tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38380885263330600102024-03-12T22:07:14.410-07:00Read is the New BlackWhere Reading, Writing, and Creativity is Always in StyleCynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.comBlogger129125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-2470856830340661352019-10-30T15:44:00.000-07:002019-10-30T15:48:47.549-07:00Oldie but Goodie: ROUND TRIP by Ann Jonas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkbOLG7tO5yGJh7GLkgybrnu_JAWCrYA4ypmT_rUiS7w8onhHD1x51BPsCiCcY0sr4pg5HjFejC6yl34q7UAIlpx1m7Av0zeLoScTYiX6Nxb1xKh-GyUSO6AzRatdqg49NlL2mpm-ehCf/s1600/round+trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLkbOLG7tO5yGJh7GLkgybrnu_JAWCrYA4ypmT_rUiS7w8onhHD1x51BPsCiCcY0sr4pg5HjFejC6yl34q7UAIlpx1m7Av0zeLoScTYiX6Nxb1xKh-GyUSO6AzRatdqg49NlL2mpm-ehCf/s320/round+trip.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Autumn, readers! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">To recognize </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">literary blast</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">s</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> from the pas</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">t, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I am running </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">an</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> "Oldie But Goodie" </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">series to recognize memorable books I read that were published back in the day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"I
find myself drawn more and more often to designing books that involve
some sort of visual play. It seems like a wonderful opportunity to
encourage children to look at familiar things in different ways while
offering the appeal of a game or a puzzle." - Ann Jonas</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Someone at my school read Ann Jonas's picture book ROUND TRIP (Greenwillow) to me when I was a child. My son told
me that his teacher read this book to him in kindergarten. Published in 1983, ROUND TRIP is an
example of how a good book stands the test of time
across generations.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">ROUND
TRIP is a story told in the first-person narrative about the narrator
and companion(s) leaving home early in the morning. They journey past
the town, a small farm, fields of wheat...and end up in the city. In
the city, they ride a subway, see a movie, and then turn around. Now
the book is flipped upside down so readers can view the journey back
home...dining at a restaurant, picking up the car, leaving the
city...and returning home. </span>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The
illustrations show one thing when the book is read one way, and when
it's upside down, the images depict something else. Fields of wheat
become rain when the book is turned upside down. Marshy inlets now,
fireworks later. The black and white illustrations in the book are
simple yet complex. I could only imagine the deliberation and
planning that went into each page in order to create the convincing
perspectives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If
we look at the situations we face in our own lives, what different
scenes would we see if we turn these pictures upside down?</span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-6874824524529265522019-07-26T01:20:00.000-07:002019-07-31T20:46:13.032-07:00Author Interview with Sarah Aronson & BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KcwZFLfmaLXEvmK7Qjqhe-Ed6meUOP_c83-Z14P7gXKSu-5baZB_OBY8upAbkMym5x92775tQGkzk04EEFngSx-IM6GJuRlwU5ppewA0ZH0-eouuSTaBY2a_M8bFoNz7KFewn_nDMY_o/s1600/sarah+aronson+headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KcwZFLfmaLXEvmK7Qjqhe-Ed6meUOP_c83-Z14P7gXKSu-5baZB_OBY8upAbkMym5x92775tQGkzk04EEFngSx-IM6GJuRlwU5ppewA0ZH0-eouuSTaBY2a_M8bFoNz7KFewn_nDMY_o/s400/sarah+aronson+headshot.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Today
I bring to you an interview with author </span></span></span></span><a href="http://www.saraharonson.com/"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Sarah
Aronson</b></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>,</b></span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"> who
wrote a picture book called JUST LIKE RUBE GOLDBERG: THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF THE MAN BEHIND THE MACHINES </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">(Beach Lane Books). I was especially
drawn to this book because I find Rube Goldberg machines so
fascinating to explore whenever I attend science fairs. So I really
got into reading about the man behind these machines in this engaging
picture book written by Sarah and illustrated by Robert Neubecker. In
the book, Sarah wrote that Rube Goldberg didn’t draw machines that
solved real world problems but they challenged people to think: “He drew
comics to make us look closer. And question logic. And tickle the
imagination.”</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">I see you hold an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. What ideas and creative techniques did you learn from this program?</b></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Getting an MFA jumpstarted my writing journey--it was like working in a writing lab. The program offered me two years to try everything--to draft, reimagine and revise all kinds of stories with the help of master writers like Kathi Appelt--who pushed me to explore picture books as well as novels. While there, I learned to take chances--to practice the craft of writing with intention, to read like a writer. Perhaps more important than all the lessons and techniques and craft talks, I gained a supportive and encouraging community of writers. For me, community is essential! (That's why I co-founded the Novel Writing Retreat at VCFA. It's why I love teaching at the amazing Highlights Foundation and<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1382686650"><span style="color: #20124d;"><b> </b></span></a></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span lang="zxx" style="color: #20124d;"><u><b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1382686650">writers.com</a></b></u></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b><a href="http://./"><span style="color: #20124d;">.</span></a></b>)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">No one writes alone. We all need community. We all need fellowship to help us discover our voices--to push us to do our best. To boost our confidence. We all need to feel safe as we take chances with our hearts.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1QG8WMjwD2eI9jZbxe1iEErfm9wsJ6jj4u1CZY88O3GcyZ0bPamjbGgiRhrUqjwptm-RCas6Hsj4o3QCGkZLyZQF3HFYxThEng5Pp7zZakdEM4tRPLnrSQ0VJs5LE1T-V2Wd69hUmtYm/s1600/just+like+rube+goldberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe1QG8WMjwD2eI9jZbxe1iEErfm9wsJ6jj4u1CZY88O3GcyZ0bPamjbGgiRhrUqjwptm-RCas6Hsj4o3QCGkZLyZQF3HFYxThEng5Pp7zZakdEM4tRPLnrSQ0VJs5LE1T-V2Wd69hUmtYm/s320/just+like+rube+goldberg.jpg" width="272" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-size: 13pt;">How
did you come to work with Beach Lane Books to publish JUST LIKE RUBE
GOLDBERG?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">The
old-fashioned way!</span></div>
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</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">When
my agent read my first draft of JUST LIKE RUBE GOLDBERG, she sensed
that it might work for Allyn Johnston. And we were so excited when
she let us know she loved it. Allyn's feedback and direction helped
make the story stronger and more fun. She pushed me to recheck
sources and find my voice and intent in the story.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">And
then she and her team gave the book to Robert Neubecker. I cried when
I saw his sketches--I love his vision and art so much! The whole
process was so humbling and thrilling! When we open a picture book,
we inhabit the book through the art first. To see my words with those
images...it's amazing!</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>How
did you research Rube Goldberg’s life and decide which parts
of it to use in the picture book?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">You
might say this book was 50 years in the making. I have loved Rube
Goldberg machines since I saw the Breakfast Machine in Chitty Chitty
Bang Bang!</span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">To
find the narrative, I read lots of articles and books. I listened to
video of Rube and his granddaughter, Jennifer. I visited the machine
contest and heard Jennifer talk about Rube.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">I
learned that I love doing research! I love digging for stories. I am
a curious person! It is so much fun finding more about a person or
topic you care about!</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>If
you could create the Rube Goldberg machine of your dreams, what would
this machine accomplish?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">My
sensible self says an office cleaning machine! (Right now, mine is a
MESS.) But the breakfast machine still calls to me. Check out the
human Rube Goldberg machine the readers at Quest Academy made--to
return Rube Goldberg to the library!</span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>What
books/authors did you enjoy reading when you were younger?</b></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTYB7yO7Yo5gzo-XQjXhKlGOwLnMAkDtj1KxoItIFeSaENNretN6HnspXxwtgfMRZbOwkGiClq-AcKdIK_yVbpgrKPYNi6u7oZ9pkyKZLI2YiZ51EucHE5aksrenL09QklEyjKTcONDZZ/s1600/bunnicula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVTYB7yO7Yo5gzo-XQjXhKlGOwLnMAkDtj1KxoItIFeSaENNretN6HnspXxwtgfMRZbOwkGiClq-AcKdIK_yVbpgrKPYNi6u7oZ9pkyKZLI2YiZ51EucHE5aksrenL09QklEyjKTcONDZZ/s320/bunnicula.jpg" width="219" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">My
first favorite book was The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss. I still
adore this perfect 101 word story of determination.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As
a young reader, I faced some struggles learning, so it took me a few
years to feel confident reading. I owe my love of books to a very
determined teacher (Thank you, Mr. Sigley), who helped me find the
stories that would make me a reader. The first book was HARRIET THE
SPY. I was convinced that Harriet was Jewish like me--since she wore
glasses. Later, I also liked books with open endings, like THE PEARL,
by John Steinbeck. I read a lot of Dickens when I lived in England.
And of course, I loved books about girls by Beverly Cleary and Judy
Blume.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">It's
interesting to me now that I never yearned to become a writer,
although I certainly kept a journal and wrote stories when I was a
girl. I became a writer after being dared to write! That night, I
noticed that my daughter was reading ESPERANZA RISING. My son was
reading BUNNICULA (probably for the 30th time). I began reading
everything they were reading--with an eye for story. What I
discovered: I loved these books! As an adult, I still understood the
heart of these young protagonists. I still remembered what it was
like to feel different.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b>Any
upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">I
will soon be announcing a brand new picture book project--but you'll
have to stay tuned!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">I
am working on two new PB ideas as well as a new middle grade novel
that takes place in Chicago!</span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">What
I can say: I love writing stories! Every day, I welcome inspiration.
Curiosity and reading lead me to stories. Walking by Lake Michigan
makes my brain swirl. When I put down my phone and listen to the
world, I always find something! Our creative community is supportive
and encouraging. I am so glad that writing found me.<br />
</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt;"><b style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">BOOK GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT!</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> Readers, Sarah is super generous to offer a copy of JUST LIKE RUBE GOLDBERG to a lucky winner. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Here are the details:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 13pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"></span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;">To enter, you must do at least one of these two things:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;">1. You can leave a comment on this post. That will get you one point.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;">2. You can re-tweet my Twitter post found @CynthiaSociety. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">That will also get you one point. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">If you follow me at this blog, you get an extra point. If you follow me on Twitter @CynthiaSociety, you also get an extra point.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">The more points you have, the higher the chances of you winning the book. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">A winner will be picked randomly. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">The contest will end on Friday, August 2. If the winner doesn't respond to my attempts to reach out to them on social media, I will pick another winner.</span></span></div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-69141339512637750292019-06-15T01:28:00.000-07:002019-06-15T01:56:53.792-07:00Author and Illustrator Interview with Corinna Luyken<blockquote class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560187994390_6158" style="background-color: white; font-family: helveticaneue, "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, "lucida grande", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 1em;" type="cite">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLxzAaRQvFWegpc6Vys9yzVjVokjyjxKN-_p4-C8VP4cHstBprbQq_PJNq84_5QaNVp9PL1lG1M77HbF5I0hNhW80taLAlWdwTXQ7GRrOFfAYpki5zw75UfQ-_LYNCC_HekGHtutlUjfL/s1600/corinna+luyken+headshot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLxzAaRQvFWegpc6Vys9yzVjVokjyjxKN-_p4-C8VP4cHstBprbQq_PJNq84_5QaNVp9PL1lG1M77HbF5I0hNhW80taLAlWdwTXQ7GRrOFfAYpki5zw75UfQ-_LYNCC_HekGHtutlUjfL/s400/corinna+luyken+headshot.jpeg" width="266" /></a><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5066" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">Happy Summer, readers! Today I bring to you an interview with author and illustrator Corinna Luyken. I first came across Corinna’s work when I read her picture book, THE BOOK OF MISTAKES (Dial). The book presents the perspective of an artist who is sketching a face and then makes a “mistake.” The mistake is corrected by another mistake...and there comes more mistakes, and more corrections. As I turn the pages, the artist is slowly building a scene with the mistakes and corrections until I see the masterpiece that has come from all the mistakes. Back in March, I read this book to my child’s class for Read Across America Day and all the kids loved it.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5070" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;"><b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5071">Hello Corinna! </b><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5072"><b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5073">Where were you born and raised? Where did you attend school? Did you attend art school?</b></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">I was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and raised there as well as San Diego and Corvallis, OR. I went to college at Middlebury College in VT. Although I didn’t go to art school, I did take as many creative writing classes as they offered, and enough art classes to get into the printmaking class! I also took a number of dance improvisation classes. There were some incredible writing and dance teachers at Middlebury, and they had as much/more of an impact on my creative process (and the books that I’ve made so far) as any art class did.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_S2XZuANIhDv-4YmNtk4akDW4tDCDlYwzTcl6Ggdf0aWH-OackFsVLMOQJtUOyD4Cp4mJ8lFD13OOYWRumiDHa7Od_iJqqvnOd7V15YRQ_nXrHrVjOsjN0_ofIHqMcOyedXBFoGYBNW3/s1600/the+book+of+mistakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_S2XZuANIhDv-4YmNtk4akDW4tDCDlYwzTcl6Ggdf0aWH-OackFsVLMOQJtUOyD4Cp4mJ8lFD13OOYWRumiDHa7Od_iJqqvnOd7V15YRQ_nXrHrVjOsjN0_ofIHqMcOyedXBFoGYBNW3/s320/the+book+of+mistakes.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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<b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5080" style="font-family: arialmt, sans-serif;">If an aspiring illustrator cannot or isn’t able to attend art school, what advice do you have for them to continue to develop their artistic skills?</b></div>
