Gabrielle Zevin, Events and Such

Goodreads Chat on December 13th, 2011

2011-12-05T17:08:00.003-05:00

Details below:

Goodreads will be hosting a live half-hour video chat with author Gabrielle Zevin on Tuesday, December 13 at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT. We'll be discussing her latest novel All These Things I've Done, as well as her earlier work and her life as a writer. Don't miss it!

RSVP here.

Books of Wonder

2011-10-18T23:47:00.004-04:00

I'll be reading at Books of Wonder this Saturday, October 22 along with this seriously awesome bunch:

SCOTT WESTERFELD
MARYROSE WOOD
JEFF HIRSCH
SARAH BETH DURST
JON SKOVRON
and
ALISON GOODMAN

Books of Wonder is thrilled to host 7 authors of exciting new fantastic tales for young readers. Please join us Saturday, October 22nd, as these wonderful authors take us on an adventurous ride through some great new works of fiction all featuring a teenage protagonist caught up in extreme situations. Joining us will be, SARAH BETH DURST who will share her new book Drink, Slay, Love, the story of an ordinary 16 year old vampire who happens to get stabbed by a unicorn horn; ALISON GOODMAN will present Eona, a fantastical companion to her Eon, which focuses on the first female Dragoneye in centuries; JEFF HIRSCH will introduce The Eleventh Plague, the story of a fifteen year old girl in post-apocalyptic America; JON SKOVRON will share Misfit, the tale of 16-year-old Jael Thompson -- a Catholic-school student who just happens to also be half-demon; New York Times best-selling author SCOTT WESTERFELD will share Goliath, the thrilling conclusion to his Leviathan Trilogy; MARYROSE WOOD will regale us with Nightshade, the page turning story of a heartbroken 16 year old Jessamine Luxton -- the second book in her The Poison Diaries ; and GABRIELLE ZEVIN will take us on a trip to New York in the year 2083 with All These Things I've Done; Beginning at noon this talented group of authors will present their new work of speculative fiction, take questions from the audience, and gladly sign copies of all their works. Ages 12 and up. 12-2pm.

This event is free and open to all. Please note that you are welcome to bring one book from home to be signed for each book you purchase on the day of the event. If you have any questions, call us at (212) 989-3270. Please note that video and audio recording is prohibited at all events, photography is welcome.

You are cordially invited to meet me

2011-09-20T17:33:00.003-04:00

Pen Fatale Tour 2011

September 27 - October 15
Featuring Alyson Noël, Gabrielle Zevin, Jessica Brody and Mary E. Pearson

TEXAS

SEPTEMBER 28, 2011
6:00 PM Barnes & Noble, The Woodlands, TX

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011
7:00 PM off-site event hosted by Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX

OCTOBER 1, 2011
Austin Teen Lit Festival, Austin, TX
Pen Fatale panel will be moderated by author Margo Rabb

ILLINOIS

OCTOBER 4, 2011
7:00 PM in-store event at Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
Panel will be moderated by Mary Harris Russell, contributor to Chicago Tribune

COLORADO

OCTOBER 5, 2011
7:00 PM Barnes & Noble, Boulder, CO

OCTOBER 6, 2011
7:00 PM in-store event at Tattered Cover, Highlands Ranch, CO
Panel will be moderated by Claire Martin, The Denver Post

CALIFORNIA

OCTOBER 9, 2011
3:00 PM in-store event at Vroman’s, Pasadena, CA

OCTOBER 10, 2011 5:00 PM event at Upland Public Library, Upland, CA with Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop

WASHINGTON

OCTOBER 12, 2011
7:00 PM in-store event at Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA
Panel moderated by Stephanie Dunnewind, The Seattle Times

OCTOBER 13, 2011
7:00 PM Barnes & Noble, Lynnwood, WA

Gabrielle is moving

2011-01-06T16:36:00.003-05:00

You can now find my personal blog at www.gabriellezevin.tumblr.com and my letter blog with Carolyn Mackler at Dear Writer .

adventures with my pen #8: my pen gets a workout

2010-07-14T11:49:00.011-04:00

Despite having access to a truly dizzying array of communication devices, my friend/fellow author Carolyn Mackler and I are writing bona fide paper letters to each other. Come read them at http://www.dearwriter.tumblr.com/, Carolyn & Gabrielle's Old School Letter Blog.

Reading! In Brooklyn! At Word!

2010-06-16T16:43:00.006-04:00

Though I have considered moving there several times a week for roughly the last eleven years, I believe the last time I was actually in Brooklyn was to see Robert Wilson's Dream Play at BAM. Good stuff. Anyhow, it's going to take me at least two subway lines to get to the venue (sadly, this means I will be wearing sensible, subway-riding shoes), so I hope at least a couple of you will make it out. If you're a writer (pub'd or pre-pub'd), I believe you can still e-mail Russ about reading with me. Reading details below:

JWOMN at WORD: Just Working On My Novel with Gabrielle Zevin

Start: Fri, 06/25/2010 - 7:30pm
End: Fri, 06/25/2010 - 9:00pm

"Just Working On My Novel": the bi-monthly new works critique series with alcohol, now a year old, is moving to WORD. This month features "The Hole We're In" author Gabrielle Zevin

Lauren Conrad wrote a novel. Then she wrote another. That's 2 novels, completed, finished, in the bag. If Laguna Beach's LC can do it, anyone can, and that's what "Just Working On My Novel" is here for. Conceived by publicist/social media person/friend of WORD Russ Marshalek after he realized that everyone, ever, is always "just working on their novels", JWOMN has evolved into a bi-monthly curated new works reading series with published author hosts for each installment. Readings of all shapes and sizes occur, with only 2 stipulations:

1) All readings must be NO longer than 10 minutes.
2) All readings must be previously unpublished.

Please note: You do not need to sign up ahead of time - join us for this "literary open mic"! Having hosted such talent as Emily Mandel, Jami Attenberg, Hyatt Bass and hip-hop legend Jean Grae (reading from both published and unpublished pieces!), June's "Just Working On My Novel", the first in its new home at WORD Brooklyn, boasts the esteemed Gabrielle Zevin, author of (most recently) "The Hole We're In" from Grove Press/Black Cat...and maybe you.

What you'll do: Find something to read. Something that you're working on. Something that needs to see the light of day. It can be fiction or non-fiction, essay or story. Something that hasn't been published. Make sure it's 10 minutes or less. Email Russ (russ@russcomm.net) to secure your sign-up spot.

What Gabrielle will do: JWOMN is honored and thrilled to have, for June's author, Gabrielle Zevin. Having penned a myriad of titles for both adults and their younger counterparts, Gabrielle released "The Hole We're In" this year to massive critical acclaim. It's a powerful story of a modern family's slow unraveling, and frankly it's better than "The Corrections". Gabrielle will read both from 'The Hole We're In" AND from an unpublished work. That's right-this is a chance to hear a modern literary talent read from her incredible novel AND from something entirely new. Gabrielle will sign books after.

