Notes from Left Field

My friend J.R. has the most adorable child, who, when she was about three, took to telling the librarians that she was taking books from the library so she could read to dogs. At the time, we all just giggled and chalked it up to another of Gabriella’s ‘cute-isms,’ but I’ve just seen an ad from Target about kids reading to dogs. Wow! We always knew that G. is future Mensa material!
And here’s something else we already knew: reading to kids — from actual books — a Good Thing. A report from Temple University reveals that traditional books are the ticket for the parent-child interaction that a child needs to assist them with early childhood literacy. The researchers presented the findings of their study, “Electronic books: Boon or Bust for Interactive Reading?” on Nov. 3rd as part of the Boston University Conference on Language Development. Do check out their findings.

Ladies and gentlemen: we have ARRIVED. Props to Jackie’s Mom, another awesome librarian, for pointing this out — the Cybils have made the Publishers Weekly Children’s Bookshelf Newsletter! You’ll need to scroll down a ways to In Brief to find it, but I’m tickled that our group of intrepid readers, writers, teachers, librarians and home schooling parents has made a bigger ripple in the book world than we thought. Yay for us! And thanks to my fellow teammates, and all the others, who are working so hard to make this happen. This is — even with all the weird questions about double nominations, and deciphering which book belongs on which list — so much fun.

And now, back to work…

No More School, No More Books, No More Crabby Teacher's…

My life of crabby hermitude has resumed! I am finally happily ensconced, recovering from the brush with actual employment that was my last bout of substitute teaching. And I can say with joy that today no one has throw up on me, nor have I had to dry out shoes and reassure anyone short that yes, even big kids have accident sometimes.

Substitute teaching: the reason my junior high dream of having twelve kids will never come true.

I’m now catching up with the news that has bypassed me while I was being proactive and bright and smiley and telling everyone Good Morning!, instead of grousing into my morning tea and hacking out my novel — first, today, an unpublished poem written by Sylvia Plath will be published in an online journal. The discovery of a student, this poem was written while Plath was in college, and looks like it was actually a writing exercise, as they include two versions of the poem. Check it out!

Also news to me is that Garrison Keillor has opened an independent bookstore. I am SO JEALOUS. He is stocking only his favorite books, which, if you’re famous and already financially secure, you can do. See I wanted to do this. I wanted a bookstore called Bluestockings. I envisioned shelves carrying slim volumes of Sarah Orne Jewett and random titles from Kate Chopin, Maureen Johnson, Madeleine L’Engle, Ursula LeGuin and Garrett Freymann-Weyr, and others who write compelling, interesting, risky novels. And now Mr. Keillor has stolen my idea. Pffffft.

While I am reading some really great novels for the YA Cybil (and I am LOVING what I call St. Cybils’ Day — the UPS guy dropping off a daily load of review copies of novels from publishing houses), I am a teensy, tiny, tidge bit wistful that I’m not reading for the Sci-Fi books. I love Neil Gaiman, and I’m a bit jealous that someone else is getting to review his newest book. The New York Times reviews Gaiman’s latest, and discusses his penchant for adding dreams and dreamscapes to his work. Which makes me smile, especially because dreams, in fiction, can either really work — or really not work, and my agent has about sixty reasons why they do not. At any rate, Gaiman’s dreams definitely work!

Speaking of work…My Cybils novels are calling me, as is my NaNoWriMo story, so it’s back to my REAL job! Yay!

No More School, No More Books, No More Crabby Teacher’s…

My life of crabby hermitude has resumed! I am finally happily ensconced, recovering from the brush with actual employment that was my last bout of substitute teaching. And I can say with joy that today no one has throw up on me, nor have I had to dry out shoes and reassure anyone short that yes, even big kids have accident sometimes.

Substitute teaching: the reason my junior high dream of having twelve kids will never come true.

I’m now catching up with the news that has bypassed me while I was being proactive and bright and smiley and telling everyone Good Morning!, instead of grousing into my morning tea and hacking out my novel — first, today, an unpublished poem written by Sylvia Plath will be published in an online journal. The discovery of a student, this poem was written while Plath was in college, and looks like it was actually a writing exercise, as they include two versions of the poem. Check it out!

