new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: prom, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 20 of 20
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: prom in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
7 Things You Don't Know About Me1. I am writing this list in Muscat, Oman. I've had the chance to visit several American schools overseas in the last couple of years and am having a blast exploring new cultures.
2. I ran a marathon in 2011.
3. I finally got to hang out with Stephen Chbosky (
Perks of Being a Wallflower) and am happy to report that he is a super cool guy.
4. I have become obsessed with mint lemonade.
5. I want to write a fantasy, but have not yet figured out how to do it.
6. I'm working on the text for the SPEAK graphic novel that should be published in 2016.
7. I love my life.
Want to know more secrets about your favorite authors? Keep checking this blog all month long to celebrate the seven-year anniversary of readergirlz!
BONUS: Read our roundtable discussion of PROM. BONUS: Laurie's video celebrating the 10th anniversary of SPEAK in 2009.
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 3/29/2012
Blog:
Ypulse
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
bullying,
ABC,
prom,
social media,
nielsen,
Cartoon Network,
Ypulse Essentials,
nick cannon,
Conan,
prom dresses,
spotify,
pinterest,
Anchorman 2,
anchorman sequel,
NBC Kids,
youtube,
tablets,
Will Ferrell,
the next vlogger,
Add a tag
Cartoon Network is turning 20 this year, and it reveled in its position as the #1 network for 6 to 11 year old boys (during its upfront presentation this week. The network officially announced a few shows that we knew were coming — including... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 1/23/2012
Blog:
Ypulse
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
craig silvey,
where things come back,
why we broke up,
caldecott awards,
christine hinwoodand,
creative prom invitations,
MTV,
myspace,
prom,
maggie stiefvater,
tony diterlizzi,
jordin sparks,
katy perry,
printz awards,
vevo,
pew research,
tablet pc,
nook,
YA literature,
holly black,
crayola,
ereader,
daniel handler,
Ypulse Essentials,
doodle 4 google,
barnes & noble,
iPad,
jasper jones,
revolt,
p. diddy,
the scorpio races,
kindle fire,
mo williams,
john corey whaley,
jeff marsh,
millennials define success,
music tv,
newberry medal awards,
phinaeus & ferb,
the returning,
Add a tag
The number of Americans who have a tablet or e-reader (jumped significantly between December 2011 and January 2012, thanks to robust holiday sales, according to Pew Research. In fact, among Millennial adults, tablet ownership — at 24%... Read the rest of this post
“Partying, partying (yeah!)…” Is Rebecca Black’s “Friday” already stuck in your head too? That catchy little tune has been the source of both amusement and annoyance for weeks, and now “Glee” puts its... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 5/11/2011
Blog:
Ypulse
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
mindy klasky,
Adele,
college graduates,
rebecca black,
reachout reads,
Apple iAds,
karmaloop TV,
pharrell williams,
wizard 101,
prom,
miley cyrus,
nick jonas,
glee,
Ypulse Essentials,
Add a tag
It’s graduation season, and what will college students (be doing now that they’re leaving school? 85% are moving home with mom and dad, according to one study. Sorry, IKEA, but next quarter isn’t looking so good. What other options... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 4/18/2011
Blog:
Ypulse
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
gossip girl,
facebook,
prom,
coachella,
college admissions,
Ypulse Essentials,
Urban Outfitters,
lady gaga,
flash mobs,
u by kotex,
mobbed,
rebecca black,
born this way cover art,
charlotte russe,
Jabble,
judas,
top 10 teen books,
Add a tag
Lady Gaga’s latest single, ‘Judas’ (leaked online on Friday, giving us all something to dance to over the weekend. Is she taking another note from Madonna — is this her “Like A Prayer”? Gaga herself released the... Read the rest of this post
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 2/16/2011
Blog:
Ypulse
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
mcsweeney's mcmullens,
my major company,
MTV,
prom,
grammys,
twitter,
fast food,
glee,
Ypulse Essentials,
skins,
clearasil,
Rolling Stone,
justin bieber,
Add a tag
Will Rolling Stone's interview with Justin Bieber (tarnish the pristine image of the pop idol? In the article, due out Feb 18, he disses the U.S. and gives his opinions on politics, fame, abstinence, and abortion, among other topics. After a... Read the rest of this post
Today's Ypulse Guest Post comes from our friends at I Heart Daily Melissa Walker and Anne Ichikawa. Since the pair recently teamed up again for fun side project turned viral hit Before You Were Hot, a submission-based collection of awkward... Read the rest of this post
There’s this thing I can’t let go of. It’s this comparison of me to this girl I’ll never be. The IT Girl that everyone wants to be friends with, the one who isn’t invisible.