Don't have something to read? Come, have some wine (there will be wine), listen to the new National record (it'll probably be playing in WORD before the event if Russ gets his way) and listen to some powerhouse storytelling talent, new works, and the amazing Gabrielle Zevin.

"Just Working On My Novel"-should we call it "Just WORDking On My Novel" now? Yes, we think so!
Facebook RSVP encouraged.

Location:
WORD
126 Franklin St
Brooklyn, New York 11222-2002

Miscellany Bonanza: Starring a Ridiculous Picture of My Dog in a Hat

2010-05-23T13:14:00.011-04:00

"My Dog in a Hat"

Also, a nifty feature in the Chicago Tribune where a reader reviews The Hole We're In.

And finally, an agreeably prickly quote on criticism from Graydon Carter in the NY Times Book Review's review of Martin Amis's new novel:

"Writing, remember, is the only art in which the creator is publicly judged by people who do precisely the same thing, but as a rule less well."*

________
*I assume this may be a reference to a different quote that was in Martin Amis's memoir, Experience. Graphic dentistry passages notwithstanding, Experience is one of my favorite books about writing. The pencil mark is someone else's and should be ignored. I had scanned this quote years ago to e-mail to a despondent writer friend, which is why I happen to have it around.

"If you're sad and like beer, I'm your lady": Reading Tomorrow Night! In a Bar!

2010-05-12T03:01:00.009-04:00

I’ll be reading from my just published fourth novel along with the infamous Dale Peck and debut author Sam Munson (The November Criminals) as part of the Animal Farm Reading Series on Thursday, May 13th . It’s a bar -- there will be drinks and possibly brawls. Feel free to bring friends or any appropriately warm bodies. But if you're one of my young readers, you'll want to sit this one out.

For those of you who can’t make it, fear not -- I’ll also be reading in Brooklyn on June 25th. (Details to come.)

The quote and the image come from Guy Maddin's magnificently strange film, THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD. The beautiful Isabella Rossellini plays a powerful beer baroness who has, if you can't tell from the picture, glass legs filled with beer.

ABOUT THE READING:

ANIMAL FARM will resume on Thursday, May 13 at 8:00 pm. As always, the location is HAPPY ENDING, 302 Broome St. between Forsyth St. and Eldridge St. The FARM has a liberal admission policy.

DALE PECK, GABRIELLE ZEVIN, and SAM MUNSON will read THEIR WORK.

DANIEL GUZMÁN and PATRICK W. GALLAGHER will read FIELD REPORTS. For the uninitiated: FIELD REPORTS are essays, written by accomplished writers, about OTHER READINGS in New York's READINGS SCENE that the writers have gone to see at some point.

DALE PECK's novels include MARTIN AND JOHN (1993), THE LAW OF ENCLOSURES (1996), NOW IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE (1999), BODY SURFING (2009), among others, and the young-adult novels DRIFT HOUSE: THE FIRST VOYAGE (2005), THE LOST CITIES: A DRIFT HOUSE VOYAGE (2007), and SPROUT (2009). His notorious criticism is collected in HATCHET JOBS (2004).

GABRIELLE ZEVIN's four novels have been translated into over twenty languages and received many honors. Her most recent book, THE HOLE WE'RE IN (2010), was a New York Times Editor's Choice. She also wrote the screenplay for the movie CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER WOMEN (2005), for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

SAM MUNSON's writing has appeared in the New York Times and the Times Literary Supplement, among other venues. He is the former Web Editor of Commentary magazine, and he graduated from the University of Chicago in 2003. Doubleday will publish his first novel, THE NOVEMBER CRIMINALS, in Spring 2010. Munson is the grandson of Norman Podhoretz.

DANIEL GUZMÁN's stories have appeared in New York Press, L Magazine's Literary Upstart series, Mama D's Arts Bordello, Rosebud Magazine, and the Moth Storytelling Series. www.danielguzman.org

PATRICK W. GALLAGHER is the Host of Animal Farm (HOAF). His stories and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Glasses Glasses, The Adirondack Review, The Battered Suitcase, PopMatters, Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood, Wheelhouse, and elsewhere. He is a former managing editor of Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood and currently a contributing editor to Open City. Plus, Patrick is writing his PhD thesis in the department of Comparative Literature at NYU.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE HOLE WE’RE IN
By Gabrielle Zevin

"Every day newspaper articles chronicle families battered by the recession, circling the drain in unemployment and debt or scraping by with minimum-wage jobs. But no novel has truly captured that struggle until now....The novel's true subject is how a once-loving family reacts when times get bad. For Roger, that means taking refuge in his religion, even when it asks him to excommunicate his own children. For George, it means slipping into years-long depression. And all five Pomeroys — flawed, devoted, cranky, impetuous, utterly relatable — come blazingly alive on the page."
- Tina Jordan, Entertainment Weekly

"Zevin’s writing is often surprisingly, if darkly, funny, thanks to her wry and astute cultural observations...Patsy is flawed like the rest of her family, but she also has complex thoughts and tries to live without hypocrisy....Her experiences in Iraq have left her scarred and jittery, but she has too much bravado to wallow in self-pity. Zevin breathes real life into this tough-girl vet, a heroine for our times, recognizable from life but new to fiction."
- Malena Watrous, The New York Times Book Review

"Provocative... Yet somehow the novel feels generous. We identify with the Pomeroys' trouble while we gasp at their casual brutality and marvel at Patsy, who journeys from oppressive Bible schools to military service in Iraq and, finally, to becoming a more loving mother than her own could have dreamed of being."
- Caryn James, O, the Oprah Magazine

"Zevin delivers in her blazing second adult novel a Corrections for our recessionary times.... Zevin mixes sharp humor with moments of grace as she gives readers terrific insights into the problems of adult children removing themselves from the influence of parents, and establishes herself as an astute chronicler of the way we spend now."
- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

”Equal parts sharply funny and sobering, Zevin’s portrait of a family in financial free fall captures the zeitgeist.”
- People Magazine

great book purge #2: they go to a better place

2010-04-28T15:38:00.007-04:00

You may remember my prior post about the challenges of weeding my home library. One of the particular obstacles was H.'s and my truly epic collection of film criticism, including such winning titles as the one pictured above. What a jacket!* Because we had been amassing these film books for so long, it was hard to let them go, even Hard Bodies. I imagine one would feel the same way about an epic collection of salt shakers or thimbles. In any case, we packed up all the film books first and brought them down to donate to our local branch of the New York Public Library. Our highest hopes for them were that they would be sold for maybe $.50 - $1.00 a piece in a Used Books Sale, and as such, make some small contribution to my most beloved NYPL. But, something even better happened! Looking through our bags, the crafty librarian asked H. if these were "all film books?" Yes, he said. And then, the librarian replied, that since they were all film books, she was going to send them to the Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center because maybe they would have some use for them there. This, of course, made us ridiculously happy because even though we were getting rid of them, we had still loved them. These books had lived in dorms, awful apartments, somewhat nicer apartments, and now they were going to Lincoln Center! I felt like a proud parent, sending a child into the world. I did. Seriously. I really am attached to my books.**

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*Though we are not entirely certain, we both think that this gem came from Buck-A-Book in Massachusetts -- does anyone remember Buck-A-Book? Most books there were one dollar. Except for the ones that were not -- which always bothered me, as do Dollar Stores where some things do not cost a dollar. But I digress.