Also news to me is that Garrison Keillor has opened an independent bookstore. I am SO JEALOUS. He is stocking only his favorite books, which, if you’re famous and already financially secure, you can do. See I wanted to do this. I wanted a bookstore called Bluestockings. I envisioned shelves carrying slim volumes of Sarah Orne Jewett and random titles from Kate Chopin, Maureen Johnson, Madeleine L’Engle, Ursula LeGuin and Garrett Freymann-Weyr, and others who write compelling, interesting, risky novels. And now Mr. Keillor has stolen my idea. Pffffft.

While I am reading some really great novels for the YA Cybil (and I am LOVING what I call St. Cybils’ Day — the UPS guy dropping off a daily load of review copies of novels from publishing houses), I am a teensy, tiny, tidge bit wistful that I’m not reading for the Sci-Fi books. I love Neil Gaiman, and I’m a bit jealous that someone else is getting to review his newest book. The New York Times reviews Gaiman’s latest, and discusses his penchant for adding dreams and dreamscapes to his work. Which makes me smile, especially because dreams, in fiction, can either really work — or really not work, and my agent has about sixty reasons why they do not. At any rate, Gaiman’s dreams definitely work!

Speaking of work…My Cybils novels are calling me, as is my NaNoWriMo story, so it’s back to my REAL job! Yay!

Musing on the Muse

Writing is such a gift.

It’s been a queasy last week. I violated some basic laws of hermitdom; I opened my mouth and spoke, and look where it got me. People mad enough to spontaneously combust, nasty emails, nastier (largely incoherent) phone calls, long chats with clericals in the Hawaiian shirts (that was actually just an incidental annoyance — the minister’s not mad… except in the way that the word “barking” is added to the beginning of the phrase [Okay, okay, I’m kidding. Not going to hell for my sense of humor already. Sheesh.].) and acid indigestion.

If nothing else, this past week proves yet again the rule “Thou Shalt Not Hit ‘Reply’ When Thou Meantest ‘Forward,’ is a true one, especially when you do this and write snarkiness about someone, since if they see it, they’re probably not going to be happy. And if they see it and are of a rather dramatic turn of personality, they’re going to go into hysterics and demand your head, and possibly the limbs of your yet unborn firstborn for reparations. Yes. This has happened. To me. Did I mention I’ve had a “queasy week?”

As a point of interest, all of the screaming phone calls and nasty letters and emails happened a week ago, and I have not yet dealt with any of the situations involved… because I’ve been writing. (WAIT, you say. Are you telling me that someone who goes weeks without actual conversations with people outside of the S.O. actually got into a smackdown with more than one nonsibling person within in a week? Why, yes. The stars were aligned, apparently.)

Yes. Writing. Happily churning out my novel for NaNoWriMo, churning out three fairly substantial chapters on my thesis-turned-YA-novel, complete with research on the military in the 1940’s (historical fiction=work!), doing the odd bit of newslettering for like-minded people in my various civic groups, and reading those forty-odd books that are lined up now on my Cybils reading list. But mostly, I’ve been writing. And writing, dear ones, is a gift.

Writing is the on-screen equivalent of plugging your fingers in your ears and singing “La-la-la-la I can’t HEAR you!” to your older siblings as they tease and poke at you. It is the hardcopy synonym for lying in bed, drifting in a vividly technicolor daydream. It is the narcotic-free sibling of diving deep into the longest, weirdest drug trip, it is the slow pulse rush of mountain biking down a narrow muddy trail. It is marathon running down the illogical edges of prose, doubling back on an illusionary flight of dialogue, ending with an explosion of endorphins, feeling foolishly pleased with yourself. It is the perfect way to lock out the world, to reject its reality, and substitute your own, to paraphrase the phrase.

As soon as it is humanly possibly, I am going to revert again to the writing hermit that I truly am, happily ensconced in my office, ignoring the outside world and letting the newspapers pile up unread as I struggle with ending Chapter 23. I now hang up my vocal chords, and take up my Fifth Amendment rights with a vengeance. I have had enough of talk. Now is the time to listen to the staccato cadence of my keyboard.

Writing is such a gift.

And, I am grateful for it every single, blessed day.

On the Third Day of Subbing, My Teacher Said To Me…

Emerging from the caffeine induced haze of substitute teaching, I am remembering well why I decided to become a hermit. Teachers, librarians, early childhood educators — here’s to you. You do this every day, and so I will not whine about doing this for two weeks. However, a little note to the universe about making the day after Halloween a school day… Bad idea. Very bad idea.

