Beth Kephart's Blog, page 19

This Is the Story of You, Blog Tour, Begins Today

With thanks to the bloggers who have made room for This Is the Story of You, I share the blog tour schedule, below. I've answered deep and not always easy questions. I've written of writing the eruptive, about the place of environmental concerns inside the current crop of novels, and about the importance of settings in the novels we write. I've thought (again) about why I love the sea.

I invite you to travel along, blog to blog, to find out more—and to win a copy of the book. With thanks to Lara Starr, for organizing the tour.

Tuesday
5/31/2016
Actin' Up with Books

Wednesday
6/1/2016
Cracking the Cover

Thursday
6/2/2016
Stuck In YA Books

Friday
6/3/2016
Eli to the nth

Saturday
6/4/2016
Middle Grade Mafioso


Sunday
6/5/2016
Read Now Sleep Later


Monday
6/6/2016
The Reading Date


Tuesday
6/7/2016
Emilie's Book World

Juncture Writing Workshops is bringing memoir to Cape May, NJ, in November. Join us?

SEA CHANGE
Cape May, NJ
November 1 – 6, 2016


Cape May, NJ. It’s an island, actually, a National Historic Landmark City that was home to Colonial Era whalers and fishermen before it became a favorite retreat for sea-breeze-seeking Philadelphians. Today the town is famous for its multi-hued “painted lady” houses, its wrap-around porches and rocking chairs, its original boutiques and restaurants, and the trees that canopy its streets. Beyond the white sands, dolphins slice the waves. In the wildlife preserves, bogs, and salt marshes, birds sing, turtles crawl, and muskrats build their funny houses.

I grew up visiting Cape May; my favorite uncle lived there. When Bill and I recently discovered a capacious, newly renovated circa-1872 painted lady just blocks from the beach and the town, we knew we’d found the perfect setting for our November Juncture workshop. A private room for each writer who comes to stay. A sunny gathering place. A wrap-around porch. The sea. The birds.

We’ll learn from some of the greatest memoirs ever written—and write our own. Through a combination of readings, guided exercises, and critiques, we will acquire a firm understanding of what memoir is (and what it isn’t) and work toward the development of meaningful themes and sustaining scenes. We will generate and refine new pages, craft a prologue, and share our work in evening readings. We will walk the beach, find the birds, take photographs, meet formally and informally.

A beautifully designed book featuring the images and words of the week will commemorate our time together.

If you are interested, please do let us know by sending us a message through this Juncture Writing Workshops site.

Quintessential Devon Horse Show, Memorial Day

Memorial Day Monday. My father and I head down my street for the Devon Horse Show. My neighbor's dog performs its tricks on the way. Sarah Beth's young sons show off their cuteness. By the time we reach the admissions booth, we're told that my father—who served two years during the Korean War—is invited into the fairground for free, with seats in the stand no less. I, as his chaperone, can join him.

And so we play Skee Ball. We go in and out of the booths. We watch the adult jumpers in the stands and the Shetland pony races by the fence. We walk in and out of the stables, past the girls with lemon sticks. We sit with cookies. We talk.

My father, wearing a pin, is thanked for his service.

I thank him—and all those who serve—as well.

Devon Horse Show 2016 (so far)

The fairground rattle. The stable stills. The noise and the direction of gallop. Every year we wait. Every year the wait is answered. The horses come.

My favorite part is the neighborhood stuff. It's my friend Jane and her family and friends, which Jane shares with unilateral generosity. I stand or sit beneath the shade of her trees and conversation happens. Once-a-year conversation, which I miss the minute it is done.

Later, I will write about the horses. Put them into the novels I write ( The Heart Is Not a Size ) or the occasional Philadelphia Inquirer story. Or I won't write anything at all. It won't be necessary.

Some photos from the show. So far.

William Sulit Ceramics, Show Opens This Friday

The show opens this Friday.

a teen reads STORY. she makes my day.

