Jo Knowles's Blog, page 26
August 15, 2011
Taking S'Mores to the Next Level
Somehow conversation over dinner on Saturday turned to the making of s'mores. My son and I have a habit of dreaming up ways to "make things better" and pretty soon we were concocting ways to improve upon our last roasted peep experiment. I suggested rolling a marshmallow in, oh, RUM, and then in sugar. My husband thought this was brilliant. Unfortunately, we didn't have any marshmallows in the house. He offered to run downtown and pick up a bag at a place called "Maplefields." My son and I both looked at each other at the exact time and said, "MAPLE!" My husband was off.
My job was to make a fire.
Here are the first sacrificial mallows. One in rum. Two in maple syrup. The third bowl is sugar for rolling.
The fun begins.
Now, for the roasting.
Like all experiments, there are mistakes.
But once we figured out that you have to hover the stick over hot coals rather than a flame... Perfection.
The sugar on the outside melted just like (well, OK, slightly similar to), the sugar crust on creme bulee. The maple syrup was definitely the tastier of the two. And no, my son did not try the rum.
He did, however, go with the traditional method, so as not to make the graham crackers and chocolate feel left out.
My husband didn't have a problem with that.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday morning warm-up:
Describe a treat you've "made your own". Please share the recipe! :)
My job was to make a fire.
Here are the first sacrificial mallows. One in rum. Two in maple syrup. The third bowl is sugar for rolling.
The fun begins.
Now, for the roasting.
Like all experiments, there are mistakes.
But once we figured out that you have to hover the stick over hot coals rather than a flame... Perfection.
The sugar on the outside melted just like (well, OK, slightly similar to), the sugar crust on creme bulee. The maple syrup was definitely the tastier of the two. And no, my son did not try the rum.
He did, however, go with the traditional method, so as not to make the graham crackers and chocolate feel left out.
My husband didn't have a problem with that.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday morning warm-up:
Describe a treat you've "made your own". Please share the recipe! :)
August 11, 2011
Kirkus Interview-The Deleted Scene :-)
When a writer from Kirkus Reviews contacted me about doing an interview for their YA Blog, I admit I was pretty shocked. I mean, they even trademarked their motto: "The world's toughest book critics"!
But this writer was very kind, and even told me that one of my answers made him cry. That doesn't sound so tough to me. :-)
The interview went up today, and you can read it HERE
I love their tagline: "Jo Knowles talks about the beauty of butter..." LOL!
This interview has been cut WAY down, so many of my answers have been condensed. But since one question and answer were completely eliminated, I thought I'd provide it here, since this has been an issue with all of my books so far, and I am still trying to figure it all out:
There's a lot of heavy subject matter here in the span of a book that isn't incredibly long, yet it progresses smoothly. What was your key to merging so much - death, secret lives, secret relationships, psychological scars, amorous developments - without being clunky?-Gordon West
You know, I'm always surprised when people point these things out to me. I consider PEARL to be my lightest book so far, so when I see it described as "heavy" I think, What do you mean?? But when you point out the elements the way you do in your question, I can see your point. As for keeping the story progressing smoothly, that is always my biggest challenge, so I'm glad you didn't find it too clunky. In most cases, the answer is revising over and over and over until it works. But with this book, while there was tons of revising, I think there was a little more going on. The truth is, we all walk around with our own invisible luggage. Some people (and yes, I'm talking about myself in particular) are incredibly good at hiding the weight we carry. I'm not sure this is a healthy thing, but I do think it might somehow be tied to the first part of my answer, which is that I wasn't quite aware of all those elements as "elements" in the first place. Maybe that's why they don't appear to overwhelm the story.
I think this is not a very good answer and probably why it didn't make the final interview. I am still working on this idea of recognizing the true weight of the things I carry quietly. I suppose my characters are, too. :-)
What is one of your struggles and how are you working to overcome it?
But this writer was very kind, and even told me that one of my answers made him cry. That doesn't sound so tough to me. :-)
The interview went up today, and you can read it HERE
I love their tagline: "Jo Knowles talks about the beauty of butter..." LOL!