In other news, my book-a-day rapid reading plan for the Cybils has somewhat deteriorated into hole-yourself-up-for-the-weekend-and-play-catch-up plan, but that’s okay. I’m so pleased by the response to the Cybils — people really love their YA novels, and I won’t complain about getting a chance to get my fingers and eyes on some of the best new books out there — books I wouldn’t have gotten around to for another six months or so. This has been a lot of fun already. I am making new friends with people whose blogs I only read and marvel at, and I’m excited about the chance to meet some of them in upcoming Conferences and in other places.

Meanwhile, cheers to all my buddies doing the National Novel Writing Month — I am slowly but surely making my way through the first chapter of my YA novel, which is… tentatively… about a girl genius who loses her smarts. I’d say it was based on me, except for the genius bit… I’m still not sold on the idea of actually cranking out anything readable in a single month, but this gives me the chance — and the impetus — to put down on paper some of the newer ideas that have been zinging around in my skull.

This morning marks the first day of the autumn rains, and traffic is snarled accordingly. Happy Thursday, and good writing and reading to all. School bells call me!

Bits and Pieces

The Guardian’s podcast this weekend included Jonathan Stroud reading from Ptolomey’s Gate, the third and final book in the Bartimaeus Trilogy.

It seems like so many things are ending… the warm weather of Indian Summer seems to have finally worn out its extended lease, the month is ending, and we are finally both entering and leaving October Country. I have always loved the metaphor that Bradbury presents in this series of stories, in that ‘undiscovered country’ of imagination. I think the October Country is where my imagination lives most of the time, but it’s only in the autumn that others join me there.

I don’t mean that I’m a Halloween person necessarily — I’m not all that fond of being importuned by costumed little strangers questing for candy — but the sort of melancholic half-light of time changes and shadows, slivers of moon and the wind rustling across dryness of stalks and leaves makes room for the senses, seems to speak to another part of the mind. In the sunfiltered days of autumn, before the endless rains and the dregs of the year, some of the best dreams are yet waiting to be discovered.


When I was very small and fiction-deprived, I read Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables over and over and over and over. Before I ever knew what it was, from ages nine through eleven I wrote what is now called ‘fan fiction,’ my own sequels and new endings to the novel, where I either wrote out Gilbert altogether, or added another boy who wasn’t such a git — and then I forgot about it before growing older and learning, safely away at boarding school in high school, that there were actual sequels to my hands-down-favorite-heart-pulling-vocabulary-expanding novel of all time. So you can see how the news I learned via Fuse#8 has me shrieking blindly at the screen, “NO!!!! NO!!!! NO!!!!!!” Because honestly — a prequel novel before Green Gables? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Random Topics from the World at Large

So, it’s not going to be my stained sweats… via Chasing Ray we are clued in to a funny conversation about what to wear for a book signing from authors chatting on Justine Larbalestier’s blog — What to Wear is something we should all think of as we’ll be giving readings and signings in the next year or two. My uniform of choice is sweats… but after all the commentary, I’m thinkin’…. maybe not.

Since I am a big fan of BRIEF — ( not that I can do it, thank you fellow Flickr Fictioneers for reminding me), I cherished the intensely short, six-word stories at Wired Magazine, which I discovered via Bookshelves of Doom. Of the myriads funny (and unreprintable) listed, one of my favorites: Bang postponed. Not Big enough. Reboot. – David Brin

Something quite exciting for those of us who aspire to write fantasy with strong female characters: Tamora Pierce is coming to our end of the universe! WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Pierce swans into town with her newest novel, BEKA COOPER #1: TERRIER, which just came out the 24th. According to the details on Cody’s Books’ website, Beka Cooper lives 200 years before Pierce’s popular character Alanna. Born and raised in the bowels of the Lower City, Beka is now a rookie with the law-enforcing Provost’s Guard. She’s shy, but her terrier-like demeanor and quick wits make her a fierce opponent for the Lower City’s criminals. When the city’s pigeons give Beka clues to two underworld conspiracies that include exploiting and murdering men and children, Beka thinks they are linked, and she will stop at nothing to arrest the perpetrators. Welcome to the beginning of an exceptional new series…” Seating is first come, first served, and readers will be let in between 6 pm and 7 pm. It’ll be crowded, but if you’re a huge fan, it’ll be worth it, at Cody’s Fourth Street, Berkeley.

