Top 5 Firsts: April '08

(Better late than never, right?)

I used to be someone. (This has got to be one of the best first lines ever. I told you, the book's gripping.)

Once upon a time there was a family named Willoughby: an old-fashioned type of family, with four children. (And a promising, old-fashioned beginning it is, too.)

"Skulls," said Lady Lamorna. (Heheheh.)

Henry Smith's father told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you. (Love the capitalizing of the word Trouble. Plus, you pretty much know from the sentence that Trouble is on its way.)

Big, empty spaces always made me dance. (Like it cause I'm a dancer and I know what that feels like.)

SBBT Interview: Gary D. Schmidt

Gary D. Schmidt is a new favorite author of mine. I was first introduced to his work last year when I read The Wednesday Wars, which I enjoyed a whole lot. He's been awarded two Newbery Honors (for The Wednesday Wars and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy) and a Printz Honor (for Lizzie Bright). I recently read his newest book Trouble and thought it was brilliant. It's even earned a spot in my top favorite books. I was totally thrilled (and a little nervous!) to interview the amazing Mr. Schmidt, but he was very gracious and sent me wonderful answers to all my questions.

What was your inspiration for The Wednesday Wars? Did you do any acting when you were young? Did you like Shakespeare when you were Holling Hoodhood's age?

The inspiration for The Wednesday Wars was really not Shakespeare so much, but the times I was alone in a classroom just like Holling Hoodhood, with a teacher who was not happy about that. I really did do the janitor thing for the opening weeks. Later, I did read the Shakespeare plays. For the most part, they were much too hard for me, but I read for the story only, and skipped much that I didn't get, and enjoyed them as much as I could--and they are, of course, great stories first, before everything else. Did I like Shakespeare in those years? I loved the stories, but not the language so much. That came later.

I have not acted since second grade--I hated it then, and swore I would never do it again--which I have for the most part kept to, except for a forced stint on a quad play in graduate school.

What do you like best about Shakespeare's plays? What's your favorite of his plays?

Today, what I like most about Shakespeare's plays are his use of language--his stunning turns, his amazing coinage--as when he changes nouns to verbs ("he eyed him") or his addition of latin forms into English ("the seas incarnadine"). So that first now--but always with his story. My favroite plays are The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing.

Where did you get the idea for Trouble?

I got the idea for Trouble from a morning visit in a bed and breakfast in Concord, MA. I met a kid, ten years old or so, who was interviewing with a local prep school. He and his family were obviously phenomenally wealthy, and it struck me then how insulated that kid was from the real world, with his blue blazer and beige pants. I wondered how he would respond if he ever came face to face with something that his easy money couldn't solve. I've thought about that for ten years now--that kid is probably in college. I wonder how much empathy his money allows him. So, I wrote this novel about a kid whose money seems to keep trouble away, who meets a kid who has never known anything but trouble--and what happens when Trouble brings them together.

In Trouble, there's a lot of sorrow but a lot of hope and joy, too. Is balancing the dark and the light, the good and the bad in a novel a difficult thing to do? Or does it come easily for you?

Does balancing the light and dark come easily? Never--though nothing comes easily for me in a novel. But we all do have practice with this, certainly. Everyone knows both impulses, and everyone makes choices that lean one way or the other--though those choices are rarely so clear as all of that. It seems to me that a novel on some level must show real life, and I hope that as characters struggle with that balance, readers will feel both empathy and recognition.

In another interview, you said, "I've got some responsibilities to my audience, and I need to take that responsibility very, very seriously because what I want to talk to them about are things like hope [....] and you can't be screwing around when you're talking to kids about hope." Bravo for saying that, and why do you think it's so important to have a strong message of hope in stories?

If there was ever a time in recent history when a strong message of hope is important, it's now. Of course, hope is important for all times, but when we look around us, it's pretty clear that we live in troubled times, with a shocking cynicism in our culture's power centers. Hope for something better is not something tht just happens; it's something that needs to be cultivated.

Which comes easier for you: plot or characters? What is your process like for fleshing out either one of those things?

Well, before plot and character comes voice. I have to get that right. I have to know what the narrator sounds like--either first or third person. After that, I enjoy working on character. Plot comes last. Once I hear the narrator, and have interesting (I hope) characters to work with, then the plot comes as I watch them interact.

What's your favorite thing about being a writer?

