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The people of Superiorland

Marquette resident Dorothy Paad loves to create, and she doesn’t let having cerebral palsy stand in her way. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when Paad started her journey in becoming an author. She calls herself “the most accidental author on the planet.” She attended Northern Michigan University but for health and safety reasons did not attend during the pandemic. During that time, Paad would have a weekly Zoom call with a friend to chat and discuss story ideas. “It would do her some good and it would do me some good just having somebody to talk to during the times of isolation,” she said. During the weekly calls, her friend pitched the idea to Paad about writing a book. “She said ‘Dorothy, I see a book in you. I see several books in you and I see you writing for children,” Paad said. Under the mentorship of her friend, Paad wrote her first book “Dance Your Dance, Sing Your Song.” One book became two, two became three and now Paad is getting ready to release her fourth book in May. She said that her fourth book will shed light on a time in her life that she feels other children similar to her can relate to. “I was the only child in my school, oftentimes in a wheelchair with a disability,” Paad said. “There were no teachers in wheelchairs with disabilities, there were no books that I could read that had characters like myself in a wheelchair.” So when she grew up and began writing, she made sure to include characters that were like her, so other children had a representation. “I think in this nation and the world today, we need more books to start more conversations about diversity,” she said. Growing up in a military family, Paad has lived around the United States. She moved to Michigan a decade ago and to Marquette four years ago when she decided to attend college. What Paad loves about the Upper Peninsula, she said, are the people, community, NMU and the opportunities. Paad’s books can be found on her website at depbooks.com. (Courtesy photo)

Marquette resident Dorothy Paad loves to create, and she doesn't let having cerebral palsy stand in her way. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when Paad started her journey in becoming an author. She calls herself

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