“So, tell me again… Why do people do this?” I asked my Irish friend.
“For the same reason that people climb a mountain, or run a marathon,” he replied with some asperity.
And I thought to myself, “That stupid of a reason, eh?”
Yep. It’s just to say “I can.”
I already know I can, but I got hornswoggled into National Novel Writing Month anyway. Eek. So the month of November will be just a joy. I will be: a.) substitute teaching the first week and a half, b.) planning a Thanksgiving Pageant, c.) badly writing 50,000 words for a new novel, d.) continuing to write/edit my historical fiction piece, e.) working with my editor on another piece, f.) planning a brunch g.) finalizing plans for Thanksgiving in Monterey. I plan to blame all of my stress on those who regularly participate in such madness and talked me into it (yes, A. Fortis, I mean YOU!), but I think that even though the schedule will be crazy, it will be doable.

I have learned this year, if nothing else, to be really, really, really prolific. It may be that I’m just blowing smoke every day, but it’s writing, which is actually a good fourth of the battle. In today’s Chronicle, (in which a professor of mine from my alma mater was honored YAY Micheline and congrats to Yiyun, too! ), one of the women interviewed talked about whatever we have in our backgrounds as being fodder for us learning useful writing habits. Yiyun was studying to be a doctor; I am learning to take all of the time and careful research that I brought into preparing lesson plans into creating plans for stories. Neither portion of our adult lives was wasted doing something before writing… now we can both just bring what discipline and meticulousness that we learned and apply it to now. That’s a comforting thought.

Still… all this cramming-the-writing-in stuff sound like it makes about as much sense as running a marathon. (With apologies to those who run. I’m sure it seems like a great idea at the time.) Still, it’s a way to jumpstart all the time you lose shopping and visiting during the holidays (okay, okay, it’s not LOST time, but you know what I mean!), and it’s going to help me hopefully be well on my way toward finishing something in time to start the round of publishing houses in January. It’s going to be a busy November… maybe in December I’ll take up yoga.

Wednesday Already!?

Things are going by in a blur! I’m reading like a mad dog for the Cybils, trying to remember to sit down and read through all the paperwork in preparation to vote, launching off into an historical fiction novel, and starting to finalize plans for my non-traditional Thanksgiving by-the-foggy-sea. I took the time to read the paper this weekend, and you’ll want to check out The Chronicle’s two great articles on National Book Award finalist Gene Yang’s graphic novel American Born Chinese.
The Chron’s online Asian Pop column has a great author interview as well, and and Yang’s nonreaction to finding out he’d placed as a finalist is posted on his blog.

After reading all the pieces, what stuck with me were Yang’s comment regarding the state of Asian American culture today. He said, “I think the Asian American community right now is in the midst of defining itself. For a while I think we were all trying to be white. Then there was a period of time when we were trying to be black. And now we’re finally coming up with something that’s truly our own.” That reminded me very much of Justina Chen Headley’s Patty Ho character in Nothing But the Truth… at some point, cultural clarity must exist for every child or teen to be truly whole. But getting there — is tricky. It requires some excellent books and some straight talk. And this cartoon? Reminds me of every interaction I ever had with any new African American student in my predominantly Caucasian school. If we weren’t somehow cousins, obviously, we must date. Erg. Someday, someone has to write a YA book about how to balance being okay with people of your own race while completely avoiding them in your junior high classroom. (And incidentally? Sorry, Raymond Brinson… you were an okay guy… Really.)


Kate DiCamillo has warmed a lot of hearts with her middle-grade novels and picture books. In this interview, she talks about her most recent awards and how success has been kind of a surprise. A good surprise, however.

Writers and readers who know the digital revolution has only just begun should be interested in Adobe Digital, a new E-Reader software that will enable readers to better manage their digital publications. Authors on the fence about “someday” looking at their electronic rights should make that ‘someday’ soon, and start speaking up for retaining those rights; although most publicists, agents and editors claim that there is no YA market for electronic books, they may be in for a shock — the market is changing.

Don’t miss the Guardian Unlimited’s interview with Eoin Colfer. Colfer reads a bit from his newest Artemis Fowl book, and shares a clip of his PR tour… which has turned into a sort of comedy tour called Fairies, Fiends and Flatulence during which he kind of waves around his books says, “They’re out there, buy them if you like,” and simply tells deranged stories. And no, don’t ask — he doesn’t know why he’s doing it either.

