Will Weaver's Blog, page 6
April 21, 2012
Approaches to Writing Your Novel
My most successful novel for young adults is Memory Boy, a draft of which I wrote in three weeks. That should have told me something. However, as a novelist I'm a slow learner; or more precisely, each novel is its own puzzle to solve, and it's usually a mistake to hark back to the previous book when writing a new one. However, I'm trying just that with my new novel: re-visiting the approach I took to writing Memory Boy, to see if it will work again.
There are two very general approaches to writing a novel: work on it daily, stopping and starting to attend to real life, much as one goes about a job. The opposite tack is the Jack Kerouac method: full tilt, full focus, writing fast and hard and continuously, real life be damned. I know visual artists who absolutely require the latter method, but most novelists I know take the workman-like approach.
Memory Boy was written with modified Jack Kerouac approach. I tried to "write" (visualize) a good deal of MB inside my head before anything else. Once it began to seem real in my imagination, I made notes and set chapter headings in place. Soon I pretty much knew the whole arc of the novel (with most of my novels I know only half or even a third of the story before I write the first word.) My notes weren't copious, such as I imagine a mystery writer might need, and of them the chapter headings were the most useful. Knowing all of–and only– what each chapter has to cover greatly speeds up the writing process. Then, with MB fully in my head, I holed up at a writing retreat for three weeks of isolation, and wrote. Just wrote. No distractions other than to surface for food and a breath of fresh air. The result was an organically whole narrative that, as I see now, has a tightness about it–an intensity, an urgency––that most of my YA novels do not have. They are each good in their own ways, but not as tight as MB. In short, I think the Kerouac method has much to say for itself as an artistic process. Can I duplicate it? Will it work again? I'll find out this summer.
There are two very general approaches to writing a novel: work on it daily, stopping and starting to attend to real life, much as one goes about a job. The opposite tack is the Jack Kerouac method: full tilt, full focus, writing fast and hard and continuously, real life be damned. I know visual artists who absolutely require the latter method, but most novelists I know take the workman-like approach.
Memory Boy was written with modified Jack Kerouac approach. I tried to "write" (visualize) a good deal of MB inside my head before anything else. Once it began to seem real in my imagination, I made notes and set chapter headings in place. Soon I pretty much knew the whole arc of the novel (with most of my novels I know only half or even a third of the story before I write the first word.) My notes weren't copious, such as I imagine a mystery writer might need, and of them the chapter headings were the most useful. Knowing all of–and only– what each chapter has to cover greatly speeds up the writing process. Then, with MB fully in my head, I holed up at a writing retreat for three weeks of isolation, and wrote. Just wrote. No distractions other than to surface for food and a breath of fresh air. The result was an organically whole narrative that, as I see now, has a tightness about it–an intensity, an urgency––that most of my YA novels do not have. They are each good in their own ways, but not as tight as MB. In short, I think the Kerouac method has much to say for itself as an artistic process. Can I duplicate it? Will it work again? I'll find out this summer.
April 10, 2012
Novel-Writing Mistake #264
Actually, this mistake would rank right up there--possibly number one: writing a novel you think an editor would love but that you kinda sorta don't.
After a dozen novels published by New York houses, I should know better but this just happened to me. My New York editor and I had talked about a certain "hook" for boy readers, one that I brought up in passing but that he seized upon. He brought it up several times in subsequent conversations. Such editorial interest is no small matter. And since it would be short novel with a very timely subject matter (Mistake #265) , I figured I could knock it off and it would be a slam dunk.
I managed to get a tight draft (I thought) done in just under two months, which is fast for me, and sent it off with high expectations. Turns out he didn't like one thing about it. "Implausible plot, protagonist in search a character, etc." Nothing about it worked for him.
This likely happened because I was buzzed by his expectations as opposed to my own. And because I wasn't fully sincere about the story, my "falseness" showed through. F. S. Fitzgerald observed that some of his novels were "true, and some were fake." Which makes all the sense in the world if you're a real writer.
Or rather, a "true" writer.
After a dozen novels published by New York houses, I should know better but this just happened to me. My New York editor and I had talked about a certain "hook" for boy readers, one that I brought up in passing but that he seized upon. He brought it up several times in subsequent conversations. Such editorial interest is no small matter. And since it would be short novel with a very timely subject matter (Mistake #265) , I figured I could knock it off and it would be a slam dunk.
I managed to get a tight draft (I thought) done in just under two months, which is fast for me, and sent it off with high expectations. Turns out he didn't like one thing about it. "Implausible plot, protagonist in search a character, etc." Nothing about it worked for him.
This likely happened because I was buzzed by his expectations as opposed to my own. And because I wasn't fully sincere about the story, my "falseness" showed through. F. S. Fitzgerald observed that some of his novels were "true, and some were fake." Which makes all the sense in the world if you're a real writer.
Or rather, a "true" writer.
