Zetta Elliott's Blog, page 120

use your VOICE

I need a nap!  But I've been really productive these past few days—I've got over 2000 words written, which means my essay's almost done, and today I had a really productive meeting with the folks at the NYPL.  Even though I tend to shy away from conflict, I really value the opportunity to express myself, to hear others' point of view, and to work collaboratively to find solutions.  With effective communication, anything can be changed…you just have to SPEAK UP!

Did you know there's a great...

SOS

Calling all Canadians!  Apparently, some review outlets in Canada won't consider a book for review unless it's available in bookstores.  Wish is available on the Chapters Indigo website, but it isn't being stocked—same deal at Book City.  So…if you're in Canada and you have some cash to spare, please stop by your nearest bookstore and let them know there IS demand for Wish!  You can also request that your local public library buy a copy for your branch.  THANK YOU!

bubbling up

This cold was probably caused by a virus; I gave four presentations last week, and there were lots of little sneezers running about.  But illness is also about dis/ease, right?  If you're emotionally or spiritually unsettled, your immune system weakens, and next thing you know, you're on the couch with a rapidly-dwindling box of tissue.  Or maybe being sick makes you more inclined to look inward…either way, I've been casting my net over Canada—yet again—trying to find a way to generate...

stormy weather

The forecaster says it's raining cats and dogs outside…sure sounds like it!  I'm sick as a dog with this end-of-winter cold, but must trudge out to see the doctor.  Then it will be soup and bed for me…fortunately, this cold didn't fully kick in until *after* my radio interview yesterday.  And just before we began, FedEx delivered this beautiful piece of art made by a super talented student at Our Lady of Lourdes in Hamilton Heights (thanks, Stephanie!)

The other news to brighten my day? ...

Conversations Live!

Many thanks to Cyrus Webb for taking the time to chat with me on Blog Talk Radio.  You can listen to our half-hour segment here.

teaching Wish

A friend of mine teaches in a program in Michigan that serves young men who have been suspended from high school.  She was determined to use Wish in her classroom, and today she sent me an update:

By the way, 15 "bad boys" are enthralled with A Wish After Midnight…We are currently reading it!  They keep saying…"Damn, are you sure she doesn't live in Flint?"…THIS BOOK IS FABULOUS AND RIGHT ON TIME WITH HOOKING YOUNG PEOPLE INTO THE PAST/PRESENT/FUTURE….

I WANT TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR BOOK...

Bayou

Have you read Bayou yet?  If not, either buy Volume 1 or visit the Zuda website and read the whole thing online!  Then stop by The Bottom of Heaven and join our conversation—we're up to page 174.  What does magic mean to you?  A rabbit pulled out of a hat? A rabbit's foot in your pocket for good luck? or do you think of Brer Rabbit, the trickster figure from African American folklore…

down time

Meant to attend a symposium at NYU today, but got down there and basically turned around and came back home (after picking up some Indian food!).  Need some head space after a fairly full week.  I've just started reading Joseph Bruchac's March Toward the Thunder, and on the 10th page there's a list of Civil War battles: "Shiloh, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg."  Then as I wove my way through Manhattan's grid, I came up the block and saw a similar list of battles...

new interviews

Neesha Meminger has a great two-part interview with Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich over at her blog—stop by and hear the rather profound reasoning behind 8th Grade Super Zero. Below is my interview with sci-fi writer and new publisher, Veronica Henry.  Her anthology, Bloodlines, is available now and boasts contributors from across the African diaspora (and two five-star reviews so far!).  I asked Veronica to share her motivation for sponsoring a short story contest for black writers across...

Pumzi

Nnedi Okorafor just posted this article about a Kenyan sci-fi film on the Carl Brandon Society listserv—if you're interested in sci-fi stories coming out of Africa, check out Pumzi:

PUMZI (the Kiswahili word for breath,) is a dystopian film set in South Africa and Kenya. The story follows an East African woman as she leaves her isolated community 35 years after World War III to plant a seed in the barren earth that has been plagued by drought and deforestation. In her vision of the future...