Now, you know how I feel about celebrity authors… and earlier this month, yet another pecked her way through the non-literary shell and was hatched. That being said, All Hail the Queen… I give up. I will now officially state that Everyone has the right to endlessly reinvent themselves… and if their latest invention is children’s author, so mote it be. Further, until I actually read their books, I will reserve my snark.
Ahem.
But STILL! Could they all STOP now!?

An the Nominees Are… (Drum roll please!)

Well, the World Cup it is not, but to my mind, it should be at least as important (and include face painting, screaming, and a requisite three day party in the streets of an Italian city. Oh, okay. Maybe not the screaming. But definitely Italy should figure in somehow…). Creating a piece of children’s literature worth reading is a major accomplishment, and we want to honor the accomplishment of the people who gave kids and young adults their best this year.

I’m jazzed to be on the Cybils YA Nominating Committee, and we need you to step up and start nominating what you’ve loved in this year’s YA novel crop. We don’t all read or love the same thing, by any means, and you may have gotten tired of hearing the same novels talked up in the blogosphere, so speak up — we want to hear what struck you as wonderful, funny, quirky, and worth passing on. Just remember – only one nomination per category, por favor, so make it count!

Non-fiction books for all ages, graphic novels, picture books and poetry is also going to get this treatment, so don’t be shy – visit the Cybils website and tell us where your kid-lit explorations have led you this year. You’re an opinionated person — admit it. So nominate your favorite!


Tru… Romance?
Publishers Weekly reports that Harlequin is introducing a YA line for African American girls. Kimani TRU is the first romance genre dedicated to what Kimani Press feels is an underserved target market… er, audience. “African-American teens are underserved in today’s literary climate with stories that solely dwell on the negative influences of the streets,” states Linda Gill, general manager of Kimani Press. “Our goal is to reach out and embrace young adult readers with stories that are true to their life experiences, but that also encourage growth, and empowerment. At times, teens feel alone with the issues they are facing … and in KIMANI TRU novels they will meet characters they can ultimately learn from,” Gill concludes.

The novels will debut in 2007, and promise to present “characters that navigate this
crucial period and triumph through these hardships.” The line is especially proud to debut the line with the work of 17-year-old Cassandra Carter, and another under-30 author, Cecil Cross II, who they hope will be able to catch the true voice of African American young adults.
Hm.

A new to-be-read recently reviewed by ChildLit Book Club (the blogger responsible for the fabulous Cybils icon design) is going on my booklist – it’s Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce. This novel takes place in a tiny Welsh town, and sounds like it’s a good one for boy readers. Especially since someone I know loves all things Wales (ahem, A.F.), it’s worth checking out!

ust say …Happy Bunny?
Oh, WOW. PW also reports that the Texas Alliance of the Partnership for a Drug-Free America is going to be using HAPPY BUNNY, the über-snarky, plastered everywhere white rabbit for it’s campaign ads. Good grief.

Via Ursula LeGuin’s blog I found Fairytales for Cynics, wherein LeGuin reviews The Ladies of Grace Adieu And Other Stories, by Susanna Clarke. Clarke has written some fabulous fantasy novels that depict another England in which magic wakes up again. Definitely going on my to-be-read book list.

A sad truth of my life is that I’ve never even considered who wrote the six volume series of Mary Poppins adventures, and saw it only as one of the most aggravating Disney movies ever (although there are many more recent ones in the running, sans the winsome Julie Andrews). However, here’s a great piece on the P.L. Travers, who was the genius behind the original STORY, not the horrifying musical. I take quite a savage joy in the fact that she couldn’t stand Walt Disney either. Hee!

Another lightning post!

I’ve been blogging in lieu of novel-ing, so I’m told that I’m on a blogging time-out today, but I had to sneak by and say this:
Go get Cybilized!
How exciting is this!? And can I tell you how much I love the name? All the quirkiest and most entertaining people I know are named Cybil… and in the larger world of Cybils, foremost in my mind is Cybill Shepherd. With this award, we now all have permission to be snarky, sarcastic, wisecracking and brilliantly beautiful and successful, whatever our ages. Cheers!

The Cybils will be accepting nominations for the best books of 2006 through November 20, 2006. Books will be judged in the following categories: Picture Book, Middle Grade Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy/Sci Fi, Picture Book Non Fiction, Non Fiction (Middle Grade/Young Adult), Graphic Novel, Poetry. DO read more and find out how to nominate a book for the award and/or nominate your blogger-self to serve on a nominating/judging committee at Big A little a.

All right, back to the salt mines.