Every morning I put on my Arizona jeans and know they aren’t the True Religions she would wear. And every time I curl my eyelashes I wonder what’s the point as they’re scrawny and clumpy when I coat them with Extralash Maybelline and know hers would be longer, lusher much prettier coated in beautiful, shiny mascara by Mac. And the worst part? Every time I get a crush on a guy, usually an IT Guy, I know she would know the perfect thing to say because Mr. IT would not only see her, unlike myself, but she’d know how to speak his language. The language if IT.
It’s like I have this curse on me that makes me invisible and I’ve been spending all of high school trying to find a cure. No matter what I’ve done in the nearly four years I’ve gone to Blossom Hill High School my IT factor never changes, my invisibility factor remains the only steady, constant in my life. You might want to know why I want IT so bad. Why can’t I just be happy without IT and hang out with my brigade of friends who are equally invisible. There’s two reasons really. The first, besides the fact that I don’t really fit in with them either as they are all in band and I’m not, is because everyone, even the invisible want to feel special in some way. And the second is because I love, or I should say used to love, a challenge. But the real, deep down reason? I decided when I was a Freshman that I didn’t want to sit home, all alone on Senior Prom Night. If that ever happened I’d be invisible for a lifetime.
Two weeks before Senior Prom I gave IT up. When I knew no one would ever ask me. That was the day I went to Aunty Anne’s House of Beauty and asked her to cut my hair in this super-super, short cut and everything changed.
Afterward, when the floor was covered in huge mounds of wiry, auburn fluff, Aunty Anne said, “Abagail, your eyes, they’re, they’re beautiful.” She smiled just like me, the kind of smile like looks like a “v” with kind of crooked teeth we have down low and hide pretty well because only our top ones show.
All I thought about at the time was how much I hated the name Abagail but not as much as Abby, which is what everybody called me and I just knew that the she-I-wanted-to-be would have some way-more exotic name like Cassandra or Veronica and then my Aunt said it again.
“Your eyes are beautiful.” With tears in her own.
I hugged her and thanked her even though I pulled my hoodie up over my head first chance I got when I was out of her sight, waving from her shop window, on my walk home. I ducked my head down. But as I walked through town it was like a hurricane blew around the corner of Garfield and Lincoln, my hoodie flew off and what was left of my hair couldn’t flop in the breeze and I stood face-to-face with Troy Randall. An IT boy. THE IT boy. And his eyes went wide with what I thought was horror at the sight of my hair but when the whirlwind stopped he said, “Abby?”
I just nodded and words wouldn’t leave my lips. IT happened. It finally happened. An IT guy, THE IT guy I had a crush on ever since we worked side-by-side in the middle school kitchen in seventh grade in our cooking class baking pretzels together and I over salted every one, saw me, the invisible one. Troy even made my name sound good. I froze. He’d just left Froman’s Drug Store and I
I was reading Justine Larbalestier’s post about segregated proms in Montgomery County Georgia. I remember an article about segregated proms in another Georgia town a few years ago. It even inspired the Lifetime movie For One Night starring Raven-Symone.
For me, it sparked a story idea but I thought it would be historical fiction because surely by the time I wrote the novel, high schools in Georgia would not be having segregated proms. How wrong I was.
Montgomery County High School is profiled in the NY Times article, A Prom Divided. Several seniors (there are only 54 of them—that’s how small this town is) discuss how they do everything else together but don’t go to the prom because it’s a “tradition.” Mostly embraced by the white parents. The black prom is open to everyone. The white prom—let’s just say you need an invitation.
But this school isn’t the only one. Several high schools in the South have segregated proms, which stemmed from integration in the 1970’s. There’s even an HBO documentary, Prom Night in Mississippi, airing in July.
Almost 40 years later and this prom “tradition” continues.
It just makes me wonder. Do these teens really want to have one prom? Do the parents really have that much power?
For me, it brings up a lot of questions: How does a teen buck a tradition that they think is wrong? What must teens do to take a stand? What kind of courage (if any) would it take for a teen to tell his/her parents, “I don’t like this. I don’t want to do it anymore.”