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<span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5082" style="color: #002342;"><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5083" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">Read, read read! And draw, draw, draw! I did the bulk of my learning by studying the picture books that I loved. </span></span><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5084" style="color: #002342;"><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5085" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">A</span></span><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5086" style="color: #002342;"><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5087" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">nd it was many years before I realized that the more I drew, the better my skill at drawing was getting. But in some ways I think fear that I would never be even close to the “best” artist in the class is one of the things that kept me out of art school. It was even more years before </span></span><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5090" style="color: #002342;"><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5091" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">I learned that the most important thing (much more important than natural ability) is to LOVE what you are doing, and to be curious about the process of learning new skills. This means being willing to NOT be “good" at something. Because love, curiosity and a willingness to make mistakes are essential ingredients of persistence. And with persistence comes continued learning and growth. Slow, steady growth… which is often the best kind.</span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">I also joined SCBWI and learned quite a bit from getting critiques of my artwork through that organization. And I also tried to listen carefully and with curiosity (instead of despair or dismissively) to the rejection letters I was getting from editors in the early years of trying to get into this field. Which helped me to realize/admit to myself that my art was not yet at a professional level. (This was 18 years ago). So I spent at least 15 years developing and growing as an artist before I signed with an agent or sold my first book. My art changed a LOT during that time.</span></div>
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<b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5101"><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5102" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">THE BOOK OF MISTAKES has inspired me personally. My takeaway from this story is that no creative work is ever truly wasted </span><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5103" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">and that we should keep on going, </span><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5104" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">even when we make mistakes along the way</span><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5105" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">. What is your favorite mistake as an artist?</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">I make so many mistakes when I draw! I always have, and probably always will… I’m not sure that I have a favorite. Though each mistake that I am able to transform into something beautiful becomes my new favorite for a while. I also love doing drawing exercises with my daughter (and with kids in schools) where we take turns bumping each other’s elbows while we are drawing…and then having to turn those squiggles and awkward lines into part of the art. It’s so fun!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCNbz1jA_yVpHsp7lo7NB2bietEwZ91wVt810d7fIxdL0FEI854za1dEKORRsckpEi8H8mofPxdJ_qRiWAqz3Jy8L87cYXJ9M1gmjIbHjgZh_Z_9PG6XAIlRcIU1jtXIjtBb5Gco6luOk/s1600/adrian+simcox++does+not+have+a+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="312" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCNbz1jA_yVpHsp7lo7NB2bietEwZ91wVt810d7fIxdL0FEI854za1dEKORRsckpEi8H8mofPxdJ_qRiWAqz3Jy8L87cYXJ9M1gmjIbHjgZh_Z_9PG6XAIlRcIU1jtXIjtBb5Gco6luOk/s320/adrian+simcox++does+not+have+a+horse.jpg" width="249" /></a><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5113" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;"><b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5114">I read ADRIAN SIMCOX DOES NOT HAVE A HORSE (Dial), written by Marcy Campbell and illustrated by you. The story of a girl who openly doubts that her classmate owns the horse he brags about and her eventual compassion toward him shows the gears in motion when character development takes place. What work and thought processes went into illustrating ADRIAN SIMCOX DOES NOT HAVE A HORSE? </b></span><span style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">ADRIAN was both a challenge and a delight to illustrate, in part because there were no illustration notes. Marcy left it up to me to decide whether to show Adrian’s horse or not. I spent a great deal of time sketching and experimenting and wandering around my neighborhood looking at houses/yards/trees/bushes/fences, trying to figure out how I might show Adrian’s horse. It wasn’t until I started drawing tall grasses against a fence that I realized how I might be able to use negative space to show Adrian’s horse. It was the perfect way to allow the horse to simultaneously exist and not exist.</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstxUSICOvz6XoEf9H1D53iRoEL-K8G7F7RO1rmi4FEJMRXaE8PxkBlpD8OadwyTmdUnWZeAgPMwcNJFPkNHjOGLeNGLmrM6eT23X8h5998BQVQLUpuUiek_hqNxtMVAxtvLvg90ftfGD7/s1600/my+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="307" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstxUSICOvz6XoEf9H1D53iRoEL-K8G7F7RO1rmi4FEJMRXaE8PxkBlpD8OadwyTmdUnWZeAgPMwcNJFPkNHjOGLeNGLmrM6eT23X8h5998BQVQLUpuUiek_hqNxtMVAxtvLvg90ftfGD7/s320/my+heart.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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<span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5123" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;"><b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5124">I read MY HEART (Dial), written and illustrated by you. I was moved by your figurative language used to describe the versatility of the human heart. </b></span><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5125" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;"><b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5126">How did you use illustrations to conceptualize the ideas presented in MY HEART? When you were putting this story together, what did you work on first- the art work or the text? </b></span><span style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">The text came first, as a poem, and then the art followed. But as the art changed and developed (morphing from watercolor and ink into monoprint printmaking in order to bring a roughness to the art that would better balance the sweetness of the text) the text changed as well. In a few places I cut out big chunks of the text when I realized that the words were repeating the art. And I had to cut and rearrange a fair bit to make the entire book shorter by one spread. So in the end, the art and words very much influenced each other.</span></div>
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<span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5137" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;"><span class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5137" style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;"><b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5138">Who were your favorite illustrators while you were growing up? </b></span><span style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">Maud and Miska Petersham, Diane Redfield Massie, Shel Silverstein, Mark Simont, Richard Scarry, Maurice Sendak, Arnold Lobel…</span></span></div>
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<b class="yiv7602061422" id="yiv7602061422yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1560072210036_5145" style="font-family: arialmt, sans-serif;">Are there any upcoming projects you’d like to share about? </b><span style="font-family: "arialmt" , sans-serif;">WEIRD LITTLE ROBOTS, a middle grade novel written by Carolyn Crimi (and illustrated by me) is coming out this fall. NOTHING IN COMMON is the picture book I’m in the process of illustrating right now. It's written by Kate Hoefler and is about two kids who have nothing in common… but maybe they do? It will be out Fall 2020. I'm also working on another book with Marcy Campbell and my next book as author/illustrator is called THE ARGUERS. It is about a kingdom full of people having absurd arguments… and it is SO fun to draw!</span></div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-80628750534873516902019-03-30T22:59:00.000-07:002019-03-31T23:28:33.817-07:00Oldie But Goodie: RUNNING OUT OF TIME by Margaret Peterson Haddix<div align="justify" class="western" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaf2juwtP5vc4u7LTz4u5IId3V8HyWJoWPPctVJs1QdfuDPKx7_B8rjkNLv7yIwcqi_qUKQYRYndY09QHza59gReog9mrUKg2b0WSxdPaMJMBTvJEQzn_M5E_SIORyfC0V-kklK7rFTdkB/s1600/running+out+of+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaf2juwtP5vc4u7LTz4u5IId3V8HyWJoWPPctVJs1QdfuDPKx7_B8rjkNLv7yIwcqi_qUKQYRYndY09QHza59gReog9mrUKg2b0WSxdPaMJMBTvJEQzn_M5E_SIORyfC0V-kklK7rFTdkB/s320/running+out+of+time.jpg" width="228" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">To recognize literary blasts from the past, I started an "Oldie But Goodie" series to recognize memorable books I read that were published back in the day.
</span><br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;">“</span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">I'm
not quite sure how I ended up being somebody who wrote more of the
page-turner style books. I think it's because every time that I've
started writing a book, I feel an urgency and I think that is
conveyed to the reader as well, the urgency of wanting to get through
the story and wanting to tell that story. So I think that is what
probably drives the 'thriller' nature of the books that I've
written.</span></i></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">” </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-style: normal;"><b><a href="http://www.adlit.org/transcript_display/39929/">-Margaret Peterson Haddix</a></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">RUNNING
OUT OF TIME (Simon & Schuster), by Margaret Peterson Haddix, is a middle grade novel (that could also pass for young adult) that was published in 1995. This story centers on 13-year-old Jessie,
who believes she is growing up in a rural Indiana village in 1840. In the beginning of the story, it is revealed that a number of</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">children
in her village have caught</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">diphtheria,
a disease that can be deadly. Jessie’s mother tells Jessie that she
must escape from the village to help the sick children get access to
medicine. Ma also reveals that the village they live in- the
only world that Jessie has known- is actually a historical preserve that
has gone haywire, and the villagers living here- grown-ups and
children- are being held captive here. Outside, in the real world, it
is 1996 and the overseers of this “historical preserve” have been withholding medicine from the villagers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Without
giving away major spoilers, I believe the author might have written
this story to hint at a personal conviction. If my assumption is
correct, she successfully conveyed her message without talking down
to or overwhelming me, the reader, with it. I’m generally unenthusiastic about
stories that are unable to grab me, and at the same time, are
blatantly pushing a message or idea, even if it is one that I personally
agree with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">RUNNING
OUT OF TIME, on the other hand, hooked me with an element of intrigue
right from the first chapter with Jessie’s observations of the
mysterious village and the secret Ma was ready to share. The message of the story (or at least the one I picked up on) was artfully woven in- it was a visible thread rather than a distracting pattern that repeatedly called attention to itself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">As
a reader and writer, what story elements do you think should be included in a first chapter? What fictional stories with "messages" have you liked and/or not liked?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-2336650279350429152019-02-19T16:10:00.000-08:002019-02-19T17:15:42.675-08:00Author Interview with Laurel Snyder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8gJ-ZqfX0D7O9Yk7hPd8n5mTFBUlUCZF0e5sv66CwmblrSeRCUBRQJSd5pVm_mrOT2B86zUQQVpI5u8hyv1sIew7Kn0nMXttX5-5BWr2MLrCBH7M7aV1OIf1RLNi01LbKZePNSVviYRz/s1600/laurel+snyder+headshot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1511" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb8gJ-ZqfX0D7O9Yk7hPd8n5mTFBUlUCZF0e5sv66CwmblrSeRCUBRQJSd5pVm_mrOT2B86zUQQVpI5u8hyv1sIew7Kn0nMXttX5-5BWr2MLrCBH7M7aV1OIf1RLNi01LbKZePNSVviYRz/s400/laurel+snyder+headshot.jpeg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Today
I bring to you an interview with <b><a href="http://laurelsnyder.com/"><span style="color: #20124d;">Laurel Snyder.</span></a></b>
Laurel is from Baltimore, Maryland and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
She graduated from the Iowa Writers Workshop and has a background in
journalism, in addition to being an award-winning author. Kidlit
books by Laurel I have read include several of her middle grade
novels-ORPHAN ISLAND (Walden Pond Press), BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX
(Random House), and SEVEN STORIES UP (Random House), early readers
CHARLIE & MOUSE (Chronicle) and CHARLIE & MOUSE & GRUMPY
(Chronicle), and the picture book THE FOREVER GARDEN (Schwartz &
Wade).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOgkOT2Q91O2wxehhhLe884LEUSlu9uTPzFAR8F1aMItcSdf1esGadGH_AeiL_8gWrsTRs2BL1fpNF3IMDIu5gdtsIa-rfHzeKO-Jz0nUm7a2xfdqrB29WZCFesJr7nLALzb7ETxTCkYS/s1600/orphan+island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOgkOT2Q91O2wxehhhLe884LEUSlu9uTPzFAR8F1aMItcSdf1esGadGH_AeiL_8gWrsTRs2BL1fpNF3IMDIu5gdtsIa-rfHzeKO-Jz0nUm7a2xfdqrB29WZCFesJr7nLALzb7ETxTCkYS/s320/orphan+island.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-size: 14pt;">ORPHAN
ISLAND deeply intrigued me from the start all the way to the last
page. In this story,</b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><b style="font-size: 14pt;">nine children live independently on
an island without adult supervision. Each year, a toddler joins the
group and the oldest child must leave. The</b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><b style="font-size: 14pt;">backstory
and epilogue is left up to the imagination of the reader. What
kind of homework did you do to create the untold backstory and
epilogue of ORPHAN ISLAND?</b></span></div>
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<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Oh,
interesting question! This was a book that materialized very
gradually. I knew I wanted to write a sort of allegorical story, and
I knew I wanted to write about parentless kids. But it took awhile to
arrive at the island.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Once
I did, the job was all about creating the world and its rules, and I
spent about a year on that. I painted a lot of it-- the foods and
animals, the map and the kids. Designing their clothes and laying out
the houses and other places they spent time in.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">And
then a lot tweaking had to be done. Figuring out how many kids had
lived there in the past (counted in shoes), and how many could live
there at once. (initially there were ten, but the math didn't work
out that way, for Ess to be Jinny's Care kids).</span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So
while there was very little traditional research, I spent a lot of
time in prewriting.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Will
readers get to see these details of ORPHAN ISLAND in any future
projects? (I hope it’s “yes!”)</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My
next book (MY JASPER JUNE) isn't about the island-- I had something
else in line first. But I'm working on a prequel. One never knows
whether a book will work out well enough to be published. (I have
lots of unpublished messes in a drawer, trust me). But I'm hopeful.
