, Rosenberg's career flourished as a poet. Her work was first featured in a limited edition chapbook from The Lord John Press of five poets. She has published five poetry collections, most recently Demon Love and The Lily Poems, a book about family and adoption.

"I can't imagine writing a book that doesn't have children in it," Rosenberg says. "I have a great love for children and feel a wonderful connection to them." 

Rosenberg's method of writing, inspired by Ernest Hemingway, is to write no more than two pages a day.

"Hemingway said to always stop when the momentum is hot, no more than two pages a day. I've have been writing that way for many years."

Living in Upstate Binghamton, Rosenberg has been teaching creative writing and literature for the past 25 years at the State University of New York at Binghamton. She's been married to fellow author and Syosset High alum David Bosnick for 26 years.

"He's more of a Syosset fanatic than I am," Rosenberg says. "He even has a map of Syosset in his desk drawer."

They are the parents of aspiring actor Eli, 22, and adopted daughter Lily, 7. 

Rosenberg is currently writing a fictional novel set in Long Island about a judge and a court case.

"It's great because I am writing about places like Huntington and Great Neck. I absolutely love Long Island," says Rosenberg. "Maybe, one day I will come back to live there."

For more information, visit www.liz-rosenberg.com.