Great article on salon.com about the Magic Under Glass controversy (a historical YA by Jaclyn Dolamore), featuring quotes from our own Ari of Reading In Color. Glad Salon took up the issue.
I feel for the author--her first book, no less--who is the one caught in the middle of all this. I remember that feeling of getting an offer after so many rejections, so many years of slogging, and thinking, "YES, finally!" Only to be mired in something like this? Ugh.
I have more to blog about, but wanted to put that up before the day got away from me.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Humour; Links
Here's a blog I discovered late last night. Diana is one of my more recent followers, and she describes her blog as being "entirely about myself. I might pick up the occasional issue and argue it weakly, but other than that, it's ALL ABOUT ME." I was cackling out loud, even when I climbed into bed. Particularly over the post about the "Ass pastries," and the one called "Tan." THANK YOU, Diana.
Canadian blogger, Niranjana Iyer, has a wonderful review of SHINE here. I love that she caught so many of the layers I consciously incorporated into the text. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, Niranjana!
And author Melissa C. Walker posted about the cover for SHINE here. I believe Melissa is the first blogger to ask me whether *I* liked my cover. I know I must not have been asked about this before, because I really scrunched up my face when I was answering. Most people want to know the story behind the cover, but rarely do I get asked how I feel about it. Thank you, Melissa, for giving me the opportunity to put it into words :).
Canadian blogger, Niranjana Iyer, has a wonderful review of SHINE here. I love that she caught so many of the layers I consciously incorporated into the text. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, Niranjana!
And author Melissa C. Walker posted about the cover for SHINE here. I believe Melissa is the first blogger to ask me whether *I* liked my cover. I know I must not have been asked about this before, because I really scrunched up my face when I was answering. Most people want to know the story behind the cover, but rarely do I get asked how I feel about it. Thank you, Melissa, for giving me the opportunity to put it into words :).
Monday, January 18, 2010
Yearning for Freedom; and Some News!
So many things to blog about today. I was originally going to come here and do a post about my thoughts on the film Amelia, which I saw last night. But because there are other, more timely issues to blog about, I'll just give you a quick summary:
To put it in a nutshell, it was an interesting film. I was mildly interested in watching it at first--not sure which aspect of Ms. Earhart's life would be broached and/or sensationalized. But when I found out that Mira Nair directed it, I was immediately more interested. I kept thinking, as I watched, about how colonization is so much more than the invasion of nations. It is the thorough and devastating invasion of bodies, minds, and souls. Specifically, I thought about the colonization of women's bodies, minds, and souls.
Amelia Earhart was a wealthy white woman who ran with the politically elite. Her husband was George Putnam, as in G.P. Putnam & Sons--the mega-publisher. Earhart had dinner with the Roosevelts. She could afford flying lessons. And yet, she was still a woman in a patriarchal, sexist world. She was still often treated like a child (something PoC encounter on a regular basis), and many decisions were made for her by the men in her life, often "for her own good." She bucked many conventions of her time and she yearned to be free. Something so many of us can relate to.
What caught me by surprise was how sad I was at the end. I knew what the ending was, and history has recorded how Ms. Earhart died, and still, I could not stop the flow of tears. Here is my favourite quote from the movie: "Everyone has oceans to fly, as long as you have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?" --Amelia Earhart, 1897-1937.
Another quote that has resonated for me on this particular day is "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." That one is from Martin Luther King, Jr. And how ironic that today I should read about yet another furor, online, over the whitewashing of a book cover. Once again, it is the Bloomsbury team, deciding that a cover with a white model depicting a protagonist who is "brown-skinned" will sell more books, that is at issue. Several posts have been written on the topic already: Ari's heartfelt, powerful open letter, Susan's post/s, and the post and ensuing discussion over at The Story Siren.
