By: Amy Bowllan,
on 3/22/2012
Neesha Meminger was kind enough to Skype in an interview with me regarding the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. Thank you, Neesha!
A special thanks and video credit goes to my niece, Kayla, who videotaped the Million Hoodie March in Union Square last night, and to my husband Mark, who videotaped this series of Skype interviews for me. Thank you!
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By: L. M. Baldwin,
on 3/16/2012
This month, YA author Neesha Meminger released Into the Wise Dark , it's her third novel and the second one to be self published. I really enjoyed it and absolutely loved the second half which was very intense and visually amazing. I will review it later but right now I simply wanted to talk about the female characters. Part of what I love about Meminger's writing is her desire to create realistic female characters of color, that have an inner strength that shines through. If someone asked me to define feminism I couldn't formulate a concise answer. However, I could easily point to one of Meminger's novels and say " This book was written by an author concerned about feminist ideas and how her female characters are perceived." This applies even more so to Into the Wise Dark.
"When I look closely at the little cards underneath each image I see that they are all of different goddesses. Under one, an image of a large rotund woman with full breasts and the entire world in her lap." Another small carved statue of a woman with rounded hips and big thighs. I walk around to look at the third, a colossal image of a golden woman in profile. She holds a baby out in her hands and rays radiate from them both." - (from advanced readers copy*)
I loved that the author equates size and curves with beauty. Meminger's newest novel is also filled with beautifully crafted moments that are not meant to stand and for that reason do just that; thanks to the authors continuous commitent to well rounded female protagonist.
*edited, I left out the names of the goddesses.
By: Amy Bowllan,
on 8/2/2011
One of my Facebook friends posted a “prayers for L.A. Banks” note about a month ago and today, as I was reading my Twitter feed, Neesha put out a tweet that Leslie Esdaile Banks had passed away this morning.
So sad. Banks suffered from late stage adrenal cancer and her family and friends have established a fund to help with expenses. There’s also a Writers’ Bash being held in her honor. Click HERE for more info.
Rest in peace, Leslie, and thank you for your tireless contributions to the literary world.
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By: Trisha, Gayle, and Jolene,
on 2/8/2011
{Trisha’s note: My most recent post at the Kirkus blog is about Neesha Meminger’s new novel, Jazz in Love. I said, among other things, that it was predictable but fun, and I was intrigued by Neesha’s response on her blog: “I don’t mind ‘predictable’ – there are thousands of predictable books on the shelves featuring white teens. In a sea of books about PoC who suffer nobly, are rescued by white or western saviours, or are living amidst despair and violence, I am delighted that in this book, South Asian teens get to star in a light, fun, somewhat predictable read that was compared to some of Meg Cabot’s (The Princess Diaries) writing 
.” Oh, I thought, I want to hear more about this! So I asked Neesha if she’d be willing to write a guest post about why predictable can be a good thing, and (yay!) she agreed.}
My first novel, Shine, Coconut Moon, which I am very proud of, was about race and identity–not groundbreaking themes in South Asian literature, or literature by and about people of colour in general. The book explored issues of racism, discrimination, terrorism. These themes have been done time and again, superbly, by many an author of colour before me.
My second novel, Jazz in Love, is steeped in teen culture and gets very close to the teen view of life. I was clear at the onset that I wanted to write a light, fun, contemporary novel featuring South Asian teens. I didn’t want to focus on the identity of my characters, but I didn’t want to ignore it either. I wanted to place my story smack dab in the middle of popular culture, and I wanted to create a world that consisted of teens from a variety of cultural backgrounds. While there are issues of class (Jazz’s parents are working class, unlike the usual Indian-American narrative), caste, spousal abuse and dating violence, there is no identity struggle, no overt racism or racial issues, no overt mention of discrimination and no references to terrorism. The “heavier” issues are dealt with using a light touch, and the focus is the universal journey of teens navigating the often volatile landscape of teenhood.
My first novel was picked up by a large, New York publisher and my second novel was self-published. I think the reasons Jazz in Love didn’t get picked up by a large publisher are complex. But one of them had to be the big economic crash in 2008. My (then) agent sent the manuscript around on Monday and on Wednesday news broke of what became known as “Black Wednesday” in publishing. Editors were laid off left and right, and most were afraid for their jobs. The last thing, I’m sure, an editor was thinking of doing at that time, was fighting to acquire a manuscript others might consider “risky”. There are so many reasons a book is successful or not, and a lot of them have to do with a publisher’s expectations for a book at the onset. One editor respon
What am I reading now? Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger
The Carrier of the Mark
Publishers of children’s books have, in recent years, come to appreciate the importance of social networking sites. The greatest role such sites play is to allow direct contact with your target audience. If you have a line of communication with your audience, you can sell to your audience.