April 5, 2012
Authors and Book Clubs
"Oh, The Places We’ll Go"
The famous Dr. Suess book by similar title is most certainly an allegory of authors and books clubs. When I publish a new book I'm certainly “off and away” on an adventure, and the places I’ll go, from book store signings to peoples’ overcrowded living rooms, are wonderful to downright strange. Still, go I must, it’s only just (sorry): people have plopped down good money for my book, and now they want–one could say, deserve– straight answers about it. And not from back-matter author interviews or website Vimeos. Book club people want their author contact up close and personal–and with food involved. To authors, book club invitations are like a church bell’s toll: one might not feel like going at all, but in the end it’s nearly always a good thing. Though not necessarily an easy thing. For authors, book club events are complicated and many-layered. Let’s start with the food. No matter what menu is promised, it’s best to eat (lightly) beforehand. Book club events are often long on sweets and caffeine but short on protein. The last thing an author needs is a sugar and caffeine high on an empty stomach, which can lead to talking jags about the process of writing –and editors, and revision, and copy editors and one’s Amazon numbers– plus managing a paper plate and your novel and a glass of wine while sitting in the host’s personal Lazy-boy is a dangerous act. Speaking of drinks? One. Two drinks and you’re back to talking about the writing process, about the sentence on page 74 that defeated you. This gets us, ala Dr. Suess, to the dark side of things. If not eating or drinking much sets the author apart from the assembled club, that’s as it should be. A book club is a homogeneous gathering of nice people who do not write. Their living rooms or summer patios with lawn chairs become a “waiting place” where they listen for a “yes or a no”; that is, they want to believe that the author is a nice person who sees the world just like them. Which the author does not, because, well, he’s an author. Negotiating this psychic territory while cheerfully talking about one’s book is no easy thing, because an author’s book club persona–necessarily agreeable if not charming–is not altogether truthful. The novel might have been a personal agony to write; or might have caused hurt to family or loved ones; or feel, as F. S. Fitzgerald put it, “fake”, and not all that it could have been. But no one really needs to hear that. Though readers’ groups are more literary than others, most are as much social as bookish– this in play against the author, for whom writing is a matter of life death. Truth be told, I often leave a book club event feeling largely false–which is of course my problem, and not that of the nice folks who invited me, and who, I hope, will keep reading and buying books and reaching out to authors. Musicians say there’s no unimportant gig; ditto, I think, for writers and book clubs. That I hardly ate or drank a thing that night is soon forgotten (as is the weak coffee and the impossible Lazy-boy). What remains is the simple, elemental power of good books to bring people together.
(first published in the Huffington Post "Books" section)
March 22, 2012
Writing and Season
Understanding personal, daily bio-rhythms is a big part of the writing process -- are you a morning writer, a late-night writer, or maybe your best time is after a siesta? But don't ignore the impact of season on your motivation to write and even the quality of your prose.
Northern writers with four distinct seasons to deal with have a more complicated writing life, I think, than someone who lives, say, in San Diego or Florida or Arizona. The weather, the temperature, the light, the length of day is always changing, and with it my mood. My inclination to write competes with other, often sudden opportunities (or necessities) to be outside: to plunge into the river on rare hot day in northern Minnesota; to shoulder my shotgun and head to the woods on beautiful October afternoon; to shovel the roof in January.
Spring in Minnesota is my most difficult time to write. I am hostage to the crazy, mad arrival of returning birds and their mating call and flutter--not to say ice-out on the Mississippi, then the peepers and various frog songs, and turtles to watch out for on the highways. I limp along with my writing, doing what I can (usually well before dawn) until the urge to be outside and do something (something "real", that is) overtakes me. Seasonal affective disorder is not just about being light-starved and gloomy; it makes me light-drunk, manic and attention-deficit-disorderd when it comes to writing.
My point here: if you are struggling to write because of short days of winter, or long crazy days of summer, or other seasonal factors (allergies!) try as best you can to move your "ball" (your novel) forward at least in some way. If it can't be several pages of good prose, it can be notes on characters; or sketches of chapters-to-come; or skimming in a novel that has prose like you'd like to have some day; or certainly editing, tweaking, or tinkering (but not too much) of what pages you do have.
Some progress, every day, is the goal. It is what will eventually bring you to that exhilarating last page, which is when the real work of revision begins. But take pleasure in getting to this point–a completed draft of your novel–because most aspiring writers never get there.
And recognizing all of the obstacles against the act of writing--including our latitude and longitude--is no small part of the writer's life.
Northern writers with four distinct seasons to deal with have a more complicated writing life, I think, than someone who lives, say, in San Diego or Florida or Arizona. The weather, the temperature, the light, the length of day is always changing, and with it my mood. My inclination to write competes with other, often sudden opportunities (or necessities) to be outside: to plunge into the river on rare hot day in northern Minnesota; to shoulder my shotgun and head to the woods on beautiful October afternoon; to shovel the roof in January.
Spring in Minnesota is my most difficult time to write. I am hostage to the crazy, mad arrival of returning birds and their mating call and flutter--not to say ice-out on the Mississippi, then the peepers and various frog songs, and turtles to watch out for on the highways. I limp along with my writing, doing what I can (usually well before dawn) until the urge to be outside and do something (something "real", that is) overtakes me. Seasonal affective disorder is not just about being light-starved and gloomy; it makes me light-drunk, manic and attention-deficit-disorderd when it comes to writing.
My point here: if you are struggling to write because of short days of winter, or long crazy days of summer, or other seasonal factors (allergies!) try as best you can to move your "ball" (your novel) forward at least in some way. If it can't be several pages of good prose, it can be notes on characters; or sketches of chapters-to-come; or skimming in a novel that has prose like you'd like to have some day; or certainly editing, tweaking, or tinkering (but not too much) of what pages you do have.
Some progress, every day, is the goal. It is what will eventually bring you to that exhilarating last page, which is when the real work of revision begins. But take pleasure in getting to this point–a completed draft of your novel–because most aspiring writers never get there.