The question is whether the second book is going to make the
experience of the first better, or simply tie up the loose ends. I'm
not interested in just answering people's questions. It needs to
stand on its own.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJPmoSy4BC_o9-lt3A8z8WA46E4J_WTeXgmoO3WucYBfimp2wHs8J2XE8iJqZ-v0x0qTCHyHwuvIOQ0tWw3K9V5FQ5VIceY5RPccxev6iksLcrGDLBPtVkOwAJdHNNod92w3TdPzSo8ND/s1600/bigger+than+a+bread+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJPmoSy4BC_o9-lt3A8z8WA46E4J_WTeXgmoO3WucYBfimp2wHs8J2XE8iJqZ-v0x0qTCHyHwuvIOQ0tWw3K9V5FQ5VIceY5RPccxev6iksLcrGDLBPtVkOwAJdHNNod92w3TdPzSo8ND/s320/bigger+than+a+bread+box.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>In
BIGGER THAN A BREAD BOX, readers meet Rebecca, 12, who is struggling
with her parents’ separation. Living with her grandmother, she
stumbles across a bread box that grants her wishes. At first, this
magic box seems like a dream come true, until Rebecca realizes that
the box has a sinister method of producing the things she wants. It
almost felt that this bread box was its own character. How did you
create a character out of an inanimate object?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The
bread box was actually the beginning of the book! I often begin a
story with a question or a catalyst, and then I have to build the
characters who will serve as the engine for the actual plot. That's
exactly what happened in this case.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
wouldn't say I thought of the box as a character, while writing. But
it makes sense you read it that way. Rebecca certainly has a
relationship with the bread box, a struggle. It's teaching her
something, and she's fighting with it.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">You know what's
interesting? Originally, that book had another character, a boy named
Japheth. He became Rebecca's friend in Atlanta, and shared the
adventure with her. But I had to remove him, because it felt like he
was keeping her from getting lonely/sad enough to really do what she
needed to do. I wonder if maybe I channeled that friend-energy into
the box, when I took Japheth away. Hmmm.</span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimddglXlypYb0TffxmgMamiaswD-OqtWLmDZ9lHjzfOhwuFZ5dJ4-btINPEKrCs-jbOqi1V0biF8xRa4d5Ji32nK7wMtwNTStyjescX3ygjFiooW2Bo-4J40NUWkguYWXFxjkeXjSb3joa/s1600/seven+stories+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimddglXlypYb0TffxmgMamiaswD-OqtWLmDZ9lHjzfOhwuFZ5dJ4-btINPEKrCs-jbOqi1V0biF8xRa4d5Ji32nK7wMtwNTStyjescX3ygjFiooW2Bo-4J40NUWkguYWXFxjkeXjSb3joa/s320/seven+stories+up.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-size: 14pt;">In
SEVEN STORIES UP, Annie accompanies her mother to meet her dying
grandmother, a hotel heiress, for the first time. It seems that
Annie’s mother and grandmother have never been close. Then Annie
time travels to 1937 and befriends her grandmother as a young girl.
In doing so, she alters history where it matters the most.</b></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>In
the Author’s Note at the end of the SEVEN STORIES UP, you shared
that you had to check all your facts about history, from finding out
the price of a candy bar to learning about Ferris wheels. How did you
research these historical details?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Oh,
wow. It took forever. I'm not really a researcher or nonfiction
writer by nature, and I seriously underestimated the amount of effort
involved. My hat is off to people who write historical fiction for
real! This book actually fell behind schedule and was published late
because of all the time involved.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I used Google a lot, to
be honest. And I kept a Pinterest page with maps and old ephemera I
found, that helped me with the visuals and world-building. But in the
end, I had to go to the library. Because there's just too much
online, and I found myself falling down rabbit holes. At the end of
the day, an Encyclopedia is a very useful tool. Sometimes, less is
more.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2Ot0cf97x6zQpwqfE08UGL2elMnNsD9uQVJpghh2ddq1AXOC4-SNx0rG1NNdgqMwtjQMgC-iRiKrJzXg9cnFHS33kZJM0KTbSQqBbylrbhLTZw8SyIsIm7gUCcgKNwJJsUQDR3DLbYYI/s1600/charlie+%2526+mouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2Ot0cf97x6zQpwqfE08UGL2elMnNsD9uQVJpghh2ddq1AXOC4-SNx0rG1NNdgqMwtjQMgC-iRiKrJzXg9cnFHS33kZJM0KTbSQqBbylrbhLTZw8SyIsIm7gUCcgKNwJJsUQDR3DLbYYI/s320/charlie+%2526+mouse.jpg" width="245" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>In
your middle grade books (e.g. ORPHAN ISLAND, BIGGER THAN A BREAD
BOX,and SEVEN STORIES UP) are an element of magic and fantasy. What
rules do you adhere to when you incorporate magical realism into your
work? (I hope magical realism is the right term to use.)</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">People
call my books Magical Realism a lot, and I don't think that's exactly
correct, from an academic standpoint, but it works.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">I
think the main thing is that you need to establish a logic to the
individual magical system in the book. And you need to deal with any
consequences that arise. If you bring a unicorn in through the
window, you need to know how it got there, whether there are more
unicorns waiting in the wings, and what, exactly, a unicorn is. Then
you need to then feed the unicorn, deal with the unicorn poo, etc. I
actually really love that part of the job-- figuring out that other
world/logic.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJy5SZG9bf206nVkhKVjFs8TXuoZnvW53IsmDbf-gPdilLVDnBsowboisij2_CPbOBbIK5uqxveUobiV5Ac1l4aasRIym4asPLiYSYfJeEQT6QaGqK__na5O7RDHEheEAC1rQCWtSmGq5J/s1600/the+forever+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJy5SZG9bf206nVkhKVjFs8TXuoZnvW53IsmDbf-gPdilLVDnBsowboisij2_CPbOBbIK5uqxveUobiV5Ac1l4aasRIym4asPLiYSYfJeEQT6QaGqK__na5O7RDHEheEAC1rQCWtSmGq5J/s1600/the+forever+garden.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>THE
FOREVER GARDEN tells a sweet story about how a garden can grow on
even when its original owner leaves it behind. The CHARLIE &
MOUSE books detail the experiences and musings of two young brothers.</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>How
does your writing style differ between writing a picture book such as
THE FOREVER GARDEN and early readers, such as the CHARLIE & MOUSE
books? </b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Hmmm.
I'm not sure it does, really. I mean, the CHARLIE & MOUSE books
are about my own kids, and so I have a sense of them as ongoing. I
could write them forever, because my kids have adventures that
inspire me daily. But I'm not sure the actual process of writing them
is different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Though, now that I've said that... I might
say that Charlie and Mouse are character-driven (more like a novel).
And my picture books typically aren't. So much of the character in a
picture book comes from collaboration, from the art. So they tend to
be more situational, more about the idea of the story. And less about
the character as a person.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dHnFtRPlXEgz93D2qRgYa6rfQcrhgVCaeBsFGHfSk6IumtqIiojdy52c1rqsOFU1AIB8PWJRubtiBddHxz5ETwl_MhrVc9I6MWNYTCJkzmUY_fLmVSmBNloLlijmiR6DAE_WqfmSBo8y/s1600/A+Little+Princess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="303" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dHnFtRPlXEgz93D2qRgYa6rfQcrhgVCaeBsFGHfSk6IumtqIiojdy52c1rqsOFU1AIB8PWJRubtiBddHxz5ETwl_MhrVc9I6MWNYTCJkzmUY_fLmVSmBNloLlijmiR6DAE_WqfmSBo8y/s320/A+Little+Princess.jpg" width="204" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>7.
What books/authors did you enjoy reading when you were younger?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Oh,
so many! I loved really gritty human books like DICEY’S SONG and
BRIDGE TO TEREBITHIA. I loved magic books like HALF MAGIC and the
NARNIA CHRONICLES. I loved old fashioned stories like BALLET SHOE and
A LITTLE PRINCESS, books that painted a picture of another time and
place. And I loved high voiced and comic stories, like MRS. PIGGLE
WIGGLE or THE THIRTEEN CLOCKS.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">A lot of these books, I
realize now, need context if kids are going to read them today. The
world has changed, and we now recognize the problematic elements. I
feel strongly about that. But it doesn't change the fact that I loved
them.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>8.
Are there any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I'm
always working on something! My next novel, MY JASPER JUNE, will be
out in September. (</span></span></span></span><u style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2019/02/10/writing-for-the-middle-by-laurel-snyder/"><span style="color: #20124d;">https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2019/02/10/writing-for-the-middle-by-laurel-snyder/</span></a>)</span></u><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">And I have two new CHARLIE & MOUSE</span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">stories
coming out this year too, and a picture book with Chuck Groenink,
called HUNGRY JIM. Right now I'm working on my first graphic
novel, a memoir called FAIRY HUNTER. And then the prequel to
ORPHAN ISLAND</span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">which
is Abigail's story, mostly.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-40475911083581246042019-01-29T13:47:00.000-08:002019-02-19T12:13:01.778-08:00Oldie But Goodie: THE SNOWMAN by Raymond Briggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCc42Z2F-zAAotKY_K_JCzcoJtetRGIKq1bItBvvHukHDLBSWPkdY09lkZ1vWJE7nbm8qomgEXl7fyKJ9RCAMhFCxysNLoOAg5_TKjdj17QY02GHyrdzZIriDsKetf1IHI6n6qAGuq4_fp/s1600/the+snowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="289" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCc42Z2F-zAAotKY_K_JCzcoJtetRGIKq1bItBvvHukHDLBSWPkdY09lkZ1vWJE7nbm8qomgEXl7fyKJ9RCAMhFCxysNLoOAg5_TKjdj17QY02GHyrdzZIriDsKetf1IHI6n6qAGuq4_fp/s320/the+snowman.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">HAPPY
2019! This year, I'd like to share more about books</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">So
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I'll
continue to post author interviews and </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">tweet
about </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">stuff
I've read.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> (On Twitter, find me @CynthiaSociety). </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I'd
also like to interview some illustrators too. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;">
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">To
recognize </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">literary
blast</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">s</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
from the pas</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">t,
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I
decided to start </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">an</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
"Oldie But Goodie" </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">series to</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"> re</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">cognize </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">memorable</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">
books </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">I
read that were published back in the day</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">.
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Since
it's still winter, I thought Raymond Briggs' THE SNOW MAN would make
a good debut post.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></i>
</div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">"</span><span style="color: #282828; font-weight: normal;">I
don't believe in happy endings. Children have got to face death
sooner or later. Granny and Grandpa die, dogs die, cats die, gerbils
and those frightful things - what are they called? - hamsters: all
die like flies. So there's no point avoiding it."</span><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: #351c75;"><b>-<a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3670140/Raymond-Briggs-I-dont-believe-in-happy-endings.html">Raymond Briggs</a></b> </span></i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
THE
SNOWMAN (Random House) is a picture book told without words. On each
page are square and rectangular boxes, similar to the layout of a
comic book, with an illustration inside each one. The images tell the
story of an unnamed boy who builds a snowman with meticulous care.
After his mother tucks him in at night, the boy gets back up to check
on the snowman. The snowman tips his hat and comes to life. When the
new friends go outside, the snowman takes the boy's hand and together
they fly through the dark and vast snowy sky for a glorious night on
the town. Eventually, the snowman returns the boy back to his home.
The boy heads back to his room, and the snowman goes back to the spot
outside where he was constructed. The boy goes to sleep. In the
morning, he sees that the snowman has melted.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Indeed
this story doesn't have the cheeriest of endings. But not all hope is
lost. If I were the boy, I would build another snowman. Sometimes the
figurative snowmen that we build in our lives melt into meaningless
slush. But we need to consider what we could do better and find the
strength to build another one.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">THE
SNOWMAN was published in 1978, years before CALVIN AND HOBBES, a
comic that I LOVE, became syndicated in 1985. The idea of a child
befriending a seemingly inanimate object that comes to life for them
really stirs something inside me.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="zxx" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tell
me about about a "snowman" you had to rebuild.</span></span></div>
</div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-87155150131913461052018-09-19T00:00:00.000-07:002019-03-28T00:19:50.514-07:00Author Interview with Barb Rosenstock<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3qmNbSnheUcyBEZbWkjpxoDKRNCROjxHUoQbgBB3RT-1x5scltdquv7gndWxC_s1_KMGrQtq6UA0ePZEjSD-S3S2O4jRf2L_8a1Aq7sDQqbvr2hKOkrXCARMS7jaIdW09_1HV9NYmxij/s1600/barb+rosenstock+headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3qmNbSnheUcyBEZbWkjpxoDKRNCROjxHUoQbgBB3RT-1x5scltdquv7gndWxC_s1_KMGrQtq6UA0ePZEjSD-S3S2O4jRf2L_8a1Aq7sDQqbvr2hKOkrXCARMS7jaIdW09_1HV9NYmxij/s320/barb+rosenstock+headshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Here's an interview with Chicago-born author Barb Rosenstock</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> (</span></span><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; font-size: 14pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #660000; font-size: 14pt;"><u><b><a href="http://barbrosenstock.com/">barbrosenstock.com</a>)</b></u></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">,</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">who
has over a dozen books</span></span><span style="color: #ff2600; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">in
print. I’ve enjoyed three picture books written by
Barb-VAN GOGH PAINTS THE NIGHT SKY: VINCENT CAN’T SLEEP (Alfred
A. Knopf, Illust. by </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Mary
GrandPré</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">),
THE COLORS AND SOUNDS OF KANDINSKY’S ABSTRACT ART: THE NOISY PAINT
BOX (Alfred A. Knopf, Illust. by </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Mary
GrandPré</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> ) and
THOMAS JEFFERSON BUILDS A LIBRARY (Calkins Creek, Illust. by
John O’Brien).</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">VINCENT
CAN’T SLEEP (non-fiction) reveals Vincent Van Gogh’s
lifelong insomnia, the glimpses of light the darkness brought
him, and how his restlessness led him to paint the famous
“Starry Night.” THE NOISY PAINT BOX (historical
fiction) shows how, from a young age, Vasily</span></span><span style="color: #ff2600;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Kandinsky would paint
the sounds he heard from the colors of his paints to create
his polychromatic abstract art. The author’s note
explained that it is believed Kandinsky had synesthesia, a
genetic condition where one bodily sense can activate
another sense. In THOMAS JEFFERSON BUILDS A LIBRARY
(non-fiction), I followed the story of the third president of the
United States, a voracious reader and book collector who went on to
organize the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">How
did you start writing books?</span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I
studied pre-law at the University of Illinois; but switched to
psychology and graduated from Loyola University. Much later, I got my
Master’s Degree in education and student-taught 2nd grade. I
started writing books in order to do my lesson plans and wound up
with a writing career instead of teaching full-time.</span></span><span style="background: #ffffff;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Writing
and school visits are the ways I teach. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dJbTCn_VXpUT-wDsbUMLxlx4cDaArxKBbTpVwxw-rOAdwHwYN4yXgUSujy7Qi_yWxHRSaQ6y1OPdloFaqTYfXvN6s_qZ7HhixXuLp2OjHYI_vKxISCJZ9zicTshajmon8RjUTKzFjZCe/s1600/the+noisy+paint+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dJbTCn_VXpUT-wDsbUMLxlx4cDaArxKBbTpVwxw-rOAdwHwYN4yXgUSujy7Qi_yWxHRSaQ6y1OPdloFaqTYfXvN6s_qZ7HhixXuLp2OjHYI_vKxISCJZ9zicTshajmon8RjUTKzFjZCe/s320/the+noisy+paint+box.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I
find it interesting that in the author's note in THE NOISY PAINTBOX,
it's suggested that Vasily Kandinsky had synesthesia and this
condition could've triggered his artistic sensibilities. And in VINCENT CAN'T
SLEEP, Vincent Van Gogh's insomnia is a driving force in his story.
