Greetings from the back of beyond, dear readers. I love Deborah Kaplan‘s recent post called “Writing Homework for You, My Loyal Readers.” Last fall, Deborah and Amy Stern co-taught the fantasy course at Simmons College’s Center for the Study of Children’s Literature. After they’d started the semester, they realized what the opening assignment should have… Read more »
Simmons
Talking about Frankie Landau-Banks
I am stupendously pleased today to direct you to Amy Stern’s latest post at the YA Subscription, “The Disreputable Analysis of Frankie Landau-Banks.” Back in January, some friends and I spent two happy hours analyzing E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. We filmed it. Amy has now uploaded 15 clips from our conversation,… Read more »
A Bit More Simmons Stuff
Some favorite moments from the Simmons Summer Institute: “Some books need to be spanked.” — Vicky Smith, Children’s Book Review Editor for Kirkus Reviews “Cool and I have never met upon the high road of life.” — M.T. Anderson It was like someone squirted lemon on my brain. — My paraphrasing of Blue Balliett, describing… Read more »
Book Recommendations from a Simmons Weekend
And now, a listy post! In no particular order… YA fiction, except where specified… Books that have been added to my TBR pile thanks to the Simmons Summer Institute this past weekend (in most cases, after hearing the author speak): Lessons from a Dead Girl, by Jo Knowles, a sister alum of the Center for… Read more »
A Gallery of My Favorite Objects (And Other Nonsense)
My Finnish translator, Maria Lyytinen, has one gray eye and one brown eye. She’s a Graceling! Kiitos for translating my book, Maria — I can’t imagine anyone more appropriate! :o) The Simmons Summer Institute is this weekend; I speak Friday, which I’m very grateful for, because it means I’ll be able to enjoy Saturday and… Read more »
FAQs on Writing and Publishing, A.K.A. the Longest Post E.V.E.R.
So, this post answers FAQs about writing and getting published. If those topics don’t interest you, I promise that this will be the most boring post ever. Well, okay, even if those topics DO interest you, chances are you’ll get bored, because I wrote SO MUCH! I apologize up front for length. 1. When and… Read more »
Teachers Make a Difference
I’ve received some questions recently about Simmons College’s Center for the Study of Children’s Literature in Boston, which is where I got my M.A. degree. In a case of excellent timing, just last week on her blog, Cynsations, Cynthia Leitich Smith interviewed one of my favorite teachers ever, Cathie Mercier. Cathie is one of the… Read more »
Contacts, Info, and Credits
There’s a lot of information on this page, including instructions for purchasing signed copies and how to write to me. Check out the red descriptors at the beginning of each paragraph. I am once again signing and personalizing books via my local indie, Harvard Book Store! I no longer live around the corner from the… Read more »
