Annie Cardi's Blog, page 106
March 20, 2012
Literary Isles
Love this literary map of the UK and Ireland:
Shall we visit William Wordsworth, C.S. Lewis, or John Keats first?
(image: Geoff Sawers, The Literary Gift Company)
March 19, 2012
The Truth is Complicated
By now you've probably heard about This American Life retracting Mike Daisey's story about the Apple factory in China. As with previous, similar cases of articles/memoirs being found less than accurate, it's brought up a lot of questions about what it means to be honest as a journalist and as a storyteller. One argument I particularly liked comes from John Warner at Inside Higher Ed. Warner talks about how we all lie/fabricate details to some extent, but lying doesn't always make for a more compelling story:
"The thing is, that these lies, these distortions, these fabrications, these untruths don't make for a better story. They make for an easier one, a story with fewer thorns to swallow on the way down, a less complicated story….Maybe I'm just suspicious of these "better" stories because to me, the best stories are the most complicated ones, the ones that refuse to resolve in easy ways. Those are the stories that are most true because resolution is something that always remains just beyond our grasp."
I love this focus on truthfulness as a necessary part of storytelling and life. If, as writers, we endeavor to connect with readers on a basic, human level, shouldn't part of that connection be based on how complicated normal life can be? Sometimes there is no villain. Sometimes the hero has other motivations. Sometimes the resolution isn't so satisfying. But that's all part of the real human existence. I'd rather get the full, complicated picture than be condescended to as a reader.
Even though Warner's article mostly talks about journalism and nonfiction books, it's a good idea to keep in mind for fiction writers, too. While we get to make stuff up (flying ponies do exist!), we also need to remember that being alive is complicated. Existing in the world means that you may encounter people who don't always conform to your ideas about who they should be, or you may struggle with your own feelings about a particular event. These complicated interactions need to be a part of fiction just as much as they need to be a part of nonfiction.
Make sure to read the rest of the article as well. Do you think truth plays an important role in fiction?
This Book Belongs to You
Love these bookplates by Mac and Ninny:
Lots more through the link. Not sure this would help me share books more, but it's a possibility. (via Letterology)
Get Ready to Rock the Drop
It's my favorite guerilla reading effort–Rock the Drop. To celebrate Support Teen Lit Day on April 12, readergirlz and Figment organize Rock the Drop, in which you leave a favorite YA book (with Rock the Drop bookplate) in a public spot for some lucky reader to find.
More details from readergirlz here.
(image: David Ostow)(via Bildungsroman)
March 16, 2012
Friday Fifteen
What's a Friday without the Friday Fifteen? Here's the latest and greatest in fifteen-word reviews:
1.The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Feels like a modern, funnier version of The Outsiders. Used drawings without feeling gimmicky.
2. Blue Angel by Francine Prose
Expected to like this a lot more than I did. Never felt invested.
3. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
Read for class in fourth grade. Fun, but not as memorable as Number the Stars.
4. True Grit by Charles Portis
Compelling western, quietly moving. A great YA crossover book.
5. Babe in Paradise by Marisa Silver
Excellent collection of stories. Silver knows how to raise the stakes for her characters.
6. Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary by Pamela Dean
Meandering story about clever sisters and a mysterious neighbor. Confusing and plotless, but I enjoyed.
7. Color War! (Camp Sunnyside Friends #3) by Marilyn Kaye
Only one of the series I read. I preferred the BSC Special camp book.
8. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Felicia Bond
Lesson: generosity makes you weak. Don't trust anyone! (At least anyone that's a mouse.)
9. Opened Ground: Selected Poems, 1966-1996 by Seamus Heaney
Fantastic selection of Heaney's work. Perfect for readers new to Heaney or poetry in general.
10. Succulent Wild Woman by SARKI was 18 and liked journaling with colorful pens.
11. Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce
Essential reading for girls in middle school. First of the Tortall books.
12. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Snark and social commentary–I'm an automatic fan. Loved the explanation of Easter.
13.The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
Great MG combination of family saga and ghost story.
14. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
Probably inspired a lot of book clubs to try to create their own group names.
15. I Spy: A Book of Picture Riddles by Jean Marzollo, Walter Wick and Carol Devine Carson
Like when I'm searching on my desk for the one thing I need.
Links Galore
Lots of fun links for the end of the week:
Next week brings the Virginia Festival of the Book, which includes lots of wonderful readings (many free), including some for YA authors.
Speaking of readings, Jay Asher talks about a particularly awkward one.
Everybody loves writers.
Dickensian London in pictures.
There's a lot of weird Hunger Games paraphernalia out there, guys.
Speaking of The Hunger Games, Walt looks at the series and why your characters shouldn't be victims.
Are music and language natural to humans?
Attention female screenwriters: Women in Film & Video/New England (WIFV/NE) is now accepting entries for the Tenth Annual Screenwriting Competition.
Sometimes teens use Youtube for fantastic reasons–like helping Henryville High School students after losing their school in a tornado. So moving.
One Story Goes YA
While there are tons of journals dedicated to literary fiction, there aren't that many for YA, even though the genre has grown exponentially over the last ten years. Fortunately, One Story (a fantastic literary journal) has expanded into the teen market with its new division, One Teen Story:
"One Teen Story is a new literary magazine that connects teens to great short stories.
Each month, readers will get a short story in the mail, on on their Kindle, or on other electronic reading devices. Printed copies will come to you as a beautifully designed 5 x 7 booklet – easy to slip into a backpack or read under the covers. The digital version will arrive on your Kindle or phone, ready to read on the spot."
They're accepting submissions until May 31, so if you have a YA short story buried away, polish it up now. Between One Teen Story and Sucker Literary Magazine, I'm hopeful that a new era in YA stories is on the rise.
(H/T Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich)
March Madness Gets Wicked
In case your other March Madness brackets are a little too good-natured, check out the Half-Price Books Tournament of Villains. Lots of great literary villains included!
My picks for finalists? Darth Vader and Voldemort. You can't get much more evil than these guys! (That is, if you ignore the Star Wars prequels, which I do.)
(image: Mary GrandPré, via The Harry Potter Lexicon)
Reading of the Green
When people see I'm a redhead, they usually assume I'm Irish. (I'm not.) But this year is the first I can claim being Irish by marriage so I'm excited to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Ireland has no shortage of stories and storytellers, so it's pretty easy to feel literary on this holiday. For the YA side, the Hub has compiled a list of books inspired by Irish mythology. I'm reading The Scorpio Races right now and loving it.
My own Irish literature suggestions tends to run to the more contemporary. I've mentioned before that I'm a huge Roddy Doyle fan, and I recently read his MG novel, A Greyhound of a Girl, which was just as funny and heartbreaking as I hoped. It's not available in print in the US yet, but you can download it via Kindle. I'd also recommend Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd, which gives readers a fantastic glimpse into life during the Troubles.
Writers Digest also shares inspiration from Irish authors. My favorite quote:
"The good end happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means." –Oscar Wilde,The Importance of Being Earnest
Any other suggestions for Irish reading?
