Avi's Blog, page 30

Reading Charlotte Again

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle was published thirty years ago. That’s hard for me to absorb. Or accept. And because it is once again being considered for film (will it happen or not is anybody’s guess, including mine) after many years, I read it again. What struck me first was the nautical knowledge it […]

“May I have a digital copy of your book?”

In this time of distance teaching, any number of teachers have contacted me (and I’ve heard other writers) with a request: “May I have a copy of your book—which I assume you have in digital format—so I can post the text online for my students so they can read it.” The short blunt answer is […]

Re-writing

A reader writes: “You’ve shared that you revise many, many times. Is there an order to that revision?” It was said (I paraphrase) that Shakespeare’s mind and hand went so well together that there was scarce a blot on his papers. To which Ben Jonson famously replied, “Would he had blotted a thousand!” I suspect […]

The kindest cut of all

The goal of every writer is to write well, well enough to attract and hold readers. But whereas the goal is generally the same, the method, the process of writing will vary (to at least some degree) with every writer. Writer A rises early, and writes best in the morning. Writer B is a night-owl […]

Who is reading?

When I grew up in New York City I rode the Subway almost every day. I recall how many people were reading as they rode along: newspapers (in different languages) books, magazines, Bibles, pamphlets. I vividly remember one day when it seemed that half the passengers in the car I was on were reading The […]

Now

In isolation, my wife and I sit in our 630 square foot house—two rooms—in Denver, Colorado. She is recovering from surgery—very nicely thank you—and I am, as always, writing a book. The novel is a work of historical fiction and it has absolutely nothing to do with what is happening in the world, and what […]

Remembering History

When, a couple of years ago, my book, The Button War was published, a number of readers were puzzled about the context, that it takes place during World War One.  My sense of things is that all nations have selective memories about their history. And the history that is remembered is often told to emphasis […]

Reading Poppy Aloud with Students

We authors love to hear from readers of our books. This lovely note from a teacher—I don’t know her or where she teaches—sent this: “Poppy is my favorite read aloud book of all time. I started teaching 17 years ago and have read it aloud to every class since then. It has my favorite written […]

Story Behind the Story #70, Part 3: Gold Rush Girl

My good friend, the late Betty Miles—who wrote many fine children’s books—once told me: “I have to work on a book for about six months before I feel like a real writer.” I also recall Thomas Mann, the early twentieth century German writer, saying something to the effect that “The amateur writer finds writing easy. […]

Story Behind the Story #70, Part 2: Gold Rush Girl

The California Gold Rush was indeed a rush. The United States had taken over San Francisco as a result of its war with Mexico. (1846-48). That aggressive war—fiercely objected to by many, including Abraham Lincoln—had, as one of its objectives, the annexing of San Francisco Bay. When gold was discovered, chunks of it went on […]