What are your thoughts about the idea that there could be a
connection between artistic brilliance and conditions that affect the
processes of the brain?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4125"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4127"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4129"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4137"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4135"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4138"></a>
<span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">Wow!
Well that is a question best left to brain scientists! But in
my opinion, not so much. Reading Van Gogh’s letters it
struck me how much he was struggling </span><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">against </span></b><span style="background: #ffffff;">his
mental or physical illness(es) but still working on his art through
his pain. He might have even produced more, and grown more
artistically, had he more effective treatment in his day. It is my
view that all people (certainly children!) are intrinsically creative
and our most brilliant artists are just people who can hang onto that
openness and express it in some way.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9IRJbBFL8jL914Lp_9kxSILWPHOfh6zqGhthb6NAsZ1g0qxqf2Te0qShpW6yfYFKGfbm7Kt753tmwsIhtUUN4chCeigkHnNlHZ-EoxBOgo8zi_779oIOhb-g6TeAKYz1cIQHjrHyY1ib/s1600/thomas+jefferson+builds+a+library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9IRJbBFL8jL914Lp_9kxSILWPHOfh6zqGhthb6NAsZ1g0qxqf2Te0qShpW6yfYFKGfbm7Kt753tmwsIhtUUN4chCeigkHnNlHZ-EoxBOgo8zi_779oIOhb-g6TeAKYz1cIQHjrHyY1ib/s320/thomas+jefferson+builds+a+library.jpg" width="314" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I
was intrigued to learn more about the beginnings of Washington D.C.'s
Library of Congress in THOMAS JEFFERSON BUILDS A LIBRARY. While you
celebrated Jefferson's achievements in the course of the story, you
shared in your author's note that Jefferson was a slaveholder. Here,
you expressed the irony that the man who wrote the Declaration of
Independence also withheld human freedom to African Americans.
What were the challenges of writing a biographical story of an
admired historical figure who was also responsible for unnoble
deeds? </span></b></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1kFA6fzrTQwmIGsqNehOYH5NzhHQtE1rPNrVizy-BBf9lfdVClvhTmOI4OzXZvrhdEQ-QQuSF_BLyPOAy1lnJPXFA1wIflo-CFasc7wAPni9PUjw-V0Tep9q3WmfNwpDM7T8RpddMJEh/s1600/harriet+the+spy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP1kFA6fzrTQwmIGsqNehOYH5NzhHQtE1rPNrVizy-BBf9lfdVClvhTmOI4OzXZvrhdEQ-QQuSF_BLyPOAy1lnJPXFA1wIflo-CFasc7wAPni9PUjw-V0Tep9q3WmfNwpDM7T8RpddMJEh/s320/harriet+the+spy.jpg" width="217" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4152"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4156"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4154"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4157"></a>
<span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I
started the book with a note on his family’s slaveholding and ended
it with one. But the book’s narrative itself was about his library,
not his plantation or his gardening or his politics or his wine
collection, </span><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">only </span></b><span style="background: #ffffff;">his
library. That is the biggest challenge of writing a picture book vs.
other genres: the author must stick with a tight theme or the book
won’t work. Though obviously his slaveholding affected everything
and everyone around him; it wasn't expressly the topic
of this short narrative. Jefferson was notoriously private about
his books, no one else was allowed in his library. So, working with
experts, there wasn't an authentic way to write about individuals
enslaved by Jefferson working with his books. Throughout
the illustrations, John O’Brien had more leeway to show Jefferson’s
slaves working and living their lives. But yes, it was a challenge
and is hopefully handled as well as the author, illustrator,
editor and publisher can at the time.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">As
I scan the list of books you've written, I notice you have an
interest in history and art (also subjects I'm interested in). How
did you start writing books on these subjects? Did you work in
another industry before becoming a published author?</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4176"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4178"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4180"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4182"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4184"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4186"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4188"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4190"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4192"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4194"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4196"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4198"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4200"></a>
<span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I
had a long career in marketing and advertising management before even
thinking of writing. But I’ve always loved history. I don’t
think I really write about anything else because I’m not always
sure there IS anything else. Everything's story, everyone’s
story is hi-story, whether it's about art, science, music,
politics, nature, athletics, construction, etc. My grandpa loved to
tell stories about Chicago’s past, the people he met, and his
immigrant family’s experiences. One of my latest books, OTIS &
WILL DISCOVER THE DEEP, is about science history, and I can hear my
grandfather’s voice in the writing choices I made. If you ask a
group of kids if they like history, maybe two hands go up; but if you
ask them if they like when someone in their family tells stories
about the past, like 98% of the hands go up. I’m trying to do
the latter.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">I
like the way you made history come alive in your books. What are your
tips for presenting history or historical fiction in a way that
engages young readers?</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4213"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4217"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4218"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4220"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4224"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4222"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4225"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yiv0842885028yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1536715041467_4227"></a>
<span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">See
Grandpa above. I really just try to “tell” a story, the way I
would say it out loud. I find something that engages
me— like that a poor, cross-eyed kid started
a whole genre of music (BLUE GRASS BOY) or that a refugee rebuilt his
village with recycled materials and hid it in the jungle for years
(THE SECRET KINGDOM.) I hope that my engagement translates to kids.
Though I know kids (and teachers) are my typical audience, I never
want to be writing “down,” since I </span><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">hated </span></b><span style="background: #ffffff;">that
as a child. I remember wanting to hear the “real story" and
then just having the opportunity to ask questions if there was
anything I didn’t understand. I think kids are way more capable
than adults assume.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">What
books/authors did you enjoy reading when you were younger?</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial sans" serif , sans-serif;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">I
don’t know if it was my own interest or because both my public and
school library did not have many new children's books, but they’re
all old historical fiction titles: The BETSY-TACY series by
Maud Hart Lovelace, BALLET SHOES/ THEATRE SHOES by Noel
Streatfield and THE FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS AND HOW THEY GREW by
Margaret Sidney. I still have the few childhood favorites I was lucky
enough to own, such as: HARRIET THE SPY (Louise
Fitzhugh), CANDY FLOSS (Rumor Godden), JUDY’S
JOURNEY (Lois Lenski) and MAGIC ELIZABETH (Norma
Kassirer).</span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Are
there any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I
always like to learn new things and share them with the students
and teachers who read and use my books. I have a new baseball book
coming out, YOGI! THE LIFE, LOVES AND LANGUAGE OF BASEBALL LEGEND
YOGI BERRA (Calkins Creek, February, 2019) That’s followed by
PRAIRIE BOY (Calkins, September, 2019) about the<span style="color: #ff2600;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span></span>shapes
that influenced American architect Frank Lloyd Wright and FIGHT OF
THE CENTURY (Calkins, Spring, 2020) on the struggle for women’s
voting rights for the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment. LEAVE
IT TO ABIGAIL (Little Brown, Fall, 2020) on Abigail Adams'
contributions to our country. And finally Mary Grandpré and I have
teamed up for a fourth artist biography called MORNINGS WITH MONET
(Knopf, Spring, 2021) I hope everyone enjoys them!</span></div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-13717660331827763972018-07-13T00:00:00.000-07:002018-07-13T00:55:57.411-07:00Author Interview with Maurene Goo<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRedozK2OgDevx73UBnbrWlU0muQT0Jra95Z76RH053kG_bmxpFhZ7RLcvF6SuKXjeFD2ubGJhOotcqaR_dhzFZMZnKYB52YIp2YQirG6c5_OtEbRmeuCsUtHDz8hchM3mVAn44I36BvJI/s1600/maurene+goo+profile+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="700" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRedozK2OgDevx73UBnbrWlU0muQT0Jra95Z76RH053kG_bmxpFhZ7RLcvF6SuKXjeFD2ubGJhOotcqaR_dhzFZMZnKYB52YIp2YQirG6c5_OtEbRmeuCsUtHDz8hchM3mVAn44I36BvJI/s320/maurene+goo+profile+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Today
I bring to you an interview with YA author Maurene Goo
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">(maurenegoo.com)</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">.
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Maurene
was born in L.A. and raised in Glendale. At U.C. San Diego, </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Maurene</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">
studied Communication and at grad school at Emerson College, she
studied Publishing, Literature, and Writing. </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">I’ve
</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">read</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">
two of Maurene’s novels- SINCE YOU ASKED (Scholastic) and I BELIEVE IN A THING
CALLED LOVE (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55yd5ov1io9USt5oNVL6LvYHsbZH2T2KJzNI3pZQfKjCIobxozprKpyH6xk2F0LgzGfzGd_NSs91IoNL6LOliJv1EzCXqSyJ4MeJuCAlPkuJyiCp0T94OYuiQSgRg_qlBI6Axg8-1KsLy/s1600/since+you+asked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55yd5ov1io9USt5oNVL6LvYHsbZH2T2KJzNI3pZQfKjCIobxozprKpyH6xk2F0LgzGfzGd_NSs91IoNL6LOliJv1EzCXqSyJ4MeJuCAlPkuJyiCp0T94OYuiQSgRg_qlBI6Axg8-1KsLy/s320/since+you+asked.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">In
SINCE YOU ASKED, Holly, the candid protagonist, pens a high school
column where she gets to vent about her school and offend the student
body with her words. Holly also tries to find balance </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">between
</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">living
as both a carefree American girl from Southern California and </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">being
a </span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">dutiful
daughter of a traditional Korean American family. When Holly rebel</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">s</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">
against her strict upbringing, she must face the consequences...</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">In
I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE, Desi, a love-struck teen, schemes
with her friends to win the affections of the artistic Luca. Desi’s
guidelines for her plan come from her self-composed guide “K-Drama
Steps to True Love,” </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">derived</span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">
from Desi’s observations of the Korean dramas that her single
father watches. From faking a love triangle with a complicit guy
friend to staging a car accident, Desi is rewarded when Luca falls
f</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">or her. But Desi’s reward is short-lived when her plans are
exposed...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">From
the sarcastic and cynical Holly in SINCE YOU ASKED to the dreamy and
optimistic Desi in I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE, the female leads
in both books were credible characters whose antics were often
entertaining to follow.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1531203547891_283121"></a>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>In
SINCE YOU ASKED, you offer a candid perspective of Holly's adolescent
experience as a Korean American teen who is making her way through
high school. What experiences and feelings did you have growing up,
if any, that inspired this story? (And if this story wasn't conceived
from your past, feel free to share how you were inspired to write
this.) </b></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Maurene:
I was definitely inspired by my own personal experiences. SINCE YOU
ASKED was my first book and I initially wanted to write YA because I
wanted to see a book that was close to my own high school
experiences. So a lot of what Holly was going through—figuring out
your place in high school, crushes, and family angst—came from a
very personal place. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo-6Fi1Hir3hBsRlcllmxYwPlKfhn6gob1vfPivLlGgsvQciR3za6Ds-KdTGwi_zWBqpGCE5YCpJ9cWHqDi_8VKRHmkk5rX0-dFhnZpI6WWPUp7D6lVKF-VpZMbH_nyi2SA30WFo_cnwB/s1600/i+believe+in+a+thing+called+love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHo-6Fi1Hir3hBsRlcllmxYwPlKfhn6gob1vfPivLlGgsvQciR3za6Ds-KdTGwi_zWBqpGCE5YCpJ9cWHqDi_8VKRHmkk5rX0-dFhnZpI6WWPUp7D6lVKF-VpZMbH_nyi2SA30WFo_cnwB/s320/i+believe+in+a+thing+called+love.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>While reading I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE, there were times when
I was feeling concerned with how Desi could redeem herself after her
dishonest scheme to attract Luca comes to light. What advice do you
have for crafting a flawed and sympathetic character that readers can
care about, the way I cared about Desi?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
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</span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Maurene:
A lot of times, when I draft, my characters are pushed to the most
extreme version of themselves, so that I can fully figure out their
“archetypes.” Then as I work on revisions, I </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">really</span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> figure
them out. With Desi, I think she became fully sympathetic and
undeniable once I figured out </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">where</span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> all
the overplanning, controlling nature came from. And the reason was a
very sweet one, something that endeared her to the reader. Think
about the best villains—the ones that stick out in the best stories
are the ones that we can relate to on some level, to see where their
major malfunctions came from.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Since you have named a number of your books after songs, I take it
that you're into music. How does music inspire you as a writer? Do
you listen to music as you write?</b></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Maurene:
I always have to listen to music when I write! Especially writing YA
novels—I have to channel teenage feelings and there’s no better
way to do that than with music. I make playlists for each book and
pretty much listen to that on repeat the entire time I work on it. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXL1g1ZIctVSDYuYlHIONIF2ho6-OojTvO4US92KlONdqtMb62xpImKiPwpZgU3HU0dQU4Ivof1laqliHPK73gfvbPApJLVB-65XgwFF9RWI0RsoyUutB9TvDuUtWD7cmBf0iMVS2hpyM/s1600/kristy%2527s+great+idea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXL1g1ZIctVSDYuYlHIONIF2ho6-OojTvO4US92KlONdqtMb62xpImKiPwpZgU3HU0dQU4Ivof1laqliHPK73gfvbPApJLVB-65XgwFF9RWI0RsoyUutB9TvDuUtWD7cmBf0iMVS2hpyM/s320/kristy%2527s+great+idea.jpg" width="217" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>What books/authors did you like reading when you were a kid?</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Maurene:
I loved reading series books like THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB and ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. I also went through a horse phase (THOROUGHBRED, THE SADDLE CLUB), a pen pal phase (PEN PALS), </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">all </span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
phases. Anything in series form about girls, I gobbled up. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>Tell me about your new book, THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL. Feel free to
share about any other projects you are working on. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSymC2DgUiJ8jwYlI4VZOTa7iYAufmgRZoDDSYqcyFjbyt256P3Q4Gwl4U12HVknj3EkCQsjv1QwyBhB4OUY6batBJ6B1nwZf0Ar4NtD5krRDnsRWc3MOueJcFt3IXElCkyE1Qd0fmVVG/s1600/the+way+you+make+me+feel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSymC2DgUiJ8jwYlI4VZOTa7iYAufmgRZoDDSYqcyFjbyt256P3Q4Gwl4U12HVknj3EkCQsjv1QwyBhB4OUY6batBJ6B1nwZf0Ar4NtD5krRDnsRWc3MOueJcFt3IXElCkyE1Qd0fmVVG/s320/the+way+you+make+me+feel.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Maurene: THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL<i> </i></span></span><span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">is
about an irreverent prankster named Clara Shin who takes one prank
too far and, as punishment, she has to run her dad’s food truck
with her nemesis over the summer. Over the course of this summer she
becomes friends with her enemy, meets a cute boy named Hamlet, and
learns to feel all the feelings. It’s also my love letter to LA,
where I was born and raised!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Next
year I have another YA coming out, SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s
a romance about a K pop star who spends one life-changing day with a
boy she meets in Hong Kong. I can’t wait for everyone to read it! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-51680791697782162482018-03-23T23:50:00.000-07:002019-03-28T00:12:24.759-07:00Author Interview with Deborah Hopkinson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaoDayjZ4Rx-KFsM8W9kZNSODFxBx1TS9hdaifbntXae-DxHiftB2Py3lOqVf-aeFgoeIFo2PPM1VUQXGxCfpkrDsYxRR_Jfygn7W4P8GYkELM6mBo-AsJpjEOTbdQWMTYnVnPjJ9yUq_/s1600/Deborah+Hopkinson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="491" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmaoDayjZ4Rx-KFsM8W9kZNSODFxBx1TS9hdaifbntXae-DxHiftB2Py3lOqVf-aeFgoeIFo2PPM1VUQXGxCfpkrDsYxRR_Jfygn7W4P8GYkELM6mBo-AsJpjEOTbdQWMTYnVnPjJ9yUq_/s320/Deborah+Hopkinson.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
Today
I am bringing you an interview with award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://deborahhopkinson.com/"><span style="color: #20124d;">deborahhopkinson.com</span></a>)</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, </span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">who
lives near Portland, OR</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">.
