Chipmunk Stuck

Photo by John Van Hoesen

We rescued this little chipmunk, but his predicament was so unbelievable we had to take his picture first. Kinda reminds me of a certain episode of Winnie The Pooh--there, a literary connection. :)

The Lazier than Lazy Person's Book Club

Over at Jumping the Candlestick, Debbie has been hosting a Lazy Person's Book Club. I have been wanting to join, but was too lazy until now.

Anyhoo, here is a partial list of the books I plan to read. In keeping with the lazy theme, it is incomplete (to be finished when I am not too lazy to find books to fit remaining criteria).

So far:

1. A book of fiction you've been looking forward to reading:

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell in love, by Lauren Tarshis

2. A book of non-fiction you've been looking forward to reading:

3. A book by someone who's last name begins with Z:

4. A book from a genre you rarely, if ever, read:

Prairie Tale by Melissa Gilbert

(Despite the fact that I do not make a habit of reading kiss and tell books, I am intrigued by this memoir because I was SUCH a Little House on The Prairie fan. I wanted to BE Melissa Gilbert. I suspect after reading about her life I'll probably be glad I wasn't).

5. A book that was an award winner, or bestseller, from the year you were born:

6. Your best friend's favorite book:

7. A book you figure you probably should read, even if you don't want to:

Too many, but I've settled on Animal Farm, by George Orwell, because my son is reading it for English class in fall.

8. A book that has recently received rave reviews:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Shaffer and Barrows

9. A book by someone who shares your first name:

The Girls, by Lori Lansens

10. A book that pertains to a skill you do not, and never will, have:

Math Doesn't Suck, by Danica McKellar

(I was a Wonder Years Fan, and a math phobic)

11. A book recommended by your hairstylist:

I've started "Guernsey Literary. . ." (too lazy to type the whole title again), which my mother is also reading.

Stay Tuned. . . .

A Fresh Start

It was a blustery day yesterday and we flew kites! I thought of SCBWI, and how this organization has helped me grow as a writer and a person over the years. It gave me a wonderfully critical and supportive critique group. The camaraderie alone is worth the membership fee, the friendships are priceless.

In honor of kites (and, well, because the kite pictures turned out so well), I start a new chapter of this blog. One in which I begin the work of becoming a school teacher, a better writer and always a freer thinker. Look for more interviews, book reviews and stories about process.

Below is an article I wrote for an SCBWI newsletter a few years ago. I'd forgotten about it until yesterday, as I fought at times to keep my kite from taking a nose dive. . . .

Keep Your Kite Flying

In the alternate whirlwind and stillness that is a writer’s inspiration there are plenty of opportunities to ponder one’s motives. Am I concentrating on publication too much? Am I even any good at this? Do I really like to write after all?

Inevitably I wonder, when the wind of inspiration is gone, how do I keep my own kite flying? The answer should be simple. If one truly loves to do something, they do it. Period. In times of ordinary frustration, I resort to this answer to get through the day’s work. But the truth is, as an artist, I need something a little more poetic for the long haul.

So I think of my breath catching in response to a beautiful sentence, or ponder the deep satisfaction that comes from choosing the right expression. I think about a character that vibrates with life on the page and makes my own heart beat. Before long, a whisper stirs and my pen is ready. I am a writer after all.

This is the breeze keeping my own kite in the air. Sure, writing a beautiful story worthy of publication would send me over the moon. But I will still be a person who has to ask myself again and again, “Why do I do this?” The answer is what keeps any writer’s kite flying. Even on a still, windless day.

Jam Session

In my life I have jammed many things: to music playing Guitar Hero, staplers, photocopy machines, my finger, the gears on my Mazda. The list goes on. Even so, there is a kind of jamming I had overlooked until yesterday. The kids and I went strawberry picking at a local farm and discovered a dying art.

