About Me — Sandi Parsons
Reader, writer, storyteller
Unofficial Bits and Pieces
Quick Quirky Facts (also known as the good stuff!)
I don’t have a dominant hand, nor am I ambidextrous. Instead, I have what is called “mixed hand.” I am naturally left-handed but was forced in primary school to use my right hand. I use my right hand for handwriting and other fine motor skills, but I can do all other tasks equally well with both hands. I don’t have a backhand for tennis or squash, but switch the racket between hands.
I like my music unusual, in makeup with a side dash of Al. Which is code for Cyndi Lauper, Kiss, and Weird Al Yankovic — yes they do all have something in common.
My new lungs not only saved my life they came with a serious love of chocolate.
My children’s book Pepsi the Problem Puppy is based on the real-life shenanigans of my Blue Heeler, Pepsi. When Pepsi was diagnosed with canine cancer, I gave her a bucket list.
I don’t eat lamb. My mother once told me that my “sort of, but not really” pet lamb Boof Head was dinner. Twenty years later, she told me she’d been joking. Boof Head died of natural causes that were not compatible with consumption. I still don’t eat lamb.
My Christmas tree is jam-packed full of pop culture decorations — but I have strict rules about what makes it on the tree.
I don’t change light bulbs. One night after 10 pm, the light bulb in my reading lamp went out. I walked my lamp down the road so that one of my neighbors could change it for me.
I identify as proudly disabled (and profoundly tired)
In a nutshell, Cystic Fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and eventually results in respiratory failure. A transplant is a trade, not a cure — yes, my life has been extended — however, I will always have ongoing health issues.
I’ve written extensively about living with Cystic Fibrosis and my life post-transplant — some of these stories are on Medium, including my 31 Days of Cystic Fibrosis series and you can find links to my other stories on my website.
My Writing Journey
I spent my teenage years writing extraordinarily long letters in exercise books to my best friend.
I dabbled with fiction, but my stories never went anywhere — I wish I known about writing courses back then. I always assumed writing was something that you automatically knew how to do.
My official publication start was unique — in that, I had my first publishing contract before I’d written a word. It’s highly unusual, but I had a damn good pitch.
When I was in respiratory failure, one of the promises I made was that I would stop faffing about and take my writing seriously — and I’ve kept that promise.
Everyone has a favorite ‘child’ — and of my personal essays, these are mine:
And this one was my favorite to research — because who doesn't love a good rescue story:
My Official Bio
Sandi Parsons lives and breathes stories, as a reader, writer, and storyteller. Sandi is passionate about engaging readers and diversity in storytelling. She believes that every child is entitled to see themselves accurately represented in literature and the arts.
Sandi is a Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award Judge 2020, 2021 (Early Childhood category).
Sandi’s creative nonfiction has been published in MiNDFOOD and Frankie. She is a contributor in the Growing Up Disabled in Australia Anthology.
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