This episode comes to you from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada, where a large group of people braved a moderate snowstorm to attend the launch of Before Green Gables, the prequel of Anne of Green Gables.
The book launch coincides with the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the introduction of Anne Shirley to the world. To mark the occasion, Canada Post has unveiled two new stamps (one for Anne Shirley and one for Prince Edward Island), the Royal Canadian Mint unveiled their new Anne Shirley quarter and Girl Guides of Canada have unveiled a new patch.
This episode of Just One More Book!! includes interviews with author Budge Wilson, editor Helen Reeves, LM granddaughter Kate Macdonald Butler, the Right and Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, LM Montgomery expert Betsy Epperly, publicist Alina Goldstein and the many voices of Anne Shirley enthusiasts.
Anne of Green Gables links
Excerpts of songs from the CD Your Daughters and Your Sons by The Duhks used with permission of Sugar Hill Records (Thank you, Molly!)
- Annabel
- Anna William’s Reel
- Crusty Rolls and Chili
- The Ol’ Yellow House
You can view some photos from the event here.
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Who needs old closet case Dumbledore when Claire has put together a first-class list of out-n-proud GLBTQ-and-sometimes-Y fiction?
I've got an editorial in the upcoming Horn Book about the outing of Dumbledore, who in fact joins a long line of characters who coulda-woulda-shoulda be gay if the reader so inclines--like Shakespeare in Susan Cooper's King of Shadows as we discussed here a few weeks ago. Or Harriet the Spy. (Or Sport, Beth Ellen, or Janie.) Betsy and Tacy! Frank and Joe! Nancy and George! Or not, too--the point is that characters become your imaginary friends whose lives, loves, and destinies can become what you need them to be.
I'm reminded of 1965, the momentous year when Barbie became flexible. Durable characters always are.
How to become a published writer, as I understand it: Practice, Patience, and Persistence.
I've been reading a LOT of middle grade (MG) and young adult (YA) novels to try to get a feel for the current market.
When I'm between novels, I read THE SELECTED JOURNALS OF L.M. MONTGOMERY.
Last night I finally arrived at the entry in which she describes the journey to the publication
of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES.
Here's a snippet of the entry from THE SELECTED JOURNALS OF L.M. MONTGOMERY, Volume I:
"in the spring of 1905 I was looking over this notebook in search of some suitable idea for a short serial I wanted to write for a certain Sunday School paper and I found a faded entry, written ten years before:--'Elderly couple apply to orphan asylum for a boy. By mistake a girl is sent them.' I thought this would do."
Indeed! But, the writing of Anne, which she described as a "labor of love," wasn't enough. She had to find someone else who loved Anne enough to publish her. A simple task, my fellow fans might think. But, the publishing world apparently wasn't much kinder 100 years ago than it is now.
ANNE OF GREEN GABLES was rejected by four different publishing companies, both large and small.
Although she was already well-published in magazines and journals--and had worked for a major newspaper--Montgomery
received several form rejections for AOGG and one handwritten rejection which damned it with faint praise.
She subsequently stuffed it in a hat box in the closet (much like what is now known as the proverbial "drawer" by writers).
She planned to rewrite it as the Sunday School serial for which she'd originally intended it--be still my reader's heart!
When she eventually got around to re-reading the manuscript, Montgomery found that she still liked it. She figured if it
intrigued her, it may intrigue others as well, so she sent it off one last time.
It was accepted by the L.C. Page Co. Whoopee! She'd finally met her long-held heart's desire to write a "real live" book!
But wait, the publishing industry wasn't done yet. Montgomery was only offered a royalty of ten percent of the wholesale price. And, they bound her to the same terms for all her books for five years! Phhhtt!
Montgomery wrote, "I didn't altogether like this but I was afraid to protest, lest they might not take the book, and I am so anxious to get it before the public. It will be a start, even if it is no great success."
If only you knew, dear woman, exactly how successful you would one day become!
Thank heavens for literary agents!
There's been some discussion recently about blogging and inclusivity that came to mind when I read this article Martha showed me about kids and their cliques. Marion Hawthorne lives.
As Monica Edinger pointed out in the post linked above, it's not just kids. As Barbara Grizzuti Harrison wrote of her adolescence among the Greenwich Village Beats, "when I came of age in the 1950s, everyone one knew was an Outsider, and proud of it; and every Outsider belonged to a privileged Inner Circle of Outsiders, and then we grew up." But not really: when, decades later, Harrison reviewed Beat poet Diane Di Prima's memoir for the NYTBR, she devoted her entire review to proving that Di Prima hadn't been one of the cool kids, really. It never ends. I'm not sure it can, heck, I'm not sure it should. As I once pointed out in a different context, this is how we got Protestants.
And today I read that kids are compiling hit lists of their enemies. Should we worry or be relieved that the Times chose to run this as a "Fashion & Styles" story?
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[…] Before Green Gables and 100 Years of Anne Shirley This episode comes to you from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada, where a large group of people braved a moderate snowstorm to attend the launch of Before Green Gables, the prequel of Anne of Green Gables. […]
[…] If you’re curious about the new Anne of Green Gables book–Before Green Gables–then check out on this! The podcast includes interviews with author Budge Wilson (ohh! I wish I could have been there. But listening to the podcast is a close second), editor Helen Reeves from Penguin Books, who edited Before Green Gables , LM Montgomery’s granddaughter Kate Macdonald Butler, LM Montgomery expert Betsy Epperly, Adrienne Clarkson (the Governor-General of Canada, and a literacy advocate) and more. […]
Thank you for sharing the audio interview. I enjoyed it very much!
OK, Mark and Andrea, this interviews brought tears to my eyes, even before I’ve started to read the book. Which I now can’t wait to read. I especially love how people you interviewed talked about Anne as though she was real. And I loved the little girl who planned to dress as Anne for Halloween. What a wonderful treat!
I enjoyed your podcast program so much!
Thank you for sharing it!
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