HarperCollins Children’s Books took the concept of the social networking site a step further with the creation of Inkpop. Inkpop allows teen authors to submit pieces of writing to be read and discussed by their peers. Leigh Fallon, a teen writer from Ireland, did just that with her novel, The Carrier of the Mark. Her manuscript was subsequently voted into the “Top Five” an honour that garners a review by an editor at HarperCollins, and, perhaps, publication.
Fallon’s paranormal romance is the first Inkpop book to be chosen for print. The Carrier of the Mark is set for a Fall 2011 release.
Susan Katz, president and publisher of HarperCollins Children’s Books said, “Inkpop is HarperCollins Children’s Books’ first site (and not the last) to really put the users’ voice and ideas in the forefront. Social media is incredibly empowering if used correctly, and HarperCollins recognizes this and is gearing up to make social media the cornerstone of all of its digital endeavors.”
So, if you’re a teen writer, head on over to Inkpop. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Who knows? You could be the next Leigh Fallon.
0 Comments on Inkpop Snags Leigh Fallon as of 2/3/2011 8:14:00 AM
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By: Melissa Walker,
on 1/7/2011
Rgz SALON member Lyn Miller-Lachmann has been the Editor-in-Chief of MultiCultural Review; the author of the award-winning multicultural bibliography Our Family, Our Friends, Our World; the editor of Once Upon a Cuento, a collection of short stories by Latino authors; and most recently, the author of Gringolandia, a young adult novel about a refugee family living with the aftermath of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile. The book is in its second print run and is available for order. (Don't forget to read the fascinating Cover Story for Gringolandia.)
We're honored to have Lyn here as part of the rgz SALON, a feature where four of the top kidlit experts clue us in to the best YA novels they've read recently. Today, she reviews Jazz in Love by Neesha Meminger (Ignite Books, NY, 2011).
"Big Six publisher Simon & Schuster brought out Neesha Meminger’s debut YA novel, Shine, Coconut Moon, which I reviewed for Readergirlz Salon in November 2009. For her second novel, Meminger has chosen to join the growing indie publishing movement, and the impressive quality of writing and design that characterizes Jazz in Love bodes well for authors with unique stories who choose to go with small presses or strike out on their own.
By: Aline Pereira,
on 7/27/2009
PaperTigers is always happy to help spread the word on multicultural children’s and young adult literature events. If there is an event happening in your neighbourhood that you think would be of interest to our readers, send an email to corinne(at)papertigers(dot)org and we’ll post it on the blog. Here’s what promises to be a great event sent to us by Anjali Goyal, board member on The South Asian Women’s Creative Collective (SAWCC):
Beyond Gossip Girls: An Evening with Young Adult Authors Neesha Meminger and Sheba Karim
Books and films for young adults have exploded onto the scene recently with the success of the Twilight series, Gossip Girl, Harry Potter, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. How do teens of color fare amidst this explosion? What is it like to try to publish works with multicultural characters or characters of color in an industry clamoring for the next Twilight?
Join us for a reading and discussion with young adult novelists Neesha Meminger (author of Shine, Coconut
Moon) and Sheba Karim (author of Skunk Girl). Meminger and Karim deal with issues ranging from the Sikh experience post 9/11 and single parenthood to body image and Muslim American identity, while providing cohesive narratives of South Asian American adolescences and their growing pains. Both authors will read from their new novels and discuss their different paths to publication and writing for a teen audience. Booksigning and reception to follow.
Wednesday, July 29 at 7pm
The Asian American Writers’ Workshop
16 West 32nd Street, 10th Floor
New York, New York
By: Amanda,
on 4/7/2009
I've read three pretty great books lately, all about learning to love one's self, one's heritage, and one's physical features. Very important topics in the world today, facing teen girls. All too often you hear a girl saying how she doesn't like the way she looks or feels like her background hurts rather than helps her social reputation. In those instances, I definitely recommend one (or all) of these titles.
The first is a book I can now say I'm pretty much in love with. Shine, Coconut Moon is written by Neesha Meminger and focuses on Samar (or Sam), a typical teenage girl that just happens to have an Indian background. Her mother has not raised her to be religious, as she ran away from her ultra-strict family when she was younger. Sam doesn't really know anything about her heritage or culture. When she's called a "coconut" by a fellow Indian classmate, she doesn't even know what that means. Brown on the outside, but white on the inside, Sam is totally confused about who she is.