This interview has been cut WAY down, so many of my answers have been condensed. But since one question and answer were completely eliminated, I thought I'd provide it here, since this has been an issue with all of my books so far, and I am still trying to figure it all out:
There's a lot of heavy subject matter here in the span of a book that isn't incredibly long, yet it progresses smoothly. What was your key to merging so much - death, secret lives, secret relationships, psychological scars, amorous developments - without being clunky?-Gordon West
You know, I'm always surprised when people point these things out to me. I consider PEARL to be my lightest book so far, so when I see it described as "heavy" I think, What do you mean?? But when you point out the elements the way you do in your question, I can see your point. As for keeping the story progressing smoothly, that is always my biggest challenge, so I'm glad you didn't find it too clunky. In most cases, the answer is revising over and over and over until it works. But with this book, while there was tons of revising, I think there was a little more going on. The truth is, we all walk around with our own invisible luggage. Some people (and yes, I'm talking about myself in particular) are incredibly good at hiding the weight we carry. I'm not sure this is a healthy thing, but I do think it might somehow be tied to the first part of my answer, which is that I wasn't quite aware of all those elements as "elements" in the first place. Maybe that's why they don't appear to overwhelm the story.
I think this is not a very good answer and probably why it didn't make the final interview. I am still working on this idea of recognizing the true weight of the things I carry quietly. I suppose my characters are, too. :-)
What is one of your struggles and how are you working to overcome it?
August 8, 2011
Sharing fond memories
Today on her blog, Kara LaReau posted the cover of the first book she ever read on her own. You can see it on her wonderful new Web site, HERE.
This brought back my own fond memory of the first book I remember reading on my own:
Oh, how I loved that book.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday Morning Warm-Up:
What's the first book YOU ever read on your own? Describe. :)
This brought back my own fond memory of the first book I remember reading on my own:
Oh, how I loved that book.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday Morning Warm-Up:
What's the first book YOU ever read on your own? Describe. :)
August 5, 2011
More lessons in "The Year of Being A Writer"
This week has taken on a lovely rhythm and I'm sad to see it go.
My son spent half the day at circus camp, and I used that time to write/revise like the wind.
He'd come and we'd have lunch.
He'd read from his summer reading book and I'd write some more.
Then we'd read together.
Repeat.
That was pretty nice. But at the end of next week, I'll be starting on another freelance job and life will go back to its usual frenzy. My goal? To finish this revision before the freelance package arrives.
I am very nervous about this project because it was something I wrote knowing full well it might not sell. Well, I mean, that is true of every project, obviously. But I think this one has only one publisher I could sub it to, so that adds pressure.
When I was debating whether to write the story, knowing it could well be a "waste of time," my husband pointed out that this is clearly a story I need to tell, so I should write it and not worry about whether or not anyone would buy it. It's like what Jack Gantos said last weekend. "I think about what I want to write, not what I want to sell." So far that seems to have worked out pretty well for him, right?
As I make these final changes, I still have trouble quieting that horrid voice of doubt questioning whether I should have spent the last year and more working on this project. But with each edit, the voice gets a little more faint. Now, it's replaced with the imagined voices of my agent and editor, pointing out the remaining flaws as I try to read the words through their eyes and predict how they'll react to each chapter, each scene. But mostly, I know that is impossible. What I really need to do, is trust my own eyes. My own heart. So eventually I will try to quiet their voices, too.
Instead, I return to Jennifer Richard Jacobson's wise advice, and ask myself, "Is it true yet?"
Nearly. It nearly is.
We write to share the truths we need to tell. We write because discovering them leads us to a better understanding of ourselves and each other. Even though the discovery process can be brutal, we still need to do it. We need to allow ourselves to do it. Sometimes, we need to force ourselves. But what I've learned this time around is that, however painful it is, however long it takes, and whatever happens next, it wasn't a waste of time.
My son spent half the day at circus camp, and I used that time to write/revise like the wind.
He'd come and we'd have lunch.
He'd read from his summer reading book and I'd write some more.
Then we'd read together.
Repeat.
That was pretty nice. But at the end of next week, I'll be starting on another freelance job and life will go back to its usual frenzy. My goal? To finish this revision before the freelance package arrives.
I am very nervous about this project because it was something I wrote knowing full well it might not sell. Well, I mean, that is true of every project, obviously. But I think this one has only one publisher I could sub it to, so that adds pressure.
