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On April 27, writer Helen Park Bigelow celebrated her 92nd birthday in an unusual way: by hosting a book signing in her Portola Valley retirement community’s lounge.
A resident cat at The Sequoias, which Park Bigelow has called home for 10 years, helped spark the idea for her latest work, a children’s book, aimed at ages 7 to 9. “Pat’s Cat” is the story of the black-and-white cat named Kitty (called “Cicuska” by her previous owner) who likes to spend time outdoors on the campus walking through garden paths.
Although Park Bigelow has written several other books, this is her first children’s story. She wrote “David Park, Painter: Nothing Held Back” about her father, a well-known Palo Alto artist, in 2009. In 2014, she published “Given Time: Living Our Last Months Together” about her husband photographer Ed Bigelow’s battle with melanoma. In 2023, she worked with her longtime friend and former Portola Valley Mayor Sue Crane to recount the founding of a local winery (“Behind the Barrels: Women of Ridge”).
Artistic talent is in the Park family blood. Park Bigelow’s middle daughter, Kathryn Wilder, is an award-winning author (she is the 2025 recipient of the Western Heritage Award). All three of her daughters enjoy writing, Park Bigelow noted.
This news organization spoke with Park Bigelow about her new book, a writing group she’s sustained for 37 years and more.
Embarcadero Media: When did you start working on the book? How did you find your illustrator?
Helen Park Bigelow: I wrote a letter to my two great-grandchildren (Lacey and Lucas) a couple of years ago, when they were about 7 and 9. I had that sort of moment of thinking, “What will I say?” I don’t know them well. They live in Colorado. I hit upon telling them the story of this remarkable cat who lives here. I really liked how I presented it to these two children. I read it to another daughter of mine and she said, “Oh my gosh that’s a great story. You should make it into a children’s book.” I started working on it a year ago. It was a very quick job on my end. The part that took time is the illustrations. Karen (A. Scheckler-Wilson), a good friend who lives in Paris — I knew she was an artist and illustrator and book designer and she loved the story and wanted to do it.
Embarcadero Media: You’ve written about your father’s art career, Sue Crane’s winery and terminal illness. How was it diving into your first children’s book?
Park Bigelow: It was a delight. It was very easy. I have to say, there’s a lot of information out there about how to write a children’s book; very strict regulations to follow in terms of length, in terms of age group interest. I did no research and I did not follow any rules.
Embarcadero Media: What do your great-grandchildren think of the book?
Park Bigelow: They were thrilled to see their names in it (in the dedication). They didn’t know and they were surprised.
Embarcadero Media: What takeaways do you want children to get from this book?
Park Bigelow: I use a term in the book, “the natural order of things.” I would hope that this term would linger in some way for a child and they, in some way, apply it in their own lives.
Embarcadero Media: What did you learn from the experience of writing a children’s book? Would you do it again?
Park Bigelow: I realized I had a delightful time doing it. My antenna will be out for another idea. It’s trying to see the world through children’s eyes. The only feedback I got was from my daughter’s goddaughter; she loved it.
Embarcadero Media: What did you learn from leading a weekly writing workshop?
Park Bigelow: We’ve met every week since 1988. … We’ve been bonded for a long time. Some people have left and new people have come. … When you listen to the writing of seven or eight people a week, you learn a lot about them. They work off of a prompt I give.
Embarcadero Media: Where do you get the prompts from?
Park Bigelow: I create prompts. I was in another group of four people where we were all working on projects and would all read from our projects. More of a critique group. I am a believer in people working together and helping each other.
Embarcadero Media: What are some examples of your prompts?
Park Bigelow: An abstract word like ambition, discouragement, disappointment, a feeling-based word. Hair brush — that’s a really good prompt. … I don’t call for a (set writing) time or a word count. Sometimes people will write a haiku or two. I really like an explorative essay. Everything happens.
It’s all based on a workshop I took from the writer Natalie Goldberg in Taos. And I came home and started this group.
Embarcadero Media: What do you like about writing?
Park Bigelow: It’s natural to me. It’s my right thing to do. It gives me energy. It keeps me awake to the world.
Embarcadero Media: Who are your favorite authors?
Park Bigelow: I’m loving Irish authors — Maggie O’Farrell; she wrote a very, very popular book, “Hamnet.” … Neil Williams — he’s absolutely wonderful. He did a little book called “This Is Happiness.”
I have always been a big reader. “Lad: A Dog.” … Mary O’Hara’s trilogy (“My Friend Flicka,” “Thunderhead” and “Green Grass of Wyoming”). I read every “Nancy Drew,” “Anne of Green Gables,” “Heidi.”
Embarcadero Media: Because of your macular degeneration, you’ve moved to audio books. How does that experience differ for you?
Park Bigelow: I had to get used to it. I really miss being able to go back and reread. I’d flip back a few pages and find what I hadn’t paid enough attention to. Visual search is much easier.
Embarcadero Media: Are you working on any other books?
Park Bigelow: I’m finishing writing an unusual kind of memoir. I’m writing a book about stories that happened in my life. I plan to self-publish this year. I’m almost done with it. It’s 250 pages.
Pat’s Cat. $20. Purchase at The Sequoias gift shop, 501 Portola Road, or email Park Bigelow at hpbig_2@yahoo.com to buy a copy. All proceeds go toward The Sequoias staff holiday fund and The Sequoias staff scholarship fund.