I read Deborah’s recently published picture books INDEPENDENCE CAKE (Schwartz & Wade Books, </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">illustrated by Giselle Potter</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">) and ORDINARY, EXTRAORDINARY JANE AUSTEN (Balzer & Bray, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">illustrated by Qin Leng</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">). INDEPENDENCE CAKE offers a “made-up tale” about
Amelia Simmons, the author of America’s first cookbook who lived
during the Revolutionary times. In Deborah’s story, Amelia makes 13
Independence Cakes, one for each colony. In ORDINARY, EXTRAORDINARY
JANE AUSTEN, Jane Austen proves that the
ordinary world can be written about in an extraordinary way. The
reader sees how Jane Austen’s keen observation skills, simple
English home life and upbringing, and her passion for books and
writing contributed to her future success as an author.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The
stories and illustrations in both books engaged me as a reader and
brought me to two different historical regions- one in New
England, and the other, England. </span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQi65Vu1C14wUzYS_Yi9ZOucqukZWhCThcDp4uM9VCJJzlPMAsHoyGQFrfdAxQxln_fBlBZEP589euffn_FIRi2OJuRs3W5s8IUeqVyznmliDMHoGLc1RQ_l9P1OCHkZDjlAM8dfvNlE7/s1600/Independence+Cake+Cover+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1114" data-original-width="867" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQi65Vu1C14wUzYS_Yi9ZOucqukZWhCThcDp4uM9VCJJzlPMAsHoyGQFrfdAxQxln_fBlBZEP589euffn_FIRi2OJuRs3W5s8IUeqVyznmliDMHoGLc1RQ_l9P1OCHkZDjlAM8dfvNlE7/s320/Independence+Cake+Cover+%25282%2529.jpg" width="249" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>From reading the preface of INDEPENDENCE CAKE, I could see there isn’t a lot of information out there about Amelia Simmons. So how did you venture out to write a story about her?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I wanted to write about that time period, and I love stories about little-known figures in history. Since historians have uncovered very little about Amelia Simmons, it seemed the perfect opportunity to underscore the difference between historical fiction and nonfiction, something I try to emphasize in my author visits in schools. I read articles by culinary historians including the late </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Karen Hess, who, in an introduction to the second edition of </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">AMERICAN COOKERY</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, published in Albany in fall 1796, speculated that Amelia Simmons may have lived near the Hudson Valley and been influenced by Dutch settlers. Simmons used terms such as “slaw” based on the Dutch “sla” for salad, and “cookey,” from “koekje.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I share the book with young readers, I also use it as a chance to talk about gender roles. I like to say that in our time, everyone helps at home, but who did the housework in 1789? We also look at Giselle Potter’s lovely spot art pages illustrating the various chores Amelia did, from picking apples to washing clothes, to spinning, sewing, and quilting and use that as a chance to talk about past and present and how technology has (or hasn’t) had an impact on daily life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Unlike Amelia Simmons, there’s more out there about Jane Austen. How were you able to write an interesting book such as ORDINARY, EXTRAORDINARY JANE AUSTEN and make it unique from other books out there about Jane Austen? How did you research Jane Austen for your picture book?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">’ve read quite a bit about Jane Austen, but to research this book I splurged and purchased Deirdre Le Faye’s masterful book, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A CHRONOLOGY OF JANE AUSTEN</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, which delves into basically everything we know about Jane and her family. Although another picture book, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">BRAVE JANE AUSTEN,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> was published at the same time as my book, there haven’t been, to my knowledge, any picture books about Jane until 2018.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The most difficult part of writing this book was to try to capture elements of Jane’s life that would be of interest to young readers. When I speak to students, I always emphasize that anything hard – whether it’s sports, playing a musical instrument, or writing– takes determination. What’s wonderful about Austen is that she began practicing her writing craft from the time she was a child. She embraced revision, and she persevered in the face of rejection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I like how you shared historical details of how people lived in the past, from how young ladies would play cards and trim their bonnets with lace in ORDINARY, EXTRAORDINARY JANE AUSTEN to what food people ate during the Revolutionary times in INDEPENDENCE CAKE. How do you research the setting for the historic places and time periods in all your books? (I see you have written a lot of books with historical themes.)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The short answer is that I read a lot, and depend heavily on scholarly works as well as memoirs and first-person accounts, or, sometimes, fiction written during the time period in which my books are set.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I write both nonfiction and fiction, and sometimes find myself more stymied by research questions when writing historical fiction. In nonfiction, first-person accounts can guide the narrative. But in fiction you suddenly find yourself spending hours tracking down some seemingly insignificant detail that doesn’t seem to be mentioned in any secondary source.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Since you wrote a book about dessert and another book about Jane Austen (both things I love), please tell me what is your favorite dessert (besides Independence Cake) and what is your favorite Jane Austen novel.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Alas, since developing food sensitivities that require me to be gluten free, I don’t get to indulge in dessert much these days. However, I will say I am partial to an excellent gluten-free chocolate cookie.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As far as Austen novels, </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">PRIDE AND PREJUDICE</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> is still at the top of my list, with </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">PERSUASION</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> and SENSE AND SENSIBILITY</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">right up there too.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKg4rlznv_l_793Rkwo5n_aLz2zrbZwz5n-tWNdM-xTno0QBnZJphmWFh6uv1tDDe79-_QQoIbmL9iOl0FsWwLyBfvBrJ5JlldnK6qmfeXt_BkXkH7-lXlm_U-TQxgKU65cOSCmAeoFf_/s1600/the+secret+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKg4rlznv_l_793Rkwo5n_aLz2zrbZwz5n-tWNdM-xTno0QBnZJphmWFh6uv1tDDe79-_QQoIbmL9iOl0FsWwLyBfvBrJ5JlldnK6qmfeXt_BkXkH7-lXlm_U-TQxgKU65cOSCmAeoFf_/s320/the+secret+garden.jpg" width="217" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>What books did you enjoy reading while you were growing up?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I loved </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">THE SECRET GARDEN</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">. I believe I first read Austen and Charlotte Bronte by the sixth grade, and also loved mysteries and read a lot of Dickens. (Whether I understood much about what I was reading then is another question!) In high school, I also read a lot of World War II books, adventure stories, and long historical fiction.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>What upcoming book projects would you like to announce here?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Speaking of World War II, two of my new books are set in that period. D-DAY: THE WORLD WAR II INVASION THAT CHANGED HISTORY is a nonfiction title to be published by Scholastic in Fall 2018. In Spring 2019, my middle grade spy novel, </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">HOW I BECAME A SPY, </span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">will be out from Knopf.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In
addition, I am part of a YA project entitled FATAL THRONE: THE WIVES
OF HENRY VIII TELL ALL, released in May 2018, and a picture book
biography of the Buddha, UNDER THE BODHI TREE, coming this fall. </span>Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-14038951398402548682018-03-07T22:00:00.000-08:002018-03-10T21:21:50.554-08:00IWSG: Turbulence<div class="western" style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwITb45usuIXcH4g6prgjjxiZbPBCs4O0hDdiIg1T928zQY4WwvMhPCYledm_V-9dFW2J7fjSOH-n_65O07lf01P40Es_aHhjRSIuDQlZ6GY8aKDE53FzzhsqzbwVeHmdT0dTrjUVICC8-/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwITb45usuIXcH4g6prgjjxiZbPBCs4O0hDdiIg1T928zQY4WwvMhPCYledm_V-9dFW2J7fjSOH-n_65O07lf01P40Es_aHhjRSIuDQlZ6GY8aKDE53FzzhsqzbwVeHmdT0dTrjUVICC8-/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;">For
new visitors, <b><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/"><span style="color: #20124d;">IWSG</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span></b>Day
is a monthly event where authors in the blogosphere can share about
insecurities...or in my case sometimes, just random thoughts. Today’s
IWSG question is: </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">How
do you celebrate when you achieve a writing goal or finish a story? </span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
fuel myself with chocolate quite a bit. Once I ran out of chocolate
in my home and I don’t know if it was a coincidence that I was just
less productive that week. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Today I don't have an insecurity to share. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-variant: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="letter-spacing: normal;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Instead, I will share a short travel piece. During a recent plane flight I was on, the plane was experiencing turbulence near the end of the flight. Passengers were asked to remain in their seats. Then a passenger near me got up. She was chatting with her friend during most of the flight and might've missed the announcement. So as she was leisurely making her way down the aisle toward the bathroom, a flight attendant directed her back to her seat. With a dumbfounded expression, the passenger began to wander back to her seat. Then the plane really started shaking and before the passenger reached her seat, she fell over me. Although I was a bit annoyed, I was fine, as was she. Nonetheless, the moral of this particular story is to remain in your seat during turbulence on a plane flight.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But that doesn't mean when there is turbulence around us, that we must always remain in our seats. Lately, it has been hard for me not to feel affected by</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> the turbulence from current events as well as stuff that has come up in social media. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm relieved that people have been getting out of their seats and taking a stand for things that are worth standing up for. </span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How do you deal with turbulence?</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-11288862397392662062018-02-07T00:00:00.000-08:002018-03-19T18:01:42.992-07:00IWSG & Author Interview with Julie Dill <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEFd3NoFp0IVkQKIhKrntgat1P2vkyPL_drDnxVRueJWeIQYH2IZpVW7hsFzlwrOUDT_aYOWEoCqryP2zyOUizuRh8WMhyWUpxXqlr5cUX77aymUfESwtzqXNasV_tcZbx05t4QrKQdEy/s1600/julie+dill.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEFd3NoFp0IVkQKIhKrntgat1P2vkyPL_drDnxVRueJWeIQYH2IZpVW7hsFzlwrOUDT_aYOWEoCqryP2zyOUizuRh8WMhyWUpxXqlr5cUX77aymUfESwtzqXNasV_tcZbx05t4QrKQdEy/s320/julie+dill.PNG" width="179" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fN19fnE_FCby8cWg0VvdWuyLwQHDtTpENUEULUlFdEKPMNgtIvCEV8VBy5XYMqjnaeVVO3B2-pUlZ_Xnn2NSu8unmWbVET4Vx6uO-AjfD4xLqyoIwNVres2vpH46_U6JwnKs1kE2DwCv/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4fN19fnE_FCby8cWg0VvdWuyLwQHDtTpENUEULUlFdEKPMNgtIvCEV8VBy5XYMqjnaeVVO3B2-pUlZ_Xnn2NSu8unmWbVET4Vx6uO-AjfD4xLqyoIwNVres2vpH46_U6JwnKs1kE2DwCv/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">For new visitors, <b><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/"><span style="color: #20124d;">IWSG</span></a> </b>Day is a monthly event where authors in the blogosphere can share about insecurities...or in my case sometimes, just thoughts on various subjects. Today's IWSG question is: <i>What do you love about the genre you write in most often? </i>Well, I can dish on what I love about any genre I write in. Since I'm working on a YA food novel right now, I will say that writing or reading about food allows me to think about something I enjoy doing, which is eating good food. Nom nom nom! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;">Back in December, I shared here that I would like to profile authors here regularly again. </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">For
my first author interview of this year, I bring to you Julie Dill, an
Oklahoma City resident whose debut young adult novel BLUFF (Amberjack
Publishing) was released in 2017. You can follow Julie on Twitter
@JulieDillOKC.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In
BLUFF, 17-year-old Chelsea struggles with managing her cheer team
expenses and her financially struggling household consisting of just
herself and her single dad. Secretly, Chelsea assumes a new name and
takes up playing poker at a local casino. Luck is on her side and a
series of big cash wins at the table motivates Chelsea to keep
returning. Things get challenging when sparks fly between Chelsea and
a young pit boss. The pit boss doesn’t know that she’s an
underage gambler. To keep up with her new hobby, Chelsea has to keep
lying to those around her, and then things start to get out of
hand...</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTp16fylj9KXDzCanV3RGmgsnIxQR16WuIr2sRqbagmbMz_tVucaO08dpzpQPycq6zO9wquPK_XrNVG-1XGTGZoOt4eQMfE_HK_90qql8wnHJ6lJtRF3g5lt2_ZeDutnW7oFArE0wUVf_/s1600/bluff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTp16fylj9KXDzCanV3RGmgsnIxQR16WuIr2sRqbagmbMz_tVucaO08dpzpQPycq6zO9wquPK_XrNVG-1XGTGZoOt4eQMfE_HK_90qql8wnHJ6lJtRF3g5lt2_ZeDutnW7oFArE0wUVf_/s320/bluff.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What
inspired you to write BLUFF?</span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> It’s weird how a character
evolves. I really tried to create a unique character- a high school
girl who wasn’t the norm. My personal life, as a teenager, could
not have been more opposite than Chelsea’s so I really had to get
outside of what I knew and what I was comfortable with to get in
Chelsea’s head. I was reflecting on my first visit into a poker
room, and in the early nineties there were hardly any women at all.
