No, seriously.
THIS IS HOW IT'S DONE, I think.
June 30, 2009
June 29, 2009
Books. Gates. Other Worlds.
Hard to believe that the Color Online Summer Book Drive has been going on since May 30th, I've seen it on the readergirlz sidebar, and I still haven't yet posted about it.Geez.
It's been a busy couple of months, but honestly - no excuse. Especially with the success of the Guys' Lit Wire book drive, I've wanted to give those of you who didn't get a chance to be involved a heads up. The Color Online Summer Book Drive benefits Alternatives For Girls (AFG), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization located in southwest Detroit, Michigan, serving homeless and high-risk girls and young women. Since 1987, this center has been doing good work, and Susan works with the Rise -N- Shine program for elementary and middle school girls. They need books. Lots of books.
Feel like you don't have the "right" kinds of books to offer inner city girls? The Color Online Wish List requests things like Jeanette Winterson's Oranges are Not The Only Fruit, Honeybee: Poems & Short Prose by Naomi Shihab Nye, The Savage by David Almond, and more. You don't have to find special books -- how about the latest Gilda Joyce or a KimaniTru? Gently used "old" books are welcome as well. Click here to find out details.
June 28, 2009
Reading the World: Malorie Blackman
I've mentioned her before -- and I know a few YA readers in the U.S. have come across Blackman's Naughts & Crosses novel, (naughts and crosses being what Brits call tic tac toe), which is described kind of like a race-infused Romeo & Juliet. The interviews I've read all describe a determinedly positive and funny person who is rolling with the punches of being a black British writer, and not letting the squeamishness of the publishing industry negatively affect her prodigious output. And I do mean prodigious. Aside from doing some television screenwriting, Malorie Blackman is also the author of seven picture books, four easy-reader chapter books, thirty-four middle grade/tween novels, and five crossover adult/older YA novels. I've perused a few of her books, and right now, the main emotion I'm having is... jealousy. 
Now, this isn't a rant, but I find that the characters in Blackman's books are all so uniformly normal that it depresses me. There are "mums" and dads who invent things, like in Blackman's novel Dangerous Reality and Hacker. There are kids who have groundbreaking medical procedures, as in Pig Heart Boy. There are parents accused of breaking into pharmaceutical companies on behalf of environmental terrorist organizations, and then going on the lam, as in A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E.. Just normal kids with normal lives, having... Okay. So that last bit about the terrorist parent is perhaps not quite so normal. But, what I love about Blackman's books is that the kids get to have "real" fictional...lives, well rounded in all the routine, normal ways. Lives unhampered by race.
(Okay, so maybe this is a rant. But, it's just a teensy one.)
I've just read Dead Gorgeous, and like the title suggests, it's about someone both dead, and... gorgeous. It's a good old-fashioned haunted house story, with a few modern twists.
Nova lives with her weird, hippie parents, and her sister Rainbow in an inn, which is filled with the usual cast of strange people, some of whom are just passing through, and some of whom have been there for quite awhile. One of the longest-running residents is usually invisible -- because he's dead. He's a ghost named Liam who can make himself less ghostly when he's upset, which is pretty often. Liam left the world when he was about 16, after a huge and awful fight with his Dad, and he has a lot of unfinished business.
Nova and Rainbow aren't all daisies and sunshine, either. They're a lot alike in what they want, but they go after it in different ways -- Rainbow does a lot of screeching and poetry writing, and Nova... goes underground with her sorrows. Liam sees in Nova someone familiar, and he truly wants to help her -- like he wasn't able to help himself. But first, he really needs to get one of the residents of the inn to leave. Liam's not the haunting kind of ghost, but for some reason, he's getting antsy. He tells Noval that Mr. Jackman's got to go. Soon.
Ghosts. Sisters bickering. Weird people passing through an inn in a coastal town. Guests who fail to properly flush the community toilets. Just...life. Parents, gainfully employed, mentally present, socially acceptable (accept for the little rant about the non-toilet flushing). Even the ghost is the "regular" kind, not a product of voodoo, nor does Liam produce rolling white-eyed terror and discussion of a "haint." Granted, I'm drawing from American traditions of African American stereotypes rather than British stereotypes (and they exist), but from an American perspective this was almost eerie to read. There was so much that wasn't there.
I love the covers of Malorie Blackman's novels. They feature kids of many shades and features with facial expressions no less, all of them are of African ancestry. Blackman has been told that her books would perhaps "sell better" without these covers, but they were immediately appealing to me, and I can't help but imagine them appealing to all kinds of kids grabbing them at the library. It's hard to put my finger on how novel covers featuring African American characters are different, but there's a difference, all the same. Perhaps British publishers are willing to take greater risks in depicting black kids just being... kids. Maybe there's not so much the concern with being PC? Who knows. Either way, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm a bit envious of Blackman's body of work. People have reviewed A La Carte and have remarked at how "refreshing" it is to see a character with dreams and goals like other, normal teens, even if she IS an African American character (And WHOA am I paraphrasing, but this is my rant, okay?). And I've thought, Wow, have some of us got a long way to go in how we think about people of color.Last week, Colleen pointed me to
These are the types of things we had pointed out to us in grad school, in lit crit courses where such things were obvious. Somehow, it's unexpected to catch it in the here-and-now, in modern YA lit. Yet, Lainie is "refreshing" because she's got goals and dreams and wants a career when she grows up.
Boy, have some of us got a long way to go when we think about people of color.
Okay, < /rant >
Buy Dead Gorgeous from an independent bookstore near you!
June 27, 2009
HAH HAH HAH! *snort*
Geekdom rises again. Via SF Signal, this Hello Kitty/Star Wars mashup is probably the FUNNIEST darned thing I've seen today. The fact that so many other people love, love, love it is the reason the site's kind of crashed at the moment, but they'll be back and diehards can always follow them on Twitter. Apparently you can BUY these Hello Wars figures as stickers. I think I see fridge magnets in their future...Meanwhile, Mo Willems has made it into mental_floss pop culture icon status -- there's a Pigeon quiz!! How cute is that?
You can WIN all kinds of One Lonely Degree stuff just by EMAILING the author, C.K. DO IT!
Happy Weekend!
June 26, 2009
Two from :01
One collaboration, one first chapter; one written by Asian-Americans, one written in Korea. The latest YA offerings from First Second are as different as can be--thematically, as well--but as always they are of admirable quality, broad appeal, and further push the boundaries of the graphic novel form, making it worthy of the title graphic literature.
The first one I read—one which I was looking forward to ever since reading American Born Chinese--was
>The Eternal Smile, by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim (Good As Lily). These two award-winning authors collaborated on the three stories contained within, stories that contrast and complement one another, while still all addressing a similar theme—the sometimes insubstantial and permeable boundary between the worlds of fantasy and reality, and what that means to us as the players, actors, dreamers within. I was honestly floored by all three.
"Duncan's Kingdom" is a twist on the fantasy hero's story—what if fantasy became reality in a cruel twist of fate?--as well as a tale of finding inner strength and redemption. "Gran'pa Greenbax and the Eternal Smile" is, on the surface, a fun and sarcastically critical take-off on old Disney comics that many of us will remember reading as kids; but that story is layered within a more sinister one about the creators of those types of stories. "Urgent Request" is the tale of Janet, a beleaguered office worker who manages to spin a spam e-mail from a Nigerian prince into a life-changing fantasy. All three stories are winners, with the art style and writing style seamlessly meshing and supporting the stories themselves—DO NOT miss it.
I was also looking forward to
The Color of Earth, because it would be my first major foray into manhwa, or Korean manga. This first chapter in the trilogy by Kim Dong Hwa could be classified (in Japanese) as shojo, since the coming-of-age tale of a young Korean woman may appeal most to female readers. (And this is fabulous—I applaud any and all efforts to increase the amount of graphic literature with appeal for young women, especially now that Minx is defunct.) My understanding from the foreword is that this tale is based on the life of the author's mother, a sort of tribute to her growing-up years in a rural Korean village. The artwork reflects this, illustrating with sensitivity and vividness, remaining simple and expressive throughout, yet unafraid to add flourishes and whole spreads rendered in exquisite detail when called for by the storytelling.