I agree with Zetta's sentiment on her blog, "I don’t have time to respond to all the ignorant remarks...", particularly because there are so many. But I do LOVE that there are bloggers out there who see this issue as something that affects them, and are taking it on themselves, or as allies. Brava to you! The only thing that really irked me in the comments I read was the suggestion that those who are outraged about the cover should somehow be "nicer" in their outrage. Let me just point out that sometimes PoC, women, LGBTQ folks, the working class, and other people who've had their voices marginalized, get angry. When you're being battered on a daily basis, you're bound to get a little pissed. And then, if you see people you love--your little brother, your cousin, your mom, your child, your grandpa--relentlessly battered as well, you'll not likely reach out lovingly, softly, compassionately, to "teach" someone that their silence is not only NOT helping you, but that it is helping to keep the very systems in place that bruise and batter you every single day. To tell people who've had long histories of violence, subjugation, brutality, colonization, and/or slavery, that it would be better for them to be "nice" about their pain and outrage at being erased yet again -- because they might hurt someone else's feelings, otherwise -- is really another way of saying "shut up." It truly is. Audre Lorde's famous quote, "Your silence will not protect you" comes to mind; the extension of that being, "Your silence will not help others."
The other thing I wanted to blog about today, that I really shouldn't put last -- but I've written this post in the order things happened today -- is this: some of you know that I am writing in another genre under a pen name. Well, today, I received an offer for my first full-length novel in that genre, and I couldn't be more delighted. I will not reveal my pen name on this blog, nor provide any more information than I just did, but suffice it to say that if you do discover my alternate identity, I will not deny it's me :).
Wishing you all a thoughtful, reflective MLK, Jr. Day as we celebrate one man's message and his life's work.
To put it in a nutshell, it was an interesting film. I was mildly interested in watching it at first--not sure which aspect of Ms. Earhart's life would be broached and/or sensationalized. But when I found out that Mira Nair directed it, I was immediately more interested. I kept thinking, as I watched, about how colonization is so much more than the invasion of nations. It is the thorough and devastating invasion of bodies, minds, and souls. Specifically, I thought about the colonization of women's bodies, minds, and souls.
Amelia Earhart was a wealthy white woman who ran with the politically elite. Her husband was George Putnam, as in G.P. Putnam & Sons--the mega-publisher. Earhart had dinner with the Roosevelts. She could afford flying lessons. And yet, she was still a woman in a patriarchal, sexist world. She was still often treated like a child (something PoC encounter on a regular basis), and many decisions were made for her by the men in her life, often "for her own good." She bucked many conventions of her time and she yearned to be free. Something so many of us can relate to.
What caught me by surprise was how sad I was at the end. I knew what the ending was, and history has recorded how Ms. Earhart died, and still, I could not stop the flow of tears. Here is my favourite quote from the movie: "Everyone has oceans to fly, as long as you have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?" --Amelia Earhart, 1897-1937.
Another quote that has resonated for me on this particular day is "Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle." That one is from Martin Luther King, Jr. And how ironic that today I should read about yet another furor, online, over the whitewashing of a book cover. Once again, it is the Bloomsbury team, deciding that a cover with a white model depicting a protagonist who is "brown-skinned" will sell more books, that is at issue. Several posts have been written on the topic already: Ari's heartfelt, powerful open letter, Susan's post/s, and the post and ensuing discussion over at The Story Siren.
I agree with Zetta's sentiment on her blog, "I don’t have time to respond to all the ignorant remarks...", particularly because there are so many. But I do LOVE that there are bloggers out there who see this issue as something that affects them, and are taking it on themselves, or as allies. Brava to you! The only thing that really irked me in the comments I read was the suggestion that those who are outraged about the cover should somehow be "nicer" in their outrage. Let me just point out that sometimes PoC, women, LGBTQ folks, the working class, and other people who've had their voices marginalized, get angry. When you're being battered on a daily basis, you're bound to get a little pissed. And then, if you see people you love--your little brother, your cousin, your mom, your child, your grandpa--relentlessly battered as well, you'll not likely reach out lovingly, softly, compassionately, to "teach" someone that their silence is not only NOT helping you, but that it is helping to keep the very systems in place that bruise and batter you every single day. To tell people who've had long histories of violence, subjugation, brutality, colonization, and/or slavery, that it would be better for them to be "nice" about their pain and outrage at being erased yet again -- because they might hurt someone else's feelings, otherwise -- is really another way of saying "shut up." It truly is. Audre Lorde's famous quote, "Your silence will not protect you" comes to mind; the extension of that being, "Your silence will not help others."