Even today, you can still walk by a poker room and notice that the
majority of the players are men. I think when you’re developing a
character it’s important to raise the stakes as much as possible
(pun intended). With BLUFF, I really wanted something different and
that wasn’t already “out there.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>While
BLUFF can be regarded as an “issues” story about a girl’s
oncoming gambling addiction, I also considered this a fantasy
fulfillment story. It was fascinating to observe the life of a teen
who masquerades as a grown-up with some success. And don’t many
teens wish they were adults? What would you say this story is
about?</b> Initially, it was Chelsea's attempt to try to get
some quick cash. But long term, it became escapism for her. She could
enter this world where she didn’t have to think about all of her
responsibilities and just escape. My hope is that readers will
recognize how easy an addiction can form.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Though
I was often concerned for Chelsea’s safety and didn’t necessarily
agree with her choices, I found myself looking forward to seeing what
she’d do next. Tell me more about the character development for
Chelsea.</b></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Life
is never easy for Chelsea, and that's what gives her some grit. She
manages. She doesn’t have a choice. I think down deep Chelsea is
longing for some maternal guidance, and that’s why I wanted her to
have Ms. Stella. Overall, I view Chelsea as a good kid making bad
choices, and that informed a lot of my decisions.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5LmhrSzdEUvHH0wY2Q6agOuSlE-eGhdyvtDfw-rn46nLqUE1alzcpNTq9WbKbJJ13SR82RLwk1V1CsV-9fB2JiwrE7GP-82uWp_TOGrf78AR0wIgEJYfVdmDNmU_FoKwaQkQnHLg9llA/s1600/boxcar+children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5LmhrSzdEUvHH0wY2Q6agOuSlE-eGhdyvtDfw-rn46nLqUE1alzcpNTq9WbKbJJ13SR82RLwk1V1CsV-9fB2JiwrE7GP-82uWp_TOGrf78AR0wIgEJYfVdmDNmU_FoKwaQkQnHLg9llA/s320/boxcar+children.jpg" width="207" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What
books/authors did you enjoy reading when you were younger?</b> THE
BOXCAR CHILDREN was always my favorite. I still have the copy from my
childhood with my name printed in the front. Bill Wallace (A DOG
CALLED KITTY) visited my school when I was in fourth grade. I'll
never forget it. I still have his book, too!</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="western" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tell
me about the sequel for BLUFF. Will readers get to meet Chelsea’s
mom?</b> I continue to work on the sequel. Ms. Stella is my
favorite character, and readers will get to spend a lot more time
with her.</span></span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-4872797665915319852017-11-01T22:00:00.000-07:002017-11-02T18:08:41.676-07:00IWSG: A Sign from the Universe<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdk6vaqHvTGYNrc1gURbF4I8MA36zFw0QM98bhMA_-UjcERWCDbCBD2dE8Ik4wwJJ56bfyNrOxxnqDark2XXIUifdc5KWI6eJ0x054K638fUipOF7IW5h1ekzjn1YRvDvnN88JJyGPqEQ/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdk6vaqHvTGYNrc1gURbF4I8MA36zFw0QM98bhMA_-UjcERWCDbCBD2dE8Ik4wwJJ56bfyNrOxxnqDark2XXIUifdc5KWI6eJ0x054K638fUipOF7IW5h1ekzjn1YRvDvnN88JJyGPqEQ/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><span style="background: #ffffff;">It's </span><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/"><span style="color: #351c75;"><b><span style="background: #ffffff;">Insecure
Writer's Support Group</span></b></span></a><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="background: #ffffff;"> </span></span><span style="background: #ffffff;">day,
a monthly event where authors in the blogosphere can share about
insecurities and other stuff going on in their lives. First, how
was your Halloween? The good number of trick-or-treaters who
came by my house as unicorns, Rubik's Cubes, and Ghost Buster
characters tells me that the '80s are making a comeback. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Today's
IWSG question is: <i>Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo
project? Have any of them gone on to be published?</i> I
"won" NaNoWriMo awhile back and am still working on the
manuscript- it's my YA food novel KISS MY BUTTER. Earlier this year,
I had to put the project aside although I still worked on it inside
my head. As I was preparing to immerse myself back into the writing
and re-read the working draft, I worried the break I'd taken would
make me rusty. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Reviewing my
manuscript, I can better see the story's strengths and
weaknesses now. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">What's
funny was that the night after I picked up my manuscript again, an
author friend I hadn't corresponded with for a really long time
emailed me out of the blue that following morning. She wanted
to know if I was still working on my novel. She even remembered my
book title. I took this as a sign from the universe that I should
continue to push forward on this book project....even though it has been
quite awhile since I started it. </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">What
do you think of when you think of the '80s? Are you doing NaNoWriMo
this month? Have you ever received a sign from the universe?</span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-21222742750178346602017-09-06T00:00:00.000-07:002017-09-06T21:58:10.558-07:00No Good Deed...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTdPNt7R829fECHAqqBpVoWDktOm3qeFfZR6LuD02Y3tIQ0cfiNjebL1NOxRFHITISZRWRvEqld_81gK15ltiGHjklv0AP9YMFYGjXisDqtNkuIV1_BXC_m2DcDlrNcLZGbZeM82yOGFM/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="932" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTdPNt7R829fECHAqqBpVoWDktOm3qeFfZR6LuD02Y3tIQ0cfiNjebL1NOxRFHITISZRWRvEqld_81gK15ltiGHjklv0AP9YMFYGjXisDqtNkuIV1_BXC_m2DcDlrNcLZGbZeM82yOGFM/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">It's </span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;">Insecure Writer's Support Group</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> day, a monthly event where authors in the blogosphere can
share about insecurities and other stuff going on in their lives. Today's
IWSG question is: </span><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><i>Have you ever surprised
yourself with your writing?</i> I don’t know if this counts but once I wrote a short story about the supernatural and later found myself frightened by some of the ideas I created in my own work. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Today I don't have an insecurity. I just want to speak </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">in vague generalities about some stuff I've been thinking about: Back in the winter</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">, I did a small favor for someone. It was a favor I didn't have to do, and refraining from this favor wouldn't have been a breach of ethics in any way. Someone I know needed guidance and I helped out. S</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">ince then, the ripple effects of my favor have sometimes been a source of stress for me.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">My experience makes me think of the saying: "No good deed goes unpunished." Come to think of it, I can think of a bunch of other instances in my life that this quote supports.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">That said, I still believe in helping others (but while being mindful of my personal boundaries and natural instincts.) </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Being
a writer and a reader, I have been reflecting on how much of the fiction I've seen tend to show positive reinforcement for kind deeds. While I've also come across fiction where negative consequences punish a good doer, I'd say I spot this less frequently. But with the latter kind of story, the potential for character development could
be quite interesting. After all, what is the motivation for one to continue doing the right thing if they have suffered for doing just that? A story that addresses this
question could be more enticing to explore than a story about a character who
consistently gets a pat on the head for doing the right thing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Have
you ever been "punished" for doing a good deed? Can you name
stories that illustrate negative consequences from good deeds?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-23394555096189382282017-05-03T01:27:00.000-07:002017-05-06T01:50:31.516-07:00IWSG: Beauty and the Beast<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3x-ecAmTdIUErwkIo6dq82mo_kpWPk_A2tL9RznQYpl_e7VPMS0DqEygdvbrEQoC4kO2Dqf8JTUSL1gy0YjQazMGqlNgauCckTp5jkZh4n-doSBq3Le07ND-p2WqmL17p0AQdvTMnMQI6/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3x-ecAmTdIUErwkIo6dq82mo_kpWPk_A2tL9RznQYpl_e7VPMS0DqEygdvbrEQoC4kO2Dqf8JTUSL1gy0YjQazMGqlNgauCckTp5jkZh4n-doSBq3Le07ND-p2WqmL17p0AQdvTMnMQI6/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">It's <a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/"><b><span style="color: #20124d;">IWSG</span></b> </a>day, a monthly event
author <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/"><b><span style="color: #20124d; text-decoration-line: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a> started
to get writers<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>sharing about
insecurities and other stuff going on in their lives. This month’s IWSG
question is: <i>What’s the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for
your story?</i> I don’t know if this is considered weird or cool…But since my WIP
has a culinary theme, I’ve been spending time in the kitchen trying new
recipes. When my recipe is successful, it’s fun to eat my research. (And when
the recipe is a fail, I consider it a learning experience.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Today I don’t
have an insecurity to share but a thought about how stories can be interpreted
differently from one audience member to another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Back in March, I
took my daughter to see the live-action movie for <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> starring Emma Watson. Both my children have seen the Disney animated movie. Lately, they have been
listening to the soundtrack for Broadway’s <i>Beauty and the Beast. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">I’ve always
interpreted the story’s villain as Gaston, who shows no empathy to the
suffering of others, tries to have Belle’s father incarcerated and killed, and
attempts to kill the Beast once he realizes Belle has feelings for the Beast. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">The other day,
my son asked me if the Enchantress who cast the spell on the
Prince to turn him into a Beast was a bad guy. I responded that the bad guy was Gaston. My son persisted and asked why the Enchantress had to turn the Prince into a Beast. I explained that the Prince wasn’t nice to the
Enchantress- he unfairly judged her looks-and so the Enchantress wanted to teach
him a lesson about looking past outside appearances. My son responded, “Just because someone isn’t nice to you doesn’t mean you have to turn
them into a beast.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">I have always
been fascinated by the character of the Enchantress in <i>Beauty and the Beast.</i> In
the recent live-action movie, I was particularly pleased to see that the
Enchantress played a bigger role than she did in the animated feature. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">(Actress Hattie
Morahan did a great job.) I never saw the Enchantress as a villain but a
character who existed to support the fantastical elements of the story.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Nonetheless, my son’s perspective is also valid and offered an idea I hadn’t
considered before. It is true that you don’t have to turn someone into a beast
just because they aren’t being nice. (You can just imagine doing it, haha.)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">What do you do when you encounter
someone who isn’t being nice?</span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-3365115817161422782017-04-05T22:00:00.000-07:002017-04-05T23:33:40.166-07:00IWSG: A Quote for the Overwhelmed<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf86YDFbuPnH7zH4b2n_zoOicozOj1lT_TgTeT1Fi2PTzpCOGlfB9aTVmVagBSDmsZktTY-pJC245LhdBnfvRIfmE1xzb1qoQ2XHIi1YSzYZHChSE6aWXDXXf2m_PrleYIaTL347etvbe3/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf86YDFbuPnH7zH4b2n_zoOicozOj1lT_TgTeT1Fi2PTzpCOGlfB9aTVmVagBSDmsZktTY-pJC245LhdBnfvRIfmE1xzb1qoQ2XHIi1YSzYZHChSE6aWXDXXf2m_PrleYIaTL347etvbe3/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<u1:p></u1:p></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">It's </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #20124d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/">IWSG</a></span></b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> day, a monthly event author <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/"><b><span style="color: #20124d; text-decoration: none;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a> started to get
writers<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>sharing about
insecurities and other stuff going on in their lives. I hope that those of you
who are participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge are having a good time
so far. I did A to Z last year, but this year I decided to pass.<u1:p></u1:p></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Today I don’t
have much to share except that I have a lot on my plate right now with an
endless to-do list. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. Sometimes it just feels
like a 24-hour day isn’t enough to do what I need to do. Is anyone else feeling overwhelmed too? If so, here’s a quote for you and
me:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">“The greatest
weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” –Williams
James</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">What quotes or thoughts do
you find comforting when you are overwhelmed? How are you feeling today?</span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-89336778476500191032016-12-17T00:34:00.002-08:002016-12-17T00:34:39.993-08:00Fan Theories<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7jt6IBimxNLuriEyzUgiLY_ufk9YzGLKJzr1zLkqu4n27r7T2cXmpuM7qorrCASo3pNX2mD08-xjopO8LZ6ai8ot88I1apsz2PEp3_bLMy-VPfrGT04pQEKAs2bzu8PB1V4NGV34Xq2_/s1600/deja_vu+2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_7jt6IBimxNLuriEyzUgiLY_ufk9YzGLKJzr1zLkqu4n27r7T2cXmpuM7qorrCASo3pNX2mD08-xjopO8LZ6ai8ot88I1apsz2PEp3_bLMy-VPfrGT04pQEKAs2bzu8PB1V4NGV34Xq2_/s200/deja_vu+2016.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Thanks to <a href="http://www.dlhammons.com/"><b><span style="color: #20124d;">D.L. Hammons</span></b></a> for hosting the Deja Vu Blogfest, where bloggers are invited to re-post something we'd posted earlier this year. Since I had posted about fan theories late on IWSG day back in the fall, I don't think this post got as many views by the IWSG community as it should have. So here I am, posting it again...</span><br />