And recognizing all of the obstacles against the act of writing--including our latitude and longitude--is no small part of the writer's life.
February 11, 2012
Amazon plus
Most authors can't resist checking their "numbers" (book rankings) on Amazon. We do it because it's the fastest way; sales numbers from our publishers are usually months behind. And Amazon has been increasingly clever in cultivating authors by offering free space for author profiles. I've dutifully signed on, though somewhat reluctantly, because I try to be loyal to the indie bookstore world. But some services are just too good to pass up, including my recent discovery (where have I been?!) of "Bookscan" sales highlights.
Located in "Author Central," "Bookscan" is actually way more than highlights: it not only shows how many copies of what titles have been sold, but where they were sold--not addresses, certainly, but regions. Minneapolis area. West Chicago. Brooklyn. Imagine a map of voting trends, one that breaks a state down to counties, and that's pretty much was Bookscan offers. What's not to like about that?
Then I discovered pages and pages of reviews (where HAVE I been??) of my books, each with stars (up to five). It's never healthy to read one's reviews, and after a page or two of this I got a grip and stopped. The problem with reviews, is that the author remembers the very best--and the very worst--of them. And the very worst ones, even if written by someone clearly imbalanced, tend to stick in the brain.
Any way, I'm just musing over Amazon here: how much it has to offer, and how difficult it is to say no.
Located in "Author Central," "Bookscan" is actually way more than highlights: it not only shows how many copies of what titles have been sold, but where they were sold--not addresses, certainly, but regions. Minneapolis area. West Chicago. Brooklyn. Imagine a map of voting trends, one that breaks a state down to counties, and that's pretty much was Bookscan offers. What's not to like about that?
Then I discovered pages and pages of reviews (where HAVE I been??) of my books, each with stars (up to five). It's never healthy to read one's reviews, and after a page or two of this I got a grip and stopped. The problem with reviews, is that the author remembers the very best--and the very worst--of them. And the very worst ones, even if written by someone clearly imbalanced, tend to stick in the brain.
Any way, I'm just musing over Amazon here: how much it has to offer, and how difficult it is to say no.
December 31, 2011
2011 Year in Review: Youth Literature
My tenure as a judge for the National Book Awards, 2011, ends today. It was a fabulous, exhausting and remarkable experience. Along with four other judges (Ann Brashares, Nikki Grimes, Marc Aronson, Matt de la Pena), I read 278 books over the summer. Our panel gradually narrowed the entries to about thirty, then ten, and then the five finalists
While the five finalists--make that six, what with the now infamous confusion of "Chime" with a non-contender by a similar title--got all of the attention, there were other noteworthy books that got our panel's full attention, but didn't quite make the cut. It was painful, letting go of books I greatly admired, but compromise was in order as we had a job to do: pick a winner.
So below is an informal list of the "contenders"--books that all of the panelists came to know well, and to wish well beyond 2011:
Between Shades of Gray*
Chime (finalist)
Inside Out and Back Again (NBA Youth Lit winner)
My Name is Not Easy (finalist)
Lie
Flesh and Blood So Cheap (finalist)
A Plague Year
A Girl Named Faithful Plum
The Babysitter Murders
Bird in A Box*
Black, White, Other*
Bronxwood*
Carmen
Dragon Castle*
Eliza's Freedom Road
The Flint Heart*
The File on Angelyn Stark
How to Save A Life
The Near Witch*
Paper Covers Rocks*
Okay For Now (finalist)
Rotters
Saving Zasha*
Skate Fate
5000 Years Of Slavery
Small Acts of Amazing Courage
Vietnam: I Pledge Allegiance
We All Fall Down
Wonderstruck*
*books that got lots of discussion. Highly recommended.
While the five finalists--make that six, what with the now infamous confusion of "Chime" with a non-contender by a similar title--got all of the attention, there were other noteworthy books that got our panel's full attention, but didn't quite make the cut. It was painful, letting go of books I greatly admired, but compromise was in order as we had a job to do: pick a winner.
So below is an informal list of the "contenders"--books that all of the panelists came to know well, and to wish well beyond 2011:
Between Shades of Gray*
Chime (finalist)
Inside Out and Back Again (NBA Youth Lit winner)
My Name is Not Easy (finalist)
Lie
Flesh and Blood So Cheap (finalist)
A Plague Year
A Girl Named Faithful Plum
The Babysitter Murders
Bird in A Box*
Black, White, Other*
Bronxwood*
Carmen
Dragon Castle*
Eliza's Freedom Road
The Flint Heart*
The File on Angelyn Stark
How to Save A Life
The Near Witch*
Paper Covers Rocks*
Okay For Now (finalist)
Rotters
Saving Zasha*
Skate Fate
5000 Years Of Slavery
Small Acts of Amazing Courage
Vietnam: I Pledge Allegiance
We All Fall Down
Wonderstruck*
*books that got lots of discussion. Highly recommended.
November 26, 2011
"Super-Committees": If Writers Can Do It, Why Not Politicians?