These are the kinds of questions that first sparked my story idea for the “historical fiction” novel. You can even take out the segregated prom and use something else. When does a teen realize that their world view is different than their parents and/or family? That teen will be at a crossroads: Do I continue with what has always been done or do I break the cycle and change it?
For the teens in Montgomery County, these questions may have popped into their heads as they dressed up to go their separate proms. At least I hope so.
Today's Youth Advisory Board post is from Caroline Marques a high school student in Switzerland who gives us a glimpse into the Swiss equivalent of prom known as bal de printemps. Remember, you can communicate directly with any member of the Ypulse... Read the rest of this post
I have ABSOLUTELY nothing of importance to impart, other than spamming you guys with pics of my beautiful daughter and her prom. Lily is also in there as well. I'm still reading J.E. MacLeod's Waiting to Score and I'm really liking it a lot. Review will be forthcoming! I think if you click on the pics you'll get bigger ones.So without further ado prom pics!Rebecca and her date (not boyfriend)
As New York Fashion Week goes, so goes the nation. Last week, the who's who of American fashion designers showed a brief but brilliant reprieve from the recession with an abundance of sequins, skirts and strong shoulders. And while... Read the rest of this post
My Hour as Prom Queen...
Soon after my latest newsletter mailed, I got several emails from readers suggesting I post pictures of me in the "prom" dress I wore for our 1985 office party last Thursday. Since I feel occasional public humiliation builds character (hence my love for Karaoke), here you go.
This is the pink dress. Too bad there's not a back view--there's a tremendous bow.
Here are my leg warmers (because it's funny) and my yellow pumps that perfectly coordinate with my Billy Idol and Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet buttons.
I won I prize package for best costume--a VCR tape rewinder, a floppy disk, and the Duran Duran poster in the above pics. I love you Simon Le Bon (even at age 49)!
Tomorrow I will write about The Very Nearly Perfect Thing That Is Happening Today.
But fear not! I have a number of Totally Excellent things to write about today, including information on hanging out with me at 9 PM (EST) tonight.
Totally Excellent Thing #1: The School Library Journal has a wonderful online teen newsletter that you can subscribe to. The current issue has information about my Hot Summer Twisted/Speak Summer Book Trailer Contest, (this link has the updated contest rules) as well as other cool things.
Totally Excellent Thing #2: Speaking of SLJ, you'll want to read their article featuring Sherman Alexie again, in light of the fact that The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for fiction yesterday.
The Biggest and Baddest Totally Most Excellent Thing!
The reading divas and readergirlz at Readergirlz have been talking about my book PROM all month. TONIGHT I will be live-chatting on the Readergirlz Forum from 9-10pm (EST). Here is your chance to ask me everything you've been dying to ask, but have felt awkward bringing up here on the blog. Though the focus will be PROM, we'll be discussing all of my books, and possibly sundry things such as marathon training, neurotic dogs, and how to grow astounding broccoli.
When my classmates at Fayetteville-Manlius High School were dancing at our senior prom in 1979, I was working on pig farm in Denmark, doing the kinds of things you don't normally do in a prom dress. But I did make it to my Junior Prom in 1978...
... and I had a blast.
Tell me your best and worst prom memories, please.
See you tonight! Bring your dancing shoes and money for a pancake house breakfast at 4am!
The wonderful women over at Readergirlz have declared the month of June to be PROM month.
As in, the book I wrote called Prom.
The site is fantabulous. You can:
1. download a poster there,
2. read a quick interview with me (and follow links to other interviews)
3. listen to the playlist I put together
4. give to a good cause
5. participate in the forum (I'll be dropping in all month, so look for me there)
6. party ideas centered on the book (come on, you know you want to throw a party!)
Be sure to check out the great roundtable discussion on Little Willow's blog. (I loved the discussion of Ashley's definition of "normal.") And mark your calendars for June 19th (9 pm EST), when I'll be live at the forum for an hour to answer questions. (Any questions that can't wait that long, you can post here, of course.)
We just got a scanner, so I will be digging under the Forest floor in search of old PROM pictures and posting them, too. Have you looked at yours recently?
You are officially invited to join us in this PROM celebration. You don't have to buy a dress or rent a tux. No limos, please. This is just a group of readers hanging out talking about a fun book.
And occasionally dancing.
Le Ny, Jeanine. 2008. Once Upon A Dream: Dress.