My favorite thing about being a writer is, without question, revising. I like the revision process enormously. The first draft is horrible--and it takes about a year. But once that is finished, the revision is really a good time.

Thank you SO much, Gary, for your answers and your fantastic books.

And the Summer Blog Blast Tour concludes with interviews at the following sites:

Varian Johnson at Finding Wonderland
Jincy Willet at Shaken & Stirred
John Grandits at Writing & Ruminating
Meg Burden at Bookshelves of Doom
Javaka Steptoe at Seven Impossible Things
Mary Hooper at Interactive Reader

SBBT Interview: Mary Hooper

Mary Hooper is the author of many children's and young adult books, including the soon-to-be-released Newes of the Dead. Of her books that I've read, my favorites are At the Sign of the Sugared Plum and its sequel Petals in the Ashes. You can visit Mary and learn more about her and her extensive bibliography at her website. I don't read a whole lot of historical fiction, but Mary's books are so vivid and beautiful that they are very worth reading!

You've written both historical and contemporary fiction. Which do you prefer writing? Which do you find easier?

Now that I’ve begun to write historical books I love doing them and don’t intend to go back to writing contemporary stuff. I wish I’d started ages ago but I used to think that as I wasn’t a historian I’d find it too difficult. Once you’ve sorted out your characters, though, and done all your research, it’s pretty much plain sailing. The thing that helps is the restrictions: when you’re dealing with real-life people or real-life happenings (as with Anne Green in NEWES FROM THE DEAD, or the Great Plague in AT THE SIGN OF THE SUGARED PLUM) you’re controlled by the truth. This, for me, makes it easier to write than purely imaginative, contemporary stuff, which could go in any direction and is thus more difficult to control.

Most of your historical fiction takes place in the late 1600's. What is it about this time period that intrigues you?

The very rumbustiousness of it all. The fact that Charles II had thirteen illegitimate children whom he recognised with titles (so that‘s where all those Sirs, Lords and Ladies come from) the fact that several major points of British history happened in his era (execution of Charles I, the Restoration, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London). And then we’ve got Pepys Diary, women being allowed to act on stage, Nell Gwyn, Claude Duval, all the fantastical sights at Batholomew Fair…I could go on. Of course, it was only fun for the rich. I wouldn’t have wanted to be poor.

Did you like reading historical fiction when you were a teenager? What are/were some of your favorites?

As a matter of fact, I preferred reading fantasy then, though don’t touch it now. Historical stuff: well, when I was at school, FOREVER AMBER (Kathleen Winsor) did the rounds and everyone read that and absolutely loved it. It was considered somewhat racy at the time, though I re-read it recently and didn’t find it even slightly rude. I also loved Anya Seton’s GREEN DARKNESS and the wonderful THE SUNNE IN SPLENDOUR by Sharon Penman.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?

I kind of drifted into it. I was a stay-at-home mum with two small children looking for something interesting to do, and I started off by writing a short story. I sent it to a magazine, sold it, they asked for more and I thought: this is great; here I am, a writer. I went on to do lots of short stories (they’re a good way to start) and then did a magazine serial, and then a book. I’m now up to about seventy titles (though when people scream in disbelief, I add that some of them were picture books and very short!)

Which authors have inspired you the most?

Difficult to say, because I’ve written in a variety of genres. I read constantly as a child, however, mostly Enid Blyton, so she must take some credit. The other writer I’m indebted to is Richmal Crompton, who wrote all the wonderful and funny JUST WILLIAM books.

What's your favorite thing about being a writer?

When you’re writing historical fiction you can absolutely lose yourself in another world; it’s the nearest you’ll come to being in a time machine. It’s also good to be your own boss and not to have to commute to work. Writing is the only job where you can sit in the garden reading a magazine and call it research.

Thank you very much, Mary, for your time and answers!

And the Summer Blog Blast Tour continues with interviews at the following sites:

Elisha Cooper at Chasing Ray
Dar Williams at Fuse #8
Jennifer Bradbury at Bildungsroman
E. Lockhart at The YA YA YAs
Charles R. Smith at Writing and Ruminating
Mary Pearson at A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy

SBBT Interview: Siena Cherson Siegel

To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel was one of the very first graphic novels I ever read. It's a memoir by Siena Cherson Siegel about her youth as a dancer, and it's illustrated by her husband Mark Siegel. To Dance is a slim, beautiful book that anyone who is a performer, or looking for graphic novels, or just in need of an engrossing tale, must read. I am so pleased to present to you an interview I recently conducted with Siena. Read on!

