Happy Thursday!
A little housekeeping before we get into our daily celebration of Wendy Tolliver, our new bee – the winner of last week’s Favorite Things giveaway – is HEATHER M. Please email me at heather(at)heatherdavisbooks.com with your mailing address so I can send you delicious chocolate-orange fondue, gummy bears, and a signed copy of my book, Never Cry Werewolf.
And now – without further ado, I’m so very lucky to get to interview our brand-spanking-new Bee, Wendy Toliver! Since most of us YA authors relive the high school years on a daily basis in our writing, I thought it would be fun to dig into Wendy’s memory of her formative years.
Q: Hey, Wendy! Welcome to the Buzz Girls. To start, please tell us what kind of kid were you in HS?
A: Hmm, good question. I played basketball and soccer, sang in concert choir and school musicals, played piano, took Honors and AP classes (though art class was my favorite), and was active in my church's youth group. I had a best friend who I did everything with and was completely boy crazy. I drove a humongous and totally unglamorous Ford LTD we called the Banana Boat, and my wardrobe was pretty Gap-ish. My favorite lunch was Cheetos, a poppy seed muffin, and a raspberry New York Seltzer. I loved The Simpsons, Depeche Mode, and going to dance clubs and Nuggets basketball games.
Q: Whew—my stomach is hurting for Teenage Wendy! Tell us, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: A news anchor or a psychiatrist.
Q: As a YA author, have you used any incidents or memories from HS in your novels?
A: Not directly, but definitely as far as feelings and the daily in-and-outs of high school.
Q: Inquiring minds want to know -- did you have a secret HS crush?
A: Oh yes, many many, many crushes. And they changed almost daily, ha ha! I tended to like guys who were athletic, funny, handsome, and taller than me (I'm 5'9"). I went to a school with about 2,000 students and worked at a grocery store with a lot of other teenagers, so guys were plentiful in my life. Unfortunately, I didn't really have much reciprocation, so whenever I wanted to do something couple-ish, I resorted to having people fix me up with guys who went to different schools. I think the biggest secret crush I had was a guy named Shane who worked at the grocery store with me. He had a girlfriend, though, so I never told him.
Q: Did you have a nickname in HS?
A: Yes I did! Fergie (My last name was Ferguson before I got married) and Prancer amonst basketball team-mates (I don't know if this came from my tiny feet that looked like hooves in my basketball high-tops, or if it's because of the way I ran. Either way, kind of funny.)
A: A news anchor or a psychiatrist.
Q: As a YA author, have you used any incidents or memories from HS in your novels?
A: Not directly, but definitely as far as feelings and the daily in-and-outs of high school.
Q: Inquiring minds want to know -- did you have a secret HS crush?
A: Oh yes, many many, many crushes. And they changed almost daily, ha ha! I tended to like guys who were athletic, funny, handsome, and taller than me (I'm 5'9"). I went to a school with about 2,000 students and worked at a grocery store with a lot of other teenagers, so guys were plentiful in my life. Unfortunately, I didn't really have much reciprocation, so whenever I wanted to do something couple-ish, I resorted to having people fix me up with guys who went to different schools. I think the biggest secret crush I had was a guy named Shane who worked at the grocery store with me. He had a girlfriend, though, so I never told him.
Q: Did you have a nickname in HS?
A: Yes I did! Fergie (My last name was Ferguson before I got married) and Prancer amonst basketball team-mates (I don't know if this came from my tiny feet that looked like hooves in my basketball high-tops, or if it's because of the way I ran. Either way, kind of funny.)
Q: Who were your best friends in HS?
A: Amy Uppinghouse (in picture with Wendy at right) and Tonya Monson. I met them both in junior high and we're still close even though we went to different colleges and live in different states. Another of my best friends was Emily Bateman, who went to a different high school but we became friends way back in second grade!
17 Comments on Our New Bee Wendy's High School Memories!, last added: 1/9/2010
Display Comments
Add a Comment
What was your favorite song/music group in high school?