It occurs to me that I just served on a "super-committee." One that got its work done, on time, and with minimum drama. I recently concluded several months work for the National Book Foundation as a judge in the youth literature category (details below in earlier postings). Reading and evaluating close to 300 novels was my main task, but it required me to work closely with the four other judges. All, like me, were writers. And while we knew of each other, we had not met, or had met only in passing on the book trail. Our panel of five included three men and two women. An age range from 28 to over 60. Hispanic, African-American, Caucasian. East Coast, West Coast, and the Midwest. Protestant, Catholic and Jewish. We all had distinct opinions on what constituted a really good book, and while some of our opinions overlapped, many did not. Five independent thinkers charged with working together and reaching consensus on the 2011 National Book Award for young adults. Our first step was to meet and get to know each other–get a sense of each other's personality, interests, inclinations. Then it was quickly forward to our work as book reviewers. Each of us, over a long summer, read the same 278 novels. We communicated by conference call, email, and a secure, online spreadsheet where we weighed in on the books, and ranked them. In September we narrowed to a list of ten titles. In October, the final five. And, just last week in New York City, we met again in person to choose a winner, which was not easy. Over a three hour lunch we lobbied, cajoled, debated, dug in, gave ground and made compromises. Failure was not an option. People were depending upon us, and we came through. The National Book Award for youth literature, as well as three other categories, was presented November 16 at a grand ceremony in New York City, after which our committee packed up and went home. Unfortunately, our national "Super Committee" charged with deficit reduction has not worked so well. Worse, it is nightmarish kind of déjà vu for those of us from Minnesota: we all remember the disastrous government shutdown of the summer of 2011 that, most of us agree, did not have to happen. As I look back at my NBA "super-committee," I see several factors that helped us complete the work, ones that politicians ought to try some time.... 1. We approached our task with an open mind. As best we could, we left our literary prejudices at the door. I write realistic fiction and nonfiction that tilts toward boys and men; I'm not a fan of fantasy novels, or the so-called "chick-lit." One of the younger, women panelists was best-selling author of novels for girls. I lobbied hard for a novel focused to the Inuit life of hunting and survival above the Arctic Circle, while she advocated for a fantasy novel about twin sisters, magic and misty glens. In the end, we came to understand and like each other's books a great deal, and support both of them as finalists.2. We did not inject personal or cultural issues into the debate. Our job was to discuss books. Period. Not religion, or what constitutes liberty, or whom we can marry, or what we can do with whom, or whether it's right to buy wine in grocery stores on Sunday. None of us believed it was our role to tell the others how to live their lives or what to think. True, we had to choose one book out of a very large pile, which made us "deciders", but we made our decision through a reasoned debate on the books only.3. We made compromises. No one had to give up his/her core beliefs about writing and literature, but all of us had to make tough choices. Often we had to let go of one book in order to move another forward. In the end, none of us got all of our choices, but all of us got some. The winner was unanimous, a book we could all support, which is not to say we didn't have regrets about some of our favorites not making the cut. But without compromise, we would never have finished.4. We were not beholden to or pressured by outside forces. All of us authors had publishers, editors and agents, and our publishing houses especially stood to gain from a winning book. But our editors left us alone, and we them, and we made our choices based solely on the books at hand.5. We did not make the process all about us, even though there was lots of opportunity to do so (I'm referring to the infamous error in the announcement of the final five authors). The work of any committee is is more important than any one member. We did not seek microphones or the spotlight. None of us tried to leverage our role into something more. In short, by using a few fundamental approaches to group work–ones that politicians ought to know– it is possible to get things done. I can only hope our national and state legislatures can start to work half as efficiently as this disparate group of writers thrown together to get a job done.
October 24, 2011
The Best of the 2011 Books for Young Adults
If you've followed the 2011 National Books Awards, it means you're a reader. You are interested in what's going on in American literature and, what with the controversy of the "mistaken novel", you might be particularly intrigued by what happened in the Youth lit category. A mistake was made, the wrong novel announced, etc. Hopefully that's old news by now, because it's time to shine a light on the true, young adult "final five." Below are those novels, one of which will be the winner at the awards ceremony in New York City on November 16. As a way of shifting the conversation, our five judges each have written a summary of one book. It doesn't matter which judge wrote which summary; we are a group, a cohort of authors that read, discussed, had conference calls, argued, lobbied, laughed, cringed (at the error when the finalists were announced), got angry, discussed--well, you get the drift. So below are our choices. I think you'll like all of them, as we did. And, as the old Sinatra song goes, "Let's start spreadin' the news."
My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl EdwardsonSet in Alaska above the Arctic Circle, My Name Is Not Easy interweaves nature, culture clash, religion and science into a vivid, multi-voiced narrative. The time is the early 1960s at the Sacred Heart Boarding School near Barrow. Eskimo, Indian, and White kids huddle at their own tables. Nothing is easy for kids uprooted from their villages: the food is not what they're used to (where is the caribou meat, the whale fat?), the Catholic school rules are forbidding, the Cold War looms. This novel is deeply informed by the history and landscape of the high arctic region, where the relentless march of modernity presses on native culture. Back home the villagers still hunt, but now with the help of snowmobiles, not sleds. Though, as a wise elder remarks to a young hunter, "How is that snow machine going to find its way home in a blizzard?" This novel is deeply authentic; Edwardson lives where she writes, and she never falls into cliché. Even the nuns and priests are fully realized characters, with dilemmas of their own. This novel gives voice to an overlooked, outlier part of America, yet the dilemmas and victories of the characters are universal.
