R.J. Palacio's Blog, page 107

What E-Books Can't Do

I just read Alex Knapp's article in Forbes called E-Books Are Superior Tools to Physical Books   http://onforb.es/Ap55SS.   It was referencing a recent article in The Atlantic Monthly by Alan Jacobs, which I haven't read yet. And I probably won't.

My mother was a big reader, a devourer of books. Through good times and bad—and her life had not a small share of drama—books were the one great constant, the things that carried her through. As a twenty-something-year old living in Barranquilla, Colombia, she was a fringe member of a bohemian circle of friends, all writers and artists, who talked about books in cafes and over aguardientes in the kinds of bars young women like my mother, from good families and of a certain social standing, weren't supposed to frequent. She did regardless, so when a young writer from that circle of friends thrust a copy of Mientras Agonizo in her hands (Faulkner was a big a favorite of that group) she promptly complied and read the book (As I Lay Dying for those who don't know spanish). The young writer who gave her the book was several years away from writing his own opus, Cien Años de Soledad —otherwise known as One Hundred Years of Solitude—but my mother knew "Gabo" could always be counted on for a good read.

My mother died nine years ago. She was cremated, and my brother and I scattered her ashes around a tree that we had planted in her honor. There's no tombstone to mark her passing: just the tree that grows taller every year. I kept her clothes for a while, but they didn't fit me and weren't my style, so I saved some to give to my nieces, and kept a precious few, but the rest went to charity, which I think she would have wanted. There were some small mementos in her apartment, knickknacks from family vacations and car trips when I was young, a small sculpture of a mother and child that I remember her buying at the Gertz on Main Street in the 70s.

But really, the only thing that truly remain of hers—that she herself considered precious— are her books. Shelves of books. Old books. Recent books. Her tattered copies of The Little Prince and her beloved Oscar Wilde. The Little World of Don Camilo. Las Uvas de La Ira, which, in case you don't know spanish, is The Grapes of Wrath. The Good Earth. Her worn copy of Mientras Agonizo, which for all I know, could be the same copy Garcia-Marquez had pressed into her hands all those years ago. Pablo Neruda is well-represented, of course—she adored him, though she was surprisingly not that into many of the other great latin american authors that nevertheless fill her shelves: Alejo Carpentier, Mario Vargas Llosa, Guillermo Cabrera Infante. She was passionate about her german authors, though. La Montaña Mágica by Thomas Mann was a particular favorite. Günter Grass. Heinrich Böll, which she read in english. I remember exactly when she had developed her fondness for Böll, by the way, because it happened during my junior year abroad. Her letters to me were so filled with rapturous details about Billiards at Half Past Nine that I was inspired to read it, and when I reported back to her that the book didn't do much for me, she had assured me that someday when I was older I would reread it and my opinion of it would change. 

Shortly before she died, she had told me about a new discovery she had recently made, a book called The Land of Spices by Kate O'Brien. About a year after she died I found it on her bookshelf, and decided to read it. What a thrill when I opened it up and realized that throughout the book, she had underlined the passages she had loved the most. I had forgotten about this habit of my mother's: to underline in pencil the sentences or paragraphs in a book that moved her. So I read The Land of Spices as annotated by my dead mother, who I missed more than words can possibly express, and it was, for a while, like I was having a conversation with her. She spoke to me through these mysterious underlined passages. She whispered confidences. She reached me, briefly, from that place beyond words. We shared secrets. I loved the book and I think I know why she loved it. And this all happened after she died. And now I look at her bookshelves and realize that all these books are similarly annotated, with new conversations yet to be had. One of these days I'll reread Billiards at Half Past Nine, and I've no doubt that her underlined passages will help me get it this time.

So yes, I'm sure the Kindle is infinitely more convenient than a bookshelf of old tattered books, and yes, I know it comes with numerous features that let you highlight text. But it can't replace the conversations I've had with my mother in the years since she died, conversations framed by her paragraphs full of wildly-drawn pencil lines and delirious exclamation points in margins, endpapers emblazoned with her signature, first editions that are coffee-stained or bear the marks of many unpackings, pages dog-eared years ago by her beautiful, living hands. 

Doesn't Get Better Than This

Last week I finished reading WONDER aloud to my eight year old son, Josey. We read it in about seven days: a few chapters every night before going to bed. I must admit, it was a pretty remarkable experience for me. Seeing it all through his eyes, having him care about the characters, react to things, laugh at the funny parts—it was as amazing to me as any of the beautiful reviews the book has gotten. He was so disappointed in Jack, for instance, after the Halloween incident. He kept asking me why Jack said what he said, and if Auggie would ever forgive him for it. He seemed so concerned that I actually offered to tell him what would happen, but he didn't want me to skip ahead in the story. So when we finally did reach the part of the book when Jack tells his side of the story, I can't even describe how happy he got. 

There have been so many wonderful reviews and beautiful words said about WONDER, and I'm so grateful for every one of them. But when we got to the end of the book and Josey started clapping, I have to admit: that topped everything for me.

That night he left me a post-it on top of the book.

Doesn't get better than this.

KIND AND GENEROUS…I want to thank you, thank you, thank...

KIND AND GENEROUS…

I want to thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you….

You've Been So Kind and Generous...

My novel WONDER takes its name from one of my favorite Natalie Merchant songs ever. The book went on sale Tuesday, February 14th, and every day since then I've been astounded—and somewhat overwhelmed—by the outpouring of love and support I am getting from new readers. Wow.

