Lisa Unger's Blog, page 20
April 16, 2009
Writers Live! Murder They Wrote
This weekend I'll be heading down to Palm Beach for the first Writers Live! Murder They Wrote event at the Hagen Ranch Road Library. If you're in the area, I'd love to see you. I'll be on a panel with Jim Born (Burn Zone) and Ted Bell (TSAR) from 10 am - Noon on Saturday, April 18. I know we're going to have a great time! Brad Meltzer will also be speaking later in the day.
Check out Oline Cogdill's Off The Page blog for more info ...
Oline's blog is a great one to check out in general for all kinds of book news, reviews and event information.
I hope to see some of you at the event!
What I'm reading:
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott
Ocean's Favorite Book:
Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire!
by Jane O'Conner and Robin Preiss-Glasser
What I'm watching:
24
Check out Oline Cogdill's Off The Page blog for more info ...
Oline's blog is a great one to check out in general for all kinds of book news, reviews and event information.
I hope to see some of you at the event!
What I'm reading:
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
by Anne Lamott
Ocean's Favorite Book:
Fancy Nancy: Explorer Extraordinaire!
by Jane O'Conner and Robin Preiss-Glasser
What I'm watching:
24
April 1, 2009
TV Nerd
One of my favorite authors -- and people -- Alafair Burke gave me the opportunity to totally geek out and talk about the crime television shows I love now and loved as a kid. Suffice it to say, after rambling on in print about everything from "Moonlighting" to "Hawaii Five-O," from "The Wire" to "Battlestar Gallactica," I have realized that I watch way too much television -- and have for most of my life. In Alafair's really great article, other favorite authors Laura Lippman, James Lee Burke, Linda Fairstein, SJ Rozan (and more) talk about their own small screen love affairs.
I heard someone say that this is the first generation of writers to be as heavily influenced by television and film as we have been by literature. I always cringe to think that it might be true. Television gets such a bad rap. But I think the fact that a group of writers had so much to say about television -- warts and all -- reminds me that there's a lot of quality programing and it's getting better all the time. Story is story -- on the big screen, the small screen, the book in your hand. The writing, the character development, and the act of authentic imagining are some of the critical elements of a great tale -- and it can be told anywhere, in any medium.
So, thanks, Alafair for putting me in touch with my inner television nerd. I'm going out to buy "Hill Street Blues" on DVD!
What I'm watching:
"Lost"
What I'm reading:
The Watchmen
by Alan Moore and Dan Gibbons
Ocean's Favorite Book:
Pout Pout Fish
by Deborah Diesen and Dan Hanna
What I'm listening to:
Dead Can Dance/ A Passage in Time
I heard someone say that this is the first generation of writers to be as heavily influenced by television and film as we have been by literature. I always cringe to think that it might be true. Television gets such a bad rap. But I think the fact that a group of writers had so much to say about television -- warts and all -- reminds me that there's a lot of quality programing and it's getting better all the time. Story is story -- on the big screen, the small screen, the book in your hand. The writing, the character development, and the act of authentic imagining are some of the critical elements of a great tale -- and it can be told anywhere, in any medium.
So, thanks, Alafair for putting me in touch with my inner television nerd. I'm going out to buy "Hill Street Blues" on DVD!
What I'm watching:
"Lost"
What I'm reading:
The Watchmen
by Alan Moore and Dan Gibbons
Ocean's Favorite Book:
Pout Pout Fish
by Deborah Diesen and Dan Hanna
What I'm listening to:
Dead Can Dance/ A Passage in Time
March 19, 2009
Barbara Parker
On the desk in my office is a photograph of Ocean and me, when O was just eleven months old. It is truly one of my favorite photographs. The woman who snapped it, acclaimed and bestselling author Barbara Parker, did so in a very casual moment at the Miami Book Fair in 2006. We were talking about her new love of photography -- and admiring her new camera. And Kris Montee, half of the bestselling duo that comprises PJ Parrish, raved about some pictures she'd seen. Barbara said, "Let me get a picture of you!" so I grabbed Ocean and she took a picture. I didn't think much about it until I got an email from her a few days later with the image in a jpeg file. It literally took my breath away. For all the professional photographs taken of me and of my daughter, no one ever came close to capturing what she did in that frame. She saw something -- Ocean's cool intelligence, her innocence and beauty, and my pure joy in being her mother. And it's there in both our faces, one moment, totally true. When I got it, I thought: It's because she's a writer. She sees. Her lens allowed her to freeze a moment she witnessed with a writer's clarity. Every time I look at the photograph, I think of Barbara.