**Many, many thanks to that observant librarian!

"The Hole We're In" Reading in NYC

2010-04-23T00:54:00.015-04:00

I'll be doing tricks for fish along with Dale Peck and Sam Munson. Additional literary revelry is scheduled. The organizer/host, Patrick William Gallagher, is a Max Fischer-level, flyer-maker so I'll post his write-up here when I have it.

Animal Farm Reading Series
“All reading series are equal, but some reading series are more equal than others.”

Thursday, May 13, 2010 @ 8 p.m.

Happy Ending
302 Broome St., at Forsythe St.
Lower East Side
212-334-9676

adventures with my pen #7: in which my pen puts her talents to good use

2010-04-18T16:46:00.002-04:00

great book purge

2010-04-05T03:33:00.012-04:00

I'm going through my books for the first time in several years, certainly the first time since I became a published author myself. Once you become published, you receive many, many free books -- books to blurb, books that your friends and/or colleagues have published/written/edited, galleys you pick up yourself at various conferences, etc. At first, this bounty is delightful, and then it is... less so. Your library, once a product of self- (and perhaps partner's) interests, is now a far more motley, or at least random, crew. You end up with, say, every single book written for the Young Adult audience about sixteen-year-old dead/dying girls. (And there are many good ones -- I certainly liked Before I Die by Jenny Downham, and I blurbed The Everafter by Amy Huntley.) But just because you once wrote a book about an almost sixteen-year-old dead girl, your interest in such material isn't necessarily as boundless as it might appear.

Though it goes without saying that I will donate my spare books to NYPL or some other Very Worthy Place (suggestions?), it still makes me feel guilty somehow. I find it difficult to part with the books I haven't read, even if I've been lugging them around since I was a teenager. I find it equally difficult to part with the books I have read and actively dislike -- as a writer, I find that I learn as much from the books I don't like as the books I do. I even find it difficult to part with the books I was only lukewarm about -- what if I need to consult them at some later date? Even things you only liked so-so can have unanticipated future value. For instance, I spent a good ten minutes thinking about whether I would ever read [A Certain Selection of the Oprah Book Club That Shall Remain Nameless] again. I like the scene where the main character goes on a shopping spree. I remember liking the bit with the wedding ring, too. I might want to read these scenes again some day. And yet, we must be firm! In the bin, it went. And did I need to keep Breaking Dawn? It's hard to imagine ever reading it again, and yet... H. hasn't read it. And H. likes to read series to their finish. (It was very stressful to him waiting all those years for Stephen King to complete The Dark Tower.) Furthermore, Breaking Dawn is the only book I have where a pregnant woman drinks blood from a sippy cup. So it stays. For now. It can join Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin in the "demon baby" section.

Speaking of demon babies, can I interest any teachers/librarians (with American mailing addresses) in the audience in a classroom set of Love is Hell, the anthology I participated in along with Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, Justine Larbalestier, and Laurie Faria Stolarz. I am embarassed to say that I have yet to read any of the other stories. Based on the periodic Google Alert about the matter, 51.2% of readers seem to dislike my story. All the other writers fare much better. If my Very Hard Sell has worked for you, e-mail me at askgab-at-memoirsofa.com with the subject line: CLASSROOM SET LOVE IS HELL.

Finally, my adult novel, The Hole We're In, was on last week's New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice list. (You can read the full New York Times review by Malena Watrous here.) Also in last weekend's New York Times Book Review, Julie Just's smart essay about parents in young adult books. As a person who writes young adult books and the occasional screenplay, I think I'm qualified to make the following analaogy: Parents are to Young Adult Books what Cell Phones are to Screenplays. Discuss among yourselves.

blatant self-promotion #5: Entertainment Weekly Smackdown Edition

2010-03-25T13:23:00.009-04:00

The Hole We're In comes in at a solid #8 on last week's Entertainment Weekly Must List. That's just below Season Ten of MTV's True Life (#7) and well below both A Behanding in Spokane (#5) and the Gibson Guitar app for iPhone (a devastatingly heady #2). On the other hand, that's two above Southland (#10). Take that, Southland. My paperback original will destroy you.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20350580,00.html

blatant self-promotion #4: ew, o, my mom's cake, and a reading group guide

2010-03-11T14:06:00.016-05:00

The Hole We're In, my new book for adults comes out this week, and frequent visitors to my website will already know what that means. It's time for my mom to bake a new book cover cake. That's cream cheese frosting on a moist carrot cake base, and it was completely delicious.

It also means that the reviews have started to come in:

An awfully nice one in this Friday's Entertainment Weekly. The last time I was reviewed in Entertainment Weekly I got a B-; this time, an A-. All my studying has really started to pay off, I tell you.

An equally flattering one in this month's O, the Oprah Magazine, where The Hole We're In was named a "book to watch" for March.* You can also find a fairly comprehensive reading group guide there if you're considering The Hole We're In for your book club.**

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*The O review refers to me as a "former young adult author." Several readers have written to ask me if this means that I am giving up writing YA. I'm not. My next book will be for young adults, and I hope it will be out some time next year. In the mean time, if you're looking for something for younger readers, why not read my pal, Lisa Greenwald's book, My Life in Pink and Green? It's an excellent and timely middle grade novel about a plucky 12-year-old who finds creative solutions to deal with the immediate impacts of the recession on her family's pharmacy. I read it last year, and it really stayed with me.

**I've broken down my feelings about the appropriate reading age for The Hole We're In here.

blatant self-promotion #3: NPR

2010-03-08T12:35:00.013-05:00

An interview by the insightful Liane Hansen about my new book, The Hole We're In, on NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday.

japanese memoirs miscellany

2010-02-27T15:29:00.010-05:00

The Japanese language movie of my book, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, is coming out next month in, appropriately enough, Japan.* (If this last sentence doesn't make sense to you: www.gabriellezevin.blogspot.com/2008/12/tokyo-story-1-writing-life-4-japanese.html )

Here's a picture Hans took of the poster in Shibuya Station:

I don't have a scan of the poster by itself, but, if you look really closely, you'll recognize the image on the poster as the scene from the book where everyone decides to dress up in all-white clothes for Heaven Prom. Oh, wait, that wasn't in the book?!? Actually, this is just an image created for the poster -- as far as I know, the movie itself is free of white clothes except for the suit Naomi's father wears for his wedding.)

