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I love to read nonfiction – history, biography, environmental essays, memoirs, kid’s books, adult books – and I love to write nonfiction. But last fall I hit a wall.

Before I started writing for children back in the early 90s I wrote nonfiction (art reviews and features and travel features mostly.) I wrote scripts (nonfiction) for interactive educational multimedia programs. Since then I’ve written nonfiction for early and middle grades and I've loved it all.

So what happened last fall? I had just returned from six weeks in Italy and France: singing in Italian cathedrals, basking on Lake Como, bicycling from Geneva to Nice, lolling on the Riviera. Now I love my hometown, Los Angeles, and I love my work. So when jet lag had faded I surveyed my hard drive. I saw several works in progress, and one I was especially eager to complete. But, for the first time in my life….. I didn’t want to write. I was afraid even to think the phrase wr***r’s bl*ck. Or maybe I just wanted to go back and sit by the Mediterranean, sipping cappuccino and eating croissants still warm from a French oven.

At first I didn’t worry: I had heaps of business to take care of. I traveled to Washington DC for the National Book Festival where my latest book, Jeannette Rankin: Political Pioneer, was featured at the Montana State booth. Back home again, nothing had changed. I dared to think the words wr***r’s bl**k and felt worse. My editor wanted another biography from me. I had an idea or two, but nothing stirred the heart. I read my works in progress. Yawn. I slogged through a revision or two. Then I panicked. Was I finished as a writer? Was I doomed to return to Italy and eke out my days drinking cappuccino by Lake Como? (Ha!)

Three months into spinning-through-denial-slogging-and-anxiety, I attended a guided meditation. I lightly floated “my work” into the cosmos and got a reply: “Focus.” I knew just what it meant: work on one genre, rather than skipping from picture book fiction to biographies to middle grade novels – as I have done for years. Furthermore I knew where to focus: biography. I did have those drafts, I did have an editor wanting more.

Now, epiphanies are common as dirt – just like story ideas. Less common are completed stories and epiphanies made manifest. But this one worked for me. With “focus” lighting the way, I finished one biography, began a second, found a third subject while researching the second, and stumbled across a fourth subject while on a field trip for the third.

So what was my problem? Why the writer’s block? Back to the meditation evening. Jotting down thoughts of my experience, I dared put into words what I didn’t like to admit: I have been a slave to status. Just as children’s writers are the proles of the literary world – “anyone can do it!” – with literary novelists as reigning monarchs, my feudal world of children’s literature was ruled by Baron and Baroness Novelists, surrounded by picture book author courtiers. Below stairs in the scullery, lived the – wince – nonfiction writers. None of this was rational, mind you. I know nonfiction to be just as gorgeous – and difficult – as fiction. But my neuroses dwell not in reason’s realm. Anyway, coughing up my dirty secret allowed me to see that it was – to misquote Mr. Scrooge -- just "a bit of undigested beef.” (And I’m a vegetarian!)

I’m happy to report that while I still long for croissants warm from a French oven, I am working again, neither scullery maid nor duchess, but a (mostly) contented scribbler – writing biographies, telling the best stories I can.

Besides, I’m off to Paris in April, thanks to a winning raffle ticket. More about that next month.

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The United States Library of Congress hosted its first National Book Festival in 2001. Thirty thousand people attended. On September 29, 2007, the date of the seventh edition of the festival, attendance exceeded one hundred twenty thousand.

In addition to the use of online tools and digital media, including podcasts, the National Book Festival is just one of many of the Library of Congress’ initiatives to promote literacy and a love of reading and writing.

On this edition of Just One More Book, Mark is joined by Matt Raymond, Director of Communications for the Library of Congress, to talk about the National Book Festival, the online Young Readers’ Toolkit, and the use of new media to promote literacy.

Links:

• National Book Festival
• National Book Festival Podcasts
• Young Readers’ Toolkit
• Library of Congress Blog
• Library of Congress Podcasts

National Book Festival poster image from the Library of Congress website.

Tags:blogs, childrens literacy, Library of Congress, Matt Raymond, National Book Festival, podcastsblogs, childrens literacy, Library of Congress, Matt Raymond, National Book Festival, podcasts

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Welcome to DC! Home of the Library of Congress's National Book Festival!









I had some issues getting out of bed, so Dan tried to drive me into town, but a lot of it was shut down. So, he dropped me off and I trotted off, catching some of the sights along the way.










Finally! The Festival!









With the Capital!












Mrs. Frizzle was there, along with her Magic School Bus.











I wanted to go inside, but the line was looooooooooooooong.







Arthur was there, along with The Berenstain Bears and other PBS characters.







And of course, I got to hang out with the fantastic Sara Lewis Holmes, author of Letters from Rapunzel






Gail Carson Levine read from her new book Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand. It's obvious she's used to talking to school groups and it was crowded event.





Then I ran over to see Nancy Pearl.


Funny lady!






Holly Black gave a fascinating talk about urban fantasy and urban legends and folklore. Even though she read from Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale (sequel to Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale) most of the questions were about The Spiderwick Chronicles.




Gene Yuen Lang (of the most awesome American Born Chinese gave a great talk about comics and why you shouldn't get into them. (He had 3 reasons why, but I can only remember 2-- you'll slowly starve to death and it's not sexy. I think the third was the fact they take forever to draw and write.) His kids are super-cute and his talk was great.







Patricia McCormick talked about her research for and the writing process involved in her book Sold which I haven't read yet, but now I absolutely must.





Then, to wrap of the day, M. T. Andersen gave a great talk about the American Revolution, inspiration (including some great stories about what his experiences working at McDonalds that went into Burger Wuss), and getting into the eighteenth century voice. (Oh, and because I was wondering, I asked, and the next Octavian Nothing comes out NEXT fall.

All in all a great day! Also, if you've made it this far with me, Cybils nominations are open, so get over there already! And the song of the day is Polaris and Waiting For October... Read the rest of this post

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Click here for a better look at the magnificent poster

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In the Library of Congress pavilion...

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Want to host your own Book Festival?

The Library of Congress has podcasts, webcasts,
and a How-To guide.

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Hooray! Our cynsational Cynthia Leitich Smith will be appearing at the 2007 National Book Festival!

Mercer Mayer will be designing the poster. Now that I know the wheres and hows of Washington, this would be so much fun!

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