In 2013, freshman Taylor Sinett re- leased her book Weasel on an Easel. Si- nett’s story was inspired by a family mem- ber’s battle with Crohn’s disease. Sinett was exposed to the constant pain from which her cousin Casey Mintz suffered, and noticed that Mintz never failed to have a smile on her face despite the hard- ship.
The idea for her story came from nothing but a small drawing of a weasel
that she made at camp. When she gave this picture to her father, he hung it on the wall at his office and no one thought much of it. That was until one of her fa- ther’s patients, a publisher, saw the sketch on the wall and came up with an idea: to make that one illustration of a weasel into something great. Sinett took action, and turned her small piece of artwork into a story.
“When I wrote the book, I knew I wanted to write it for charity,” said Sinett. “The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America is a charity close to my heart be- cause of Casey; she inspired me.”
Weasel on an Easel is the empowering story of Fredda, a weasel whose dream is to become a model, but agency after agen- cy keeps turning her down. In her story, Sinett emphasizes the importance of be- lieving in oneself and never giving up.
At HarborFest on June 7, Sinett signed copies of Weasel on an Easel. She was able to sell numerous copies, and 100% of the proceeds went to The Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Since Si- nett started selling her books, she has been able to donate about $5,000 to the CCFA. Sinett hopes to continue to sell books and spread awareness of her cousin’s disease.