The short "flash" trailer:

The full-length trailer AKA the "dammit, we're talking about tennis" version.

You can find both of the trailers and even more miscellany at the film's official website: http://www.darekiss.com/
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*The Japanese title of the movie is Dareka ga Watashi ni Kissu wo Shita which translates to Someone Kissed Me.

the writing life #8

2010-02-17T07:43:00.010-05:00

I took a fairly dry science class with Elif Batuman about ten years ago. The teacher, as I recall, was a Russian man, who seemed unsure what to do with us and vaguely terrified to find himself among us savages. Back to Elif: I remember her as an effortlessly clever gal who wore her jeans well and who was an intimate of my long lost friend, Dan, (who always had a knack for making the most interesting friends).

From a review of her book The Possessed in O Magazine.
"I now understand that love is a rare and valuable thing, and you don't get to choose its object," Batuman writes. "You just go around getting hung up on all the least convenient things—and if the only obstacle in your way is a little extra work, then that's the wonderful gift right there."

This, for the record, is completely lovely. I can't wait to read this book. (An ecstatic review ran in today's NY Times as well.)*

I stumbled across the O review while deciding whether to watch or write through today's Oprah which is about the families of serial killers. I will be watching. (In the broadest sense, the topic falls under research for my next book, which I have almost completed and thus requires no further research.)

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*My favorite excerpt from that review: The problem with creative writing programs, she says, is their obsession with craft. “What did craft ever try to say about the world, the human condition, or the search for meaning?” Ms. Batuman asks. “All it had were its negative dictates: ‘Show, don’t tell’; ‘Murder your darlings’; ‘Omit needless words.’ As if writing were a matter of overcoming bad habits — of omitting needless words.”

the writing life #7 & song for jay reatard

2010-01-19T14:14:00.005-05:00

An interview with me about my new book, The Hole We're In, in last week's Publisher's Weekly*:

www.publishersweekly.com/zevin

In aforementioned interview, I referenced Jay Reatard, who I'm sad to report died last week at the age of twenty-nine. (I gave the interview over a month ago.) Anyway, I didn't know Jay Reatard personally, but I was a fan of his music and we're even using a couple of his songs on the Japanese Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac movie soundtrack. My favorite song of his is probably "No Time" which seems an appropriate title given how prolific he was and how relatively short his life.

Below, the video for the song I mentioned in the interview, "It Ain't Gonna Save Me." In it, Reatard is looking very Clockwork Orange-y, and I dig that about him.

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*The interview is by Greg Changnon, and his questions were extremely clever and thoughtful.

song for the health care debate

2009-12-17T15:54:00.005-05:00

"I Don't Want to Die (In the Hospital)" by Conor Oberst from his eponymous album

The thing is, though, I kind of do want to die in the hospital. That is to say, as a self-employed person who pays a significant portion of my income for a shockingly meagre health plan, dying in a hospital seems pretty darn luxurious.

song for people who think the rise of twitter may mean the end of the world is nigh

2009-12-04T16:00:00.002-05:00

"Oh Yoshimi, they don't believe me
but you won't let those robots eat me"
--"Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Part I"
The Flaming Lips

I hate Twitter. I won't say I'll never be on it but only because I've learned to not make grand proclamations on Things I'll Never Do. (Hello there, Gabrielle version 2006 who swore she'd never blog -- how ya like me now?) But I actually do feel a revulsion toward Twitter that I've never felt toward any other social networking website or related technology, and that I'm not sure I can fully explain.

Our song comes from the year 2002 and everyone who knows me will know that it's one of my favorites.* I happen to like robots, though. One of the saddest things I read about the global economic crisis was that the recession in Japan was devestating the robot industry. It wasn't all going to be building robot girlfriends for the socially inept either. There were going to be robots to care for old people, and you know, we could really use those.

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*It is also one of Will Landsman's favorites as readers of Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac will surely know.

Song for Anxieties about the Escalation of Troops to Afghanistan

2009-12-02T01:57:00.013-05:00

Ah, so many songs to choose from. It could have been "Road to Joy" by Bright Eyes or "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones (though that's about Vietnam and last night President Obama swore that Afghanistan is not Vietnam, right?...) or "It's a Hit" by Rilo Kiley. But we'll save all those for another day. I think I'm going with "Intervention" by Arcade Fire. (That's why it's sporting the bold, see.) I wrote half of my next book, The Hole We're In, listening to this one, by the way -- if you could wear out a digital file, I would have. I remember hearing that song for the first time in a hotel room in Santa Monica several years ago and thinking that I needed to get on writing better books.

Song for the Last Monday in November

2009-11-30T20:03:00.012-05:00

It's rainy and coldish, and we can't go to the park*, and this is the perfect song for today, trust me.

"i am young and getting wiser,
soon i will grow old"
--"Lovers Without Love"
By Joshua James

It's reductive to sum up songs this way, but this one has the wistfulness of "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes and some of the outrage of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" By Bob Dylan. But hey, go ahead and listen to it yourself: http://www.myspace.com/joshuajamesmusic

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*This reminds me of the opening line of Jane Eyre: "There was no possibility of taking a walk that day."

the writing life #6

2009-10-10T01:51:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-22T19:14:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-08T23:46:00.002-04:00

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

2009-09-02T16:57:00.012-04:00

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

2009-08-25T00:25:00.016-04:00

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

2009-07-22T18:52:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-05T20:03:00.001-04:00

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!

Homonym #1: BEA & Bea

2009-04-26T23:07:00.011-04:00

I'll be signing bright and early at BEA in NYC.

Jacob Javits Center

Saturday, May 30, 2009

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Bea Arthur died. For mysterious reasons, The Golden Girls was probably my second favorite show when I was little; the first being The Love Boat. Come to think of it, this probably explains a whole heck of a lot about Elsewhere.

my new YA girl crushes

2009-03-29T22:16:00.006-04:00

Authors Lisa Greenwald, Coe Booth, & Me at the JCC

dead snowman

2009-03-18T00:00:00.002-04:00

A happy spring to all.

newfangled things to torture myself #1: groucho edition

2009-03-09T07:15:00.008-04:00

Groucho shows a bit of gam.

Now, I've had a LibraryThing account for quite a while,* and the two of us have gotten along well enough. Until recently, that is. They added a new feature to their website called WILL YOU LIKE IT? Based on the contents of your library, they'll guess how likely you are to like a particular book. Of course this meant that I had to ask LibraryThing how likely I was to like my own books.