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">There are a lot of fan theories about popular stories of various mediums on the Internet. These fan theories range from the one about the classic film Grease, that </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #17365d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/85873/grease-fan-theory-suggests-sandy-dead"><span style="color: #17365d; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Sandy</span></a></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">actually died when Danny tried to rescue her from drowning, as referenced in "Summer Nights," to the speculation that HARRY POTTER’s </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #17365d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/really-really-dislike-harry-potter-183508029.html"><span style="color: #17365d; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Ginny Weasley</span></a></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">drugged Harry with a love potion, to </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #17365d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.zimbio.com/The+Craziest+TV+Fan+Theories+That+Will+Make+You+Question+Everything/articles/r1CUKlvNRqZ/Gilligan+Island+representation+Seven+Deadly"><span style="color: #17365d; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Gilligan</span></a></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #17365d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">being Satan while the other inhabitants on Gilligan’s Island were the seven deadly sins, to how, in the movie (or theatrical production, which I'd recently seen) of The Wizard of Oz,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://moviepilot.com/posts/3560111"><span style="color: #351c75;">Dorothy's</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #351c75;"> </span></a></span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Bizarro twin was actually the deceased Wicked Witch of the East, whose face is never shown. But interestingly, the two ladies share a shoe size. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://people.com/celebrity/grease-sandy-not-actually-dead-film-not-a-coma-vision-says-creator/"><span style="color: #351c75;">The creator of Grease</span></a></span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> dismissed the fan theory about his musical being merely Sandy's coma dream. It wouldn't surprise me if other creators of stories coming under speculation would brush off out-there fan theories as well. Still, I find some fan theories quite insightful, regardless of whether or not I believe in them. The "what if" questions presented in some of these fan theories challenge my notion of what seems familiar and comforting in these stories and encourages the exploration of a darker or more twisted perspective of what could be lurking beneath the surface. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">(I should add though that fan theories where everything was just a dream or a fantasy in the protagonist's head don't do much for me.)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Taking the concept about hidden stories past fiction into reality, I am reminded that it's important to take a closer look at what, at first glance, might seem familiar and comforting and to remember what is intentionally projected in any environment for an audience might not necessarily reflect what is actually there. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Do you have any fan theories surrounding a story? What fan theories have you heard that you find interesting? (I myself could spend a day discussing my fan theories about the movie Inception.)</span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-55479369949478608332016-10-05T22:00:00.000-07:002016-10-05T23:00:19.261-07:00IWSG: Fan Theories<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5-FQ4c9BeKmecmIQpyz6M0UU7lPK3VInQZ3C4MndfZvxxGYEfst3GN9TTSC6-VyOtocg_DoWKfARa5ygbI8xjIA5swL-fXMwn9uI_fynzuA38r0vJTFYO9t7fs_ILYrNUc9FhxEW_uih/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5-FQ4c9BeKmecmIQpyz6M0UU7lPK3VInQZ3C4MndfZvxxGYEfst3GN9TTSC6-VyOtocg_DoWKfARa5ygbI8xjIA5swL-fXMwn9uI_fynzuA38r0vJTFYO9t7fs_ILYrNUc9FhxEW_uih/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Today is<a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><b><span style="color: #999999;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #351c75;">IWSG</span></b></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #351c75; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">day, a monthly event <a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/" style="color: #999999; text-decoration: none;"><b><span style="color: #351c75;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a> started to get writers
sharing about their insecurities and other stuff happening in their lives. I am
late to post today, but we still have a couple of hours left in Wednesday and
here I am! This month’s IWSG question is:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>When
do you know your story is ready? </i> My
story might feel ready after I have had it properly critiqued, have given it an
honest revision, have taken a break from it, and when I revisit it after a
break, I don't itch to revise everything I see. Right now, my story is not
ready.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Today I'm here to share an insight, not an
insecurity.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">There are a lot of fan theories
about popular stories of various mediums on the Internet. These fan theories
range from the one about the classic film Grease, that </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #17365d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/85873/grease-fan-theory-suggests-sandy-dead"><span style="color: #17365d; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Sandy</span></a></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">actually died
when Danny tried to rescue her from drowning, as referenced in "Summer
Nights," to the speculation that HARRY POTTER’s </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #17365d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/really-really-dislike-harry-potter-183508029.html"><span style="color: #17365d; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Ginny Weasley</span></a></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">drugged Harry with a love potion, to </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #17365d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="http://www.zimbio.com/The+Craziest+TV+Fan+Theories+That+Will+Make+You+Question+Everything/articles/r1CUKlvNRqZ/Gilligan+Island+representation+Seven+Deadly"><span style="color: #17365d; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Gilligan</span></a></span></b><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #17365d; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">being Satan while the other inhabitants on Gilligan’s Island were
the seven deadly sins, to how, in the movie (or theatrical production, which I'd recently seen) of The Wizard of Oz,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://moviepilot.com/posts/3560111"><span style="color: #351c75;">Dorothy's</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #351c75;"> </span></a></span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Bizarro
twin was actually the deceased Wicked Witch of the East, whose face is never shown. But
interestingly, the two ladies share a shoe size. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://people.com/celebrity/grease-sandy-not-actually-dead-film-not-a-coma-vision-says-creator/"><span style="color: #351c75;">The creator of Grease</span></a></span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> dismissed
the fan theory about his musical being merely Sandy's coma dream. It wouldn't
surprise me if other creators of stories coming under speculation would
brush off out-there fan theories as well. Still, I find some fan theories quite insightful, regardless of whether or not I believe in them. The
"what if" questions presented in some of these fan theories challenge
my notion of what seems familiar and comforting in these stories and encourages
the exploration of a darker or more twisted perspective of what could be
lurking beneath the surface. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">(I should add though that fan theories where everything was just a dream or a fantasy in the protagonist's head don't do much for me.)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Taking the concept about hidden stories past fiction into
reality, I am reminded that it's important to take a closer look at what,
at first glance, might seem familiar and comforting and to remember what
is intentionally projected in any environment for an audience might not necessarily reflect
what is actually there. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Do you have any fan theories surrounding a story? What fan
theories have you heard that you find interesting? (I myself could spend a
day discussing my fan theories about the movie Inception.)</span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-53481493210124157462016-09-07T00:00:00.000-07:002016-12-02T15:38:14.790-08:00IWSG: An Encouraging Comment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpo8RRvd0l4hUXwym0NcvOtrypMT4GhwoPtod-7pb1ufLY8pfI26R4DsZRsjst6BjrKKpZ_QgwoevCwk095AAF5pkhTj3jD-xKeMgcjG8ifp953vW9KDoB2QqeAinazslsUxqe1JIYc0S/s1600/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpo8RRvd0l4hUXwym0NcvOtrypMT4GhwoPtod-7pb1ufLY8pfI26R4DsZRsjst6BjrKKpZ_QgwoevCwk095AAF5pkhTj3jD-xKeMgcjG8ifp953vW9KDoB2QqeAinazslsUxqe1JIYc0S/s200/Insecure+Writers+Support+Group+Badge2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Today is</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html"><b><span style="background: white; color: #999999;"> </span></b><b><span style="background: white; color: #351c75;">IWSG</span></b></a></span><span style="background: white; color: #351c75; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">day, a monthly event </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/"><b><span style="background: white; color: #351c75;">Alex Cavanaugh</span></b></a><span style="background: white;"> started
to get writers sharing about their insecurities and other stuff going on in
their lives. This month’s IWSG question is: How do you find time to write in
your busy day? My response: I wrote about this subject in last month’s IWSG
post. The truth is, I don’t get to work
on my novel everyday but that doesn’t mean that I’m not thinking about it or
doing other things (reading a book, researching details, or just reflecting on
my story) to prepare me for the time when I get to work on it. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> A few months ago, the IWSG
question of the month was about sharing the best comment someone made about
our writing. I don't know if there is one best comment I've received, as I've been lucky to receive support from many people. But there is one encouraging comment that has stuck with me for a long time:</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">…Years ago, I
attended a weekend writers workshop with about two dozen other writers. Most attendees were other adults, like myself. A youth program allowed a few teens
to participate too. The first two chapters of my YA work-in-progress at the time
was publicly critiqued by everyone. Most of the feedback, useful or not, seemed to come with
kind intentions. Still, I came home from the workshop feeling misunderstood and
defeated. <i>A few grown-ups in the workshop clearly didn’t get what I was trying to do. *Sigh*</i> As a courtesy, I still emailed
most of the people I met that weekend, grown-ups and teens, with a quick note
about how it was nice to meet them and good luck with their writing and all that stuff. One of the
teens wrote back to me and shared that my manuscript had been her favorite
among the grown-ups’ manuscripts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">It was a short
note but it made my day. It also helped me see that not everyone has to get what I’m doing.
But as long as someone does, it makes the effort to do what I'm doing worthwhile. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; text-align: justify;">What is an encouraging comment someone offered you
about your writing? Have you ever felt, by certain feedback you have received,
that your work was being misinterpreted?</span>Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-61851129804926106842016-04-30T00:00:00.000-07:002019-02-18T16:16:36.108-08:00Z: Paul Zindel & THE PIGMAN'S LEGACY<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsXmC4zM2bzEhkKtRswHFTJNdW5-NFg2fzYfoXe4cHBjxc_HQaLdjSLrL0Wm2jxaEkykLkLKa6P3J2wkQ55h7PVdZgffdxSp8oc_KU85VletRg1mIw6U-ed6HdVAamg1ul959qmJIk-hQ/s1600/the+pigman%2527s+legacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsXmC4zM2bzEhkKtRswHFTJNdW5-NFg2fzYfoXe4cHBjxc_HQaLdjSLrL0Wm2jxaEkykLkLKa6P3J2wkQ55h7PVdZgffdxSp8oc_KU85VletRg1mIw6U-ed6HdVAamg1ul959qmJIk-hQ/s320/the+pigman%2527s+legacy.jpg" width="190" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">"You see, my mother and
father never even touch each other, which makes me wonder how on earth I ever
was born. I figure it was just an accident- they both happened to be walking
around the bedroom nude and they made a mistake and tripped." - Paul<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Zi</b>ndel, THE PIGMAN'S LEGACY
(HarperTrophy, YA)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">When I was a young kid, I frequently tagged along with my older sister to the
library's teen section (they didn't even call it YA then). I remember
Paul</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><b style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Z</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">indel's books were
always in the Z section. I read his book THE PIGMAN'S LEGACY ages ago. This
book is a sequel to a first book, THE PIGMAN, which I don't remember if I read.
THE PIGMAN'S LEGACY is about two teens, John and Lorraine, a pair of friends
who meet the Colonel, a senior citizen living in the same home where another
senior the teens once knew had lived. (That other senior died in the first book.) At first, the
Colonel doesn't seem very friendly but he eventually warms up.
John and Lorraine set the Colonel up with Dolly, a lady who works in their school cafeteria.
Soon after the Colonel and Dolly meet, John and Lorraine learn that the Colonel is
dying. He has always known this. After marrying Dolly on his deathbed, the
Colonel dies. The story ends when John and Lorraine are walking through the
hospital past the nursery with the newborns. Here, John tells Lorraine he wants
to spend his life with her.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">My
description probably gives the impression this is a sad and somber story. But
much of the story is actually told with humor, as demonstrated in one of John's
quotes shared at the top of the post here. I believe humor
is a weapon that some of us cultivate to better deal with the pain we experience in our lives.</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Have you
read THE PIGMAN'S LEGACY? Have you ever used humor to cope with something
difficult?</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">And
that's my last post for this month's</span><span style="background: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span><b><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background: white; color: #351c75; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/"><span style="color: #3b2a55;">Blogging from A to Z Challenge</span></a>. </span></span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">My theme: authors whose work I read when I was younger.
Thanks to all of you who visited and supported my blog this month! </span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-57178472499130721932016-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:002019-02-18T16:16:19.146-08:00Y: Laurence Yep & DRAGONWINGS<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhos1lT8VhgPCTjfL8hPVZQ_N6BYjeZhSbhhygQogJGmEx_HLY8B_iQaYvFsKx97LdD6P1JSIcn5GURKigbTVpSyZVlK3WxHOMw3l42iyhNFWuv5QbE-Wz-Kr3ogJ4VLy1-CEwtcJxsU3Dk/s1600/dragonwings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhos1lT8VhgPCTjfL8hPVZQ_N6BYjeZhSbhhygQogJGmEx_HLY8B_iQaYvFsKx97LdD6P1JSIcn5GURKigbTVpSyZVlK3WxHOMw3l42iyhNFWuv5QbE-Wz-Kr3ogJ4VLy1-CEwtcJxsU3Dk/s320/dragonwings.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">"I get the ideas from
everything. Children sometimes think you have to have special experiences to
write, but good writing brings out what's special in ordinary things."
-Laurence <b>Y</b>ep</span></div>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Lawrence <b>Y</b>ep's DRAGONWINGS (HarperCollins, MG) begins in 1903 when Moon Shadow,
8, leaves the only home he has known in China to live with his father,
Windrider, who has been working in San Francisco to support his family.