When I was debating whether to write the story, knowing it could well be a "waste of time," my husband pointed out that this is clearly a story I need to tell, so I should write it and not worry about whether or not anyone would buy it. It's like what Jack Gantos said last weekend. "I think about what I want to write, not what I want to sell." So far that seems to have worked out pretty well for him, right?
As I make these final changes, I still have trouble quieting that horrid voice of doubt questioning whether I should have spent the last year and more working on this project. But with each edit, the voice gets a little more faint. Now, it's replaced with the imagined voices of my agent and editor, pointing out the remaining flaws as I try to read the words through their eyes and predict how they'll react to each chapter, each scene. But mostly, I know that is impossible. What I really need to do, is trust my own eyes. My own heart. So eventually I will try to quiet their voices, too.
Instead, I return to Jennifer Richard Jacobson's wise advice, and ask myself, "Is it true yet?"
Nearly. It nearly is.
We write to share the truths we need to tell. We write because discovering them leads us to a better understanding of ourselves and each other. Even though the discovery process can be brutal, we still need to do it. We need to allow ourselves to do it. Sometimes, we need to force ourselves. But what I've learned this time around is that, however painful it is, however long it takes, and whatever happens next, it wasn't a waste of time.
August 1, 2011
Quotes and inspiration from the Simmons Institute
I spent Saturday at the Simmons College Summer Institute. If you're not familiar, this is an incredible celebration of children's literature. Children's book authors and illustrators speak throughout the day, offering variations on the theme of the institute. This year, the theme was "The Body Electric."
In addition to having famous speakers, they also have two break-out sessions a day (called Professional Connections) with others in the field, such as book reviewers, scholars, and some (ahem) lesser-known authors. :-) I was asked to lead two break-out sessions. This was great fun and also very inspiring to see so many students who love children's literature as much as I do. And I was thrilled to see many of them interested in writing! In case any of the attendees are reading this, THANKS for being such a great audience.
It was a day full of inspiration for me, really. So I thought I'd share some of the lines that stood out in particular:
From Byan Collier, a question:
"Think about the first time you stepped outside this morning. What color was the day?"
From David Small, some thoughts to ponder:
"A child whose mother doesn't love him always grows up with a hole in his heart."
and
"The body expresses what the mind doesn't allow yourself to utter."
From Sharon Draper, a gift:
"Celebrate the me that is yet to come."
And from Jack Gantos, a good reminder:
"I think about what I want to write, not what I want to sell."
One special surprise for me happened in the morning right before my first session. Just as I finally found the room I was to speak in, I heard a quiet male voice say, "Jo Knowles."
I turned, and there was my Communications Professor from my first year at Simmons, Bob White! Oh, how I loved that class. Talk about inspiration. The most important lesson I learned however, was a subtle one. I doubt I was even aware of it at the time, but I am sure it helped point me in the direction that eventually led me to where I am today. Bob showed me how effectively—how powerfully—one can communicate without speaking. He showed me that I didn't have to speak to be heard. I could write.
And so, when I saw him standing there, looking like the spitting image of the Dumbledore I imagined long before I watched the movies (and of course I know why that is now, Bob being so much like Dumbledore himself, providing inspiration and hope in his unique way), my heart pretty much melted.
I wish I'd had time to visit with him and tell him how much it meant to me to see him standing there, waiting to say hello. Because at the moment, it meant the world. It was the sort of small act of kindness that can make someone who often feels small herself, feel quite big.
Thank you, Bob.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday Morning Warm-Up:
Who is the you that is yet to come?
In addition to having famous speakers, they also have two break-out sessions a day (called Professional Connections) with others in the field, such as book reviewers, scholars, and some (ahem) lesser-known authors. :-) I was asked to lead two break-out sessions. This was great fun and also very inspiring to see so many students who love children's literature as much as I do. And I was thrilled to see many of them interested in writing! In case any of the attendees are reading this, THANKS for being such a great audience.
It was a day full of inspiration for me, really. So I thought I'd share some of the lines that stood out in particular:
From Byan Collier, a question:
"Think about the first time you stepped outside this morning. What color was the day?"