My "Will You Like It?" results as follows:

LibraryThing thinks you probably won't like Elsewhere (certainty: very high)
LibraryThing thinks you probably won't like Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac (certainty: high)
LibraryThing thinks you will love Margarettown (certainty: low)

So, I guess we can take from this that Library Thing thinks I am likely to like things that are unpopular (i.e. Margarettown) though it can't say for certain because they're dealing with an (alas!) sadly limited set of data for this particular text.

I am reminded of Groucho Marx's quote: "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member." (This is why you're all being treated to a healthy dose of man leg.)
--------

*I even have the LibraryThing book barcode scanner, the CueCat. I enjoy using this instrument more than I really want to admit (it's like playing "store") though the CueCat does look a bit... um... tawdry.

I have no idea what this scary rug is... I took this picture from LibraryThing's website.

panel in nyc

2009-03-07T18:10:00.011-05:00

I'll be speaking at the New York City JCC with my fellow writers, Coe Booth and Lisa Greenwald. Come if you're in the neighborhood.

"What's A Girl To Read?": A Panel Discussion with Young Adult Authors
Wed, March 25, 2009
6:30pm Networking Reception; 7-9pm Program

There is life beyond Twilight and Gossip Girl! Meet authors Lisa Greenwald (My Life in Pink and Green), Coe Booth (Tyrell & Kendra), and Gabrielle Zevin (Elsewhere) and find out the latest buzz on this increasingly popular genre. The evening will feature a moderated discussion on books geared at teen girls, with an opportunity for Q&A. The author’s books will also be available for purchase.
http://www.mayan.org/currentevents.asp

The JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY
RSVP to Jodie Gordon at jodie@mayan.org.

adventures in self-googling #3: lip gloss

2009-02-15T20:42:00.010-05:00

Apparently, Swedish Memoirs comes with lip gloss.

Although I can't say for certain, I believe that this is my first book to come with cosmetic freebies.

~~(P.S. Anyone know the translation of Jag minns inte varför jag älskar dig?)~~

Thanks to all (and by all, I mean, readers Laura, Sara, and my mom) who wrote (despite the fact that I turned off comments) to say that the Swedish title translates to I Don't Remember Why I Love You. Sara intriguingly reports that there is no Swedish word for AMNESIAC. I find myself wondering what they call Amnesia in Sweden? Perhaps, the Disease of Forgetting Which Happens Rarely in Life But Often as Plot Contrivance in Popular Entertaiments?

Tokyo Story #2: Old News

2009-01-13T21:34:00.012-05:00

No doubt, most interested parties have already seen these pictures, but I'll post them here anyway.

The funny thing for me is, aside from the cast consisting of amazing Japanese actors*, pretty much all of it looks exactly like I pictured it. (Though, hey, I never specifically imagined Naomi et al as NOT Japanese either.) So yeah, we have those pesky steps! That brooding handsome dude! That short haircut! Devoted readers will note that James/Yugi rides a motorcycle in this version. You may also note the presence of a Caucasian guy in a -- sigh! -- trucker hat. This is Hans. (Many thanks to all who commented with well wishes by the way; we both enjoyed hearing from you!)

Incidentally, I've also watched a finished scene -- Naomi and James/Yugi sled down the steps -- and not to disparage the book, but in my opinion, it's better than the book. Incredibly romantic.
----------
*This too has been reported elsewhere but I'm still thrilled to report that the American cast includes Emma Roberts and Anton Yelchin.

Tokyo Story #1 & The Writing Life #4: Japanese Memoirs; Love is Hell (ain't it the truth?); Glass Fruit; Feud; Variety hates writers (maybe just me?)

2008-12-03T00:00:00.004-05:00

Several years ago, Elsewhere received the Sakura Medal, an award given by the students of the various International Schools in Japan. I was delighted to receive this award because it comes with an actual medal* and, if you knew me, you'd know I like to obnoxiously bestow FAKE medals all the time. The "doing the dishes" medal, say. Or the very prestigious "cleared all the old television shows from my DVR" medal. Or the rarely given but hugely coveted "managed to not check Amazon.com for a month" medal.

Now, the strangely appropriate thing about this story is that a Japanese-language film version of Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac is currently shooting in Tokyo. The movie has been re-set to happen at an International School and, of course, translated to Japanese -- much else remains the same from the book. I know this because I wrote the screenplay. The movie stars Kenichi Matsuyama (as James now Yugi), Yuya Tegoshi (as Will now Mirai), and Maki Horikita (as Naomi still Naomi -- Naomi is a Japanese name; I picked it for the book because the Japanese characters translate to beautiful correction -- strangely appropriate again, I'd say). I am told that, if I were a Japanese teenage girl or even Japanese, I'd be screaming wildly at this cast. As the movie is set at an International School, there will be two young, well-known American actors in the cast -- more on them later. You can read a wildly inaccurate article about the movie from Variety that doesn't mention me or the book at all.

On other fronts, Love is Hell, the anthology I'm in along with Justine Larbalestier, Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfeld, and Laurie Faria Stolarz is now in stores and available for purchase online. I know this because I've been getting quite a bit of e-mail about my story and yeah, I'll try to post something in response to your very intriguing queries in the not so distant. Aside from the fact that he refers to me as Gabriel, Scott Westerfeld** does an awfully good job synopsizing the anthology on his blog. What I'd add to that is Publishers Weekly called the book "consistently supple" -- which sounds to me rather like a fine leather sofa and possibly an oxymoron, depending on which definition of supple one's chosen. Oh reviewers, how you tease me with your ADVERB + ADJECTIVE praise construction. Over the course of my career, I've been "playfully touching," "darkly whimsical," "effectively taut" -- actually, this is starting to sound sort of dirty; we had better quit here.

Re: the photo. Readers of Memoirs will recognize this as the first scene of the book: James (now Yugi) runs to Naomi who is lying at the bottom of the stairs with the rescued camera. More pictures to come as I get permission to post them.

--------------------
*I've been fortunate enough to win several prizes over the years. (And really, how nice for me! I thought my prize-getting days had ended with the 1995 Spanish River High School Senior Awards Assembly.) The most recent thing I won was the Delaware Blue Hen Teen Book Award for Memoirs which came with a very nice certificate (Thank you so very much, Delaware teen readers and librarians!) -- but my favorite prize is the Georgia Peach Teen Book Award. Honorable Mention for Elsewhere came with a beautiful blown glass peach. In my opinion, all awards should come with blown glass fruit.