I didn't have the pleasure of crossing paths with Barbara again. And yesterday I learned, with great sadness, that she passed away on March 7th after battling a long illness. For many years, I knew of her as a talented and successful writer. And later, as I had the honor of meeting her and occasionally bumping into for one reason or another, I found her to be an unfailingly kind and generous person with great charm and an aura of benevolence. I know she will be deeply mourned and greatly missed by her family and close friends, and also by readers and colleagues like me who admired her, respected her, and were blessed now and then with her company.
I am so glad I have that image she captured, that perfect moment. Seeing it on my desk will remind me of her talent, and inspire me to enjoy those light, happy moments which we sometimes take for granted, and which later become the lasting gift of wonderful memories, long after someone special has left us.
Thank you, Barbara, for sharing your many talents and gifts, you will be sorely missed and remembered with love and admiration.
I didn't have the pleasure of crossing paths with Barbara again. And yesterday I learned, with great sadness, that she passed away on March 7th after battling a long illness. For many years, I knew of her as a talented and successful writer. And later, as I had the honor of meeting her and occasionally bumping into for one reason or another, I found her to be an unfailingly kind and generous person with great charm and an aura of benevolence. I know she will be deeply mourned and greatly missed by her family and close friends, and also by readers and colleagues like me who admired her, respected her, and were blessed now and then with her company.
I am so glad I have that image she captured, that perfect moment. Seeing it on my desk will remind me of her talent, and inspire me to enjoy those light, happy moments which we sometimes take for granted, and which later become the lasting gift of wonderful memories, long after someone special has left us.
Thank you, Barbara, for sharing your many talents and gifts, you will be sorely missed and remembered with love and admiration.
March 4, 2009
Florida Book Award
Black Out wins a Silver Medal in the 2008 Florida Book Awards.
The Florida Book Awards, coordinated by the Florida State University Program in American & Florida Studies -- and co-sponsored by the Florida Center for the Book, the State Library and Archives of Florida, the Florida Historical Society, the Florida Humanities Council, the Florida Literary Arts Coalition, the Florida Library Association, “Just Read, Florida!,” the Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative, the Florida Association for Media in Education, the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, Friends of the Florida State University Libraries, and the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America -- is an annual awards program that recognizes, honors, and celebrates the best Florida literature published in the previous year.
The Florida Book Awards, coordinated by the Florida State University Program in American & Florida Studies -- and co-sponsored by the Florida Center for the Book, the State Library and Archives of Florida, the Florida Historical Society, the Florida Humanities Council, the Florida Literary Arts Coalition, the Florida Library Association, “Just Read, Florida!,” the Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative, the Florida Association for Media in Education, the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, Friends of the Florida State University Libraries, and the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America -- is an annual awards program that recognizes, honors, and celebrates the best Florida literature published in the previous year.
February 25, 2009
Advance Praise
It's a bit on the early side to be talking about my June 2nd release DIE FOR YOU. But I am so excited because a truly wonderful author, who I so admire, has offered her support for the new book with an amazing and generous blurb.
I'm honored that New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice had this to say about DIE FOR YOU:
"Die For You tells the story of your worst nightmare: do you think you know the person you love? Do you really? Lisa Unger writes with sharp psychological insight and bone-deep understanding of her characters. This novel is almost unbearably thrilling."
I know. It's so mean for me STILL not to tell you what it's about. So, okay, click here for a bit of info on DIE FOR YOU.