This is the middle novel in the trilogy 'Once Upon A Prom' focusing on a trio of girls: Jordan, Tara, and Nisha. I don't know quite what to say honestly. It's incomplete at best. Meaning there is no resolution. This is the novel where everything falls apart, where conflicts are introduced one after another after another for all three narrators. The focus is still on proms, dating, and boys. And of course there is emphasis on friendship--how much can it withstand secrets and lies and betrayals (or supposed betrayals) and stress.
On its own, it's not much. With the other two, perhaps, there is something of value. I haven't read the third one yet. It somehow got separated from the first two--so it might take some digging through the boxes to find. So I'll let you know more when I've finished the series.
The good? For teens (younger teens especially) that love soap-opera type action--melodrama--then this series will probably be fun for you. It could work. But for young teens (12-14???) dreaming of high school days this could work.
© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Theo is putting the finishing touches on the playlist section of my Writerlady website overhaul. We've got plenty of songs for the other novels (special thanks to ![[info]](http://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
handworn and to John Connolly and his students for all their help). We are a little light on the number of songs suggested for PROM and CATALYST.
And I am on deadline. And after that, I have another book to write. And one of my kids finally comes home on break today.
So I could really use your help.
Any suggestions? What songs tie into the main characters and situations of PROM and CATALYST?
This is what I have so far:
CATALYST
Splintering - Arizona
The Great Escape - We Are Scientists
Under Pressure - Queen
Run, Baby, Run - Sheryl Crow
Runaway - Linkin Park
PROM
Alright - Supergrass
End of the Line - Traveling Wilburys
I Summon You - Spoon
Nowhere and Everywhere - Michelle Lewis
Survivor - Destiny’s Child
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Learn To Fly - Foo Fighters
Prom Theme - Fountains Of Wayne
Teachers! If your students help out with this, I promise a hand-written thank you note!
Such a long awaited moment. Our youngest son Alex's senior prom and graduation. The last of our four to take the step into adulthood. We are so very proud of him and all his accomplishments. Congratulations Alex-you made it! We love you so much!
Alex's graduation gift-something he has wanted for a long time-what a sweet ride!
The smile tells it all-- he's one happy young man.
Prom Photos: Alex is so handsome! Of course he wouldn't want me to say that but I can, I am his mother!
I'm so excited that we're celebrating Prom Week here at Books, Boys, Buzz in 
conjunction with Tina's release of TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS. Can't wait to get my hands on this book and read it!
I don't know how much a prom expert I am...I did attend three (soph
omore year as the yearbook photographer) and had a lot of fun. Thank heavens the attire has changed, morphed and updated in the years since I was in school. My junior prom, our theme was "A Night in the Old South" and everything was all deck out in ivy and lattice work and columns and magnolias and all the girls (including me) wore hoop skirts.
It was sort of hard to gather all of us around for the class picture because our dates couldn't get close enough to us because of
the hoops and crenalins were spread out. My date was a friend from another high school and, in fact, worked part-time at the
Piggly Wiggly wearing the pig costume. I kid you not! Nice guy, but the day before the prom, his mom gave him a body wave, so when he danced and sweated...his permed hair...well, it stank!
Nonetheless, we had a great time, danced the night away, got lots of pictures made and went to the junior breakfast and stayed up all night. It was the perfect prom experience, despite the Scarlett O'Hara dress.
So, what are some tips for enjoying the prom? Here are just a few:
- Don't overdo with the hair and makeup. Sure, you want to look pretty, but you want to look like yourself. You don't want your kids to laugh at your prom pictures in 15 years.
- Share the ride. In order to save some money, go with a group of friends and split the
expense of a limo or van to take you to and from the prom.
- 3. Enjoy yourself at all times. Don't be worried about which person is dressed the best or who paid the most for their gown. Sit back, relax and enjoy the evening. Take it in for all it's worth and treasure the memories.
4. Take lots of pictures. Capture the night from start to finish with lots of photographic memories. You'll be glad years later that you did.
5. Don't 
ruin the night by drinking too much. Sure, it's a celebratory occassion, but don't you want to remember it? Getting ripped and running the risk of making a fool of yourself is not the way to remember this night. You want to get to the after parties sober and enjoy all of the food.
6. Finally, after the prom, you can also donate your prom dressto organizations across the country that will give them away free to eager prom-goers. Check out The Princess Project, which offers a list of such organizations.