I have a question, too! Did you have a favorite abook or an author that you read over and over in high school?
What was your best / worst subject in HS?
LOVE the pictures! Awesome! You look so serious in that basketball game. Hee hee. My question is how 80s is that hair? (ducking)
jpetroroy, my favorite groups in high school were Depeche Mode, The Dead Milkmen, Fishbone, Bob Marley, and Madonna, to name a few.
Tina, I'm not much of a "read over and over" type of person, but I do remember loving almost everything written by Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens and The Outsiders.
Llehn, my favorite subject was art and my worst subject was Geography. to this day, I can barely tell you where all the states fit on the US map!
Marley, yes, I was all into big hair and ponytails. I had bangs that I had to curl and spray every day. I always say I should've been a teen in the 70s b/c I was tall and thin and had (have) very straight long hair. :)
This was the best interview ever. Wendy is my BFF and I guess I am a pain in the A** asking her so many questions and keeping her from her writing. But we never talked about a lot of her HS days. Her books are such magic because she thinks and talks like we do- we being from 15 to me now almost 18. Even some older friends of my grandpa love her books. I can see how Wendy would be a great psychiatrist. She is so kind and supportive. She knows more about me than anyone except maybe my shrinkette- no Wendy knows more.
She has gone with me through a number of near misses so far as boys are concerned- so I know a bunch I think about her dating life or boy crazy time. And she taught me patience. Whatever, the boyz at her HS must have been so lame not to see Wendy as she is- gorgeous and brilliant and funny and perfect.
Mostly Wendy and I talk about her boys and Husband “M” and pets and weather and boat and snow boarding and living in a deep freeze zone and cooking and all that stuff. Wendy makes the best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the known and un-known Universe. Wendy encourages my writing. Before Wendy I only wrote my poetry. She has me working on a book and some other writing.. She has the most complete collection of my poetry- I guess more than I have saved for my own collection.
Wendy takes my mind off a lot of things I don’t want to think about. She lifts me up- every day.
I am a better gurl because of my friendship with Wendy. U guys are lucky to have her in ur group of BEE’s. I have gotten to know Marley a little and Tina a lot. If U all are like them if U ever have a gathering set aside Bail money, hehe.
I love Anna's comment! What a wonderful friend. ;)
Wendy, I had forgotten all about NY seltzer. I used to love that stuff. Great interview!
Thanks for answering all these questions, Wendy!
oh my goodness, Anna! How incredibly sweet! I'm lucky to have you in my life too, hon.
And Steph, I wish they still made NY Seltzers. Yum!
Heather, it's my pleasure! Thanks for putting together such a fun interview.
It is always fun to hear about high school days! Were there any funny weekend passtimes that you remember?
Hey Mrs V! Let's see ... we used to go to this big warehouse where old folks went to play Bingo. I never got Bingo, though. We also thought it was fun to go to tennis matches and actually cheer -- loudly -- for ppl we didn't even know. And, of course, cow tipping, ice blocking, and camping trips where we brought sleds to go on the dirt hills. ;)
OMG Wendy! Tell me about Geography! I have the same problem fitting the US states in the map as well!
Wendy, what position did you play in basketball? Do you still play?
Did you have any idea in high school that you would end up writing books?
Llehn, oh no! I think maybe high schools need to offer special geography classes for ppl like us. LOL
Jessy, I played center and forward. I played in elem, middle, and high schools, and then club bball in college. I rarely play anymore, but I do like to shoot hoops with my boys in the driveway and I got to be an assistant coach for little boys last season. Still waiting to hear if I'm coaching again this year. Do you play?
And Megan, I've always liked writing (and reading) but no, I was an old lady before writing a novel ever crossed my mind. :)
Wendy,
You mention College -- which one did you attend and what was you major?
Hey Golfing Librarian! Thanks for stopping by. I went to Colorado State University and my major was Speech Communication/Broadcast.