From David Small, some thoughts to ponder:
"A child whose mother doesn't love him always grows up with a hole in his heart."
and
"The body expresses what the mind doesn't allow yourself to utter."
From Sharon Draper, a gift:
"Celebrate the me that is yet to come."
And from Jack Gantos, a good reminder:
"I think about what I want to write, not what I want to sell."
One special surprise for me happened in the morning right before my first session. Just as I finally found the room I was to speak in, I heard a quiet male voice say, "Jo Knowles."
I turned, and there was my Communications Professor from my first year at Simmons, Bob White! Oh, how I loved that class. Talk about inspiration. The most important lesson I learned however, was a subtle one. I doubt I was even aware of it at the time, but I am sure it helped point me in the direction that eventually led me to where I am today. Bob showed me how effectively—how powerfully—one can communicate without speaking. He showed me that I didn't have to speak to be heard. I could write.
And so, when I saw him standing there, looking like the spitting image of the Dumbledore I imagined long before I watched the movies (and of course I know why that is now, Bob being so much like Dumbledore himself, providing inspiration and hope in his unique way), my heart pretty much melted.
I wish I'd had time to visit with him and tell him how much it meant to me to see him standing there, waiting to say hello. Because at the moment, it meant the world. It was the sort of small act of kindness that can make someone who often feels small herself, feel quite big.
Thank you, Bob.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monday Morning Warm-Up:
Who is the you that is yet to come?
July 29, 2011
My Walter Dean Myers Memory :-)
There is a very, very powerful SoryCorps up with Walter Dean Myers and his son, Christopher.
You can listen here: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/17/137223046/a-writer-and-his-father-and-a-barrier-between-us
I was lucky enough to meet Walter Dean Myers a few years ago at NCTE/ALAN.
Here is what I said about that encounter:
During my signing at Anderson's, I sat next to Walter Dean Myers. For a solid hour I listened to teacher after teacher tell him how his books saved their students. Inspired them. Turned them into readers. He was kind enough to turn to me when it was all over and hold out his hand. I told him what a gift it was to be able to hear all those stories. And he said to me, "You keep writing and in 25-30 years, you'll hear the same ones."
You can read the entire entry here: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/350422.html
That time, sitting next to such a great man and listening to teacher after teacher thank him for helping change lives—helping save lives—is one I will never forget.
Thank you, Mr. Myers.
You can listen here: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/17/137223046/a-writer-and-his-father-and-a-barrier-between-us
I was lucky enough to meet Walter Dean Myers a few years ago at NCTE/ALAN.
Here is what I said about that encounter:
During my signing at Anderson's, I sat next to Walter Dean Myers. For a solid hour I listened to teacher after teacher tell him how his books saved their students. Inspired them. Turned them into readers. He was kind enough to turn to me when it was all over and hold out his hand. I told him what a gift it was to be able to hear all those stories. And he said to me, "You keep writing and in 25-30 years, you'll hear the same ones."
You can read the entire entry here: http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/350422.html
That time, sitting next to such a great man and listening to teacher after teacher thank him for helping change lives—helping save lives—is one I will never forget.
Thank you, Mr. Myers.
E
Is TWELVE today!
When I started this journal, he was four.
Looking back, I wish I'd tagged all my entries about him. Those early years were pretty dang amusing.
:-)
Here's wishing the boy a happy, happy year. It'll be one full of BIG changes, starting with middle school, where he hasn't yet met any of the students. But he is excited and eager (and a little nervous), and I have a hopeful feeling that it will be a great adventure.
Happy Birthday, E! We love you.
When I started this journal, he was four.
Looking back, I wish I'd tagged all my entries about him. Those early years were pretty dang amusing.
:-)
Here's wishing the boy a happy, happy year. It'll be one full of BIG changes, starting with middle school, where he hasn't yet met any of the students. But he is excited and eager (and a little nervous), and I have a hopeful feeling that it will be a great adventure.
Happy Birthday, E! We love you.
July 26, 2011
PEARL Party Recap—in Photos! :-)
This past Saturday my family and I hosted a launch Party for my new book, PEARL, at my house.
Since much of my favorite junk foods are in the book, I thought it would be fun to make a little display of them, with excerpts from the book to show how they fit in. :-)
It was a HOT day, but a lot of dear friends still came. Including these lovely ladies, Kathy Quimby and Cindy Faughnan.