Also, I am about to launch my new website! When it's live, you can look forward to blogs about the new book, a list of my tour dates and scheduled appearances, and, when the time draws nearer, an excerpt of DIE FOR YOU. So more on that in the weeks to come, or just keep checking back at www.lisaunger.com.
As always, thanks for reading!
I'm honored that New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice had this to say about DIE FOR YOU:
"Die For You tells the story of your worst nightmare: do you think you know the person you love? Do you really? Lisa Unger writes with sharp psychological insight and bone-deep understanding of her characters. This novel is almost unbearably thrilling."
I know. It's so mean for me STILL not to tell you what it's about. So, okay, click here for a bit of info on DIE FOR YOU.
Also, I am about to launch my new website! When it's live, you can look forward to blogs about the new book, a list of my tour dates and scheduled appearances, and, when the time draws nearer, an excerpt of DIE FOR YOU. So more on that in the weeks to come, or just keep checking back at www.lisaunger.com.
As always, thanks for reading!
February 24, 2009
It's Not Fair
“Can cats open doors?” Ocean wanted to know this morning, as she watched a neighborhood stray preening on our deck.
“No,” I told her. “They can’t.”
“Why not?”
“For a lot of reasons – they’re not tall or strong enough, they don’t have hands, and they’re not very smart.”
“Oooh!” she said in dismay. “It’s not fair.”
She’s been saying this a lot. I’m not sure where she picked it up.
So I asked, “Where did you get this concept of fairness?”
“At the store.”
“Oh, really? You got it at the store?”
“Yeah. I got it at Target.”
I know, I know -- we’re back to Target. Eventually someone is going to accuse me of being on the payroll at this place. But, I swear, for some reason it has invaded my daughter’s consciousness. And mine, for that matter. Congratulations to the Target marketing team!
Our early conversation got me to thinking about the concept of fairness. And it reminded me about the dismay I recently felt watching “60 Minutes.” A while ago, I abandoned watching television news – the news jingles, the flashing logos, the arguing, the idiot pundits. I can’t bare it. There was a palpable moment where I realized I needed to get my news another way. I was on the treadmill, pregnant and watching CNN, filled with such rage at whatever happened to be on the screen at the time, that I thought, “This can’t be healthy.” I started reading my news and I’ve been much calmer, possibly a bit less informed because reading takes more time than watching.
But occasionally I get roped into one of the news magazine shows by the catchy promos, or just the fact that it’s on the DVR because my husband set it to record. On this particular episode, there was a segment about an American town crumbling as a corporate giant closed its doors, peace in the Middle East seems less attainable than ever as the “Two-State Solution” falls apart, and a new drug called Resveratol looks like it might slow the onset of the illnesses common to old age, extending life.
When it was over, I felt awash in worry. I was overcome by an anxiety that big business is crushing the world; when profits fall, hard working people pay the price. I was afraid that people are so inured in hatred and estranged from compassion that they can’t find space for each other in the world they share. And I couldn’t help but wonder: Who will be able to afford this life-extending drug, when and if it’s approved? Will wealthy people be able to buy it, stay younger, healthier, live longer? Will others, who can’t afford to feed their families because the company that employed their whole town left, be denied access to a drug like Resveratol because they can’t afford it? Or will we live longer, some only to hold grudges longer, to fight longer, to hate each other longer?
I suppose you’ll think I worry too much. And perhaps you’re right. Perhaps I’ve always worried too much. In fact, I suppose this explains why I write, to metabolize the chaos I perceive in the world, to understand the terrible unfairness of it all, to order it in my way, if only in the pages of a book. And it explains why I shouldn’t watch television news broadcasts.
In order to allay the anxiety I feel after watching television – or when just the day-to-day stress of life starts to bring me down – I try to return to a place of gratitude, to actively focus my thoughts on the blessings in my life. I start with the basics, such as, “I am grateful that I can draw breath into my lungs.” Then I work my way up to the specifics of my life. And then I try to remember that the only thing I control is the way I live, how I treat others, and how hard I work at being a good mother, a good wife, a good writer, and a good person. It generally works. Though I suppose it would be faster to have a glass of wine (hint: that’s where they’re getting the resveratol from – red wine). So make it two.