**I am rarely told I resemble anyone but I have, on several occasions, been told I look like the girl from the cover of Scott Westerfeld's Extras. Mostly this happened on my 2007 Book Tour -- I suspect it was because everywhere I went, Scott Westerfeld had just been there the day before on his own book tour for Extras. I was thus bombarded by tales of Scott Westerfeld's epic charm and wit. e.g. "Scott Westerfeld wore his pajamas! Isn't that awesome?" Or once, in a city Scott Westerfeld HAD NOT yet been, I asked, "So, was Scott Westerfeld just here?" And the librarian turned to the bookseller who had arranged my appearance and said, "No, but could you get us Scott Westerfeld next time? We LOVE him! And has anyone ever mentioned that you look like the girl from Extras?" So yeah, buy Love Is Hell. I'm liked, but I'd say Scott Westerfeld is well liked, and therein lies all the difference.

For comparison's sake, a picture taken of me by my mom from my birthday just past. I really should be liberally cropped and scowling more to be the girl from Extras.

The girl from Extras. She should be scowling less to be me. And she should really do something about that crazy eye.

The Writing Life #3: The Story of the First Bit of Creative Writing I Ever Got Paid For and/or a Gossip-y Anecdote Featuring Vampires!

2008-11-19T15:22:00.003-05:00

Ten or so years ago, the first bit of creative writing for which I was ever paid was a screenplay.

About vampires.

A vampire love story, no less

About a girl named Maggie who restored paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She worked at night when the museum was closed. It was the perfect job for her because she couldn't go out during the day on account of sunlight being her Kryptonite and all. She looked eighteen, but was really one-hundred years old. She'd stopped killing for blood years ago -- she got her supply from a blood bank. Maggie was basically going through the motions of being alive. Until, that is, she met Porter Rhodes...

[cue romantic music]

The story was meant to be anti-horror. It was basically a love triangle among Maggie, Porter, and Maggie's vampire roommate, Aaron. (Aaron was the one who had "made" Maggie nearly one hundred years prior, and he was in love with her.) From my point of view, the story was a chance for me to explore what it means to be human and why we choose to love when surely we will lose. As a writer, I was most interested in Maggie's dilemma -- she doesn't age while Porter will get older and older. Why does a one-hundred year old woman, who really ought to know better, sign on for such things? I was further intrigued by the fact that, while Maggie appeared to be a younger woman (Porter was 25-ish) and weaker than her beau, she was not only older but wiser and stronger.

All right, that's the plot. Here's where we come to the gossip-y part of the story:

So, the script bumped around the independent film industry for about a decade. Someone would option it; I'd get paid a little money.

In 2006, eight years after I wrote the first draft, the movie came very close to happening. Hans, my director partner, and I were enjoying a little mini-wave of success around the release of CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER WOMEN, the movie we made with Aaron "Two-face" Eckhart and Helena "Mrs. Lovett" Bonham Carter. And this tiny wave was almost, almost enough to make the movie happen.

And you'll never guess who was going to play the part of the vampire, Aaron?

Robert Pattinson.

[cue girlish screams]

Who, of course, is now Edward in TWILIGHT.

[and more girlish screams]

Small world, right?

The other roles were cast. Crew was hired. Storyboards were drawn. Locations were scouted. And then, as these things tend to do, the whole thing fell apart.

And this, Readers, is one of the major perks of writing books as supposed to screenplays.

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Re: the photo. It's one I took at my neighborhood Barnes & Noble around December 2005 or January 2006. (In point of fact, it's a picture I took to send to my writing pen pal at the time, Stephenie Meyer -- really, ridiculously, uncomfortably small world, right?) I look at the image with some degree of nostalgia, the same way one might view an old class picture.

Adventures with My Pen #5: Once and for All, the Difference Between Writing Books for Children and Writing Books for Adults

2008-11-14T12:23:00.017-05:00

When I'm signing contracts for my "Adult" books, I use a much larger and far more serious pen.

Gabrielle Performs Her Civic Duty

2008-11-04T12:59:00.012-05:00

Ah, isn't this an inspirational backdrop for voting? Doesn't it just make you want to sing "America the Beautiful"?

Here, you'll see my one eye voting. Or, at least, standing by a VOTE HERE sign and pretending to vote. No, of course I voted. I live in New York City's awesome District 68 -- holla atcha District 68! -- which, according to my polling representative, includes mainly brownstones and other small buildings -- which means voting only took about five minutes. If I lived in District 67 or 66, I'd still be waiting and not blogging inanely. Those District 66 & 67 suckas live in fancy high rises which means there are a lot more of them packed into a small area. Man, I am so glad I live in a lowly lowrise.

Look! My hair voted, too! (Okay, I was having technical problems taking pictures of myself AND the sign using my iPhone camera. This picture captures precisely neither.)

A boy passing by looked at the VOTE HERE/VOTE AQUI sign and said, "What's aqui?" And I thought to myself, Open your eyes, Kid! Aqui is HERE! It's here! It's all freakin' happening and you were here!

What Gabrielle Does When Not Blogging

2008-11-02T00:30:00.005-04:00

Very occasionally, I write books.

Because I'm terrible at synopsizing my own work, I give you the deal posting from PUBLISHER'S LUNCH, brought to you by my Internet friend and fellow writer, Joelle Anthony.*

Gabrielle Zevin's THE HOLE WE'RE IN, about three decades in the life of a downwardly mobile family of five, and their unique struggles with credit card debt, ambition, materialism, rationalization, denial and the war in Iraq, to Lauren Wein at Grove/Atlantic, by Douglas Stewart at Sterling Lord Literistic (NA).

Boy, that sounds serious, right? And awfully grown up-ish. Right now, the avid Gabrielle Zevin may be asking him- or herself, Where are the talking dogs, Gabrielle?

Alas, despite having the word "children" in the title, the new book is, like my first novel MARGARETTOWN, for adults. In any case, I'll definitely be talking about it more in the months to come. In terms of content, the book ought to be fine for most of my readers who are sixteen or up. And it is definitely fine for parents and librarians. For my younger readers, don't lose heart -- you'll be old some day -- sooner than you think -- and I'm also nearly done with a book for you, too.**

Re: the photograph. Hans took it at Heathrow where apparently they've begun selling books in vending machines. You'll notice that the machine sports an admirably diverse array of authors! Louis Sachar! Zadie Smith! Jeffrey Deaver! Sudoku! All living together without regard for genre distinctions or age classifications or tedious organizing principles! It's like a snack machine with Snickers and potato chips and sushi and pizza and buffriedos and cardboard! Mmm, delicious! It is my great dream to one day have a book featured in a snack machine.

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*I'm a fan of Joelle's disturbingly comprehensive list of YA novel cliches. I think I've done just about all of them.

**For those who absolutely cannot wait for more Gabrielle Zevin content, I have a longish short story in the anthology, LOVE IS HELL, which is now available for pre-order. LOVE IS HELL also has stories by Justine Larbalestier, Melissa Marr, Laurie Faria Stolarz, and Scott Westerfeld -- all excellent young adult content generators indeed. Say, have you heard of that book where the ordinary clumsy girl falls for the sparkly, vaguely obsessive vampire dude? (I think it's just starting to catch on.) My story is a bit inspired by that whole thing.