The story opens with Ehwa as a very young girl, living with her widowed mother the tavern-keeper. As she grows older and into young womanhood over the course of the book, we see her gradually gain insight and understanding into not only her own growth and maturity, but also into her mother's life as a single female tavern-keeper, subject to all sorts of racy gossip while also leading a relatively lonely existence. At the same time that we get a window into traditional Korean culture of the somewhat recent past, it's the universal elements of the story that will make it really resonate with Western readers—curiosity about one's own growing body, the opposite sex, and the lives of the surrounding adults; loneliness and companionship and love.
The first one I read—one which I was looking forward to ever since reading American Born Chinese--was >The Eternal Smile, by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim (Good As Lily). These two award-winning authors collaborated on the three stories contained within, stories that contrast and complement one another, while still all addressing a similar theme—the sometimes insubstantial and permeable boundary between the worlds of fantasy and reality, and what that means to us as the players, actors, dreamers within. I was honestly floored by all three.
"Duncan's Kingdom" is a twist on the fantasy hero's story—what if fantasy became reality in a cruel twist of fate?--as well as a tale of finding inner strength and redemption. "Gran'pa Greenbax and the Eternal Smile" is, on the surface, a fun and sarcastically critical take-off on old Disney comics that many of us will remember reading as kids; but that story is layered within a more sinister one about the creators of those types of stories. "Urgent Request" is the tale of Janet, a beleaguered office worker who manages to spin a spam e-mail from a Nigerian prince into a life-changing fantasy. All three stories are winners, with the art style and writing style seamlessly meshing and supporting the stories themselves—DO NOT miss it.
I was also looking forward to The Color of Earth, because it would be my first major foray into manhwa, or Korean manga. This first chapter in the trilogy by Kim Dong Hwa could be classified (in Japanese) as shojo, since the coming-of-age tale of a young Korean woman may appeal most to female readers. (And this is fabulous—I applaud any and all efforts to increase the amount of graphic literature with appeal for young women, especially now that Minx is defunct.) My understanding from the foreword is that this tale is based on the life of the author's mother, a sort of tribute to her growing-up years in a rural Korean village. The artwork reflects this, illustrating with sensitivity and vividness, remaining simple and expressive throughout, yet unafraid to add flourishes and whole spreads rendered in exquisite detail when called for by the storytelling.
The story opens with Ehwa as a very young girl, living with her widowed mother the tavern-keeper. As she grows older and into young womanhood over the course of the book, we see her gradually gain insight and understanding into not only her own growth and maturity, but also into her mother's life as a single female tavern-keeper, subject to all sorts of racy gossip while also leading a relatively lonely existence. At the same time that we get a window into traditional Korean culture of the somewhat recent past, it's the universal elements of the story that will make it really resonate with Western readers—curiosity about one's own growing body, the opposite sex, and the lives of the surrounding adults; loneliness and companionship and love.
Some Cool News
We're always on the lookout for new markets / outlets for YA short stories. Via Mitali's blog, here's the latest:REBEL BOOKS, LLP Currently Seeking Submissions:-
The first publication by Rebel Books LLP will be an anthology of stories with a supernatural theme aimed at young adults. We are looking for submissions for this anthology covering all manner of supernatural creatures, including vampires, witches, shape-shifters - so let your imagination run wild. For more information on how to submit please see our submissions criteria page.
CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 30th November 2009
ANTICIPATED PUBLICATION DATE: Early 2010
Find out more about Rebel Books.
Another new for 2009 YA short story outlet is the webzine Tidepool. From the blog, The Tide Pool is a blog-style e-zine of short fiction for teen readers (and others who love YA fiction!). Blog-style means the stories are published as individual posts and readers can comment on them (comments are moderated).
Meanwhile, don't forget that TBR Tallboy's closing submission date for the December 1 is September 30th. Some really fine stories in the first edition, if you haven't yet received your copy.
June 25, 2009
Writing Rounds: A little news from the authors
"When you're writing contemporary realistic YA fiction the likelihood that you'll encounter some folks who are unhappy to read about what they consider 'bad behaviour' going unpunished is high. But I'm not interested in writing morality tales."C.K. is putting out her writing manifesto at All My Little Words. I think I can say I match up with all four of her writing points.
Did you catch Maggie's chats on self-confidence... and its inevitable flip side? I feel reassured that someone else lives in fear of the realization I don't know where I was going with this. "The fact is, the little funks and doubts and worries make it better. If you don’t see what the consequences would be of failing, victory isn’t as sweet," says Maggie. Amen and amen.
Our Neil is going to be at the Edinburgh Literary Festival August 19th, being cute and otherwise cool and reading from The Graveyard Book. Occasionally, there are benefits to Tech Boy attending university in Scotland. Gaiman sightings, and eventually, I may just run into Jane Yolen like Elizabeth Wein did. Of course, I would be much more tongue-tied and stupid than Liz. But still!
Sara Rees Brennan on Whatever blog
...makes her book, The Demon Lexicon Sound. So. Awesome. What IS it about "That Guy?"
June 21, 2009
Escape and Escapism: Two Fast-Paced Summer Reads
I've always liked novels in which a plucky and brave protagonist summons the inner courage to escape from an intolerable situation, come hell or high water, obstacles be damned. The suspense, the detailed descriptions of the how-tos of the escape, the reward of freedom—however these materialize in each particular book, I'm usually intrigued by the very premise. One of my all-time favorites is The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken, but a modern story of escape for older readers that was really gripping was Ellen Emerson White's Long Live the Queen.
Two recent reads that fall into this category are Escape Under the Forever Sky by Eve Yohalem and The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. These two very different tales of escape both feature strong young women as protagonists, characters who realize that their hopes of survival and a better future lie in their own hands.
In Escape Under the Forever Sky, thirteen-year-old Lucy Hoffman is daughter to the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, and is usually kept under strict supervision, much to her dismay—until a careless day's "escape" with her best friend leaves her open to kidnapping. Lucy, a huge wildlife buff, is faced with the possibility that not only might she never see her family again, she might never grow up to be the naturalist she hopes to be someday. But her skills and knowledge come in handy in unexpected ways when she takes her survival into her own hands and attempts the seemingly impossible: escape into the Ethiopian wilderness. Though the flashing back and forth in time took away from the adventure aspect for me—I would have liked a bit more focus on the suspense and the details of the escape—it's a fast and enjoyable read with some real danger to the character.
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams is undeniably topical. Kyra, at nearly 14, by the rules of her Compound is old enough to get married. But she looks at the lives of her mothers (all three of them) and her father, and her innumerable brothers and sisters, and she isn't sure that's what she wants for herself. Thanks to her illicit visits to the library bookmobile, she knows there's a world outside the Compound, one where she won't have to marry according to the decree of Prophet Childs, and might have the hope of a relationship with Joshua, just a few years older than she is and equally unsure of the truth of the Compound's ways. But when the Prophet declares that she is to marry her sixty-year-old Uncle Hyrum, who already has multiple wives whom he oppresses mentally and physically, Kyra realizes that she has to try to gain her freedom. But her efforts don't come without a cost. I couldn't put this one down—I was really rooting for Kyra; her allies are sympathetic and nuanced, and the villains are truly monstrous.
Two recent reads that fall into this category are Escape Under the Forever Sky by Eve Yohalem and The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. These two very different tales of escape both feature strong young women as protagonists, characters who realize that their hopes of survival and a better future lie in their own hands.