Many of my former students came, too! (I can't look at this photo and not smile.)
Susan of The Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock (our local Indie bookseller), came to provide books at the party. She warned me ahead of time that I would have to read. Here are some funny shots of everyone listening. Can you tell I chose something a little serious?
Everyone looks so bored and depressed! Nice choice, Jo! ;-P
Everyone had arrived all at once and the party became so chaotic for me that I forgot to put out a bunch of food I'd made ahead of time and kept in the fridge, including the cake balls I worked so hard on in my 90º kitchen! But they went quickly. This started as a towering pile. They taste better than they look, I hope.
After the reading, I could finally relax (I was so nervous I felt ill), and enjoy seeing all the lovely friends who came from near and far, including one of my favorite people in the world, Kate Messner.
And people had even saved some Suzy Q's for me! (These are another food from the book.)
As the party wound down, some friends who came with their instruments brought them out and we played some tunes on the deck. There were guitars, a drum (that box David is sitting on is a drum he made!)...
More quitars...
And even a ukelele!
It was a long and wonderful day, and all the next, images of friends came to mind who made it the special day it was. At some point in the day, my aunt, who came all the way from Rhode Island, said to me, "You have the nicest friends." She is so right. And I am very, very grateful to all of them for making this celebration such a happy one.
Finally, I want to thank my patient husband, who puts up with my madness every day with love and humor. And sometimes a bottle of Harpoon. Thanks Peter. I love you.
Since much of my favorite junk foods are in the book, I thought it would be fun to make a little display of them, with excerpts from the book to show how they fit in. :-)
It was a HOT day, but a lot of dear friends still came. Including these lovely ladies, Kathy Quimby and Cindy Faughnan.
Many of my former students came, too! (I can't look at this photo and not smile.)
Susan of The Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock (our local Indie bookseller), came to provide books at the party. She warned me ahead of time that I would have to read. Here are some funny shots of everyone listening. Can you tell I chose something a little serious?
Everyone looks so bored and depressed! Nice choice, Jo! ;-P
Everyone had arrived all at once and the party became so chaotic for me that I forgot to put out a bunch of food I'd made ahead of time and kept in the fridge, including the cake balls I worked so hard on in my 90º kitchen! But they went quickly. This started as a towering pile. They taste better than they look, I hope.
After the reading, I could finally relax (I was so nervous I felt ill), and enjoy seeing all the lovely friends who came from near and far, including one of my favorite people in the world, Kate Messner.
And people had even saved some Suzy Q's for me! (These are another food from the book.)
As the party wound down, some friends who came with their instruments brought them out and we played some tunes on the deck. There were guitars, a drum (that box David is sitting on is a drum he made!)...
More quitars...
And even a ukelele!
It was a long and wonderful day, and all the next, images of friends came to mind who made it the special day it was. At some point in the day, my aunt, who came all the way from Rhode Island, said to me, "You have the nicest friends." She is so right. And I am very, very grateful to all of them for making this celebration such a happy one.
Finally, I want to thank my patient husband, who puts up with my madness every day with love and humor. And sometimes a bottle of Harpoon. Thanks Peter. I love you.
July 22, 2011
Friday 5: Free PEARLs, Revision, Thoughts about Henry, & BLUEBERRY (not button) Eyes
1. Pandas are cute, especially when they are reading and giving away PEARL! :)
You can read the first page of PEARL and enter to win a personalized, signed copy of the book over at First Page Panda. Only 11 people have entered as of my writing this so your chances are quite good! All you have to do is comment. Thanks First Page Panda!
2. YA Scribe is also very cute, and she's giving away a copy of my book, too!
Angelina C. Hansen (AKA YA Scribe) has an interview with me over here and she's also giving away a copy of PEARL! So far only 18 people have entered, so again, your chances are very good there, too! Just leave a comment! :-) Thanks Angelina!
3. I <3 Kate Messner.
Wonderful author, teacher and friend, Kate Messner, is doing a series of interviews with authors about revision in conjunction with the release of her fantastic new book: REAL REVISION, and it was my turn to share thoughts about revision with Kate yesterday. You can read/add to the discussion by going here.