Gabrielle Settles the Question

2008-10-14T17:58:00.005-04:00

The most popular question I am asked by readers, both young and old, is whether I believe in Elsewhere. Whether I think that, when we die, we go to a place where we age backwards until we are born again. The simple answer is I don't. As I've said many times, I wrote ELSEWHERE because I wanted to write about the things that matter to me in this life, the life we are in, and the only life I know for certain. I wanted to write a story that talked about the essential questions of life: as I see it, how do we continue to love when we know we will surely lose? Why is it worth it to BE in this life when, eventually, everyone you love and everyone who loves you will one day be gone? ELSEWHERE was my attempt to answer those questions, and my answer is that a life consists of many beautiful and small moments, and one most be conscious and grateful for all of them as much as possible

I think many of you will know that the other reason I wrote ELSEWHERE is for my dog. A character based on her begins the book and well (SPOILER ALERT!) appears again.

My dog died today. She was a wonderful companion to me -- every book I've written (4 and 1/2) she sat on my lap and I really don't know if I'll know how to write a book without her there. For the record, I don't think she is in Elsewhere, but some tiny, tiny part of me likes to think that she might be.

Adventures with My Pen #4: My Pen Contemplates Mortality, etc.

2008-09-25T08:39:00.001-04:00

Will my ink run dry? Can my cartridge be replaced? What if everyone types and no one uses pens anymore? Am I doing enough to increase my Internet presence? Pens used to be so much better... I wish I could have been a pen during Paris in the twenties. Is anyone even reading this?

Adventures with My Pen #3: Book Party!

2008-09-24T10:25:00.005-04:00

Evenings spent in the company of other writers often leave my pen claustrophobic, anxious and depressed.

Adventures with My Pen #2: In Which She Attempts to Return to Work

2008-09-22T18:30:00.010-04:00

After a weekend spent cavorting with her beau, my pen tries to return to work but finds herself utterly incapacitated by the great work of writers before her.

Adventures with My Pen #1: My Pen's Gone and Got Herself a Fella

2008-09-19T14:16:00.015-04:00

He's a mean green writing machine.

Now, I can't get her to write a thing.

Traffic Report #1

2008-09-18T10:47:00.029-04:00

A partial list of search engine phrases that brought visitors to my website, 8/18/08 - 9/18/08

I shall do my best to assist.

olivia wilde smoking cigarettes
While Ms. Wilde is perfectly delightful in the film I wrote, Conversations with Other Women, I'm sorry to report that her part doesn't require her to smoke a single cigarette. Helena Bonham Carter does all the smoking.

brief summary, memoirs of a teenage amnesiac
Girl hits head. Complications.

brief summary, elsewhere
Girl hits head. Complications.

bad reviews
Yup, I've got 'em. http://memoirsofa.com/Gallery_of_Bad_Reviews.html

fugue for seven madwomen
A play I wrote when I was seventeen years old. If the seeker of this information happens to have been a former cast member, drop a line.

how old is gabrielle zevin?
Thirteen years post Fugue for Seven Madwomen, thankfully. (30)

songs, conversations with other women
"Ripchord" by Rilo Kiley; "J'en connais," "L'excessive," and "Le plus beau du quartier" by Carla Bruni

man, uncertain about other women
I wish I knew how to help you, Sir. (Or Madam.)

twitter gabrielle zevin
You can certainly try, but you won't have any luck.

life is elsewhere
Not my book, but Milan Kundera's. Shall I take this opportunity to quote my favorite passage from The Unbearable Lightness of Being? Indeed I shall: "We can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come."

what does fa fa mean in french?
Good question.

Brief Interview with Self #2: Identity Crisis Edition

2008-09-15T18:00:00.003-04:00

Q: Why are you no longer called The Reluctant Blogger?

A: Well, Self, I'm so glad you asked that. The main reason is that there were many reluctant bloggers blogging reluctantly already:

The Reluctant Blogger http://www.thereluctantblogger.com/blog/

"posting sporadically since 2005"

The Reluctant Blogger #2 http://www.henrykisor.blogspot.com/

"when writer's block strikes a poor but honest and hard-working mystery author"

Reluctant Blogger http://www.reluctantblogger.com/

"thoughts.Serialize(); //TODO Refactor into something meaningful"

Reluctant Blogger #2 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/debcorley/

"I'm a homeschooling mom of three. Married to my wonderful, musical husband for 14 years, Dennis"

Reluctant Blogger #3 http://lauren-thereluctantblogger.blogspot.com/

"Tales of a Busy Mommy Learning to Stop and Smell the Roses"

Reluctant Blogger #4 http://endbrain.livejournal.com/

"i came, i wrote, you read"

Diary of a Reluctant Blogger http://www.diaryofareluctantblogger.com/

"navigates the world of social media and looks for innovation and strategic imagination within the association / non-profit industry."

The Reluctant Blogger Knits! http://thereluctantbloggerknits.blogspot.com/

"...her knitting trials, travails and triumphs... Warning: This is not a cat-free zone."

And this is just the first page of Google.

So many of us.

So much reluctance.

And, I couldn't, in good conscience, call myself THE RELUCTANT BLOGGER. At best, I'd be A RELUCTANT BLOGGER. And I ask You (or Me, I suppose): what do You really have to contribute to the Canon of Reluctance?

So, that's why this blog is now called...

you know, whatever it says up there at the top.

(However, I remain reluctant.)

Mailbag #1: In Which the Author Catches Up on Her Much Neglected Correspondence

2008-09-13T19:38:00.025-04:00

Lindsey W. writes:
"If there was one character [in MEMOIRS] you'd like to change, who would it be?"

Lindsey, how dare you! Are you implying that the characters in my books aren't perfect?

But, if you're asking me what advice I'd give them if I ran into them as actual breathing people in life, then that's another story.

For instance, here's what I'd say to James: Yes, it's true. You're rather moody and depressive, but on the positive side of things, you're very handsome and women seem to find you attractive. So, lighten up, my dear. Life isn't so bad as all that. Love and let people love you, and life will get so much easier, I swear.

Or Will: All right, you're not at your peak attractiveness to women just yet. But wait about ten years...

Or Naomi: Avoid stairs.

Malena M. writes:
"MEMOIRS kind of confused me a little bit around the time Naomi got her memory back. So was she a stuck up snob or not?... Oh, and why did she go out with Ace in the first place????? he was such a brainless jerk. And does Naomi end up getting reattached to her mom????"