In Escape Under the Forever Sky, thirteen-year-old Lucy Hoffman is daughter to the U.S. ambassador to Ethiopia, and is usually kept under strict supervision, much to her dismay—until a careless day's "escape" with her best friend leaves her open to kidnapping. Lucy, a huge wildlife buff, is faced with the possibility that not only might she never see her family again, she might never grow up to be the naturalist she hopes to be someday. But her skills and knowledge come in handy in unexpected ways when she takes her survival into her own hands and attempts the seemingly impossible: escape into the Ethiopian wilderness. Though the flashing back and forth in time took away from the adventure aspect for me—I would have liked a bit more focus on the suspense and the details of the escape—it's a fast and enjoyable read with some real danger to the character. 
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams is undeniably topical. Kyra, at nearly 14, by the rules of her Compound is old enough to get married. But she looks at the lives of her mothers (all three of them) and her father, and her innumerable brothers and sisters, and she isn't sure that's what she wants for herself. Thanks to her illicit visits to the library bookmobile, she knows there's a world outside the Compound, one where she won't have to marry according to the decree of Prophet Childs, and might have the hope of a relationship with Joshua, just a few years older than she is and equally unsure of the truth of the Compound's ways. But when the Prophet declares that she is to marry her sixty-year-old Uncle Hyrum, who already has multiple wives whom he oppresses mentally and physically, Kyra realizes that she has to try to gain her freedom. But her efforts don't come without a cost. I couldn't put this one down—I was really rooting for Kyra; her allies are sympathetic and nuanced, and the villains are truly monstrous.
June 18, 2009
Contest Alert, and Thoughts on Reviewing
Attention writers! If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, don't miss the upcoming contest running July 1 - July 31, 2009, at Diamonds and Toads. For full contest rules and info, click here. The object: retell "Sleeping Beauty" in 1,000 words or less. And I highly recommend checking out the site, too, if you're interested in fairy tale research and writing.
Are you a writer 14 years old or younger? Then you won't be able to enter the contest above, but you're encouraged to enter a new contest sponsored by Imaginator Press in honor of the fifth anniversary of their publication of the fantasy The Dark Dreamweaver. Send in your story on the theme "Dream Power" by Oct. 31, and enter to win some amazing prizes, including an iPod Touch (sheesh, wish I were eligible!).
Via Twitter, Jen Robinson tipped me off to an interesting post and discussion on Read Roger that was in part about review copies, and who should receive them; and also went back a bit to the good vs. bad reviews idea and whether there's an obligation inherent in the acceptance of a review copy.
It was interesting for me to read about bloggers who actively request copies of specific books from publishers. The only time I've done this is when I've had a prior relationship with that publisher--and usually the publishers have approached US. In fact, for a while we were getting boatloads of unsolicited ARCs, which is why we put up our review policy. With unsolicited ARCs I feel far less obligation to post a review, and never do I feel obliged to post a positive review simply because somebody sent me a review copy. However, I've generally made it a policy--a personal one--to focus primarily on books that I was enthused about, or that I feel deserve attention even if I wasn't 100% enthused.
But there's been a confluence of events that has caused me to keep coming back to the idea of why I'm writing reviews at all. Firstly, there's been all the discussions about reviewers, review copies, and different groups of bloggers, which can be truly exhausting. Secondly, I've been so busy with work, and with writing, that I've hardly had time to write blog posts or read others' posts. It's really hard for me to post a review anywhere near promptly. I feel bad about that. But this isn't my job, and sometimes it feels like it is...and it shouldn't.
So I've been in the process of mulling over, of rethinking, how I'd like to do reviews on the site. (You may have noticed some "rethinking" in the form of weird roundups and musical interludes.) We originally started posting reviews here in order to recommend books we enjoyed to others in our writing group, and anyone else who might be interested. It turned into so much more, and it's been a wild ride. Only, I'm not sure my previous method of doing more in-depth reviews is feasible right now. You'll probably see more roundups and thematic groupings of reviews. In exchange, I'd like to post a bit more about writing and reading in general. And this is just me, and my own angst, talking--Tanita might feel differently. But expect less frequent, shorter, more pithy (one hopes) reviews from me for the time being.
And, as always, thanks for reading.
Are you a writer 14 years old or younger? Then you won't be able to enter the contest above, but you're encouraged to enter a new contest sponsored by Imaginator Press in honor of the fifth anniversary of their publication of the fantasy The Dark Dreamweaver. Send in your story on the theme "Dream Power" by Oct. 31, and enter to win some amazing prizes, including an iPod Touch (sheesh, wish I were eligible!).
Via Twitter, Jen Robinson tipped me off to an interesting post and discussion on Read Roger that was in part about review copies, and who should receive them; and also went back a bit to the good vs. bad reviews idea and whether there's an obligation inherent in the acceptance of a review copy.
It was interesting for me to read about bloggers who actively request copies of specific books from publishers. The only time I've done this is when I've had a prior relationship with that publisher--and usually the publishers have approached US. In fact, for a while we were getting boatloads of unsolicited ARCs, which is why we put up our review policy. With unsolicited ARCs I feel far less obligation to post a review, and never do I feel obliged to post a positive review simply because somebody sent me a review copy. However, I've generally made it a policy--a personal one--to focus primarily on books that I was enthused about, or that I feel deserve attention even if I wasn't 100% enthused.
But there's been a confluence of events that has caused me to keep coming back to the idea of why I'm writing reviews at all. Firstly, there's been all the discussions about reviewers, review copies, and different groups of bloggers, which can be truly exhausting. Secondly, I've been so busy with work, and with writing, that I've hardly had time to write blog posts or read others' posts. It's really hard for me to post a review anywhere near promptly. I feel bad about that. But this isn't my job, and sometimes it feels like it is...and it shouldn't.
So I've been in the process of mulling over, of rethinking, how I'd like to do reviews on the site. (You may have noticed some "rethinking" in the form of weird roundups and musical interludes.) We originally started posting reviews here in order to recommend books we enjoyed to others in our writing group, and anyone else who might be interested. It turned into so much more, and it's been a wild ride. Only, I'm not sure my previous method of doing more in-depth reviews is feasible right now. You'll probably see more roundups and thematic groupings of reviews. In exchange, I'd like to post a bit more about writing and reading in general. And this is just me, and my own angst, talking--Tanita might feel differently. But expect less frequent, shorter, more pithy (one hopes) reviews from me for the time being.
And, as always, thanks for reading.
June 11, 2009
For a SFF writing geek...
this, may, in fact, be the Coolest Thing Ever. A shared-universe fantasy story writing site. Wow.
Drama and Books and Such
"Teenagers have historically shown a certain appetite for calamity; they like a little madness, sadism and disease in the books they curl up with at night."
The Wall Street Journal article about YA lit tries to be positive about the dystopian and/or what they see as darker YA books, making special notes of 13 Reasons Why and Wintergirls as examples of particularly depressing fiction that may seem, to uninformed adults perusing the copies, "fairly uncommon and overwrought." I'm glad to say that the writer does sound quite a bit more informed than many who write about YA lit (although to blame all dark books on L.H. Anderson, as the "doyenne" of such -- eh?), however, despite the popularity of The Hunger Games and If I Stay, the overarching theme of YA lit as "dark" is obviously a matter of ...opinion. Or maybe I just like "dark?" Anyway, obviously not all YA books embraced now are depressing -- or bleakly mindless. There are plenty of other options, which is why I'm glad that Colleen is looking at What A Girl Wants. Depression and snark aren't the only things teen girl readers look for, is it? These writers say no.
And speaking of Katniss -- casting calls are going to be going out soon for The Hunger Games movie. Mitali has an intriguing question about... what the characters look like. Check out her 12-second-tv spot.
Man, the Bay Area booklights a lot of us have known forever continue to go dim. Black Oak Books is closing. That's a real shocker, and the community is speechless -- as there was no warning. Ugh. WHY do they keep doing that? Can't they at least say, "Help!" so the community can rally 'round? Aargh.
On a happier note, though, I just discovered Charlotte's post which announces the new Meghan Whalen Turner Attolia book, A Conspiracy of Kings!!!! This makes life somewhat more worth living.