The other thing I wanted to blog about today, that I really shouldn't put last -- but I've written this post in the order things happened today -- is this: some of you know that I am writing in another genre under a pen name. Well, today, I received an offer for my first full-length novel in that genre, and I couldn't be more delighted. I will not reveal my pen name on this blog, nor provide any more information than I just did, but suffice it to say that if you do discover my alternate identity, I will not deny it's me :).
Wishing you all a thoughtful, reflective MLK, Jr. Day as we celebrate one man's message and his life's work.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Toronto Pics
Here are a couple of pics from the Toronto book signings at Chapters/Indigo bookstores...
And here are the Eaton Centre Debs! L to R: Lara Zielin, author of DONUT DAYS; Me, author of SHINE, COCONUT MOON; Rhonda Stapleton, author of STUPID CUPID; and Megan Crewe, author of GIVE UP THE GHOST.
Both malls had surprisingly heavy traffic, given that we were after the holidays, and the Eaton Centre was jam-packed. Great fun was had by all, and we got to meet so many wonderful people. Next time, I will eat lots of butter tarts!
This was me at the first signing, signing my little fingers off...
That's R.J. Anderson, author of FAERY REBELS; Megan Crewe, author of GIVE UP THE GHOST; and Me at the first signing in Yorkdale Mall
Both malls had surprisingly heavy traffic, given that we were after the holidays, and the Eaton Centre was jam-packed. Great fun was had by all, and we got to meet so many wonderful people. Next time, I will eat lots of butter tarts!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Toronto Recap
But the best part was meeting people. I met readers who were smart, adorable, warm, and SMART. I met authors who were incredibly supportive. Canadian children's/YA authors really come out to support their own, man. Among the authors to stop by were Mahtab Narsimhan, Adrienne Kress, Helene Boudreau, Bev Katz Rosenbaum, Cheryl Rainfield, and Debbie Ridpath Ohi just to name a few. Both signings had a strong show of support from the local talent. Of course, my fellow Debs were a wealth of information as usual (you ROCK, Megan!!), and I felt like I'd known them all forever -- even the ones I met for the first time. In fact, Rhonda Stapleton has a great, fun post on the signing up on her blog. It wasn't until I was reading her post that I realized I never had a butter tart!! That's a butter tart in the pic, above. It is making my mouth water RIGHT. NOW. If anyone is coming down from Toronto, please bring me some butter tarts.
The only two things I wanted to make sure I did: 1) eat Sri Lankan food, and 2) eat a couple boxes of butter tarts, and I didn't get to do either. Though I have noticed that most of my "must do" lists begin with the word "eat..."
My best friend from high school came to the second signing at the Eaton Centre, and a close friend from third grade showed up at the first signing. Both a total surprise! I had a lovely sit-down with two college friends who've done some pretty amazing, socially conscious film work since we all graduated from film school--one is a producer of documentaries and commercials, and the other does camera work for documentaries around the world (I'm so proud of you guys!). My kid brother came and hung out with me, which was SO fun (wish I could've spent more time with you, D!). And I have to give a shoutout to the reader who told me, "I checked your book out at the library, read it, then RAN to buy it from the store..." You totally made my night, Li!
The Indigo/Chapters staff was amazing, attentive, and so behind us every step of the way at both Yorkdale and the Eaton Centre. My Canadian publicist, Larissa, came to Yorkdale, "flapped" the books (which, I learned, is when you put the cover flap over the first few pages of a book so that it opens to the signing page--a small thing, but it makes a huge difference when you're signing many books), and hung out for the whole signing. We chatted about "vacationing" in remote locations and why this seems to be popular with some husbands. Larissa has been a total dream in this whole process. I also got to meet the rest of the S&S publicity folks this time around, and they are a slick, efficient, attractive bunch (just ask my kid brother who wasted no time chatting up one of the pretty associates), not to mention they are all super nice.
In between the two signings, I had a three-hour lunch with my new agent -- who is smart, gorgeous, savvy, and way taller than she looks in her Facebook picture. Her feedback on my manuscript was completely on the mark. I'm excited about our partnership, and looking forward what we can accomplish together as a team.
I missed my kids and Hollis terribly, and am completely exhausted, but it was, overall, a very productive, exciting, fun trip. Now, I dive head-first into revisions and don't come up for air for another couple of weeks!
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