How did you decide you wanted to write a memoir? And why did you choose a graphic novel format to do that?

I considered the idea of writing something about those years at the School of American Ballet for a long time. I thought aspects of the experience would make for an interesting book, even while I was there as a teenager. It was just such an amazing and important time in ballet history, yet I think today’s young readers can relate to it because it’s seen through the eyes of a girl who is totally in love with dancing. I was telling my husband, Mark (the illustrator of the book), some stories about dress rehearsals with Mr. Balanchine when I was 12 and 13, and he could really picture it working well as a graphic novel. So, we started getting really excited about it and decided to do it together.

What was your favorite thing about the process of writing a memoir and collaborating with your husband (the artist) on it?

It was the wonderful surprise of seeing a picture that marries a visual memory of mine with a feeling or emotion that accompanied it, but seen through a different set of eyes, through a different mind than my own. Some of the illustrations perfectly evoke way more of my personal feelings/reactions than any photographic record of the same event could ever portray.

In the book, it seems that you were sort of living a double life: your dancing life at NYCB (New York City Ballet), and your family life at home. Did your personal life affect the way you danced, or did your dancing affect your personal life? Or did you separate them completely?

No, it didn’t seem like a double life. I didn’t separate them completely, I don’t think I could have done that. I think there were things about the dancing life that helped me handle the difficulties of the family life. For example, when other parts of life are confusing and chaotic, the repetition of the exercises you always do at the barre can feel like meeting an old friend. Despite the rigors of training your body in class, there is a mental focus, clarity and intensity of concentration needed that can be a relief. This is the part of the ballet training that I described as a refuge in the book. I also really enjoyed being able to express feelings through the dancing. It was a great artistic outlet for a lot of intense emotions.

Are you writing anything right now? Do you want to write another graphic novel in the future?

I have some ideas cooking for a future project, although I don’t know what form it will take. It could be a graphic novel, or maybe a picture book.

What is your favorite ballet, and why?

My favorite story ballet is Giselle. I love the exploration through dance of the themes of love, betrayal, revenge and forgiveness. It is also fascinating to watch the main character transform from an energetic young girl into a wili (a kind of ghost). In order to pull it off the dancer playing Giselle must go far beyond her technique and shade every movement to fit the story. The music and choreography are incredibly beautiful, and I find the experience very moving.

If I had to choose one favorite non-story ballet I think it would be Balanchine’s The 4 Temperaments. It was completely original and pioneering when it was created, but it still seems so today. Even after many viewings, the inventive movement manages to surprise and never feels dated. It is one of the best examples, in my view of Balanchine’s impeccable musicality and theatricality.

What was the best thing about being a dancer with NYCB?

I would like to clarify that the young dancers training at the School of American Ballet are not considered to be members of the Company NYCB. Although we danced with NYCB we were still members of the school. That said, performing in the NYCB productions at Lincoln Center was one of the best things. That was pure enjoyment and exhilaration.
Being in New York and having the opportunity to see a lot different performances and companies from around the world was also extremely rich.

What is the most important thing (advice, technique, anything) you learned at NYCB that you would like to share with other aspiring dancers?

I love the fact that these questions are coming from you at 17, exactly the age when the book ends. I was really hoping the book would find some readers around your age. When I was 17, my injury left me heartbroken— heartbroken that I couldn’t dance in NYCB, which had been my singular goal for years. It threw me into a devastating and depressing time when I had to ask: “What am I going to do now?” I wish I had been open back then to explore where else, and what other kinds of dance I could get into. It was NYCB or nothing in my mind, because it can be like that when you ‘lock in’ to a goal. But now I know that the passion for dance, having found something I really love to do, that’s what matters—more even than a career or a place in a dance company, or whatever else.

The most important thing I learned from the experience is that if you love doing something dive in. Go for it 100% without worrying if it will lead to a career. Whether you end up doing it professionally or not, the dedication, passion and discipline it takes to train intensely in any art form will serve you well, sometimes in unexpected ways.

Thank you so much, Siena! It was such a pleasure to be able to interview a fellow dancer and writer.