And this little vimeo on BookMoot's blog is so me, it made me smile. Books really are where I live. Lately I haven't been getting to read enough. Time to change that!
June 09, 2009
3...2...1...INCOMING!
MARE'S WAR is about to land! Or, take off. Or... look, just work with me on the cool plane shadow, all right?? (For which I wish I could take credit, but alas: Tech Boy has me beat on the camera skillz.)
Pop on over to my publication blog this week to take part in the fun, and maybe win a free copy of MARE'S WAR, or a signed bookplate so you can put it in your *own* book, or some random items I have laying around the house. Cheers!
June 08, 2009
As Always, Mitali's Got the Questions...
It's okay to update a classic children's book to reflect changing mores ...
1. if the changes made are incidental rather than integral to the plot,
2. if the publisher includes a note in the re-issue explaining the reasoning behind the change,
3. if the author is still alive and wants the changes,
4. if the copyright holder (a descendant) is still alive and authorizes the changes,
5. never.
Authors, educators, publishers and parents -- please stop by this fascinating discussion and talk about it. Would the Little House books be better if the Native people weren't so racially stereotyped, and the he-man Western idea of "the only good savage is a dead savage" wasn't present? Would Huckleberry Finn work if Jim were listed as African American instead of that Other Word? Can you change a classic, and still leave it a classic, or does shading the colors of the past lead to changing the picture? Weigh in here.
SO many congratulations going on. This week, Aquafortis is doing major-edits-with-hints-of-book-deal, and Liz Garton Scanlon is quietly talking about the 2010 publication date of her new picture book, Noodle & Lou, to be illustrated by Arthur Howard, of Mr. Putter and Tabby fame. I'm thrilled for her --! Yay, Liz! it's a good writing year for my Poetry Princess sisters. (Operation YES: comingatcha in September, by Sara Lewis Holmes, just in case you misplaced your anticipation and thought about other books or the Twilight movie or something.) Meanwhile, I'm making bookplates for the MARE'S WAR release tomorrow. I'm completely bummed I missed the 48 Hour Book Challenge (egads - there are people who read the whole forty-eight hours this time, NO SLEEP!!!), but I was cheering you all on from afar.
Happy June!
1. if the changes made are incidental rather than integral to the plot,
2. if the publisher includes a note in the re-issue explaining the reasoning behind the change,
3. if the author is still alive and wants the changes,
4. if the copyright holder (a descendant) is still alive and authorizes the changes,
5. never.
Authors, educators, publishers and parents -- please stop by this fascinating discussion and talk about it. Would the Little House books be better if the Native people weren't so racially stereotyped, and the he-man Western idea of "the only good savage is a dead savage" wasn't present? Would Huckleberry Finn work if Jim were listed as African American instead of that Other Word? Can you change a classic, and still leave it a classic, or does shading the colors of the past lead to changing the picture? Weigh in here.SO many congratulations going on. This week, Aquafortis is doing major-edits-with-hints-of-book-deal, and Liz Garton Scanlon is quietly talking about the 2010 publication date of her new picture book, Noodle & Lou, to be illustrated by Arthur Howard, of Mr. Putter and Tabby fame. I'm thrilled for her --! Yay, Liz! it's a good writing year for my Poetry Princess sisters. (Operation YES: comingatcha in September, by Sara Lewis Holmes, just in case you misplaced your anticipation and thought about other books or the Twilight movie or something.) Meanwhile, I'm making bookplates for the MARE'S WAR release tomorrow. I'm completely bummed I missed the 48 Hour Book Challenge (egads - there are people who read the whole forty-eight hours this time, NO SLEEP!!!), but I was cheering you all on from afar.
Happy June!
June 07, 2009
Early June Reading Roundup
Every once in a while, I feel like I need to mix it up as far as reviews are concerned, make it a little more fun than just a standard review. Most of the time I don't act on that impulse. But lately, there's been a lot of seriousness in the lit/book blogging world, so, in order to counteract my resulting feelings of blahness, I've decided to do today's roundup in the form of a song. That's right. If you were expecting lengthy formal reviews, sorry, but that's not gonna happen today. Instead, please enjoy the following ditty, sung to the tune of "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" by The Beatles (midi version here for your listening pleasure).
Randomly arriving here from Westside Books
The touching tale of Andrea McKane
Her mother's schizophrenia earns her wary looks
But running makes her strong in body and brain.
For a break, then I read, Something Rotten--
Horatio Wilkes the mystery-solving pal.
Environmental hi-jinks won't stop him--
Even when he doesn't get the gal.
Ryan fell off track after his sister died
Now he's ditching class and getting stoned
Chances for redemption help him clarify
His feelings—now he's not so much alone.
Vidya's family in World War II India--
Forever changed when struck by tragedy.
Now her big dreams of college are threatened--
Till she finds some sympathetic company.
Haddix is a grand dame of MG suspense--
Here's a story where conspiracies abound.
Jonah and Chip's adoptions make them both quite tense
As shifty FBI dudes want them Found.
Rico Fuentes is so sick of Harlem--
The crime and drugs there really get him down.
So he flees for a farm in Wisconsin
And finds himself through life in a small town.
Dierdre knows she should never trust faeries--
Hot musician guys like Luke all tell her so.
But he loves her, and then things get scary--
Can they fight off terrifying faerie foes?
There you go--books I read in the past month.
This was fun for me, hope it was fun for you.
It might happen again in another month,
I reserve the right to do what I wanna do.
So there. Hope you enjoyed it. I'm hoping to find time to post more detailed comments on my Goodreads, but we'll see about that. I've been lagging behind, so this was my attempt to get moving ahead again.
Randomly arriving here from Westside BooksThe touching tale of Andrea McKane
Her mother's schizophrenia earns her wary looks
But running makes her strong in body and brain.
For a break, then I read, Something Rotten--Horatio Wilkes the mystery-solving pal.
Environmental hi-jinks won't stop him--
Even when he doesn't get the gal.
Ryan fell off track after his sister diedNow he's ditching class and getting stoned
Chances for redemption help him clarify
His feelings—now he's not so much alone.
Vidya's family in World War II India--Forever changed when struck by tragedy.
Now her big dreams of college are threatened--
Till she finds some sympathetic company.
Haddix is a grand dame of MG suspense--Here's a story where conspiracies abound.
Jonah and Chip's adoptions make them both quite tense
As shifty FBI dudes want them Found.
Rico Fuentes is so sick of Harlem--The crime and drugs there really get him down.
So he flees for a farm in Wisconsin
And finds himself through life in a small town.
Dierdre knows she should never trust faeries--Hot musician guys like Luke all tell her so.
But he loves her, and then things get scary--
Can they fight off terrifying faerie foes?
There you go--books I read in the past month.
This was fun for me, hope it was fun for you.
It might happen again in another month,
I reserve the right to do what I wanna do.
So there. Hope you enjoyed it. I'm hoping to find time to post more detailed comments on my Goodreads, but we'll see about that. I've been lagging behind, so this was my attempt to get moving ahead again.
June 01, 2009
Learning to Show and Tell (Warning: Soapbox!!)
So, a. fortis does not usually step into soapbox territory (nor refer to herself in the third person) but today is evidently an exception. Perhaps I'm merely giddy about my recent good writing news, but honestly, I think it's because of the thought-provoking New Yorker article by Louis Menand examining the history--and value--of academic creative writing programs (thanks to Susan at Chicken Spaghetti for the link). It turns out, having gone through a graduate writing program, I have a lot to say about this. Imagine that.
Anyway, one of the questions brought up by this article is: What is the real purpose of a writing program? I had to think about this. On one level, I DO think it exists simply to give the already-talented and the promising (the ones lucky enough, anyway, to get their work in front of the right person at the right place at the right time) the indisputable validation of that all-important piece of paper—the fancy diploma that tells everyone (including us) that we aren’t just loopy and deluded creative types wasting our time on projects of dubious lasting value. That’s a cynical point of view, to be sure, but there’s truth in it.
