Carolee Dean's Blog, page 32

POST REWRITE PARTY - WHITE WATER RAFTING

I recently completed rewrites on my new verse novel, FORGET ME NOT (working title) and got up from my chair (where I was starting to become permanently attached) to go on a white water rafting vacation with my family at the Royal Gorge in Colorado. Every now and then a writer just needs to get out and do something adventurous.  The water levels in the Gorge were dangerously high, so the park service closed it down, but we saw plenty of white water upstream.  One of the boats capsized. Luckily, ours stayed afloat and I never fell out. My husband and kids jumped out, but that's another story.



Did I mention that the water was freezing?  Even with a wetsuit, I lost all feeling from the knees down and couldn't move my toes for an hour after we got out of the water.  Fortunately, we spent the afternoon on a zip line tour with two crazy guides named Nate and Dave. Three hours, nine zip lines. I slept well that night.


Does this helmet make my head look fat?

Here are our crazy guides, Dave...

and Nate.

Maybe I'll put them in a book one day. Wouldn't that be fun?

Now I'm back home and working on another verse novel. Perhaps I'll write a White Water Sonnet:)

NON-FICTION AUTHOR Q&A

The author Q&A below is from the April issue of Spellbinders. To read the additional articles go to spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com
 

TO TELL THE TRUTH?

 

We are focusing on non-fiction books for our April issue of SPELLBINDERS and we decided to pick the collective brains of some of our author/librarian/teacher/scientist friends. Joining us this month are:

 

 

Shutta Crum: picture book author, novelist, and retired librarian. Her first book, Who Took My Hairy Toe? was classified as "retold folklore." Visit Shutta

 

Uma Krishnaswami: author of picture books, retold tales, and middle grade novels. She teaches creative writing at the Vermont College. Visit Uma

 

Fred Bortz: Fred Bortz holds a doctorate in physics and is one of the nation's leading writers of science and technology for young people with a twenty-five year career in teaching and research in physics, engineering, and science education. Visit Fred

Kimberley: Some of the questions we'd like to ask you are: what are the different kinds of non-fiction, the strengths of each type of non-fiction and some of your experiences and knowledge about writing non-fiction as well as how to use non-fiction effectively in the classroom.

Shutta: When exploring the different kinds of non-fiction, the librarian in me goes straight to the Dewey Decimal Numbers that include things like the social sciences (philosophy, crime, religion, etc.). The 300s include myths, folk and fairy tales, the 700s crafts, and the 800s include poetry, plays, short story collections, etc. The 900s include such things as travel and genealogy. You can get a shortened copy of Dewey and see what major groupings you can make with it.

 

Kimberley: Yes, yes, yes, Shutta! Thank you for including these crucial areas of the library. We got books from our local library under these Dewey numbers all the time with my boys when I was homeschooling.

 

Uma: Thanks, Shutta, for mentioning retold tales that all too often get thought of as "fiction." The point being not whether they are "true" or not (and what is that, anyway? One person's religious belief may be another's fairy tale) but what kind of research is needed to write them and what is the writer's obligations to stay true to the sources yielded by that research.

 

Carolee: That's a good point, Uma. As an educator in a public high school, I have trouble explaining this distinction to my students in a concise and meaningful way. When we study mythology, one of them will invariably ask if these stories are "real" or fiction. I will explain that they are non-fiction, which tends to make them think they really happened. They often assume that non-fiction means "real" or "true" which are sometimes difficult concepts to explain in the realm of non-fiction.

 

Uma: When I get asked the "is this real" question, I say, well, I didn't make it up. Someone else did, years ago. So when I rewrite a story like this, I need to stay "true" to that old version. In other words, I'm not going to meet Ganesha or Anansi or Grandmother Spider (or for that matter the animals from the Ark) in the parking lot when I leave here, but I need to pay attention to how I retell traditional stories because they're not mine to change however I want to. That's why retold tales are seen as nonfiction.

 

Carolee: It's a complex concept so I guess there's no quick and easy explanation.

 

Uma: If anyone wants to go into it further (as in middle or high school) I will talk about geography and the shaping of some stories, so that kernels of reality emerge--lost rivers, archeological discoveries, etc. and the technical differences between legend and myth, assuming you buy into those terminologies.

Kimberley: Does anyone have an observation about the current trends in publishing non-fiction?

 

Fred: The biggest recent change in nonfiction is the emphasis on series. The school/library publishers rarely do single titles anymore, and the trade publishers are doing more series also.

