Rachael Hanel's Blog about being a finalist for the MN Book Awards
Her memoir, We'll Be the Last Ones to Let You Down is worth the read! It's a lovely, powerful book about being a gravedigger's daughter.
I'm in one of her pictures, too! Rachael is in our writing group, and we are oh, so proud. This is our second writing group finalist for a Minnesota Book Award (Kirstin Cronn-Mills was a finalist a couple years ago for The Sky Always Hears Me).
We had a grand afternoon and evening at the Awards. Here is Rachael Hanel (left) before the awards ceremony, talking to her husband David, while she is ready to sign books. Beside her is Melanie Hoffert, who won the category for her memoir Prairie Silence.
Here are the members of our writing group in attendance:
Judith Angelique Johnson, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Rachael, and me. Our friends Steve Deger and Leslie Gibson joined us for dinner and for the festivities. Here they are with Leslie's and my favorite outfit spotted at the Gala. We have no idea who this lovely and creative woman is, but she was willing to pose with Leslie and Steve!
Also, notably, sitting at Rachael's table, were several of us who usually ride the Minnesota Ironman together. We had to take a picture becasue we've never been photographed together while NOT wearing lycra/spandex.
Left to right: Loretta (Rachael's mom), Renee (Rachael's sister), me, Rachael, and David Hanel (Rachael's hubby, who often lets us draft on long rides).
Before we dressed and went to the event, Angie and I wandered around downtown Minneapolis while Kirstin was at a meeting. Here I am being Mary Tyler Moore. :)
And since I'm telling this story backwards, I want to include that I started the day in St. Peter at the St. Peter Reads event. It was a blast. Nicole Helget did a brilliant job as keynote speaker with an extended metaphor comparing baseball and writing. She was captivating, as always.
Twelve of us writers were invited to a "Moveable Feast" (Great name) where we sat with one breakfasting table of interested readers for fifteen minutes and then moved to another. We got to meet many readers and fascinating community members this way. It's a GREAT event, and I encourage any local reader or writer to attend next year.
The Finalists were announced over the weekend for the Minnesota Book Awards. I was so happy to see some books I love recognized and surprised to see other books I love NOT recognized. But I guess that's how it goes. If a few books won every award, fewer books would get love. I also wondered which of these writers were, like me last year, totally stunned and didn't even know this was the weekend the Finalists were announced. That was one of the best days of my life, I think, being totally unaware and coming home to congratulatory emails. I was sure it was a mistake!
Anyway, congratulations to all the Finalists in the Children's and YA Categories:
Children's
1+1=5 and Other Unlikely Additions, by David LaRochelle (Sterling Publishing)
Emma’s Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty, by Linda Glaser (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
My Heart Is Like a Zoo, by Michael Hall (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins Publishers)
A Night on the Range, by Aaron Frisch, illustrated by Chris Sheban (The Creative Company)
I have read and loved the first two, and will have to get ahold of the other two!
Young People's
Blank Confession, by Pete Hautman (Simon & Schuster)
Hamster Magic, by Lynne Jonell (Random House Children’s Books/Random House, Inc.)
The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere; Volume I, by Jacqueline West (Dial)
Split, by Swati Avasthi (Random House Children’s Books/Random House, Inc.)
I loved Split! I haven't read Hamster Magic yet, but Lynne is a fantastic writer, so I've got to get to that one soon. And I've really liked several of Pete Hautman's books, so ditto on that. I don't normally read fantasy trilogies, but I'm going to at least look at The Shadows as well, and see if it draws me in.
And the Star Tribune's Books editor, Laurie Hertzel, was nominated in the Memoir category for her book, News to Me: Adventures of an Accidental Journalist. I have heard this is terrific and have been meaning and meaning to read this. My TBR stack is just towering!
Congratulations, everyone! I'm excited for all of you!
I've gotta say, I'm glad March is almost over. I made a commitment at the beginning of the month to publicize my heart out about Stampede's status as a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. And the fact that people can vote online for it for the Readers' Choice part of the award.
And I have. I've emailed. I've Statused. I've posted.
And it's all exhausting and uncomfortable. Asking for votes is like asking strangers for money. I just have a hard time doing it. Whenver I help out with a conference or event, the one task I refuse to take on is getting door prizes. Call companies and ask them to donate something? No way. This month has been like that--times one hundred.
So tomorrow, Wednesday, is the very last day people can vote for one book for the Readers' Choice Award. Only one book out of the 32 finalists (both adult and children's) will win, so my chances are pretty dang small. Still, I've done my best. Thank you, all you you who kindly voted for Stampede. I really appreciate both your votes and your encouragement!
And after today, I won't bother you any more about it!
Meanwhile, if you haven't already voted, you can vote here (or by clicking the aqua banner below). If you're not familiar with Stampede, you can visit stampedebook.com to see a taste of the art and poems in it, or you can click on various stuff (book trailer, etc.) in this blog's sidebar.
Thanks again!
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So, I enjoy school visits. I'm no longer nervous about them. I no longer have to put on special anti-perspirant the night before! I no longer wake up anxious all the night before. It's kind of a miracle.
But public readings are still very nerve-wracking. Last Friday, there was a Readers' Choice reading at The Open Book in Minneapolis. About 15 finalists (in 8 categories) for the Minnesota Book Award read/talked for 5 minutes each. I was nervous. I was the only children's writer talking. I was on stage (a small stage, but still). And my husband would be there (having friends and family at stuff like this makes me MORE, not less, nervous).
Overall, though, the event went well! All I briefly explained the inspiration for my book and then read four poems from it, with a bit of backstory about each. No big deal, I know. But normally, I would have run through my reading 30 times during the week. Or more. I'm a classic over-preparer.
Not last week. Monday, I figured out what I had time to say in the introduction (not much) and then chose six or seven possible poems. During the week, in the car, I said my 1-minute introduction a couple times a day. Not because I didn't know it, but just because it helped me feel prepared. It was Friday before I started feeling nervous. But first thing in the morning, I decided that every time a feeling of anxiety washed over me, I would say to myself, out loud if possible, "I'm sure everything will go fine." And then resolutely concentrate on something else. I probably said that about 30-40 times on Friday.
And it helped! I read pretty well, I don't think my voice shook, and I didn't allow myself to get too worked up. Of course, I was lying to myself all day. I wasn't really sure. But I think it's definitely one of those self-fulfilling prophecy kind of things, so I will now be lying to myself before all events like this to see if it helps! And I will be dragging my husband along for moral support.
If you haven't voted, I'd love it if you'd click here and vote for Stampede!
About a month ago, I was shocked to find out that Stampede! Poems to Celebrate the Wild Side of School had been named a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. Woohoo!
This month, the Friends of the St. Paul Library are taking votes for the Readers' Choice portion of the award, where readers vote for one book from all 8 categories (so one book out of all 32 finalists, including kids' and adults' books). I'm a little uncomfortable begging for votes, but...what the heck...I'm begging for your vote:>) I've psyched myself up to do anything I can to help Stampede receive a little notice and maybe boost its sales a bit (which are, um, let's just say on the low side). |  |
So, if you've read and liked Stampede, or if you go to my Stampede website and enjoy what you see/read there, would you be willing to go
vote for Stampede in the Readers' Choice part of the Minnesota Book Awards?Thanks!
