the writing life #6

For those interested in such matters, my review of Catching Fire is in this Sunday's New York Times Book Review. (Spoiler: I liked it very much.)

the writing life #5

Though I have resided in my current apartment for over four years, last Sunday I noticed that I live on the same street where Dorothy Parker once lived.





I adored Dorothy Parker as a teen and into my twenties. Readers of Margarettown and Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (and watchers of Conversations with Other Women) may even note certain thematic resonances in the following poem:

"Indian Summer"
by Dorothy Parker

In youth, it was a way I had
To do my best to please,
And change, with every passing lad
To suit his theories.

But now I know the things I know
And do the things I do;
And if you do not like me so,
To hell, my love, with you.

For further Dorothy Parker reading, I recommend The Portable Dorothy Parker.

blatant self-promotion #2: on outer beauty

The New Yorker on the jacket of THE HOLE WE'RE IN.

(Here's hoping the insides receive such favorable coverage.)

adventures with my pen #6: in which gabrielle's pen contemplates other professions

Swizzle stick

Pros

• the glamour

Cons

• too much moisture may mean the end of her writing career
• low pay
• potential of becoming a drunk
• likely objectification -- i.e. the essentially decorative nature of the professional swizzle stick

blatant self-promotion #1: my new adult novel & miscellany

This is the cover:



Re: The Hole We're In

If you're twelve or under, the book is probably not for you. If you're sixteen, the book may be for you, depending greatly on your interests. (see synopsis.) If you're over sixteen and liked my other books, alas the book still may not be for you -- it's very different from anything I've ever done. That leads to the fourth possibly: if you're over sixteen, hated or were largely indifferent to my other books, I'd say there is some possibility you could like this one. In any case, I'm incredibly proud of this particular book, and I'm excited for the book to start making its way into the world.



On other fronts, paperback MEMOIRS OF A TEENAGE AMNESIAC is already out in the world. Its cover is nearly identical to hardcover MEMOIRS but inside it's fancier. You'll find an interview with me about the book, a couple of playlists, an excerpt from ELSEWHERE, and a note to come on down to my website for deleted scenes. The resourceful Jessica Tedder at Square Fish compiled it all.

Re: Deleted Scenes

Normally, I'm against them -- the finished book is the book; the process is beside the point, etc. -- but I revised MEMOIRS so very much that I decided to unleash some of this material on the world. You can read more about my reasons for this, and check out the first deleted scene here. (I might add more at some point or other.) There's a very good reason that particular book was dedicated to the editor -- I would have likely set it on fire if it weren't for her.*

Finally, I can now be found online at both Goodreads and LibraryThing. Say hello if you're there too.

Re: Social Networking Websites

Normally, I'm against them, but I like these two websites because they're really about reading and not the usual one-hundred forty characters of nothingness.

Finally finally, this story about President Obama's summer reading amused me.

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*Though it is, admittedly, somewhat difficult to set a book on fire these days. I am not Anne Shirley writing longhand by candlelight, after all. And burning a laptop is bad for the environment and likely dangerous.

adventures in self-googling #4: elsewhere book trailer

Alas, I've had less time for such adventures of late, but I loved this book trailer. It was created by a pair of fourteen year-old readers, and I think it really captures the spirit of the book.



Apparently, it is part of a contest at the Saint Louis County Library.

http://slcl.org/teens/youtubevoting.htm

I'm sure there are many delightful entries though I am, of course, partial to this one.

gratuitous dog love

Nico the Pug

To all the readers who wrote in and continue to write in about the death of my dog last October, thank you so much. I just wanted to let you know that not long after Mrs. DeWinter's passing, I ended up getting a rescue dog. His name is Nico, and he'll be ten this year. I can't say enough good things about Nico or the truly amazing people who run the rescue. Nico's already had about a million adventures in the six months since he moved in with me. For readers of ELSEWHERE, I'd say he's more like Sadie (or even Bandit from the Prologue) than Lucy.

P.S. If you're thinking about getting a dog, go for a rescue!