I can honestly say that when I was writing the book—usually in the middle of the night between the hours of 11:30pm-3:00am—every once in a while I would let myself imagine that someday, someone, might actually read what I was writing. It made the whole notion of writing the book seem less like a fruitless venture—after all I didn't have a signed contract, or even an advance, or even a promise of an advance. But never in my wildest dreams did I think it would be received the way its being received this week. And I can't thank you all enough. In fact, I am reminded of yet another one of Natalie Merchant's excellent songs called KIND AND GENEROUS.

"You've been so kind and generous
I don't know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I'm in debt to you…"

If I could sing it to everyone of you who've written those incredibly sweet tweets, or who have made it their missions to get WONDER into the hands of their friends, or who plan on reading it aloud to their students, or have blogged about it—I would. Then again, since I can't sing, it's probably best if I simply verbally—by way of this post—thank you all for being so kind and generous.

Thank you Mr. Schu and Colby Sharp.

Thank you Lauren Donovan and Lauren Bennett. Erin Clarke, Alyssa Henkin, Natalie Doherty, the teams at Knopf in the US and RHUK.

Thank you Fauzie Burke and Ximena Vengoechea.

Thank you my friends at colleagues at work who have shared this journey with me and have been so enthusiastic in your support: Suzie, Bob, Mary Ellen, Page, Netta, Krestyna, Liz, Avery, Heather, Margot, Bruce, Ruth, Suzanne, Katie, Emily Krasner, and so many others at the place we "work."

Thank you Origami Yoda, Laurel Snyder, Nicholas Sparks, Alexandra Taylor. Thank you London Times, Entertainment Weekly, London Observer, The Independent, the CBC, Laura Dockrill, and my friend Lisa Berman.

Thank you Paul Hankins and Donalyn Miller and Phil Earle, Marianne Velmans, Adam Shaffer, Ian Beck, Becky Thomas, Kate Sullivan, Caroline McNutly, Sassy Bibliophile, Sarah Webb, Cathy Blackler, JohnLit360, Lauren Strohecker, John Norton, Nicole DuFort, MaryVanAkin, Laura Phelps, Emily Scheinman, David Maybury, NatdeWinter, Carrie Anderson, Nick Robinson and Attack of the Book. 

Thank you amazing teachers and librarians who have such a passion for bringing books to your kids.

Thank you Kim Harte, Adriane White, Kelly Butcher, Rebecca Butcher, Tracy Wymer, KateR2R, Lidnsay Healey, Sharon Goodwin, Mummy Barrow, Kate Conley, Zac Harding, Tim Oneill, Mike Winchell, Matt Imrie, Katherin Sokolowsky, David Etkin, Gae Polisher, Sabrina YABliss, Nicole LeFreniere, Mike Hutchinson.

Thank you everyone who has blogged about WONDER, or taken the time to write an amazon review or to like my Facebook page or to comment on my tumblr. There are too many to list here but I have thanked you in my heart.

Thank you Bank Street Bookstore and all the INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES, and Amazon! And B&N, thank you!

Thank you England, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland birth land of James Joyce!

Thank you, Natalie Merchant.

Thank you Moebius Trust and all the moms of kids with special needs who've been touched by the story of WONDER, for sharing your stories and your photos of your beautiful children with me. 

Thank you, all, for being so kind and generous with your words.

Forgot this one from the playlist, which is listed on the...

Forgot this one from the playlist, which is listed on the graduation ceremonies at the end of the book. Long live Queen!

Mr. Browne's Precepts

SEPTEMBER

"When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind."   —Dr. Wayne Dyer

OCTOBER

"Your deeds are your monuments." —Inscription on an Egyptian tomb

NOVEMBER

"Have no friends not equal to yourself."  —Confucious

DECEMBER

"Fortune favors the bold." —Virgil

JANUARY

"No man is an island, entire of itself."  —John Donne

FEBRUARY

"It is better to know some of the questions than al of the answers."  —James Thurber

MARCH

"Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much."  —Blaise Pascal

APRIL

"What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful."  —Sappho

MAY

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."  —John Wesley's Rule

JUNE

"Just follow the day and reach for the sun!"  —The Polyphonic Spree

WONDER PLAYLIST

The following songs are all mentioned or referenced in my book, WONDER. Scroll down, click, and enjoy!

WONDER by Natalie Merchant

SPACE ODDITY by David Bowie

LUCKIEST GUY ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE by The Magnetic Fields

SOLDIER'S JOY by Anonymous

BEAUTIFUL CHILD by Annie Lennox

BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Andain

STAR WARS: THRONE ROOM SCENE by John Williams

BEAUTIFUL by Christina Aguilera

KID by RickoLus (not officially in the book, but since we used it in the book trailer it's part of the WONDER world now.

If I forgot any songs or mentions, please let me know!!!!

People have asked me who wrote the song we use in the book...

People have asked me who wrote the song we use in the book trailer for WONDER. It's called "Kid" on the album "Youngster" by RickoLus. Hope you enjoy and check out more songs by RickoLus.

You are BEAUTIFUL, no matter what you say…Words...

You are BEAUTIFUL, no matter what you say…

Words can't bring you down…

No more apt words exist for Auggie Pullman.

Another from the WONDER playlist.

Here's the trailer for Wonder.Directed by Ryan Marshall.

Here's the trailer for Wonder.

Directed by Ryan Marshall.