On the other hand, there’s a lot potentially to be gained from a writing program. I entered an MFA writing program because I wanted to develop my writing further, as someone who DID NOT have an undergrad degree in the field and in fact came from a different (yet equally conflicted in terms of relevancy of academic training) area of the arts. I wanted to learn more about the luminaries of the writing canon and the stars of the contemporary literary sphere. I needed that all-important feedback from others about my work. I wanted to learn what it means to "be a writer" in today’s world.
And certainly, you can get all that from a good writing program. Arguably, that’s a lot more important than the piece of paper. As the article states, "Teachers are the books that students read most closely, and this is especially true in the case of teachers who are living models for exactly what the student aspires one day to be—a published writer."
As Menand points out, the workshop format is useful despite itself. I feel like I had the advantage of knowing that coming into my writing program, having already spent a year in a post-baccalaureate program in fine art (i.e., the visual-art equivalent to literary writing), where the Big Personality and what you are allowed to absorb from their genius is sometimes the entire basis for a class.
However, once you get past all of the blather (justifiable or not) about the purpose and ultimate effect of literary writing, I think what it comes down to for me is a love of words as an artistic tool (among other artistic media that also speak to me), a love of stories, and a need to create things. The attempt to incorporate an effete self-consciousness of one’s own process and where one’s product lies in relation to the canon DOES NOT have relevance to my underlying desire to create.
On the other hand, I truly believe that to mystify the creative process, as so many writing and art professors do, is to encourage the myth that it does not involve work but instead relies solely on some elusive genius, a talent which you’ve got or you don’t got. And it’s dangerous, in my opinion, to focus on that as the obstacle, when time would more productively be spent on figuring out and working with the fickle realities of the publishing world. You can all too easily fall into the trap of thinking that the problem lies with the misunderstanding of your work by the outside world, instead of with trying to identify what you want your work to achieve, who you want it to connect with, and how best to accomplish that from a craft perspective, to hone your raw creative ideas into their most effective form.
Okay. I'm off my soapbox now. Happy Monday!
Anyway, one of the questions brought up by this article is: What is the real purpose of a writing program? I had to think about this. On one level, I DO think it exists simply to give the already-talented and the promising (the ones lucky enough, anyway, to get their work in front of the right person at the right place at the right time) the indisputable validation of that all-important piece of paper—the fancy diploma that tells everyone (including us) that we aren’t just loopy and deluded creative types wasting our time on projects of dubious lasting value. That’s a cynical point of view, to be sure, but there’s truth in it.
On the other hand, there’s a lot potentially to be gained from a writing program. I entered an MFA writing program because I wanted to develop my writing further, as someone who DID NOT have an undergrad degree in the field and in fact came from a different (yet equally conflicted in terms of relevancy of academic training) area of the arts. I wanted to learn more about the luminaries of the writing canon and the stars of the contemporary literary sphere. I needed that all-important feedback from others about my work. I wanted to learn what it means to "be a writer" in today’s world.
And certainly, you can get all that from a good writing program. Arguably, that’s a lot more important than the piece of paper. As the article states, "Teachers are the books that students read most closely, and this is especially true in the case of teachers who are living models for exactly what the student aspires one day to be—a published writer."
As Menand points out, the workshop format is useful despite itself. I feel like I had the advantage of knowing that coming into my writing program, having already spent a year in a post-baccalaureate program in fine art (i.e., the visual-art equivalent to literary writing), where the Big Personality and what you are allowed to absorb from their genius is sometimes the entire basis for a class.
However, once you get past all of the blather (justifiable or not) about the purpose and ultimate effect of literary writing, I think what it comes down to for me is a love of words as an artistic tool (among other artistic media that also speak to me), a love of stories, and a need to create things. The attempt to incorporate an effete self-consciousness of one’s own process and where one’s product lies in relation to the canon DOES NOT have relevance to my underlying desire to create.
On the other hand, I truly believe that to mystify the creative process, as so many writing and art professors do, is to encourage the myth that it does not involve work but instead relies solely on some elusive genius, a talent which you’ve got or you don’t got. And it’s dangerous, in my opinion, to focus on that as the obstacle, when time would more productively be spent on figuring out and working with the fickle realities of the publishing world. You can all too easily fall into the trap of thinking that the problem lies with the misunderstanding of your work by the outside world, instead of with trying to identify what you want your work to achieve, who you want it to connect with, and how best to accomplish that from a craft perspective, to hone your raw creative ideas into their most effective form.
Okay. I'm off my soapbox now. Happy Monday!
May 31, 2009
Shhh....But W00T!
It's been quiet for a couple of days here around the Wonderland treehouse. I of course have reviews and links I'm meaning to get to, but the best intentions of mice and men fall by the wayside of the long and winding road (untangle THAT one! HA!) when life gets busy.
Fortunately, there are positive reasons why I've not been posting. But in lieu of going into detail here, I'll just direct you to this blog post on my personal blog, and then this one, as part deux of the story.
Once you read those, you might feel like telling me, "and you think you'll be LESS busy now??" Well, yeah...it's going to be a couple of months of serious buckling down. But I promise I won't disappear.
May 27, 2009
Great Graphic Novels Roundup
Mostly we read YA-oriented fiction and graphic novels around here, but every so often I get tempted into a few graphic novels for kids, mainly because the books released by companies like Toon Books and First Second are so appealing, of such high quality, and so nicely produced that I can't resist giving them a mention. Today I've got a few from First Second, and then a quick revisit of a YA graphic novel that was a Cybils nominee a couple of years ago.
I was not at all surprised to find out that the authors of Adventures in Cartooning gave major props to Ed Emberley, who produced many a kid-friendly volume on how to draw all sorts of things from animals to vehicles to people. (I myself spent many hours obsessively drawing according to Ed Emberley's step-by-step instructions, when I was little. Um, littlER.) This step-by-step guide to the fundamentals of cartooning and comics introduces kids (and adults) to the language of comics as a medium, using basic and non-intimidating building blocks. All of it is couched within a story that demonstrates as it entertains—the story of a princess who wants to make comics, and the Magic Cartooning Elf who helps her along the way. Much, much fun.
Also from First Second comes Joey Fly: Private Eye in Creepy Crawly Crime. It's just what it sounds like from the title: you've got your noir detective, your over-eager assistant, and your dame in trouble who turns out to BE trouble. And, of course, there's a mystery to solve. With bugs. Because, of course, Joey Fly is, well, a fly, his assistant's a young scorpion, and the sexy dame is, as you might expect, a butterfly. There's a lot here to entertain older readers as well as kids—the puns and turns of phrase are particularly rewarding if you have any familiarity at all with traditional detective fiction, and I can absolutely see this being a fun one for parents to read aloud to (or with) kids. The illustration is reminiscent of old-school funny pages—simple but expressive—and there are a lot of entertaining visual details to reward repeated readings. Bonus: Fans of funny pages and quaint classic cartoons might also enjoy Tiny Tyrant, Volume One: The Ethelbertosaurus, chronicling the continuing misadventures of a six-year-old king who's constantly getting into trouble.
Now, for older readers, a butt-kicking, girl-power, martial arts mini-epic from Minx that I only recently was able to get hold of from my library: Re-Gifters by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, and Marc Hempel. Dik Seong, aka Dixie, lives in L.A.'s Koreatown in a bit of a tough neighborhood, but luckily for her, she's into the martial art hapkido, so she can defend herself physically. And she's GOOD—really good. Too bad she can't defend herself against the charms of Adam, a fellow talented hapkido student. He's cute, great at hapkido...and she has to fight against him in an upcoming tournament. Although this one nods a few times in the direction of manga (or manhwa), it has a deeper appeal that lies in the sympathetic narrator Dixie and the strength of the story itself. I was definitely cheering for her the whole time, and since I did a little hapkido ages ago, I enjoyed the choice of that somewhat lesser-known martial art as the focus of Dixie's interest. I think this would potentially have appeal for male readers as well, because of the martial arts element and because Dixie's not a girly-girl. Very strong all around—I hope to see future work by this creative trio, even though DC sadly put the kibosh on Minx.