4. Thoughts about Henry
I answered some questions about Henry's character from PEARL here. I had a nice note about Henry on Twitter yesterday and it made me feel warm and fuzzy. I love it when people share thoughts about a character with you, as if they are as real to them as there are to me.
Note: Please excuse all the self-promotion going on lately. But, it's PEARL's week and I've gotta do what I can to give her the best birthday. :) I'll be topping everything off tomorrow with a big launch party at my house. Unfortunately, the weather is going to be HOT, so it may be a little uncomfortable. But we have lots of water guns, lots of cold drinks, and lots and lots of food, including Suzie Q's! Go Suzie Q's! Hopefully, this will make it all bearable. OK. Now for a completely non-promotional last but not least:
5. Are blueberry eyes as scary as button eyes?!
Is this photo really that frightening?
I was merely trying to illustrate that our blueberries are particularly large this year. I wasn't trying to scare anyone! But apparently when I posted this on Facebook yesterday, I frightened a number of people. Sorry 'bout that!
Have a great weekend, everyone!!!!
You can read the first page of PEARL and enter to win a personalized, signed copy of the book over at First Page Panda. Only 11 people have entered as of my writing this so your chances are quite good! All you have to do is comment. Thanks First Page Panda!
2. YA Scribe is also very cute, and she's giving away a copy of my book, too!
Angelina C. Hansen (AKA YA Scribe) has an interview with me over here and she's also giving away a copy of PEARL! So far only 18 people have entered, so again, your chances are very good there, too! Just leave a comment! :-) Thanks Angelina!
3. I <3 Kate Messner.
Wonderful author, teacher and friend, Kate Messner, is doing a series of interviews with authors about revision in conjunction with the release of her fantastic new book: REAL REVISION, and it was my turn to share thoughts about revision with Kate yesterday. You can read/add to the discussion by going here.
4. Thoughts about Henry
I answered some questions about Henry's character from PEARL here. I had a nice note about Henry on Twitter yesterday and it made me feel warm and fuzzy. I love it when people share thoughts about a character with you, as if they are as real to them as there are to me.
Note: Please excuse all the self-promotion going on lately. But, it's PEARL's week and I've gotta do what I can to give her the best birthday. :) I'll be topping everything off tomorrow with a big launch party at my house. Unfortunately, the weather is going to be HOT, so it may be a little uncomfortable. But we have lots of water guns, lots of cold drinks, and lots and lots of food, including Suzie Q's! Go Suzie Q's! Hopefully, this will make it all bearable. OK. Now for a completely non-promotional last but not least:
5. Are blueberry eyes as scary as button eyes?!
Is this photo really that frightening?
I was merely trying to illustrate that our blueberries are particularly large this year. I wasn't trying to scare anyone! But apparently when I posted this on Facebook yesterday, I frightened a number of people. Sorry 'bout that!
Have a great weekend, everyone!!!!
July 20, 2011
My Video Debut: Talking Classics, Dark YA, Revision, and More!
This month, Kate Messner, David Gill, Teresa Bunner and I participated on a panel for the English Companion Ning Summer Webstitute, Reading Classic and Young Adult Literature with Students. That video has been made available for your viewing pleasure! :-)
In this video, we discuss using contemporary and classic YA literature in the classroom, the recent WSJ article about darkness in YA, our revision processes, and much more. You can watch the video discussion below (or by clicking the link above)!
Warning: I have been informed that I sound like a muppet.
The English Companion Ning is a fantastic resource for English teachers. If you're not already a member, I highly recommend it!
I also want to take this chance to thank all of you for the many cheers and congrats you sent yesterday for the debut of PEARL. You all made it such a special day. THANK YOU!
In this video, we discuss using contemporary and classic YA literature in the classroom, the recent WSJ article about darkness in YA, our revision processes, and much more. You can watch the video discussion below (or by clicking the link above)!
Warning: I have been informed that I sound like a muppet.
ECNing Webstitute: Reading Classic & YA Lit with Students from Karen LaBonte on Vimeo.
The English Companion Ning is a fantastic resource for English teachers. If you're not already a member, I highly recommend it!
I also want to take this chance to thank all of you for the many cheers and congrats you sent yesterday for the debut of PEARL. You all made it such a special day. THANK YOU!