Everything about America- the food, the houses, the people- fascinates
Moon Shadow. Although Moon Shadow and Windrider regularly experience racism,
they also make friends with the kind Miss Whitlaw her niece, Robin. Despite the
challenges they face in their day-to-day lives, Moon Shadow and Windrider hold onto their gumption and work three years to build an airplane named
Dragonwings that Windrider flies in 1910. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">While I've read a number of historical fiction stories set in the early 20th century San Francisco with the predictable Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (recorded magnitude: 7.8), the depiction of the 1906 earthquake in DRAGONWINGS is what I consider a very credible interpretation of an earthquake. I might be a more particular reader when it comes to earthquake fiction because </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px;">I was a young child living in the City of San Francisco when, during the World Series, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake hit (recorded magnitude: 6.9). 63 people died, thousands were injured, an East Bay freeway collapsed, as did a part of the Bay Bridge. I was at home when it happened- I was reaching for something on a shelf when I felt the first shake. What a strange day it was, how things happened quickly and slowly at the same time, and how things were irreversibly changed for some, but remained the same for others...And </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">in DRAGONWINGS, after Moon Shadow and Windrider help others in the aftermath of the 1906 Earthquake, they might momentarily forget that that they're foreigners in a new country until a police officer demands that the two aren't allowed to dine with a white woman. I think this part of the story shows that in spite of the changes going on around the father and son, some things still remain the same.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Have
you read DRAGONWINGS? Have you ever been in a natural disaster? If so, what do you remember about it?</span></div>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">
</span>Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-47941640360306810902016-04-28T00:00:00.000-07:002019-02-18T16:16:04.453-08:00X: Antoine St.Expuery & THE LITTLE PRINCE<h1 class="quoteText" style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDzNdSCDrAkY-7ZayxEEZjloqN4S0LD4ahrNX_RyPjVJBeuhRwKAHi2Tq53wgQM9E1j0o17ZQM4gXyWGpsdzSG3WrrHOmXKPYqnDEGss6n7r_XKkO0Lq_5Kamx7DKqLNZvWdwFA0ZMloU/s1600/the+little+prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDzNdSCDrAkY-7ZayxEEZjloqN4S0LD4ahrNX_RyPjVJBeuhRwKAHi2Tq53wgQM9E1j0o17ZQM4gXyWGpsdzSG3WrrHOmXKPYqnDEGss6n7r_XKkO0Lq_5Kamx7DKqLNZvWdwFA0ZMloU/s320/the+little+prince.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">“It is such a secret place, the land of tears.” -Antoine De Saint-</span>Ex<span style="font-weight: normal;">upéry</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I'm cheating a little here. I enjoyed Antoine De Saint-</span>Ex<span style="font-weight: normal;">upéry's</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> THE LITTLE PRINCE (Harcourt, MG) when I was a kid, and part of the author's name makes the </span>X <span style="font-weight: normal;">sound. So, close enough. The story is about a prince from outer space dishing to a pilot about the asteroids he has visited and who he met there- a bossy king ruling no one, a vain man only hearing praise, a drunk person drinking to forget he was an alcoholic, a businessman laying claim on the stars, a lamplighter following instructions without question, and a geographer refusing to explore.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px;">If this book is a Buzzfeed article, it would be titled "6 Types of Contradictory People You'd Meet in the Universe." Told with a delicate balance between dreaminess and cynicism, I found the little prince's observations similar to ironies I can't help noticing in</span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px;"> some people when I'm feeling less dreamy and more cynical (no delicate balancing here). Contradictory people I notice include rude customer service employees, anti-bullying advocates who bully, leaders who are minions, dishonest people who preach integrity, people who have melodramatic meltdowns to show how "tough" they are, people who criticize others for the exact stuff that they themselves do...and the list goes on. </span><br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 21px;">Have you read Antoine De Saint-Exupéry's THE LITTLE PRINCE? Let's get cynical! Are you familiar with any of the contradictory people I listed? Can you think of other examples?</span></span></div>
</h1>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-44171274160526773332016-04-27T00:00:00.000-07:002019-02-18T16:15:50.915-08:00W: Wilson Rawls & WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkkG1cby0N0I82lDwFeL8Wd7SGtzwAyTWPvzaXHhUfE8-63agUZO0ZQXO7LBldO_t49M4FohNEOiYJPAfykyE4zQGQesbr9T9SSEmi7TcqxI_816NR1WYLqvvZhWg5dZozbE_WjtDpaI2/s1600/where+the+red+fern+grows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZkkG1cby0N0I82lDwFeL8Wd7SGtzwAyTWPvzaXHhUfE8-63agUZO0ZQXO7LBldO_t49M4FohNEOiYJPAfykyE4zQGQesbr9T9SSEmi7TcqxI_816NR1WYLqvvZhWg5dZozbE_WjtDpaI2/s320/where+the+red+fern+grows.jpg" width="217" /></a><span style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"></span>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">“It's strange
indeed how memories can lie dormant in a man's mind for so many </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">years. Yet
those memories can be awakened and brought forth fresh and new, just by
something you've seen, or something you've heard, or the sight of an old
familiar face.” -<b>W</b>ilson Rawls, WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">When I was in junior high, I had a thick and heavy textbook in my English
class. It was filled with short stories and it included the novel, <b>W</b>ilson
Rawls's WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS (Yearling, MG), historical fiction about a man Billy remembering his childhood when he was boy who hunted raccoons with his pet hounds at night. One day we had a substitute and she assigned the first few chapters of RED FERN for reading homework. When the real teacher came back, I was disappointed she didn't assign any more reading chapters. (The other kids were relieved but I was a book worm even then!) </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Since junior high, I have read RED FERN from cover to cover. The setting of the
Ozarks in Cherokee land was beautifully illustrated. Within this setting, two
things struck me: </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><i>One, </i>religion was comfortably woven into RED
FERN. I've heard from industry
professionals that working religion into kidlit is a risky thing to do, how it
might affect market interest. But RED FERN has been out since 1961 and it's
still considered a classic. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">And <i>two, </i>the setting was considered safe enough for Billy to be out alone at night with his hounds while he hunted. Once, Billy even stayed out overnight without telling his parents. And Billy was considered a good kid and his parents, good parents. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">I can't imagine most parents today allowing their 'tweens and even teens to stay out like this alone, even if the area is supposed to be "safe." It's interesting to see the contrast between what was considered acceptable parenting back then
versus what's acceptable today.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Have you read WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS? What are your thoughts about religion in fiction? What other contrasts between acceptable parenting during the good ole days versus now can you think of?</span></div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-47377375528601719772016-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:002019-02-18T16:17:07.691-08:00V: Cecily von Ziegesar & GOSSIP GIRL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61SkJHaY5a7-3x5Qgn8sfH6tbgz1yO790t8bFW9puyL8CACUeLG1ALvfAJlql361g2krklWCjtWbfBnQePXTupSnuMet0GlIy7xnrd-WT6y0P4vqWM36bRKR5t0kferLFjbpLy0iHd9UL/s1600/gossip+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61SkJHaY5a7-3x5Qgn8sfH6tbgz1yO790t8bFW9puyL8CACUeLG1ALvfAJlql361g2krklWCjtWbfBnQePXTupSnuMet0GlIy7xnrd-WT6y0P4vqWM36bRKR5t0kferLFjbpLy0iHd9UL/s320/gossip+girl.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">"I never once said that I was writing books with
guidelines for how to live. I mean, they’re fiction, and I think that’s the
role of fiction: to entertain. And I don’t care whether it’s for children or
for adults. That’s what fiction is about: escaping into another world. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">I
absolutely hate kids’ books that have lessons telling kids how to behave. For me,
that is not the role of fiction at all."- Cecily <b>V</b>on Ziegesar</span><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: .1pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">Cecily <b>V</b>on Ziegesar's GOSSIP GIRL
(Little, Brown, YA) centers
around the lives of teens, most who live in New York City's Upper East Side. In
this world, affluent teens consume alcohol alongside their parents, shop at Barneys and receive Kate Spade
handbags as party favors. Here, you're only a "somebody" when you're being gossiped about so an anoymous web site called Gossip Girl dishes gossip about some of these teens' lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">In the beginning of the book, Blair, a high school queen bee, is ready to lose her virginity to her long-time boyfriend Nate
while her socialite mother is throwing some bash in their home. But Serena, Blair's former best friend,
crashes the event and interrupts them- Serena just got kicked out of boarding school in Europe and has returned to the Big Apple.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: 0.15pt;">Turns out that
Serena and Nate lost their virginity to each other back in the tenth grade but Blair doesn't know that for most of the book until she and Nate are ready to try having sex again...and then Nate tells her the truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;">You know that so-called writing advice about making your characters, especially the female ones, likable and good role models with their every thought and action? Without apology, Cecily Von Ziegesar breaks this rule. Her characters are not always likable. But they're believable and interesting, and that is what's more important to me from a reader's perspective. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;">I can also see how some of these characters' questionable behavior stems from their pursuit of</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;"> loyalty and</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 17.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;"> acceptance and their fear of rejection and betrayal. That is the universal rhythm of how many teens (and adults and children) tick inside. And you don't have to be from the Upper East Side to relate to that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;">Have you read GOSSIP GIRL? Do you find books with subliminal lessons on "the proper way to think and behave" patronizing to the reader?</span></span></div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-13095963644994893952016-04-25T00:00:00.000-07:002019-02-18T16:14:52.191-08:00U: Ursula Nordstrom & THE SECRET LANGUAGE<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUW2cdBWQyNb5_Lhp-yiz8Vm1-e6DnbTw81kh-U8QXePXXvJZvsejrxvbqJCS9EMziCsOglWM-6B2gJ7H8sRSaNHvsTYgmiRzMDMbxx-yv0W3o2-lL0aoQkggtGIcxahhaJMxcek5mOWp/s1600/the+secret+language.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUW2cdBWQyNb5_Lhp-yiz8Vm1-e6DnbTw81kh-U8QXePXXvJZvsejrxvbqJCS9EMziCsOglWM-6B2gJ7H8sRSaNHvsTYgmiRzMDMbxx-yv0W3o2-lL0aoQkggtGIcxahhaJMxcek5mOWp/s320/the+secret+language.jpg" width="218" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"></span>
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<span style="background: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">This
month, I've been doing the </span><b><span style="background: white; color: #351c75; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/"><span style="color: #3b2a55; text-decoration: none;">Blogging from A
to Z Challenge</span></a>. </span></b><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">My theme: authors whose work I read when I was
younger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">"I am a former child, and I
haven't forgotten a thing." -<b>U</b>rsula Nordstrom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><b>
U</b>rsula Nordsrom's THE SECRET LANGUAGE (HarperTrophy, MG) is probably one of the first
older girl books I've read. My sister owned a used copy of the book. I was around second grade when I borrowed it to read and was thrilled I was reading a book with chapters. THE SECRET LANGUAGE is a book
about a girl named Victoria who is sent away to live in a boarding school. A
homesick Victoria befriends Martha, who teaches her a secret language where
phrases like "leebossa" means <i>great </i>and "ickenspick" refers
to <i>something silly</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Boarding school stories tend to fascinate me, possibly because I had a strict upbringing and didn't always feel I had the freedom to do the mischievous
things that children living in a boarding school could do, such as planning a
secret midnight feast, depicted in this book.</span></div>
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Have you read THE SECRET LANGUAGE? If you had a choice to
attend boarding school when you were a child, would you have chosen to go?</span><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3838088526333060010.post-66088601743404204102016-04-23T00:00:00.000-07:002019-02-18T16:14:31.976-08:00T: Amy Tan & THE JOY LUCK CLUB<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuq0vskaR0pSjaI5-32tMjP87gOXUA7HdOI-v8NrfaQY9GvryKjizXLhINIBva8P_lZNyIxhPljHJMqXu8O-IThyR2em4n1njt_08suS3ApKe29jjuYPihwNK_3WaQ0pZ6HeQs9ax6Xzh7/s1600/the+joy+luck+club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuq0vskaR0pSjaI5-32tMjP87gOXUA7HdOI-v8NrfaQY9GvryKjizXLhINIBva8P_lZNyIxhPljHJMqXu8O-IThyR2em4n1njt_08suS3ApKe29jjuYPihwNK_3WaQ0pZ6HeQs9ax6Xzh7/s320/the+joy+luck+club.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>
<span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;">"People talk
about this 'bucket list’: 'I need to go to this country, I need to skydive…’
Whereas I need to think as much as I can, to feel as much as I can, to be
conscious and observe and understand me and the people around me as much as I
can." - Amy <b>T</b>an<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; text-align: justify;">I read Amy <b>T</b>an's THE JOY LUCK CLUB (Turtleback, Adult)</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; text-align: justify;"> when I was in high school. The book features the mothers and daughters in several Chinese American families.The
scene I still remember is the Chinese New Year crab dinner, hosted by June and her parents. Invited to the dinner are Lindo
and Tin Jong and their daughter Waverly, a successful professional working at
Price Waterhouse and former chess champion. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">When the two were children, Waverly
had said to June, "You aren't a genius like me" after June botched a
piano recital. As adults, Waverly still torments June. During dinner,
Waverly compliments June's hair, and in the same breath, she hints that June's
stylist could give her AIDS. Waverly recommends her hair dresser to June and then
implies that June might not be able to afford him. Finally June points out that Waverly's company hasn't paid her yet for her freelance writing
work. Waverly smugly responds that the quality of
June's writing isn't good enough by her company's standards. Waverly
demonstrates that in spite of her looking-good-on-paper accomplishments, she is an awful dinner
guest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;"><span style="font-size: 17.3333px;">Being Chinese American, I feel particularly connected to this scene because it hits home. I've known people who behave like Waverly. The scene also shows the</span> petty rivalries that can sometimes occur internally among members of a community, such as this story's Chinese American community. What I feel is behind this is an unspoken perception, true or false, that there's not enough of a resource to go around among the group. Approval and recognition for Chinese females, for example. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Have you
read THE JOY LUCK CLUB? Have you ever hosted a terrible guest?</span></div>
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Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00912167351889969855noreply@blogger.com15