Most of all, proms are about fun! Reading Tina's book is fun, too! Congrats again to Tina on her accomplishment.
Marley = )
Sorority Rush Begins - Spring 2008!
Rush - A Sisterhood Novel
Pledge Class - A Sisterhood Novel
Puffin Books
What I'm currently reading: "Venus Envy" by Shannon McKelden
.jpg?picon=590)
Being the queen of diversion and procrastination, I love playing with Wordle. They say it’s “beautiful word clouds.” I say word eye candy.
The most used words are the most prominent. A snap shot of words. Sort of cool to do with poems or scenes from novels.
Here’s my Wordle using text from last week’s posts of the Musings of a Novelista blog:
Anyway, check out Wordle and make your own word eye candy.
I saw Star Trek last weekend and was totally geeked out about it. It also didn’t hurt that Spock is super hot in this movie. Give the casting director an A+ for putting Zachary Quinto in that role. Yes, I’m a Trekkie! I got it honest from my mother, who is a science fiction fanatic.
Anyway, JJ Abrams is the writer/creator/producer of some of my favorite TV shows and movies. He had me at Felicity—a show that I’m still fond of. Then there was Alias —who wouldn’t love a spy who kicks serious booty? And I have to admit I was one of those people at the midnight showing of Cloverfield. Don’t even get me talking about LOST. I’m still pondering how I’m going to fill up my time until January 2010 for the final season.
I think it’s no coincidence that JJ Abrams is involved in all of these projects. He seems to have a knack of telling a great story—but also getting us to really care about these characters—making them fully dimensional with strengths and flaws. You find yourself rooting for them despite whatever mistakes they’ve made. Although his works in a different medium from novels, writers can learn a lot from watching his shows. JJ Abrams rocks!
I just finished reading an interesting blog post from Editorial Anonymous (EA), where he/she states that the Coretta Scott King (CSK) Award may no longer be necessary. The CSK award is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and honors African-American authors. EA states this in the post:
It’s interesting that someone in the comment section said that this post reminded them of a Horn Book essay by Marc Aronson. It reminded me of this essay as well. But there is also a flip side to this argument presented in another Horn Book essay by Andrea Davis Pinkney that also makes valid points.
Honestly, I can see both sides of this argument. Just look at what happened earlier this year with Kadir Nelson’s We are the Ship. If there weren’t a CSK award, would Nelson have won the Caldecott? We can only ponder that answer. Maybe, maybe not.
But then you have other statistics such as the one researched by The Cooperative Children’s Book Center, which stated that in 2007 only 150 of nearly 3,000 titles were by African-American authors.
So, if the CSK award did go away, would any books by African-Americans be spotlighted? What if the award did away with its consideration of race? Would it be okay for non-African-American authors to be honored? If that were the case, Laurie Halse Anderson could been have considered for a CSK award for her book Chains. That speaks of the African-American experience, right?
I can also look at it another way as well. If you look at the CSK award recipients, you see a trend of the same authors wining the award several times. Does that make it harder for unknown African-American authors to break through? I know that this is one of the reasons that The Brown Bookshelf came into existence.
Personally, I’m all about trying to remove the focus of race from children’s literature. It’s easier said than done. Especially when you’re coming for the minority side of the equation.
EA points out in his/her blog post, giving an award only to black people causes a divide. That may be so, but if African-American authors are not on the same playing field with the number of published books and there is a small percentage of editors of color, how large can that divide really be?
There are points made on both sides. I can see that this is a conversation that we will be having for a while.
This past weekend, I took a road trip with some girlfriends to see the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. The house of course is beautiful and totally ridiculous as far as the size and luxury. What would it be like to have this much money? The one common ground I felt with George Vanderbilt was his love of books. His library was spectacular and he had books everywhere.
It got me thinking if I was independently wealthy would my focus on fiction be more intense?
It’s very hard to write fiction when you still need to eat. This is why I adore writers who make it happen with day jobs—which includes most writers since fiction can’t feed you until you’re published–and even then you won’t be eating porterhouse steaks unless you’re very lucky.
So I think that most writers—whether they’re single or have a spouse or sponsor supporting them—they have to write for art’s sake. Writing for food may be hazardous to your health.
In this economy, I feel blessed even to have a day job, so I won’t complain. Any money that I make from my writing will be honored and I’ll be very appreciative of it.