Okay for Now by Gary SchmidtIf you were fortunate enough to read the Newbery Honor book, The Wednesday Wars, you'll be familiar with the main protagonist here. In the summer of 1968, Doug Swietek moves to a small town in upstate New York, which he fondly refers to as "The Dump." Not that it would matter much where he lived, since he'd still have to contend with an abusive father, a delinquent brother who routinely mistreats him, while sorely missing the oldest, most beloved brother who is away in Vietnam. Desperate for inspiration, Dough clings to a one-time encounter with a baseball star in this tour-de-force. What are the stats? A town that offers up a literary dugout of eclectic characters with bite and wit: a librarian/art teacher, an eccentric playwright, past her prime, a feisty female friend who proves she is more, and a host of grandmotherly neighbors who show Doug was kindness looks like. Schmidt uses these, along with Audubon's Birds of America, to layer a rich story about choice, inner strength, and the transformative power of art. In fact, this is the first work of fiction I've come across that actually takes the reader inside of the process of creating art, while allowing him to experience, along with the character, the wonderful ah-ha moments that comes with exploring the creative process. An additional element that made this book a standout was the prominent place of the library in this narrative. Altogether an amazing achievement!
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha LaiImmigration was a recurring theme in the books we read this year but this one, which happens to be a novel-in-verse, was the clear standout. In a pure and authentic voice, a girl named Ha tells the story of her family's harrowing escape from Saigon as it falls, the horrific ship-ride to America, and the other-worldly experience of landing in Alabama where the coldness of strangers awaits them. Ha, a tough and tender ten-year-old fights for her place in America while relying on the strength of the culture that gave her birth. The emotional impact of this story is felt as much in the words that aren't said, as in the words that are. With hints of humor throughout, the poetry carries the rhythms of the Vietnamese culture. Readers will think more kindly toward the immigrants in their midst after spending time between the pages of this book. For me, this was love at first read!Flesh and Blood So Cheap by Albert MarrinThis work of non-fiction explores the infamous Triangle Fire, one of the worst, and most preventable, work-related disasters in American history, eclipsed only by the events of 9/11. In the hands of Marrin, the scope of this story is deep, and wide. The book traces key points in the history of Southern Italians and Russian Jews—the primary victims of the fire—exploring the reasons their forebears immigrated to America, and what brought their descendents into the factory sweatshops of early New York. Readers learn about the so-called "Black Italians," the impact of the Mount Vesuvius eruption, the Russian pogroms, the Pale of Settlement, right up to Ellis Island, once known as "the Island of Fears," and the fall of Tammany Hall, illuminating bits of history connected to the Triangle Fire event. The book then follows the impact this disaster had on shifting labor laws and practices to create the more humane, and safe, working environments we all enjoy today. Mirren also brings to light unheralded heroes and heroines of the American Labor movement who rose up to lead reform, and organize unions to push for necessary changes in the workplace. There is drama, poetry, and music in the language here, allowing this history lesson to flow with ease.Chime by Franny BillingsleyDon't be fooled by the cover. There is nothing cookie-cutter about this novel. Take twin sisters, a boggy landscape, a handsome young stranger, a ghost or two, then add a magic cauldron, and stir. This book features some of the most lively, original, engaging line-by-line writing you'll find anywhere. What's more, the lush language is at the service of a story which manages to explore a dark psychological bond that will be eye-opening for alert, self-reflective readers, and heart-pounding for fans of romance in a kind of steampunk fantasy landscape. This book will be a stretch for many readers, but the remarkable use of language makes the journey a singular experience.Now that you've had a chance to learn something about these outstanding books, I hope you'll check them out for yourself. They are well worthy of your attention and the authors deserve all of our support. Just imagine, for a moment, if you were one of these authors.
My Name Is Not Easy by Debby Dahl EdwardsonSet in Alaska above the Arctic Circle, My Name Is Not Easy interweaves nature, culture clash, religion and science into a vivid, multi-voiced narrative. The time is the early 1960s at the Sacred Heart Boarding School near Barrow. Eskimo, Indian, and White kids huddle at their own tables. Nothing is easy for kids uprooted from their villages: the food is not what they're used to (where is the caribou meat, the whale fat?), the Catholic school rules are forbidding, the Cold War looms. This novel is deeply informed by the history and landscape of the high arctic region, where the relentless march of modernity presses on native culture. Back home the villagers still hunt, but now with the help of snowmobiles, not sleds. Though, as a wise elder remarks to a young hunter, "How is that snow machine going to find its way home in a blizzard?" This novel is deeply authentic; Edwardson lives where she writes, and she never falls into cliché. Even the nuns and priests are fully realized characters, with dilemmas of their own. This novel gives voice to an overlooked, outlier part of America, yet the dilemmas and victories of the characters are universal.
Okay for Now by Gary SchmidtIf you were fortunate enough to read the Newbery Honor book, The Wednesday Wars, you'll be familiar with the main protagonist here. In the summer of 1968, Doug Swietek moves to a small town in upstate New York, which he fondly refers to as "The Dump." Not that it would matter much where he lived, since he'd still have to contend with an abusive father, a delinquent brother who routinely mistreats him, while sorely missing the oldest, most beloved brother who is away in Vietnam. Desperate for inspiration, Dough clings to a one-time encounter with a baseball star in this tour-de-force. What are the stats? A town that offers up a literary dugout of eclectic characters with bite and wit: a librarian/art teacher, an eccentric playwright, past her prime, a feisty female friend who proves she is more, and a host of grandmotherly neighbors who show Doug was kindness looks like. Schmidt uses these, along with Audubon's Birds of America, to layer a rich story about choice, inner strength, and the transformative power of art. In fact, this is the first work of fiction I've come across that actually takes the reader inside of the process of creating art, while allowing him to experience, along with the character, the wonderful ah-ha moments that comes with exploring the creative process. An additional element that made this book a standout was the prominent place of the library in this narrative. Altogether an amazing achievement!