Freezer jamming.
We picked a few different kinds, tart and sweet, big and small. We are an equal opportunity freezer jamming operation.
My children, quiet and working together. We've not only been introduced to a new hobby, but I'm now convinced that these particular strawberries contain a kind of miraculous, "peaceful sibling" property. My research is not scientific, but I'm thinking it's in the seeds.
My son's favorite part was "murdering the fruit," which, though somewhat in conflict with the berry's miracle attributes, was quite theraputic for all of us.
There is a lot of sweetness in jam, but we decided to focus on vitamin C and antioxidents instead. And miracles can be only encouraged by sugar.
Stirring jam is loads of fun, until you feel a handstand coming on. . . and must take a break to indulge acrobatic urges.
And to think, if we wanted jam a hundred years ago, we'd have HAD to preserve it ourselves, and probably not the easy, freezer kind!

"Then I'm glad I live now," Mary said.

Me too. There is charm in the unnecessary.
Yet I think it is necessary to focus on process when I need a little inspiration. My writing suffers when I'm too focused on product, and forget that the work itself has sweet rewards of its own. Twenty jars of jam later, I can't wait to open one next January, and remember the miracles of June.

Story Gatherers

Today my husband and I went to the Detroit Institute of Art where I gathered much inspiration, and saw this, one of my favorite paintings. We had a wonderful time.

About this painting called, The Nut Gatherers : It was created in 1882 by Les Noisettes and, I found out today, was a little edgy for it's time. The perspective is very low to the ground and close up to what's happening between these people. Doesn't it look as if you are sitting right next to them? This is (according to the DIA) the first painting to depict children in a way that invites the viewer right into their world.

I don't know enough about art to have realized this before it was pointed out to me at the museum. Perhaps it's why I've always liked this piece so much. I want to hear the secrets these girls are telling, and the painter has put me excruciatingly close without letting me hear. My imagination is captured. The Nut Gatherers is a great example of what good children's lit, or any good book is supposed to be. Real and honest and true.

An interview with N.D. Wilson, author of 100 Cupboards

N.D Wilson's debut novel, an adventure called Leepike Ridge, prompted comparisons to Mark Twain and garnered much recognition.  Now, with his 100 Cupboards trilogy, Wilson is dipping into the fantasy realm with great success.  Check out his blog and website for writing tips and all around great content.  He's also a fun interviewee:  

Lori:  I come from a family full of teachers.  How does your teaching inform the kind of writing you do?

NDW:  I've had to learn to shift and slide my verbal approach on the fly (tone of voice, inflection, comic vocab, sudden anecdotes, etc.) in order to keep students awake and interested. That forced me into a degree of versatility I might not have come by otherwise. I'm sure there are other ways that my teaching has influenced my writing, but according to me, right now, at this moment in time, that's the most notable.

Lori:  You seem like a ham (See author photo).  Do you have any theater in your background? 

NDW: Ham?  I'm quite serious about photos. . . Actually, I have (throughout the duration of my remembered life) been completely unable to take a "traditional" (note the scare quotes) photo without first ruining several shots. It's only one of the ways in which I have failed to grow up. As for theater, I have only a little in my background. Some junior high stuff (I'm sure I was amazing), and one community theater performance which I enjoyed immensely (a comedy called Leave it to Psmith). Not sure I could ever be involved in something that wasn't a comedy.

Lori:  What were your favorite books to read as a young person?

NDW:  Nothing original here. Narnia and Lord of the Rings from a pretty early age. In junior high, I expanded into C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy. The third book (That Hideous Strength) remains my all-time fav.

Lori:  What have you read lately (for adults or kids) that you'd recommend?

NDW:  Hmm. Define lately? On the kid side of things, I really enjoy Megan Whalen Turner's stuff. And Holes remains as close to perfect as a book can get. For adults, I recently read (and truly enjoyed) Truck: a Love Story by Michael Perry.

Lori:  I read that you've turned book three of the cupboard series in to your editor.  Can you tell us anything about what you're working on now?

NDW:  Too many things. But on the top of the pile, there is a picture book called The Wisdom of Ninja-Boy and a new five book series that I'm shaping (the name of which I am not currently sharing). Both are for Random House.