I was not at all surprised to find out that the authors of Adventures in Cartooning gave major props to Ed Emberley, who produced many a kid-friendly volume on how to draw all sorts of things from animals to vehicles to people. (I myself spent many hours obsessively drawing according to Ed Emberley's step-by-step instructions, when I was little. Um, littlER.) This step-by-step guide to the fundamentals of cartooning and comics introduces kids (and adults) to the language of comics as a medium, using basic and non-intimidating building blocks. All of it is couched within a story that demonstrates as it entertains—the story of a princess who wants to make comics, and the Magic Cartooning Elf who helps her along the way. Much, much fun. 
Also from First Second comes Joey Fly: Private Eye in Creepy Crawly Crime. It's just what it sounds like from the title: you've got your noir detective, your over-eager assistant, and your dame in trouble who turns out to BE trouble. And, of course, there's a mystery to solve. With bugs. Because, of course, Joey Fly is, well, a fly, his assistant's a young scorpion, and the sexy dame is, as you might expect, a butterfly. There's a lot here to entertain older readers as well as kids—the puns and turns of phrase are particularly rewarding if you have any familiarity at all with traditional detective fiction, and I can absolutely see this being a fun one for parents to read aloud to (or with) kids. The illustration is reminiscent of old-school funny pages—simple but expressive—and there are a lot of entertaining visual details to reward repeated readings. Bonus: Fans of funny pages and quaint classic cartoons might also enjoy Tiny Tyrant, Volume One: The Ethelbertosaurus, chronicling the continuing misadventures of a six-year-old king who's constantly getting into trouble. 
Now, for older readers, a butt-kicking, girl-power, martial arts mini-epic from Minx that I only recently was able to get hold of from my library: Re-Gifters by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, and Marc Hempel. Dik Seong, aka Dixie, lives in L.A.'s Koreatown in a bit of a tough neighborhood, but luckily for her, she's into the martial art hapkido, so she can defend herself physically. And she's GOOD—really good. Too bad she can't defend herself against the charms of Adam, a fellow talented hapkido student. He's cute, great at hapkido...and she has to fight against him in an upcoming tournament. Although this one nods a few times in the direction of manga (or manhwa), it has a deeper appeal that lies in the sympathetic narrator Dixie and the strength of the story itself. I was definitely cheering for her the whole time, and since I did a little hapkido ages ago, I enjoyed the choice of that somewhat lesser-known martial art as the focus of Dixie's interest. I think this would potentially have appeal for male readers as well, because of the martial arts element and because Dixie's not a girly-girl. Very strong all around—I hope to see future work by this creative trio, even though DC sadly put the kibosh on Minx.
May 23, 2009
SBBT Winds Down, 48-Hour Book Challenge Winds Up
In case you missed yesterday's Summer Blog Blast Tour stops, like (ahem) somebody who is trying to hide a sheepish and embarrassed expression as she types, please go check out the final day of fabulous interviews:
Jenny Davidson at Chasing Ray
Rebecca Stead at Fuse #8
Ryan Mecum at Writing and Ruminating
Lauren Myracle at Bildungsroman
Kristin Cashore at HipWriterMama
Rachel Caine at The YA YA YAs
Also, the Book Fair for Boys over at Guys Lit Wire is winding down, but it's up through Memorial Day, so if you haven't contributed yet, please consider making a donation (full instructions here). It's been an incredible success thanks to donors from all across North America and even across the Pond. Not only that, Powell's Books themselves made a contribution tot he cause. It's the kind of thing that makes me so proud to be part of the kidlitosphere.
Once these great events wind down, you might be looking for something to do with your time. Though I never seem to have that problem these days, I still might take the plunge and participate in MotherReader's Fourth Annual 48-Hour Book Challenge, just for the fun of it.
Lastly, check out the great podcast on Advice for Aspiring Readers that's part of Just One More Book!'s Rock Stars of Reading series--there are some awesome literary folks taking part, including Norton Juster, Mo Willems, Jane Yolen, and tons more.
Happy gorgeous weekend!
Jenny Davidson at Chasing Ray
Rebecca Stead at Fuse #8
Ryan Mecum at Writing and Ruminating
Lauren Myracle at Bildungsroman
Kristin Cashore at HipWriterMama
Rachel Caine at The YA YA YAs
Also, the Book Fair for Boys over at Guys Lit Wire is winding down, but it's up through Memorial Day, so if you haven't contributed yet, please consider making a donation (full instructions here). It's been an incredible success thanks to donors from all across North America and even across the Pond. Not only that, Powell's Books themselves made a contribution tot he cause. It's the kind of thing that makes me so proud to be part of the kidlitosphere.
Once these great events wind down, you might be looking for something to do with your time. Though I never seem to have that problem these days, I still might take the plunge and participate in MotherReader's Fourth Annual 48-Hour Book Challenge, just for the fun of it.
Lastly, check out the great podcast on Advice for Aspiring Readers that's part of Just One More Book!'s Rock Stars of Reading series--there are some awesome literary folks taking part, including Norton Juster, Mo Willems, Jane Yolen, and tons more.
Happy gorgeous weekend!
May 21, 2009
Summer Blog Blast Tour: Alma Alexander
Readers of adult speculative fiction will have long known about the talents of writer Alma Alexander, but we first encountered her more recently. Our introduction came during the 2007 Cybils, when her first young adult novel, Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage, was nominated for the Science Fiction and Fantasy category. Later, Aquafortis had the privilege of meeting her in person at the 2008 Kidlitosphere Conference in Portland, Oregon. Warm and friendly and definitely a woman unafraid to travel, Ms. Alexander was born in Yugoslavia and has lived in parts of Africa, the U.K. and New Zealand. An unusual start to her writing began with graduation from the University of Cape Town with an MSc in Microbiology. Ms. Alexander spent several years running a scientific journal for the Allergy Society of South Africa before moving on. She now lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest.
Ms. Alexander's writing travels have taken her to the intersection between fantasy and cyberspace, to create a unique space in speculative fiction, as seen in her Worldweavers trilogy. Naturally, we had a lot of questions about everything from Ms. Alexander's writing process to her opinions about YA fantasy in general — we hope you enjoy her answers as much as we did.
FW: What was the biggest challenge in going from writing fantasy for an adult audience to writing fantasy for a YA audience? After your success with your adult series, what inspired you to try your hand at writing for young adults? What is the difference, for you, in writing for one group or the other?
AA: I do not, never have done, never will, write "down" to a level considered appropriate for "children". When I myself was one of those children, authors being patronizing and assuming I was ignorant or lazy was one of the top reasons why I would toss a book aside without finishing it. If the author cannot respect me, the reader, then I didn't see why I should reciprocate. Now, I fully realise that I am probably one of a subset of humankind that is defined by being precocious, hungry, and responding positively to being challenged - but I honestly do believe that many young readers today would welcome more of a challenge than they are getting these days. As a reader - and then as a writer - I was never afraid of using a "long" word if that was the perfect word for what I needed to say; when I was growing up I often needed no more than a context in order to be able to figure out what an unfamiliar word meant - and if not, there was always the dictionary. So in answer to the first part of that multi-part question - the biggest challenge from going to one audience to another has not and never will be the tone of the books or the language in which they are written. I have had to bow to certain aspects of the culture in which and for which I write - the second book in the Worldweavers saga, "Spellspam", involves spam emails... and I don't suppose I have to tell you what kind of common spam I definitely could NOT use in a YA book of this nature... - but that was more or less the only concession. I do not believe for a moment that the troubles and trials of someone who happens to be fourteen or fifteen are any less valid or important than a mid-life crisis, and indeed are frequently far MORE important and life-changing than the latter, and my teen characters have choices to make and decisions to wrestle with that are every bit as complex as those that would face - and probably faze - an "adult" character.