When estranged Uncle Sandeep arrives on their doorstep, at first Sam is completely taken aback, not sure what to make of him or why he is there. As she gets to know him, she learns what a wonderful person he is and slowly begins to gain interest in her Indian heritage, allowing her Uncle to teach her about it and help her to properly blend her Indian culture with her American culture. She also has started to understand what true prejudice is all about, as the story takes place right after the September 11th attacks and Uncle Sandeep is exactly what people seem to believe a terrorist looks like.
Filled with true emotion and very believable characters, I really really really hope you all go out and read this book. The plot is current and realistic and Samar is a beautiful, hope-filled character. I loved it! I think it belongs on all library shelves and is very deserving of being a gift to a teen girl.
Shine, Coconut Moon
Neesha Meminger
256 pages
Young Adult
Margaret K. McElderry Books
9781416954958
March 2009
Ten Things I Hate About Me, written by Randa Abdel-Fattah, is another book about the clash of cultures and not embracing one's heritage. Jamilah (or Jamie as she calls herself) is of Lebanese-Muslim background, living with a very strict father in Australia. None of her school friends know about her background, as most of them seem to believe that anyone with dark skin and a Muslim faith are terrorists. She just doesn't trust any of them to not disown her as a friend, so Jamie hides her cultural qualities by wearing blue colored contacts and dying her hair blonde, as well as laughing along with all the race driven jokes some of her classmates make.
When Jamie meets a friend online and begins revealing bits of herself to him, she starts to realize that maybe being completely Australian, never embracing her Lebanese culture, is not all it's cracked up to be. She begins to become offended by the typical jokes and comments made, and after some real self-searching, becomes proud of her heritage, rather than embarrassed by it. Learning about herself and her father along the way.
Though I didn't quite enjoy this book as much as Abdel-Fattah's first (Does My Head Look Big in This?), Ten Things I Hate About Me is still a good representation of embracing one's self. Jamilah is a bit flat in the beginning, but once the online conversations began, I liked her a lot more and believed what the author was trying to make her out to be.
This one is a good companion to Shine, Coconut Moon and nice for collections that have the author's first title. A good choice for a teen girl in need of some positivity about herself!
Ten Things I Hate About Me
Randa Abdel-Fattah
304 pages
Young Adult
Orchard Books
9780545050555
January 2009
Finally, moving onto self esteem in terms of physicality, we have My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter. Hilarious is the first term to come to mind when I think of this book, as well as dosed with a positive message.
In the "Summer of Passion," Jory Michaels is determined to accomplish 2 things. Find a boyfriend (preferably popular guy Tyler, who her best friend appears to have an interest in as well) and earn money for the ever-important nose job. She gets a job as a delivery girl for a local bakery to pay to change her huge nose and starts having some real love interests. The summer appears to be off to a great (and very humorous) start, but of course, what would a book be without some twists and turns?
Jory is really on a path of self-discovery, slowly learning about what is truly important in life. Those things are not always boys and appearances, but as any teen would be, she is very slow to realize that. Filled with some pretty great messages and lots of hilarious circumstances, this was an enjoyable read.
I did find that the book was a bit too long for my liking. I think it took longer than necessary to get to the point of the story...maybe losing about 50 pages would be good. I also feel the sexuality and drinking was a bit over the top too...not necessarily needed to make the point, but not so heavy that I wouldn't want teens to read it. Overall the good definitely outweighs the negatives and the message is great. A story that will definitely appeal to teen girls!
My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters
Sydney Salter
352 pages
Young adult
Graphia
9780152066437
April 2009
To learn more about any of these titles or to purchase, click on the book covers above to link to Amazon.
By: Kate Messner,
on 3/23/2009
Samar–a.k.a. Sam–is an Indian-American teenager whose mom has kept her away from her old-fashioned family. It's never bothered Sam, who is busy with school, friends, and a demanding boyfriend. But things change after 9/11. A guy in a turban shows up at Sam's house–and turns out to be her uncle. He wants to reconcile the family and teach Sam about her Sikh heritage. Sam is eager, but when boys attack her uncle, chanting "Go back home, Osama!," Sam realizes she could be in danger–and also discovers how dangerous ignorance is.
By: Alissa Lauzon,
on 3/22/2009
Samar’s mom has always kept her in the dark about her Indian culture and heritage. Sam never really thought about it, or cared, until the days after 9-11 when her Uncle Sandeep shows up at her door and sends Sam on a quest to discover her heritage and learn about her family and who she really is.Meminger captures the essence of a teenage girl’s search for self-identity that is certain to connect
Wow - Neesha is a prolific woman! And they're already out of the book at Amazon!
It's instock at Barnes and Noble.
got my copy yesterday, and am having to be real disciplined about waiting to read...
can't wait to read it - congrats Neesha!