Lori:  If you had a secret cupboard in your house, where would it take you?

NDW:  When I first pondered this question (in adulthood), I came up with far too many answers. Eventually, I was able to narrow it down to 98 possibilities, and the 100 Cupboards trilogy was born. Currently, I think I would want it to take me up to my daughter's palace in the sky. She's been inviting me to a picnic up there, and I just haven't been able to find my way.

 

Lori:  How do you feel about your books being made into movies?  Is anything like that in the works?

NDW:  I feel conflicted. There is no greater marketing tool than a film. Incidentally, there is also no greater tool for inflicting authorial pain. Various movie types are eager to chat, but nothing's in production.

 Lori:  Do you write every day, and do you have any of those quirky writer rituals like, say, the required company of a rubber chicken?

NDW:  I don't write every day, but every day contributes to my writing (research, reading, sketching, etc.). No rubber chickens here, but I do have a large, smooth, 1911 British penny that always stays with me while I write. I also tend to find a single album for each project. That album is the only one that gets played until a project is finished, so it's important for me to choose wisely. (Example: Coldplay's X&Y provided background for Leepike Ridge.)

Lori:  What books do your kids love?

NDW:  My son (who just turned seven) has been sucked completely into Dandelion Fire. Obviously, that's a lot of fun for me to watch. We generally have to pry it away from him to get him into bed, and he gets up early to read it before we wake up.

Lori:  Please tell us about any upcoming appearances.

NDW:  The L.A. Times Festival of Books is next on the slate. I'll be on the Target Children's Stage at 4:4o in the pm on April 25th. I'm wrapping up a hectic spring and am looking forward (hopefully) to a quiet summer.

Lori:  Finally, do you prefer milk chocolate or dark?  Dessert or hors d'oeuvres?

NDW:  Dark everytime. But dessert or hors d'oeuvres? My stomach is an inclusive operation. There's room for both.

Lori:  Anything I didn't ask that you have an answer for?

NDW:  Notta. Cheers, and thanks so much for the grilling.

Lori:  Thank you.  It was a pleasure!

Hiatus

As of today, I'm going on a blogger hiatus.  Deborah Wiles had an interesting post about "face time," a while back that was quite insightful, and it got me thinking about how much time I spend staring at this screen.  While I'm not ready to write long-hand yet, I think I could decrease my screen time a bit, and connect some more with the faces around me.  

Yes, connecting is good.

I don't know when I'll be back, but when I do, I'll have more interviews!   

Interview Friday

More interviews are in the works.  Stay tuned!  I'm substitute teaching today so, unfortunately, that means no time for a substitute post of any substance.

Have a good Friday all!

Wednesday

Dig up
every bit
of the possible
and then plant all your seeds
there
in the yet-to-be-named.


Wait
because this is the only way to see

New Ground

It is the only way
To grow.

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Farrar Straus and Giroux

(Frances Foster Books)

April 2008

Ages 9-12

I was drawn to Diamond Willow because of its creative structure. The novel is told in a series of concrete poems shaped like diamonds. Diamond Willow is a type of wood that grows in the northern woods, and is polished to be used for walking sticks and lamps and the like. The distinctly shaped scars create something striking and singular, much like this story, which is an ode to Alaska and sled dogs and the diamond willow.

Willow is growing up. She wants to be understood and trusted to do adult things. When her parents allow her to drive the family's prized sled dog, Roxie, to her grandparents' house, disaster strikes.

When she enlists her best friend (who has lately been paying more attention to a certain boy than Willow) in a plan to help the injured Roxie, they fight to survive the elements.

And then there are the animals in the forest, reincarnated ancestors, who watch over and protect Willow. Their contributions, in prose form, are the only departure from the diamond poems.

All this would have been enough for me to put the book down and say, "That was really good." Then Frost puts in such an unexpected plot twist I had to set the book down to thoroughly savor the surprise. Wow. And this book has been out since last April! I think it should have received more attention than it did. I highly recommend this novel--added bonus--you can read it in an evening. A pithy, sparkly read.