As for what inspired me to YA, the short answer to that lies in my having attended - completely arbitrarily - a panel on writing YA at the 2002 World Fantasy Cnvention...at which panel YA doyenne Jane Yolen made a throwaway comment that she did not like the way that some of the Harry Potter books treated girls. That really was all it took - I was off with Thea Winthrop in her own world before the panel came to an end. Before that moment I had no intention of writing YA, no story, no inspiration. But writing moves in mysterious ways sometimes, and seven years down the line, here I am, a YA trilogy under my belt. You just never know.As for the difference - I've *LOVED* having a young audience. I've loved interacting with teens who have read the books, I've loved listening to their praise and their concerns, I've loved the pure unadulterated honesty and straightforward responses that I get from the teen readers of these books. I've loved the language that I've had to learn to understand my readers (I get the general gist of "you PWN all other writers" but it's different when it's aimed at you personally in an email from a fourteen-year-old...) If I can, I fully intend to write more for this audience. Never having had kids of my own, I was a little afraid of my first school visits - but it turns out that not only do I enjoy them, I'm also apparently surprisingly adept at managing a teen audience. Who knew...
FW:"You pwn all other writers!" Okay, that's something I'd want tattoeed somewhere!
You utilize a great deal of Native American mythology in your Worldweavers books—the idea of a spirit journey, the character of Grandmother Spider. What sort of research did you undertake to incorporate these themes? What made you decide to use this lore in your series?
AA: I read a lot of background for that particular aspect of the stories, and the more I read the more I realised how rich and beautiful and amazing that mythology is. And how fundamentally UNKNOWN in the mainstream literature and media it is. Sure, there are touches of it here and there, but quite often they come in the guise of the "magical Native American" character, the wise old shaman whose role in the story is to be a Yoda who speaks in more grammatical sentences and has better hair.
One of the things I wanted to do with these books was provide an American counterbalance for the heavily English Harry Potter books - so English, so British, that even the title of an early book had to be "Translated" into American in order for American audiences to make sense of it. I grew up with the English cultural ethos; I am familiar at first hand with English boarding schools (although they NEVER had the sort of food provided by Hogwarts, trust me), the House systems and the prefects, tea and scones, all that stuff - but much of that is as alien to an American kid as though it was all set in a real Fairyland, or on Mars. So I wanted to provide the sort of setting that was closer to home for those American readers. And once I was headed in that direction... the New World mythology was a natural road by which to travel there.
FW: Well, definitely need more mythic traditions within young adult literature, and the Anasazi are certainly a new twist. So, where did the idea for the Worldweavers series come from? What was the germ of the idea that led to Thea's character and the idea of the Wandless Academy?
AA: Kind of went over that territory already a little (see part of the answer to Question 1 and most of the answer for Question 2). But essentially what I wanted to do can be boiled down into a a few fairly specific bullet points -
* I wanted to create an American magic, an American adventure, in order to balance out the preponderance of the British influence in the YA genre as exemplified by the seven-book phenomenon that is Harry Potter. For a long time YA fantasy appeared to BE Harry Potter... and very little, if anything at all, else. So I wanted to take the adventure back West, to the New World, to show that there was magic here, too, to tell the kids whose roots were on THESE shores that they too had something that they could call their own (and understand without the need for the across-the-pond translation).
* I wanted to create a set of adventures where the GIRL gets to go and have them... and show that she's capable, and strong, and willing to take risks and make hard decisions.
* I wanted to create a story where the protagonist was not a lost orphan, but to show that protagonist in the midst of a busy family with all the attendant family troubles and dramas.
* I wanted to create a story of a protagonist who gets to grapple with her own problems - hence, instead of the Boy Who Lived, I have the Girl Who Couldn't... until she figured out, and chose to grasp, the fact that she could... only not in the ways that everyone else expected her to.
I wanted a character who grew and changed and was fundamentally transformed by the decisions that she was called on to make – a character who learns that it is not strength to obstinately go it alone, and not weakness to know that she can rely on her family and her friends to support her when she needs them. I wanted to write a fantasy which would be no less enchanting and engaging for having a "real" teen as a protagonist, someone who had to deal (on top of the requirements of her adventure storyline) with many of the "real" problems that affect real kids in America today.As far as the Wandless Academy was concerned, it grew out of the "Girl Who Couldn't" trope - there had to be a way to cope with these people in the kind of world which runs on magic in which the rest of the culture is rooted - and so I had to create a sort of anti-Hogwarts, the school where magic is not only not taught, it is actively forbidden...
FW: And you were really successful in creating a story that has a lot of the same elements as the Potter books - the same possibilities in magic - but arriving a similar conclusions from a thoroughly different angle.
You've had a unique and diverse upbringing in a number of different countries. Has this affected your writing in any way, or even your choice of writing as a career? If so, how?
AA: Living in, and absorbing, so many different cultures and points of view has inevitably made my own broader and deeper than some of my peers who have never left the town where they were born. I have seen a lot of the world and I am in awe of it, of its many changing faces, of its beauty and its cruelty, of its power. I've used SOME of that multifarious background in my writing, sure - there's an (still unpublished) fantasy that I have somewhere that's based on Maori and Pacific Island mythologies - legacy of my six years' sojourn in New Zealand; I haven't woven Africa into a fantasy yet, but I'm sure that'll come someday.
Part of the gift of this life that I've lived is a double-edged sword of being able to understand completely two utterly opposing points of view and make a good case myself for arguing either of them - I think they might be reduced to recruiting people like me if First Contact ever happened with a truly alien race, because it's people like me who have learned to come to terms with what is alien between individual representatives of widely-divergent representatives of fundamentally incompatible and yet parallel-evolved cultural communities on our own world right here and now.
This comes in useful in a writing career. One's characters kind of cease to be cardboard once you learn to look behind their eyes and start figuring out what's going on inside their heads. It's the iceberg school of writing - you wind up knowing MUCH more about a character, ANY character, than will ever show in any given story – but the things you don't show, you don't talk about, are what gives depth and personality to the face that your character DOES show to his or her world.
I'm fundamentally very grateful for all the opportunities that I've had to see, to learn, to travel, to grow. I have no doubt that these opportunities have fundamentally affected what I chose to do for a living, and the manner in which I have pursued that dream.
FW: In both your YA and adult fantasy series, you include a diverse crop of strong female heroines, such as the quiet but clever Thea in Worldweavers. Do you think that fantasy as a genre still needs to fill a gender gap in terms of strong women as protagonists? Is there still a noticeable gender gap with respect to the writers of fantasy as well? What has your experience been?
AA: I think there are actually far more strong and competent women out there in the genre than they are being given credit for. I was on a panel that discussed this at a recent convention, and I'll say here
and now what I said then - I did not set out to write "strong female characters". I set out to write GOOD STORIES, and the characters who stepped up to take on the protagonist role in those stories...happened to be of the female persuasion. I firmly believe that what readers are looking for are strong protagonists in strong stories - and while there is some truth in the saying that males (boys) will not read about female heroines while females (girls) can and will get immersed in stories with a male hero, that isn't the final word. I think that this is a chasm that CAN be bridged.
Having said that, there does seem to be a preponderance of female writers in the fantasy genre these days, and many of those are choosing to tackle the "urban fantasy" kind of story where the action takes place within or underneath what is recognisably our own world - and often with kick-ass heroines often depicted on those book covers as headless women whose most visible attributes appear to be a trimrear upholstered in poured-on black leather. The "strength" in these heroines is often measured by their ability to literally – and physically - overcome their adversaries by dint of actual dirty hand to hand combat. That's a kind of strength, sure. I HAVE written warrior-heroines (Xaforn in "The Secrets of Jin Shei" comes to mind) - as you say, I tend to like the quiet but clever characters like Thea, people who figure things out with brain rather than brawn. I do think that there is a gender gap in that THAT kind of protagonist tends to be female - because of an erroneous assumption that a male hero who will not fight is by definition a wimp and therefore not worthy of further consideration. Girls are given a little more leeway on this.