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha LaiImmigration was a recurring theme in the books we read this year but this one, which happens to be a novel-in-verse, was the clear standout. In a pure and authentic voice, a girl named Ha tells the story of her family's harrowing escape from Saigon as it falls, the horrific ship-ride to America, and the other-worldly experience of landing in Alabama where the coldness of strangers awaits them. Ha, a tough and tender ten-year-old fights for her place in America while relying on the strength of the culture that gave her birth. The emotional impact of this story is felt as much in the words that aren't said, as in the words that are. With hints of humor throughout, the poetry carries the rhythms of the Vietnamese culture. Readers will think more kindly toward the immigrants in their midst after spending time between the pages of this book. For me, this was love at first read!Flesh and Blood So Cheap by Albert MarrinThis work of non-fiction explores the infamous Triangle Fire, one of the worst, and most preventable, work-related disasters in American history, eclipsed only by the events of 9/11. In the hands of Marrin, the scope of this story is deep, and wide. The book traces key points in the history of Southern Italians and Russian Jews—the primary victims of the fire—exploring the reasons their forebears immigrated to America, and what brought their descendents into the factory sweatshops of early New York. Readers learn about the so-called "Black Italians," the impact of the Mount Vesuvius eruption, the Russian pogroms, the Pale of Settlement, right up to Ellis Island, once known as "the Island of Fears," and the fall of Tammany Hall, illuminating bits of history connected to the Triangle Fire event. The book then follows the impact this disaster had on shifting labor laws and practices to create the more humane, and safe, working environments we all enjoy today. Mirren also brings to light unheralded heroes and heroines of the American Labor movement who rose up to lead reform, and organize unions to push for necessary changes in the workplace. There is drama, poetry, and music in the language here, allowing this history lesson to flow with ease.Chime by Franny BillingsleyDon't be fooled by the cover. There is nothing cookie-cutter about this novel. Take twin sisters, a boggy landscape, a handsome young stranger, a ghost or two, then add a magic cauldron, and stir. This book features some of the most lively, original, engaging line-by-line writing you'll find anywhere. What's more, the lush language is at the service of a story which manages to explore a dark psychological bond that will be eye-opening for alert, self-reflective readers, and heart-pounding for fans of romance in a kind of steampunk fantasy landscape. This book will be a stretch for many readers, but the remarkable use of language makes the journey a singular experience.Now that you've had a chance to learn something about these outstanding books, I hope you'll check them out for yourself. They are well worthy of your attention and the authors deserve all of our support. Just imagine, for a moment, if you were one of these authors.
New Young Adult Lit to Look For (guest blog by Nikki Grimes)
Will says: This summer and fall I had the pleasure of working with four wonderful writers in our role as panelists (judges) for the National Book Awards, Youth Lit division. I've blogged some about about our experience, but now that we've gotten through almost 300 novels, we are starting to come up for air and to share what we've learned.
Below is a fine and useful blog by friend and fellow panelist, Nikki Grimes. Check out her website and blog. Here Nikki writes:
". . . First, a couple of caveats: I don't generally talk about specific books on this blog because that's not what it's for. I'm making this lone exception because, as a judge for this year's National Book Award, friends have been asking me what wonderful titles I found along the way. So, this once, I'll give you my two-cents worth of commentary on some of the latest, and what I, personally, consider the greatest YA titles entering the marketplace this year. Again, this is a one-time thing, so please don't send me any books to review, because I won't. That's not my gig. You'll also notice, I did not include publisher, price, or grade-level. Again, not my gig.
Second, the titles on this list are not the only good books published in 2011. There are many more, I'm happy to report, but you won't find all of them here. These, in addition to the five finalists, are simply my own, top-tier favorites.
I love me some novels-in-verse, don't you know. Besides Inside Out and Back Again, I found three titles to add to my collection. Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle gets my vote. An evocative story of adventure on a pirate ship and an island along the Caribbean Sea, this is a gem of a book with a lyrical lure. Eddie's War by Carol Fisher Saller shows us the impact of WWII on a farm boy in the Heartland. True and tender. Then there's Allan Wolf, who does not disappoint. This time around, his tome is The Watch that Ends the Night, a novel about the Titanic. Written in the voices of those intimately connected with the story—including the iceberg! (I love that)—Wolf steers the story place it's never gone before. Kudos, Allan!
I've never been one for sci-fi novels, but one novel so catalogued got my attention. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky was fascinating, and thought provoking. It answers the question "What if online communication completely replaced face-to-face human interaction?" The answer will give readers a lot to ponder, and they'll enjoy the journey along the way.
Sara Zarr is up to nothing but good once again. How to Save a Life, a novel about a baby in need of a parent, and a parent in need of a mother, is a big story with an even bigger heart. When you're done, you'll want to give this book a hug.
Speaking of babies, do pick up Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan. I guarantee you've never met a character quite like Eleanor Crowe, nor thought of placing a pregnant teen in a so-called fat camp. Yes, there is some hilarity, but that's not the half of it. What can a pregnant teen learn about herself in this environment? Read to find out.
I love books about tough-talking girls, and I could not put down The File on Angelyn Stark by Catherine Atkins. This smart, and smart-mouthed, teen is rough around the edges, and with good reason. But she fights to claim the good in herself, and discovers the courage to set her life on a healthy path. She'll make you a believer.
