Yesterday, thanks to the generous invitation of Gretchen Haertsch, I spent time with the talented writers of
Arcadia University's Creative Writing Summer Weekend in the sensational "castle" illustrated above. I taught a master class. I then reflected on the empathetic imagination as I read from my four Tamra Tuller novels—
Small Damages, Going Over, One Thing Stolen, and the upcoming
This Is the Story of You.(Thank you, my friends, for coming to see me. Thank you, Soup and Aimee, for the fireside chat.)
In the master class I was focused on the osmotic process I alluded to
here. We undertook linked exercises designed to help the writers diagnose their strengths and fears and to help them locate new wellsprings of ideas and possibilities. One element in the lesson plan involved character development. I presented the writers with a number of character-invoking questions. I invited them to add to the question list. We next considered which three or four questions sparked the respective imaginations of each writer. Characters and creatures emerged.
I was asked if I might share the list of provoking questions and so I do, below. Perhaps a handful will inspire you.
Character Invokers
How does it interact with reality?
In what kind of weather does it thrive?
What kinds of arguments does it have?
What secrets has it shared with no one?
What questions does it chase?
What is its shoe size?
How does it deal with crisis?
Where does it find peace or solace?
How does it exercise its curiosity?
How does it greet or ignore the skies?
What does it miss?
What will it stand up for?
What would it change about itself?
Who are its heroes?
Does it dance, and if it does, to what music?
What songs was it sung when it was young?
Does it seek to be rooted in or to escape?
Does it crave lonesomeness?
Does it have faith in another day?
If it were colorblind would it be heartbroken?
What is its favorite word?
Who and what does it trust?
And from the writers:
What haunts it?
What is its least favorite vegetable?
What sense would it most not like to lose?
What does it value more than its own life?
How far would it go to achieve its goal?
Who or what gives it meaning?
Where would it like to travel?
Is it experiencing an existential crisis?
Is it afraid of crowds?
What makes it hopeful?
Does it like water?
What superpower does it wish for?
Where is it from?
How was it raised?
Does it long for the past or dream of the future?
Did it sleep last night?
What is its greatest fear?
What does it fear of the future?
What is its favorite color?
Yesterday I took several dozen books off my shelves and began to read the novels I forever return to.
Housekeeping. The English Patient. Crossing to Safety. Reading in the Dark. The Beet Queen. So Long, See You Tomorrow. I Was Amelia Earhart. In Hovering Flight. And—
How settled and peaceful and happy I felt, among old friends, enduring classics.
I was searching for something specific—literary signposts that will infiltrate the keynote I'm now writing for the
Moravian Writers' Conference, to be held June 5 through June 7, in Bethlehem, PA. The title of that keynote is "Where You Live and What You Love: The Landscape of the Story." The conference, magnificently organized by Joyce Hinnefeld, promises to be full of riches, with its galvanizing theme of "Stories and/of Home." So many fine writers, teachers, book makers, and book sellers will be on the campus that weekend. In addition to the keynote, I'll be joining Josh Berk at his library for a fundraiser, joining a panel focused on what people read and why, and closing out with a Sunday afternoon conversation with my dear friend, A.S. King. I am so looking forward to Moravian.
Before June 5, however, there is May 20, next Wednesday evening, when I will be joining Margo Rabb, IW Gregorio, and Tiffany Fowler Schmidt at Children's Book World in Haverford, PA, for an evening we've titled "Body, Mind, Heart, Soul: The Whole Self in Contemporary YA." This will be my only bookstore/library event for
One Thing Stolen. It will, as well, be a chance for you to meet my friends and discover/celebrate their talent. I hope to see you there.
Finally, at the end of June—June 27—I'll be conducting a Master Class/Reading/Q and A at the
Arcadia University Creative Writing Summer Weekend, in Glenside, PA, another event that I anticipate with great happiness.
One Thing Stolen has had a two-step launch—last Tuesday, this Tuesday—and that seems to fit this old amateur dancer just fine.
Today I want to thank all of you who have been so kind to this book in its early days—who took the reading risk, who made room for Nadia and Maggie, and Katherine, Florence and West Philadelphia, neuroscience and a raging flood, who wrote words of encouragement. I don't write books that fit into established patterns, and there are, of course, consequences. But I can't imagine doing books or this life any other way, and I'm so grateful to be on this journey with you. I'm grateful, too, to the entire Chronicle Books team and to my editor Tamra Tuller.
In lieu of a launch party for
One Thing Stolen, I'll be traveling to a few local venues to talk either about this book or about the writing life. The events are here, below. If you are out and about, I'd love to see you.
April 18, 2015
Little Flower High School Teen Writers & Readers Festival
Little Flower High
Philadelphia, PA
April 23, 2015
Let Us Be Honest
A New Directions in Writing Memoir Workshop
Residence Inn
Pentagon City, VA
details here
May 3, 2015, 1 PM
Schulykill River/FLOW presentation
Ryerss Museum
7370 Central Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
May 20, 2105, 7 PM
Body, Mind, Heart, Soul:
The Whole Self in Contemporary YA
IW Gregorio, Beth Kephart, Margo Rabb, Tiffany Schmidt
Children's Book World
Haverford, PA
June 5 - 7, various times
Moravian College Writers Conference
Keynote Address, Panel, Conversation with A.S. King
Foy Hall
Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus
More information here
June 27, 1 - 5 PM
Arcadia University
Creative Writing Summer Weekend
Master Class/Reading/Q&A
450 South Easton Road
Glenside, PA 19038
More information hereAdditionally, I am grateful for the blog tour, which begins today and was organized by Lara Starr of Chronicle Books. A schedule can be found
here.Finally, I'm grateful for these recent reviews, fragments presented here. To read all official trade reviews as well as some early blog reviews, press releases, and the official teaching guide, please go
here.BookPageOne Thing Stolen explores themes of destruction and rejuvenation, emphasizing the possibilities and hope found in disaster. This is a unique and engrossing exploration of how characters deal with the pain and beauty of the real world. — Annie Metcalf Sarah Laurence
One This Stolen offers no easy solutions but still leaves the reader with hope. I'd strongly recommend this literary novel to adults and to teenagers who are interested in psychology, art, history and Italy. Kephart does a marvelous job with a difficult topic.— Sarah LaurenceAnd now I am off to Penn, to teach my immaculate Spectaculars and to meet a few prospective Quakers who sound spectacular in their own specific ways. We're hosting the superlative Jeff Hobbs via Skype today. Jeff's The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace is a seminal reflection on possibilities and choices (my thoughts on it here), and he's going to tell us how it came to be.
Thanks to the generosity of Gretchen Haertsch (who wrote a very kind email a few months ago), I will be joining Arcadia as its Visiting Writer during this upcoming creative writing workshop. I'll be teaching the making of both fiction and nonfiction, read (from
One Thing Stolen, I suspect), and answer questions.
Please consider joining us. This summer program—one intensive weekend and four weeks online—will, I suspect, produce great yield.