The biggest change in my own writing is a move toward speculative topics. My work-in-progress is about humanity's future in space, looking ahead to the settlement of other worlds and the possible exploration of other solar systems.

My latest book, Seven Wonders of Space Technology Visit Seven Wonders has speculative chapters on "Moon Water and Moon Bases" and "Future Technologies for Space Travel" and a forward-looking chapter about the New Horizons Mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt (arrival date: 2015).

 

Shutta: I might add that one of the more exciting things I have seen in the last ten years is an explosion in nonfiction picture books. This usually takes the form of a picture book that focuses in on a very specific event, person, period, etc. It is presented with large illustrations as picture books are, and sometimes there are end notes to fill out the details. I am thinking of books like: Bad New for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves by Vaunda Nelson, We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson, and Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Hill just to name a couple. I love this . . . it provides a good point of access to nonfiction for young readers who may still be a little fearful of text-laden nonfiction.

 

Carolee: I've been delighted to see the expansion of non-fiction picture books. I work with poor readers, many of whom are boys, and they often prefer non-fiction over fictional stories. Quality non-fiction trade books contain great visuals and facts that grip their attention. A textbook biography is often boring, but a biography that is structured to read like a novel or short story based on fact can be fascinating.

 

 

Fred: It's not just bios that feel like novels, and it's not just sci/fi that looks at speculative ideas.

I began to get a little bit of notice nationally when a reviewer said that my 1995 book Catastrophe! Great Engineering Failure--and Success "reads like an adventure story," and was one of nine designated a Selector's Choice on the National Science Teachers Association/Children's Book Council list of Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children for 1996.

It was then that I realized that I was at my best as a "teller of true tales." Catastrophe! was more like a short-story collection around a common theme (Murphy's Law as a recipe for success) than a novel.

Kimberley: Speaking of awards, what are the non-fiction awards out there? I know some like the Sibert, but I know I'm probably missing a lot.

Fred: I am also a winner of one of those other awards. I imagine there are several other fields that offer them. Mine was the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award for works intended for young readers in 2002 for Techno-Matter: The Materials Behind the Marvels. That was not a true-story book, but rather an overview of materials science and engineering, though I tried to work in a little storytelling in some of the technologies I described.

Kimberley & Carolee: This is wonderful, thank you all so much! You've clarified several things as well as given good examples and the direction of series and awards. Thanks to all of you for joining us for this month's issue of SPELLBINDERS

You Tube and School To World

Last weekend I hung out with fellow SCBWI authors Chris Eboch, Caroline Rose, Edith Tarbescu, Kimberley Griffiths Little, Caroline Meyer and about 1,200 eighth and ninth graders at the annual School To World job fair at the Convention Center in downtown Albuquerque.



Here I am below showing off my new book trailer to Caroline Rose. Josh Stuyvesant, a film student at UNM put together the video and his friend, Kyle Ruggles, did the music.





Check it out at   www.youtube.com/watch

INTERVIEW WITH TERRY TRUEMAN

For the January issue of Spellbinders I had the pleasure of interviewing Terry Trueman, author of the Prinz Honor book, STUCK IN NEUTRAL. It's a story that is close to my heart since I work with kids with severe disabilities in the public schools. The novel was inspired by Terry's own son, Sheehan, who suffers from profound disabilities. The book was based upon a poem called Sheehan, that Terry wrote years before the novel. The narrative poem is heart-wrenching and beautiful. Look for it on amazon.com, and don't forget to read my interview with Terry at spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com

PHILADELPHIA

I travelled to Philadelphia for the annual ASHA conference right before Thanksgiving where I delivered a workshop on "The Secret Language of Stories: Everybody Has a Story." Over 300 speech-language pathologists attended the session and left with exciting ways for making stories more accessible for students with learning disabilities.



For more information about the conference as well as specific suggestions for working with students on the autism spectrum, take a look at my column in this month's Spellbinder's newsletter at http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com. 

I was able to fit in some sightseeing while I was in Philly. The picture below is of the Free Library. The tour guide on the city bus tour said that Edgar Allen Poe's pet raven was stuffed and preserved in the library. I hadn't realized that Poe had lived in Philly. I also didn't know he had a pet raven. It kind of puts his poem in perspective.  I was especially interested in this little piece of trivia, since my new novel, NO WAY OUT (Simon Pulse, 2012) contains a poem that's a spoof on the Raven.





Saturday night ASHA hosted a party at National Constitution Center where I got to visit with some of the local celebrities, namely Ben Franklin and George Washington. George was very tall and handsome and offered to escort me through the buffet line.