Bird in a Box, by Andrea Davis Pinkney, is a break-out title about the impact boxing legend Joe Louis had on Depression-era America, in general, and on the African American community, in particular. The voices are authentic, and often joyful, and the historical detail brings the period to life. An uplifting story about hope and the human spirit, this would make a great classroom read. The author's note and back matter expand nicely on the historical detail. Fabulous job, Andrea!
Another novel of note for its historical theme is Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Supetys. This novel explores a Holocaust story few have heard before. This book reveals the horrors suffered by citizens of the Baltic States, under the heels of both Hitler and Stalin. A powerful story of survival, compassion, and amazing grace. Another title that cries out for the classroom.
Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada is a small, but important contribution to the national dialogue on immigration. This gently written story takes readers inside the duality of being a first-generation American, with a foot in two cultures. The reader is challenged to examine what it means to be an American.
As most of you know, I am not a fan of profanity in books for young readers, but sometimes it's necessary to make an exception. Compulsion, by Heidi Ayarbe is one. In this novel about a boy wrestling with OCD, the rough language is a powerful expression of the severe frustration this character experience every day of his life. He struggles, and often fails, to hide or control his symptoms, often teetering on the edge of despair. But he never gives up on himself, and neither will the reader. This is a great book for engendering empathy for those around us who battle their own disorders, whether they are physical, psychological, or economic. This book is one worth checking out.
Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams stole my heart, broke it, and then pieced it back together. This is a beautiful book about hope, with a character who emerges in layers. Loved, loved, loved this book!
There's another Lynch on my list. The wonderful Chris Lynch rocked it out with Angry Young Man. In this story about, quite literally, being our brother's keeper, we are reminded to check the timber in our own eyes before judging the mote in someone else's. That will make little sense until you read the book, and I suggest you do. And, oh yeah, there's a bit of eco-terrorism thrown in, so I'd call this title rather timely. Lynch is a master of the powerful voice, so you'll be hooked in no time.
Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick. Need I say more? A light-filled combination of visual and literal storytelling, as only Selznick can produce. This tale is richly imagined, and gives a glimpse of the World's Fair in NYC, then brings the story forward. This book is a treat. Do yourself a favor and get this one.
OTHER YA BOOKS TO WATCH FOR
Hey 13! by Gary Soto
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac
Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon
Lie by Caroline Bock
Bloody Times by James Swanson (non-fiction)
A Girl Named Faithful by Richard Bernstein
Joseph's Grace by Sheila Moses
The Summer of Hammers and Angels by Shannon Wiersbitzky
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy
FOR YOUNGER READERS
Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson (absolutely stunning!)
Never Forgotten by Patricia McKissack
We Are America by Walter Dean Myers
The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright
Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck
The Flint Heart by Katherine and John Paterson
Eliza's Freedom Road by Jerdine Nolen
St. Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
So, there you have it! I'm sure I left off some important titles, but after reading 279 books in one summer, I'm doing good to be able to narrow the list at all! So forgive me. I hope this list gives you a good starting-off point. That's the most I can hope for."
Tags: Allan Wolf, Alma Flor Ada, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brenda Woods, Brian Selznick, Carmen Agra Deedy, Carol Fisher Sadler, Carol Lynch Williams, Caroline Bock, Catherine Atkins, Chris Lynch, Gary Soto, Han Nolan, Heidi Ayarbe, Jack Gantos, James Swanson, Jenny Hubbard, Jerdine Nolen, John Paterson, Joseph Bruchac, Kadir Nelson, Katherine Paterson, Katie Kacvinsky, Kekla Magoon, Margarita Engle, Patricia McKissack, Randall Wright, Richard Bernstein, Richard Peck, Ruta Supetys, Sara Zarr, Shannon Wiersbitzky, Sheila Moses, Trent Reedy, Walter Dean Myers 3 Comments
Below is a fine and useful blog by friend and fellow panelist, Nikki Grimes. Check out her website and blog. Here Nikki writes:
". . . First, a couple of caveats: I don't generally talk about specific books on this blog because that's not what it's for. I'm making this lone exception because, as a judge for this year's National Book Award, friends have been asking me what wonderful titles I found along the way. So, this once, I'll give you my two-cents worth of commentary on some of the latest, and what I, personally, consider the greatest YA titles entering the marketplace this year. Again, this is a one-time thing, so please don't send me any books to review, because I won't. That's not my gig. You'll also notice, I did not include publisher, price, or grade-level. Again, not my gig.
Second, the titles on this list are not the only good books published in 2011. There are many more, I'm happy to report, but you won't find all of them here. These, in addition to the five finalists, are simply my own, top-tier favorites.
I love me some novels-in-verse, don't you know. Besides Inside Out and Back Again, I found three titles to add to my collection. Hurricane Dancers by Margarita Engle gets my vote. An evocative story of adventure on a pirate ship and an island along the Caribbean Sea, this is a gem of a book with a lyrical lure. Eddie's War by Carol Fisher Saller shows us the impact of WWII on a farm boy in the Heartland. True and tender. Then there's Allan Wolf, who does not disappoint. This time around, his tome is The Watch that Ends the Night, a novel about the Titanic. Written in the voices of those intimately connected with the story—including the iceberg! (I love that)—Wolf steers the story place it's never gone before. Kudos, Allan!
I've never been one for sci-fi novels, but one novel so catalogued got my attention. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky was fascinating, and thought provoking. It answers the question "What if online communication completely replaced face-to-face human interaction?" The answer will give readers a lot to ponder, and they'll enjoy the journey along the way.