Ah Malena, I think Naomi was both a stuck up snob and not. As I've gotten older, I've realized that it's entirely possible to be two things at the same time--to want to change but to have no idea how to go about that.

I didn't necessarily think Ace was a "brainless jerk." He isn't as verbal as Will or James which might, at times from Naomi's point-of-view, make him seem thoughtless/brainless/jerky. But the truth is, she underestimates him just as she underestimates her attachment to many other things in her life. Naomi went out with Ace because he was popular, good looking, and actually a pretty decent guy. Luckily, we don't have to marry everyone we date.

Yes, Naomi is "reattached" to her mother. In a way, it would be impossible for her not to be -- her mother is the keeper of so much of her history and life. I think we see this a bit when she goes to see her mother about the photography project.

Francesca R. writes:
"I was wondering, do you think there will be a sequel to [MEMOIRS] in the near future?"

As a reader, I can certainly enjoy sequels. As a writer, not so much. The joy of writing for me comes from discovering a new set of characters in an entirely different world. BUT, one of the main characters from Memoirs (not Naomi) may make an appearance in the book I'm working on right now.

Svetlana K. writes:
"[MARGARETTOWN] inspired me to create a tarot spread.... It's at http://nitelitetarot.blogspot.com/2008/09/spread-margarettown.html"

Svetlana, this delights me for several reasons. For one, Margarettown is, by far, my least popular book -- except in Italy where it was called Frammenti di una storia d'amore which apparently worked a lot better than the title I gave it. For two, I certainly never thought I'd see a tarot spread on any of my books. Now, all my other books are jealous.

Catie W. writes:
"In ELSEWHERE, Emily talks about losing her baby after Owen died. What was the name of the baby going to be? I was thinking that maybe she was going to name him after Owen, but her nephew's name was Owen so that made me unsure."

Catie, I wanted this name to be a secret between Owen and Emily, and the name is omitted on purpose. In a way, I hoped the reader would be put in the same position as Owen: watching Emily every moment but still only knowing so much.

Gabrielle Z. writes:
"Did you really think you were going to get through all your e-mail in one night?"

Yeah, I kind of did. This was way too ambitious though. This will have to be in multiple parts. In the mean time, enjoy this terrific little book trailer for Memoirs from the good people at the Lansing Public Library:

The Seven Deadly Sins and Me, Part 1 of 7: Vanity, and/or The Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Me on the Internet, and/or The Writing Life #3

2008-09-05T00:00:00.019-04:00

Curl up, Readers, it's about to get Very, Very Serious here at the blog formerly known as The Reluctant Blogger -- the writer ("Me") is about to teach the reader ("You") A Brief but Very Important Lesson about Vanity.

Once upon a time, I liked to visit my Wikipedia page. One of those times, someone had replaced my entire biography with the sentence "I like to eat poop." (Ah, Wikipedia, you know me so well...) I don't visit Wikipedia anymore.*

*Except for really important research that I know will be totally unbiased and factual.

Last Lines #3 & The Writing Life #2: Action-Packed, All-Starred, Double-Featured, One Week Anniversary Edition

2008-08-24T22:20:00.010-04:00

Just so there's no question whether I'm a complete nerd or not, one of my very favorite television programs is American Masters on PBS. Mainly, I like it because it has to do with how it is hard (not like soldier hard or being born with a terrible disease hard, but hard nonetheless) to be an artist and all that self-indulgent hooey AKA the kind of hooey in which I very much like to indulge. Last night, there was a very good & inspirational one on Leonard Bernstein who would have been ninety years old this week. Among other things, the program talked about how it was hard for him to want to be alone & write when there were so many other interesting things to pursue like conducting & teaching & traveling & peacemaking & hosting fundraisers for the Black Panthers & having a most exhausting social life, etc., etc. This is something I relate to aside from the conducting, teaching, peacemaking, Black Panthers fundraising, & exhausting social life parts. So, Maestro, wherever you are, these last lines go out to you:

"It is enough, it is to be blessed enough, to live from day to day and to hear such music - not too much, or the soul could not sustain it - from time to time."
from An Equal Music by Vikram Seth*

*An Equal Music is probably one of my favorite books published in the last ten years or so.

**The photograph is of young Leonard Bernstein, who was definitely hot. It's one I took of my television as you can tell by the subtly embossed Thirteen logo...

Brief Interview with Dog #1

2008-08-21T20:00:00.008-04:00

Q: Do you find my tendency to anthropomorphize you annoying?

A: Pug cocks head; says nothing; I take this to mean, "No, it does not."

Brief Interview with Self #1: Inaugural Edition

2008-08-20T17:51:00.009-04:00

Q: Why have a "blog"? Isn't that a bit "2003"?

A: Gee, Self, I'm not entirely sure. Publishers seem to think it's a good idea and I, for one (and you can probably confirm this), was getting awfully tired of re-designing the website every time I wanted to convey the smallest piece of news to readers about my books, etc. But the whole thing still makes me feel a bit queasy/extremely late to the party. Additionally, I have always loathed the word "blog." I also hate "okay" and "baffle."

Adventures in Self-Googling #2: Playmobil Elsewhere

2008-08-18T09:18:00.019-04:00

I'm not sure who deserves credit -- it's tagged Evanston Public Library on flickr.com -- but someone has craftily recreated Elsewhere using Playmobil people and other sundries.

Liz gets hit by a truly terrifying ceramic taxi.

The SS Nile.

Cruel Irony -- Liz is given driving lessons in the same vehicle that killed her!

The Well.

View the whole thing: http://flickr.com/photos/28280892@N07/sets/72157605997081879/

The Writing Life #1: Insatiable with an 'E'

2008-08-17T22:21:00.016-04:00

"It wasn’t until the 1980s, when her diaries were published, that the proper and diligent bourgeois woman was revealed to be an often lonely and frustrated person driven by bottomless needs and insatiable longings. (Or to put it another way: a writer.)"

on Anne of Green Gables writer L.M. Montgomery

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/books/review/Bolick-t.html?ref=books

Last Lines #2

2008-08-17T19:18:00.008-04:00

"If this were really the end, if this were only my story, I would tell you everything."

Love Invents Us by Amy Bloom

Adventures in Self-Googling #1: Anderswo

2008-08-16T14:17:00.018-04:00

A still from a German school play version of Elsewhere.

According to the accompanying newspaper article (and my really precise Babel Fish translation of aforementioned article), it was, in the German tradition, an evening where sadness and humor coexisted in equal measure... Or, um, something sort of close to that.

http://www.svz.de/lokales/guestrow/artikeldetails/article/214/es-war-viel-zu-schnell-zu-ende.html

Last Lines #1

2008-08-15T21:52:00.017-04:00

"But the sky was bright, and he somehow felt he was headed in the right direction."

Stuart Little by E.B. White

(in honor of the mouse who passed on my living room rug last night)