But I do think there's more of them out there than we know – the strong, quiet kind. And they're making their presence felt.
FW: The idea of a school of "misfits," of kids who are told they're nothing special but who, as it turns out, are actually quite special and indeed powerful in their own ways, ways previously unimaginable to those around them - it's a powerful metaphor for adolescents coming of age and learning their own strengths and talents. What drew you to the fantasy genre to address the issues and tribulations of growing up? What draws you to fantasy in general?
AA: In all honesty, one of the most powerful - and most widespread – kinds of magic there is or has ever been is the simple process of GROWING UP. Much of the time it's a quiet magic which bubbles under the surface and is rarely glimpsed out in the open except at milestone moments when someone suddenly realises that though the power of some magic spell they are no longer a toddler, or a "kid", or even that they are not young any more.
The "coming of age" stories shine a light on that magic, however briefly, and in that light the readers of those stories can recognise and/or remember those moments in their own lives when the growing-up magic showed through. And this is not a pretty, vapid magic, either - there are no cute fairies fluttering past on dragonfly wings or rainbow castles on clouds, this is REAL magic, the kind that transforms and transforms permanently at that, and that has a definite and often heavy cost associated with it. Dealing with that, in real life, can often be hard - and this is the true raw power of fantasy, that it can take a tough subject like this and distill it into story so sweet, so pure, that you drink it down without realising that you've done it until the bitter aftertaste of it kicks in sometimes, just to remind you. The power of fantasy is to leave lasting impressions and to teach about difficult things in a way that makes those lessons easier to take, and to absorb, and to internalise, and then to perhaps put into practice. That pretty much answers both parts of your question, because what I am drawn to in fantasy is the pure power of transformation - the manner in which you are drawn into a world where it isn't so much that anything is possible but that certain things are possible under different rules that you might be used to... but there are ALWAYS laws, and there are ALWAYS consequences.
Fantasy is, I believe, one of the most fundamental achievements of the human creative spirit.
FW: Here's where we ask for helpful hints! As writers ourselves, both interested in someday publishing fantasy, what can you tell us about the challenges of writing fantasy, developing a world and its rules and characters? What is the most challenging thing about it, and what is the most rewarding? What was your road to publication?
AA: I myself started writing when I was - to coin a cliche - knee-high to a grasshopper. I wrote my first full-length novel (yes, fantasy!) at 11, and thankfully it does not survive - as I recall it was heavily derivative and positively overflowing with tropes which were long since worn into threadbare shabby ghosts of their former selves. But I kind of KNEW that, and I didn't stop there. I continued to write, and my next novel (completed at about 14) DOES survive, and the bones of that thing are still good despite being clothed in the flesh of what was still very much adolescent and beginner writing style. There were other stories, and at least one other novel, interspersed in there somewhere - but it was the fantasy novel which I wrote in the lab, as it were, while pursuing my MSc degree in Molecular Biology that was published - first in New Zealand (2001/2002) and then in the USA (2005) as the Changer of Days duology (In America, "The Hidden Queen" and "Changer of Days") - written as one book, the 250,000 word MS was split by the publishers into two parts because of its mammoth size which means that - completely inadvertently - "The Hidden Queen" now ends on a complete cliffhanger... it isn't my fault, honest...I then wrote and published "The Secrets of Jin Shei", written as historical fantasy or alternate history but frequently marketed as "mainstream"... and currently out in 13 languages worldwide. That was followed by "Embers of Heaven", a sort of follow-up to "Jin Shei" but also a stand-alone book by itself, also currently in multiple foreign language editions (six at last count) but not, alas, published in the United States. My next project was the YA Worldweavers trilogy – "Gift of the Unmage", "Spellspam" and "Cybermage". Counting in here my early published work - a book of fantasy stories/ dark fairy tales published under an educational imprint by Longmans UK, an autobiographical non-fiction volume about my growing up in Africa called "Houses in Africa" and a mainstream email epistolary novel written with coauthor Robert Deckert (the man I eventually married), the third Worldweavers book, "Cybermage", is actually my tenth published book. Which is a bit of a milestone.
As for general advice... Read. A *lot*. I read everything. I am still reading, and learning my craft from other people's brilliance (or, sometimes, lack of it). You cannot be a writer - leastways not a good writer - without having been a reader first.
You need to know early on that "writing" and "being a writer" are two different things. Writing is what you do because you love it and because it gives you a reason to get up in the morning. "Being a writer" is often the description used by people who don't really want to write, but who would very much like "having written" - as in, gather in the laurels without actually doing the necessary work. To become a published author you need a large dose of obstinacy, a dollop of perseverance, a refusal to give up, and a huge, huge helping of luck. And oh yes, a smattering of talent. But just talent without the ability or the determination to stick it out through the lean times...is not going to get anyone anywhere. You need to know where you want to go, and you need to be absolutely determined to get there. If you see opportunities, make sure you are in their path so that they can trip over you. Get to know people. Tell your stories. Never give up your dream.
Beyond that... there is no secret, no elixir, no magic spell, no shortcut, no secret handshake. It's all you, and what you are willing to put in as equity. It's your dream. You may have to work for it - harder than you believed it was possible to work for anything. But you gotta want it first.
It can all be summed up in a single sentence - DON'T GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM. If you have it, hang on to it. If you lean against any brick wall long enough... it WILL fall down. It's up to you to decide just how hard, and how long, you can handle leaning on that wall. But if you want to see what's on the other side... don't give up. And the other side is a country that is sometimes hard going, that has harsh winters and often bad roads... but that is beautiful beyond compare, and that will fill your soul to overflowing all the days of your life.
FW: Thank you -- for the encouragement not to give up, especially. It's good to know that all kinds of minds and backgrounds are needed to produce good YA fiction.
What are you working on currently? Do you have any upcoming or future projects in the pipeline that you can tell our readers about?
AA: A new novel is already with my agent in New York, and we are working on it prior to presenting the MS to publishers - which is due to happen very shortly. It's not YA, it's a "grown up" book more along the lines of "The Secrets of Jin Shei". Currently working on something that's a little more closely related to magical realism than to pure high fantasy - but I have other YA ideas ready to pursue, too. The next few years are shaping to be busy.
FW: In this economy, as all writers know, publishing houses are folding, and writers are feeling as tense as anyone. What, if anything, do you want to say to writers about the value of writing or the creative life in this era?
AA: You may not get to PUBLISH a great deal - but this is the perfect time to build inventory. At some point in the future there will be a need for new stories - and having them on hand will give you a leg-up on that ladder right from the word go. Keep writing. Don't stop just because everything else appears to be grinding to a screaming halt around you. In fact, USE the fact that everything appears to be grinding to a screaming halt around you. In the words of an apt quotation, nothing bad can ever really happen to a writer. It's all material...
FW: Is there anything interviewers never ask that you’d like to tell your readers?
AA: "How do you reach back out to a writer of a book that has affected you?" - I myself have answered that question, frequently, by writing to the writers of the books which I have loved , to tell them so. So here I am, telling you - if you loved a book, take a little bit of time and find a way to tell the writer about it. Trust me, it's the best thing that can possibly happen to a writer - finding a note from a reader in their inbox, telling them that some child of their mind has found a friend, and a home.
It's what keeps us writing.
Tremendous thanks to Alma Alexander for taking the time to answer our questions, and with such depth and attentiveness. Be sure to check out Ms. Alexander's short fiction at Book View Cafe, or drop by her website, or blog. And, don't forget today's other stops on the Summer Blog Blast Tour: Siobhan Vivian at Miss Erin
Laurel Snyder at Shaken & Stirred
Cindy Pon at The YA YA YAs
Thalia Chaltas at Bildungsroman
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