I’ve been reading this craft book, Finding Your Writer’s Voice. I first heard about voice in my first fiction writing class at the Callonwolde Arts Center here in Atlanta. It’s still very hard to explain exactly what voice is—other than editors LOVE it. But what about character voice? Especially 1st person point of view (POV)? When I [...]
I’ve always loved destruction and mayhem—maybe this is because as a teen I read dystopian fiction such as The Stand and Swan Song. I do like novels that show what the future could be like—and what it would be like if it wasn’t pleasant. I guess for me, it allows me to experience these worlds without [...]
I’m so excited about the Memorial Day holiday! For me this means extra days for writing.
This is usually what it always means to me. Extra days to work on my novel. This Memorial Day will be no different. I’m really getting into my stride with this revision and I think this holiday weekend will get me to focus even more on what needs to be changed (and there is a LOT). I may even come up with some new ideas—I’ve hit a stumbling block on a plot twist so maybe I can figure it out over this long weekend.
So hoping everyone has a safe holiday. Happy writing!
I was reading Justine Larbalestier’s post about segregated proms in Montgomery County Georgia. I remember an article about segregated proms in another Georgia town a few years ago. It even inspired the Lifetime movie For One Night starring Raven-Symone.
For me, it sparked a story idea but I thought it would be historical fiction because surely by the time I wrote the novel, high schools in Georgia would not be having segregated proms. How wrong I was.
Montgomery County High School is profiled in the NY Times article, A Prom Divided. Several seniors (there are only 54 of them—that’s how small this town is) discuss how they do everything else together but don’t go to the prom because it’s a “tradition.” Mostly embraced by the white parents. The black prom is open to everyone. The white prom—let’s just say you need an invitation.
But this school isn’t the only one. Several high schools in the South have segregated proms, which stemmed from integration in the 1970’s. There’s even an HBO documentary, Prom Night in Mississippi, airing in July.
Almost 40 years later and this prom “tradition” continues.
It just makes me wonder. Do these teens really want to have one prom? Do the parents really have that much power?
For me, it brings up a lot of questions: How does a teen buck a tradition that they think is wrong? What must teens do to take a stand? What kind of courage (if any) would it take for a teen to tell his/her parents, “I don’t like this. I don’t want to do it anymore.”
These are the kinds of questions that first sparked my story idea for the “historical fiction” novel. You can even take out the segregated prom and use something else. When does a teen realize that their world view is different than their parents and/or family? That teen will be at a crossroads: Do I continue with what has always been done or do I break the cycle and change it?
For the teens in Montgomery County, these questions may have popped into their heads as they dressed up to go their separate proms. At least I hope so.
Borders bookstore is going to focus more on children’s books in this tough economy. Good news for writers. Children’s book sections will be expanding in every Borders store over the next 90 days. Plus they plan to move the young adult and teen section further away from the baby and youth books.
Personally, I’m glad that they are doing this. I frequent Borders a lot in my neighborhood because they have a bigger café space with more outlets for my laptop. But Barnes and Noble puts circles around Borders with their children’s and teen book selections. This is sort of overdue. Then, I’m still peeved that Borders has a separate African-American literature section—but that’s for another post.
Anytime someone wants to focus on children’s books is good news. Hopefully this will result in stronger sales in the market.
Check out the Publisher’s Weekly article.
Growing up, I saw Virginia Slims commercials on TV. I can’t even fathom those commercials being on TV today. Can you imagine?
Anyway, that jingle was in my head this past weekend, when during a procrastination tactic, I decided to open a file that sparked my writing journey. The file contained my first “focused” novel. I’ve written other “novels” if I can really call them that—but this was the first one I really worked on seriously. I had just graduated college and couldn’t pay someone to give me a job, so I had a lot of free time on my hands. But even after I got my first techy geek job, I finished the novel. I even remember going to Kinkos and getting the novel bound—yes, it was that serious. My boyfriend at the time started calling me Lil’ Terry—as in Terry McMillan.
How time can change a perspective. I actually cringed reading parts of the novel. 300 pages of bad writing. I have come a LONG way in my craft. Still improving and growing of course, but sometimes you have to see where you started to give yourself credit to where you are.
It has always been my intention to rewrite this novel. I’m really trying not to think about this “other” novel while writing the current one—it’s like infidelity. But I would like to rewrite it one day because the subject matter of social class and teens is something I find intriguing.