In this interview with island creative and author Rondi Lightmark, Rondi and Sally talk about the life of the independent creative and what it takes to publish a book independently.

Many on the island know Rondi Lightmark for her beloved Lightmark Press card series “Dogs in Cars,” which featured Vashon pets, and for her innovative community environmental education project, The Whole Vashon Project.

Last fall, she published The Difference Between Seeds and Stones, her memoir recounting her journey from grief to revelation during the first year after the loss of her husband when she was 48. The book won a silver Nautilus book award, an award given to books that are deemed instrumental in creating a better world. 

Rondi lives on Vashon and can be found most days in a colorful, very small cottage with a desk, cupboard bed, tea kettle, and nearby garden. She has a Masters in psychology from Saybrook University in Californiaand has been a writer, educator, school administrator, grief counselor, and professional photographer—and since 2020, a climate activist. 

Learn more about her at Rondilightmark.com and find her book at the Vashon Bookshop, at Bookshop.org(benefits the Vashon Bookshop) or on Amazon.