And the Summer Blog Blast Tour continues with interviews at the following sites:

Delia Sherman at Chasing Ray
Ingrid Law at Fuse #8
Polly Dunbar at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
Tera Lynn Childs at Bildungsroman
Barry Lyga at A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy

Summer Blog Blast Tour: DAY TWO

Today's shedule of fabulosity:

Ben Towle at Chasing Ray
Sean Qualls at Fuse #8
Susane Colasanti at Bildungsroman
Robin Brande at HipWriterMama
Susan Beth Pfeffer at The YA YA YAs
Debby Garfinkle at A Chair, a Fireplace and a Tea Cozy
Jennifer Lynn Barnes at Writing and Ruminating

Peek into my journal! Dental habits! And my obvious lack of---

(Thanks to Em, Felicity, The Reading Zone for tagging me.)

What were you doing five years ago?

Hmm, 12 years old.... Ah yes. I was going to my brother's baseball games and feeling restless. Excerpt from my journal (copied letter for letter):

It has been very hot lately. Today was more mellow, though. Brady had a baseball game (he plays on Babruth Basballs "The Atlanta Braves") at 5:30. [...] He played against the "Cardinals." For the first 4 innings it was tied: 0 to 0! But then the Cardinals won. We had yummy pita sandwhiches for supper and at the game Mom treated me to some skittles.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

Well, there's not much of the day left, but...
1. Study
2. Figure out which books to take on my upcoming trip
3. reply to emails
4. pick out a pile of my books to lend to a friend
5. STUDY

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1. cookies, any kind
2. fruit
3. bread and honey
4. umm I can't remember any more

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. travel the world
2. attend writer conventions
3. attend an acting school
4. buy an original painting
5. give to charities (I know, that sounds all goody-two-shoes, but I would)

What are five of your bad habits?

1. I never floss
2. procrastinating
3. I leave books and papers and stuff lying all over the house
4. Speaking of that, my room is, um, just a little messy
5. singing without warming up

What are five jobs you’ve had?

1. book reviewer
2. baby sitting? does doing that once or twice count?
3. ok now I just look pathetic.
4. go here if you're dying to know some kiddie-jobs I've had
5. but I'm hoping that no one actually made it this far, since this meme's gone around and everyone's getting sick of it and therefore no one notices my lack in this area

Not Quite What I Was Planning

Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure

What a fascinating book! And addictive; once picked up it's almost impossible to put down. As a warning, there's a bit of strong language in some of the memoirs. But highly recommended for teens and adults.

Here's a few of my favorites:

Maybe you had to be there. ~Roy Blount Jr.

I auditioned. I got the part. ~Faith Hoffman

More than yesterday, less than tomorrow. ~Nichiren Nahuel Palombo

Submit your own six words at smithmag.net!

2nd Annual Summer Blog Blast Tour!

This week marks the second annual summer blog blast tour! It's once again hosted by the fabulous Colleen of Chasing Ray. Everyday this week you can read interviews all over the blogosphere with some of your favorite YA and children's book authors.

On Wednesday, I'll be posting an interview with Siena Cherson Siegel, dancer and graphic novelist.
On Thursday I'll have a discussion of historical fiction with Mary Hooper.
And on Friday I'll be posting my interview with Gary D. Schmidt, one of my new favorite authors.

Here's the line-up for tomorrow:

Adam Rex at Fuse Number 8
David Almond at 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast
R.L. Lafevers at Finding Wonderland
Dave Schwartz at Shaken & Stirred
Elizabeth Scott at Bookshelves of Doom
Laurie Halse Anderson at Writing & Ruminating
Susan Beth Pfeffer at Interactivereader

And you can view a complete schedule of the whole week here.

Rapunzel's Revenge

by Shannon and Dean Hale
Illustrated by Nathan Hale

SQUEE!

Somehow, despite getting all hyped and excited for this book, my brain managed to bypass the fact that it's a retelling of a fairy tale. I was already anticipating it for so many reasons, but when that little fact (harhar) finally hit me as I started reading, I just about burst with glee.

This is the most gorgeous graphic novel ever . . . the illustrations are jaw-droppingly amazing. Seriously, the only reason it took me a longer time than usual to read this book was that I kept lingering over every page. I allowed my eyes to devour each picture before moving on, not wanting to miss a single detail. Nathan Hale did a breathtaking job. The premise of the story was so clever. The dialogue sparkled. I laughed through the whole book, and maybe even cried a little. . . . Shannon and Dean have great chemistry in their writing.

And you know what? I can honestly say that I would be raving about this just as much even if Shannon Hale hadn't been one of the authors. :) It is completely and utterly fantastic.