The kind of review that makes your Memorial Day weekend. By teen reader Maedbh McEvoy, on the extremely beautiful teen review site, Gobblefunked.

Thank you, Maedbh, for this (the full review is here).

You know that feeling when you finish the last page of a book and you’re in denial that it’s finished. Well, it seems like our Teenfunked reviewer experienced just that sense of loss when finishing this book. Maedbh McEvoy absolutely loved This is the Story of You by Beth Kephart. It’s hot off the presses and certainly one for your summer reading lists.

a third star for STORY, thank you so much, VOYA

We were returning from the very briefest of escapades to the beach—two hours, business—when Taylor Norman wrote with the news that VOYA had given THIS IS THE STORY OF YOU its third star.

I'm so happy about that. So happy for this tribute to the sea, to storms, to the communities that form in the aftermath of catastrophe.

From VOYA:

“A moving epic of a super storm and how it unravels the lives of those caught in the midst.”—VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates, starred review


Kephart creates a moving epic of a super storm and how it unravels the lives of those caught in the midst. Anyone who has ever lived through a hurricane or any other life-changing event in which his or her home is totally destroyed will recognize the bleakness and struggle one must overcome to survive and rebuild. Seventeen-year-old Mira Banul lives with her mother, Mickey, and her brother, Jasper, on Haven, a six-mile long, half-mile wide stretch of barrier island in New Jersey. Jasper Lee suffers from Hunter Syndrome, a rare disease in which he is missing an enzyme. When the storm hits, Mira is alone while her mother and brother are on the mainland. Mira finds the strength to carry on, relying on strangers to help her survive. Mira finds hope in the face of tragedy and learns how to survive despite the odds against her.

Kephart writes in short, lyrical sentences similar to Patricia McCormick’s style in Sold (Hyperion, 2008/VOYA December 2007). Her words read like poetry, creating strong images. Many of the sentences can be interpreted on two levels. For example, in the discussion of how sand is formed, Jasper Lee says, “the heavier the wave, the more powerful the crystal,” which can be interpreted as an analogy for life. There is advice here for everyone, “first rule when you feel afraid is to act.” This book is a quick read, but the memories will linger with readers.

 

edit yourself toward boldness; words from The Argonauts

In the midst of these strange times, I read greedily, insatiable for news from the lives of others.

A few days ago, reading Maggie Nelson's award-winning, New York Times bestselling The Argonauts, I found myself in the company of one who, like me, allows tremble in as part of her process—and relies on editing to discover her own boldness.

My writing is riddled with such tics of uncertainty. I have not excuse or solution, save to allow myself the tremblings, then go back in later and slash them out. In this way I edit myself into a boldness that is neither native nor foreign to me.

Sweetbitter/Stephanie Danler: New York Journal of Books review

When Nina Friend, one of my thesis students, decided to embark on a work of narrative nonfiction about the art of waiting, I recalled reading a story about Stephanie Danler, a young waitress who had scored big in the book world with the sale of her waitressing-infused novel, Sweetbitter.

Seeking an early copy of the book for Nina, I asked the New York Journal of Books if I might review it. The kind editors there said yes. I got the book, read the first intriguing pages, carried it to Penn on a Tuesday and handed it to Nina, who read—with Nina-style care. Then Nina (who, by the way, is headed to Columbia University's J school) Skyped with Danler herself. Nina thought. She pondered. She ultimately percolated her wonderful restaurant narrative with scenes from Sweetbitter and insights from the author.

Ultimately Sweetbitter found its way back to me, and I now share my thoughts on that novel here , with you.

Juncture Notes 03, our memoir newsletter, has launched

Juncture Notes 03, featuring Diana Abu-Jaber (her work, her thoughts), Jenny Diski, Sallie Tisdale, and our reader Tina Hudak, is now out in the world.

Each issue features the original art of my partner, William Sulit. This time, in honor of our food theme, Bill took images from our kitchen, including this cup of gorgeous loose tea.

If you would like to get on our subscription list, you can do that here .