Finally, no trip to Philadelphia would be complete without eating a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich. This one was at Jim's. Several locals recommended Jim's but to be honest, it wasn't that great. I think they must have all been cousin's of Jim's. It didn't help that my friend Cai is a vegetarian. The best Philly Cheesesteak I had all weekend was at the Cafe Old Nelson, which happened to be run by a bunch of Chinese guys who added some special secret sauce to spice it up. 

MY FABULOUS EDITOR AND AGENT

I went to New York City last week and had a fantastic lunch with my agent, Sara Crowe (in the middle), and my editor, Anica Rissi (on the right). Two fabulous women. They didn't even laugh at me when I attempted to eat salad with chopsticks. Well, maybe just a little.



I also had the opportunity to visit with Anica at the Simon and Schuster Building and meet the members of Team Pulse who have been doing so much to help make TAKE ME THERE a success. Just before I left for NYC, Anica informed me that TMT is already in its third printing - Hooray!  Everyone at S&S was so friendly and gracious. They even made a movie of me. Well, okay, it was just a video interview, but they treated me like a star. I'll be posting the video on my website sometime in the next few months.

I can't wait to work with them on my new project, NO WAY OUT, coming in 2012!

INTERVIEW WITH ALBERT BORRIS

This month for our feature article of SPELLBINDERS  (The newsletter designed for teachers, therapists, and librarians) I interviewed the amazing Albert Borris. Read about his experiences below and then visit http://spellbindersbooknews.blogspot.com to read the rest of our November issue.
 

An Interview with Albert Borris - by Carolee Dean

 

This month Spellbinders will focus on stories for kids and teens dealing with crisis. I've found books to be a valuable medium for bringing up tough subjects. Young people often benefit just from knowing there are others going through the same struggles. I think it's true for all of us that as we see characters overcoming what seem to be insurmountable obstacles, we find the strength and courage to face our own difficulties.

 

Albert Borris

My job as a speech-language pathologist in the public schools has had a definite impact on the types of stories I create, so I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to interview Albert Borris, whose career as a Student Assistance Counselor inspired him to write Crash Into Me, the story of four high school students who meet online and form a suicide pact. They decide to go on a road trip together and spend two tumultuous weeks visiting the sites of celebrity suicides with the final destination of Death Valley, where they plan to end their lives. But an interesting thing happens on the road. The teens form connections, and as the narrator, Owen, finally finds a voice to express his despair, he begins to find hope as well. Check out Albert's website at www.albertborris.com.

 

Carolee: Albert, thanks for joining us for this month's issue of Spellbinders. What got you interested in becoming a counselor?

 

Albert: Because I was a kid once, too. Also, I took a Human Psychology class with Dr. Betty Duff. She thought that I could be a suicide hotline worker. By my junior year in college, I was a counselor and never looked back. I also worked with teens while my father was getting sober. It all just stuck.

My first job in schools was given to be by a woman named Carolyn Hadge in the Toms River school district. I worked there for two years and I loved it! Then I was given a grant to work in Moorestown for three years. When that time was up, they asked me to stay!

Carolee: How would you describe the work you've done with teens?

Albert: My job involves a lot of talking and connecting. I am a teacher as well as a counselor, which means being an authority figure as well as a friend. I offer a shoulder to cry on for students in 9th through 12th grade. I give emotional assistance for kids thinking of suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and experiencing other hard times. But I'm also a teacher, taking on a class called Natural Helpers, I instruct students on the Ropes Course and I organize the Project Graduation.

 

Carolee: I've heard of Ropes. They had one at a psychiatric hospital where I once worked. A group of people go out on an obstacle course and do repelling and climbing with ropes and harnesses. It's about testing your limits and building trust. I've never heard of Natural Helpers or Project Graduation. What are those?

 

Albert: Natural Helpers is a series events from CHEF/ Comprehensive Health Education Foundation, and Project Graduation was a drug free event I organized for graduation night (8pm to 7am). Over 95% of the students who graduated came to the event.

 

Carolee: That's a wonderful turn-out. It sounds like you've done a lot of great things for kids. How has your job influenced your writing?

Albert: My line of work is directly expressed through my book. The inspiration for Crash Into Me came during a Parents' Workshop I coordinated. The other books I have written are along the same lines. Junior, The Holy Darkness, and my next book, The Anarchy Game, are all about some kind of struggle or suffering.