Sara Zarr is up to nothing but good once again. How to Save a Life, a novel about a baby in need of a parent, and a parent in need of a mother, is a big story with an even bigger heart. When you're done, you'll want to give this book a hug.
Speaking of babies, do pick up Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan. I guarantee you've never met a character quite like Eleanor Crowe, nor thought of placing a pregnant teen in a so-called fat camp. Yes, there is some hilarity, but that's not the half of it. What can a pregnant teen learn about herself in this environment? Read to find out.
I love books about tough-talking girls, and I could not put down The File on Angelyn Stark by Catherine Atkins. This smart, and smart-mouthed, teen is rough around the edges, and with good reason. But she fights to claim the good in herself, and discovers the courage to set her life on a healthy path. She'll make you a believer.
Bird in a Box, by Andrea Davis Pinkney, is a break-out title about the impact boxing legend Joe Louis had on Depression-era America, in general, and on the African American community, in particular. The voices are authentic, and often joyful, and the historical detail brings the period to life. An uplifting story about hope and the human spirit, this would make a great classroom read. The author's note and back matter expand nicely on the historical detail. Fabulous job, Andrea!
Another novel of note for its historical theme is Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Supetys. This novel explores a Holocaust story few have heard before. This book reveals the horrors suffered by citizens of the Baltic States, under the heels of both Hitler and Stalin. A powerful story of survival, compassion, and amazing grace. Another title that cries out for the classroom.
Dancing Home by Alma Flor Ada is a small, but important contribution to the national dialogue on immigration. This gently written story takes readers inside the duality of being a first-generation American, with a foot in two cultures. The reader is challenged to examine what it means to be an American.
As most of you know, I am not a fan of profanity in books for young readers, but sometimes it's necessary to make an exception. Compulsion, by Heidi Ayarbe is one. In this novel about a boy wrestling with OCD, the rough language is a powerful expression of the severe frustration this character experience every day of his life. He struggles, and often fails, to hide or control his symptoms, often teetering on the edge of despair. But he never gives up on himself, and neither will the reader. This is a great book for engendering empathy for those around us who battle their own disorders, whether they are physical, psychological, or economic. This book is one worth checking out.
Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams stole my heart, broke it, and then pieced it back together. This is a beautiful book about hope, with a character who emerges in layers. Loved, loved, loved this book!
There's another Lynch on my list. The wonderful Chris Lynch rocked it out with Angry Young Man. In this story about, quite literally, being our brother's keeper, we are reminded to check the timber in our own eyes before judging the mote in someone else's. That will make little sense until you read the book, and I suggest you do. And, oh yeah, there's a bit of eco-terrorism thrown in, so I'd call this title rather timely. Lynch is a master of the powerful voice, so you'll be hooked in no time.
Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick. Need I say more? A light-filled combination of visual and literal storytelling, as only Selznick can produce. This tale is richly imagined, and gives a glimpse of the World's Fair in NYC, then brings the story forward. This book is a treat. Do yourself a favor and get this one.
OTHER YA BOOKS TO WATCH FOR
Hey 13! by Gary Soto
Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac
Camo Girl by Kekla Magoon
Lie by Caroline Bock
Bloody Times by James Swanson (non-fiction)
A Girl Named Faithful by Richard Bernstein
Joseph's Grace by Sheila Moses
The Summer of Hammers and Angels by Shannon Wiersbitzky
Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy
FOR YOUNGER READERS
Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson (absolutely stunning!)
Never Forgotten by Patricia McKissack
We Are America by Walter Dean Myers
The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright
Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck
The Flint Heart by Katherine and John Paterson
Eliza's Freedom Road by Jerdine Nolen
St. Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
So, there you have it! I'm sure I left off some important titles, but after reading 279 books in one summer, I'm doing good to be able to narrow the list at all! So forgive me. I hope this list gives you a good starting-off point. That's the most I can hope for."
Tags: Allan Wolf, Alma Flor Ada, Andrea Davis Pinkney, Brenda Woods, Brian Selznick, Carmen Agra Deedy, Carol Fisher Sadler, Carol Lynch Williams, Caroline Bock, Catherine Atkins, Chris Lynch, Gary Soto, Han Nolan, Heidi Ayarbe, Jack Gantos, James Swanson, Jenny Hubbard, Jerdine Nolen, John Paterson, Joseph Bruchac, Kadir Nelson, Katherine Paterson, Katie Kacvinsky, Kekla Magoon, Margarita Engle, Patricia McKissack, Randall Wright, Richard Bernstein, Richard Peck, Ruta Supetys, Sara Zarr, Shannon Wiersbitzky, Sheila Moses, Trent Reedy, Walter Dean Myers 3 Comments
October 16, 2011
More on National Book Awarding Judging
As an NBA panelist this year, I can tell you what the judging is not about. It's not about settling scores. Not about rewarding career achievement. Not about "side-lining already successful titles." Not about lifting up lesser known authors. In fact, it's not about literary politics or really anything described above: it's about the book at hand. Is it successful? That is, a good story extraordinarily well told? If so, the novel will rise up from the pile of hundreds of submissions, and find its way to the judges' final selections. Indeed, the panelists are so overwhelmed by the volume of reading that who wrote or published the book is far down the list of considerations. We don't much care about the author; but we care greatly for his or her book.
(in reaction to "What Does The National Book Award Stand For? What Should It Stand For?" NPR.org, Oct 14, 2011)