I wish “fairness” was something we could purchase at Target. I wish, for Ocean’s sake only, that cats could open doors. But when she gets a little older I’ll tell her what I truly believe -- that life is, if not fair, then balanced. For every tragedy, there is a miracle. For every ugly deed, there is an act of kindness. For every person who acts out of pain and fear, there is one who acts out of love and compassion. And if that’s not fair, I don’t know what is.
“No,” I told her. “They can’t.”
“Why not?”
“For a lot of reasons – they’re not tall or strong enough, they don’t have hands, and they’re not very smart.”
“Oooh!” she said in dismay. “It’s not fair.”
She’s been saying this a lot. I’m not sure where she picked it up.
So I asked, “Where did you get this concept of fairness?”
“At the store.”
“Oh, really? You got it at the store?”
“Yeah. I got it at Target.”
I know, I know -- we’re back to Target. Eventually someone is going to accuse me of being on the payroll at this place. But, I swear, for some reason it has invaded my daughter’s consciousness. And mine, for that matter. Congratulations to the Target marketing team!
Our early conversation got me to thinking about the concept of fairness. And it reminded me about the dismay I recently felt watching “60 Minutes.” A while ago, I abandoned watching television news – the news jingles, the flashing logos, the arguing, the idiot pundits. I can’t bare it. There was a palpable moment where I realized I needed to get my news another way. I was on the treadmill, pregnant and watching CNN, filled with such rage at whatever happened to be on the screen at the time, that I thought, “This can’t be healthy.” I started reading my news and I’ve been much calmer, possibly a bit less informed because reading takes more time than watching.
But occasionally I get roped into one of the news magazine shows by the catchy promos, or just the fact that it’s on the DVR because my husband set it to record. On this particular episode, there was a segment about an American town crumbling as a corporate giant closed its doors, peace in the Middle East seems less attainable than ever as the “Two-State Solution” falls apart, and a new drug called Resveratol looks like it might slow the onset of the illnesses common to old age, extending life.
When it was over, I felt awash in worry. I was overcome by an anxiety that big business is crushing the world; when profits fall, hard working people pay the price. I was afraid that people are so inured in hatred and estranged from compassion that they can’t find space for each other in the world they share. And I couldn’t help but wonder: Who will be able to afford this life-extending drug, when and if it’s approved? Will wealthy people be able to buy it, stay younger, healthier, live longer? Will others, who can’t afford to feed their families because the company that employed their whole town left, be denied access to a drug like Resveratol because they can’t afford it? Or will we live longer, some only to hold grudges longer, to fight longer, to hate each other longer?
I suppose you’ll think I worry too much. And perhaps you’re right. Perhaps I’ve always worried too much. In fact, I suppose this explains why I write, to metabolize the chaos I perceive in the world, to understand the terrible unfairness of it all, to order it in my way, if only in the pages of a book. And it explains why I shouldn’t watch television news broadcasts.
In order to allay the anxiety I feel after watching television – or when just the day-to-day stress of life starts to bring me down – I try to return to a place of gratitude, to actively focus my thoughts on the blessings in my life. I start with the basics, such as, “I am grateful that I can draw breath into my lungs.” Then I work my way up to the specifics of my life. And then I try to remember that the only thing I control is the way I live, how I treat others, and how hard I work at being a good mother, a good wife, a good writer, and a good person. It generally works. Though I suppose it would be faster to have a glass of wine (hint: that’s where they’re getting the resveratol from – red wine). So make it two.
I wish “fairness” was something we could purchase at Target. I wish, for Ocean’s sake only, that cats could open doors. But when she gets a little older I’ll tell her what I truly believe -- that life is, if not fair, then balanced. For every tragedy, there is a miracle. For every ugly deed, there is an act of kindness. For every person who acts out of pain and fear, there is one who acts out of love and compassion. And if that’s not fair, I don’t know what is.