I know that through these books we can get the message out that there are kids/teens/adults that all have troubles. Sometimes, we all feel alone but there is always hope. By writing these novels, I can make that mark introspectively

Carolee: Thanks so much for joining us for this month's issue of Spellbinders.

YALSA's Young Adult Literature Symposium

This past weekend YALSA, the teen division of ALA (American Library Assocation) held it's biannual conference right here in Albuquerque, NM. The subject of the conference was Diversity, Literture & Teens: Beyond Good Intentions. New Mexico's own Vaunda Nelson was the speaker at the Bill Morris Author Luncheon. Her book, Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deuty U.S. Marshall, was the recent winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. Vaunda is a full-time librarian as well as author and just all around sweet person.

The poetry panel on Forms and Faces of Poetry for Teens included (left to right) Ann Burg, Jen Bryant, Margarita Engle, Pat Mora and April Halprin Wayland. They talked about their poetry and read aloud from their novels in verse. It got me excited about my own novel in verse NO WAY OUT, coming in March 2012 with Simon Pulse.



Saturday night about 30 authors signed books their publishers had donated to the event. Every participant got 5 tickets they were able to exchange for signed books. Here I am above at the signing with three delightful librarians from Texas.



On Sunday morning Nikki Grimes gave suggestions for conducting poetry readings at schools in Open Mike: Reaching Teens at Risk Through Poetry. That's her in the middle with April on the left and me on the right.

The whole event wrapped up with Ellen Hopkins (right) and Lauren Myracle speaking at the closing session about overcoming intellectual freedom challenges so the right book can get to the right kid at the right time.

Lois Ruby and I had a poster presentation on display featuring New Mexico Authors, but I was so busy running around getting photos of famous poets, that I forgot to get a photo of our display. Oh, well. That will have to be another post.

OCTOBER

It's been a busy and exciting October. Earlier in the month I held a writing workshop at Page One Bookstore. Yesterday I spoke at the NMCTE conference for English teachers and today I met up with fellow SCBWI writers for a Halloween Booksigning at Bookworks. Bookworks is participating in our book drive for THE JOY OF READING, a collaboration between our local SCBWI chapter and several Albuquerque bookstores to collect books for children at risk. That's Connnie from bookworks on the far right holding up my book, COMFORT. I'm next to her dressed like a Texan and holding TAKE ME THERE. On my left is Kersten Hamilton with her brand new goblin book, TYGER, TYGER. I bought my copy today and can't wait to start reading it. My neighbor, friend, and critique buddy Lois Ruby is showing off SHANGAI SHADOWS and Chris Eboch, our regional SCBWI advisor, unfortunately has a thumb across her face, but at least you can see her book from the HAUNTED series. A random man in the bookstore was nice enought o try to figure out my cell phone camera.


In between all this fun author stuff I was still able to fit in a trip out to the McCall's Pumpin Patch, Haunted Corn Maze, and Haunted Barn with my daughter and her friends. We stood in line for two hours just to get the pants scared off of us in a barn filled with characters from Saw, Friday the Thirteenth, and a several other movies I've never had the guts to see. While we stood in line we were terrorized by some psycho dude in a hockey suit.


And the best news of all came last Friday when Simon Pulse made an offer on my new verse novel,
NO WAY OUT. No, it's not a story about a haunted barn, but there is a haunted hallway that plays a key role in the story. Hooray! I can't wait to work on a new book with my editor, Anica Rissi.

A BUSY MONTH

Or more correclty, an exciting 6 weeks.

August 22nd was the book launch for TAKE ME THERE at Alamosa Books. Over 80 people showed up for music, barbecue and books at Alamosa Books in Albuquerque, NM. Alamosa is a new independent bookstore for kids and teens and it's only three blocks from my house. Yay!

September 16th and 17th I was busy with author visits at two high schools in El Paso.

The morning of September 18th I spoke at a speech and debate conference for UIL students in El Paso and that afternoon I was at Barnes & Noble in Las Cruces.



Saturday, September 25th, we held a 12 author book event at Alamosa called THE GIFT OF READING. That's me in the photo above with best bud Kimberley Griffiths Little. THE GIFT OF READING is a collaboration between our local chapter of SCBWI and Alamosa. The bookstore is collecting new and slightly used books to be given to children at risk. Many of the children have parents who are incarcerated. This project is close to my heart because illiteracy and incarceration are two huge themes in my new book, TAKE ME THERE.

It's autumn in Albuquerque, so in between book events I've been attending soccer games, visiting the Dixon Apple Orchard, husking corn, baking pies and watching hot air balloons.



I need a vacation!