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Today, August 26th, is Women’s Equality Day which commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, granting women the right to vote. This day reflects the culmination of a movement which had begun in the 1830s when rising middle-class American women, with an increasing educational background, began to critique the oppressive systems of the early 19th century.

The post 10 facts worth knowing about the U.S. women’s rights movement appeared first on OUPblog.

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When Laura Bush said in April 2016 that she wanted the President of the United States to care about Afghan women, one could reasonably infer that she would rather see Hillary Clinton elected President than Donald Trump. Hillary has proclaimed that women’s rights are human rights, meaning that to the extent that human rights have become a part of mainstream political discourse, so should women’s rights.

The post Culture change for women in Afghanistan appeared first on OUPblog.

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Doesn’t it seem as though many of the biographies written are about men and their accomplishments? Don’t get me wrong — there are plenty of admirable men who have changed the world through their daring, innovation, and wisdom. But how about the other half of the world’s population? Women just haven’t gotten the press they deserve. Luckily, biographies today are becoming vastly diverse with the individuals they feature and the fields in which those individuals excel. And that includes some great new biographies about women. Take a look at these three to share with your students (both male and female). The first is for younger students (grades K-3) and the other two are good for upper elementary (grades 4-6):

Dear Malala, We Stand With You by Rosemary McCarney with Plan International
There have been several books written by, and about, Malala Yousafzai, but this picture book version is unique. It begins with a short biography of Malala and her 2012 shooting by the Taliban for being outspoken about education for girls, and her life in England now. The bulk of the book is a series of exquisite photographs of girls around the world and brief text describing their desire for an education, despite the many social, political, and economic restraints placed on them. The title ends with ways for the reader to help further Malala’s cause.

The Girl from the Tar Paper School: Barbara Rose Johns and the Advent of the Civil Rights Movement by Teri Kanefield
Barbara Johns, an African American high school student in Virginia in 1951, was appalled at the conditions of the make shift classrooms in their segregated school. Acting well beyond her years, she organized a peaceful walk out, demonstration, and boycott among her senior class to demand new facilities. They were ridiculed by the local school board, government, and police force. The NAACP agreed to take on the case, only if the students changed their demands to full integration. They agreed, and their case contributed to the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education. The story begins with Barbara’s senior year, and flashes back to her early years, and then beyond. Remarkably, she grew up to become a school librarian! The book is filled with captioned photos, sidebars, quotations, and primary sources. The large font and strong voice makes for a swift read. The concluding author’s note is enlightening, and the timeline, endnotes, and extensive bibliography complete the book.

Rad American Women A-Z by Kate Shatz, illustrated by Miriam Klein Stahl
This is a collective biography of 26 women, described as “rebels, trailblazers, and visionaries who shaped our history…and our future” (cover copy). They represent diverse fields, ethnicities, ages, and geographic locations. Beginning with Angela Davis, and ending with Zora Neale Hurston, each biographee’s personality, challenges, and accomplishments are described in engaging text and accompanied by a simple black and white block cut illustration. The book concludes with an end note, a list of “26 Things that you can do to be rad!” (unp.)., and a list of resources.

 

Editor’s note: for many more recommended biographies of women, follow these tags: Biographies; Women’s History

The post Biographies with girl power appeared first on The Horn Book.

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Mormon feminism may seem to some a recent phenomenon, but events and writings in the history of Mormon feminism date back to the early 1970s. Here we have compiled these key moments in when Mormon women have engaged with question about gender in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a timeline of the pre-history and history of the Mormon feminist movement.

The post Key events and writings in contemporary Mormon feminism appeared first on OUPblog.

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A gifted orator, Lucy Stone dedicated her life to the fight for equal rights. Among the earliest female graduates of the Oberlin Collegiate Institute in Ohio, Stone was the first Massachusetts-born woman to earn a college degree. Stone rose to national prominence as a well-respected public speaker – an occupation rarely pursued by women of the era.

The post The life and legacy of Lucy Stone appeared first on OUPblog.

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Delmonico’s in New York opened in the 1830s and is often thought of as the first restaurant in the United States. A restaurant differs from other forms of dining out such as inns or taverns and while there have always been take-out establishments and food vendors in cities, a restaurant is a place to sit down to a meal.

The post Women and restaurants in the 19th-century United States appeared first on OUPblog.

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In May 2014, in Sudan, Meriam Ibrahim was sentenced to death for the ‘crime’ of ridda (apostacy) and to 100 lashes for the ‘offence’ of zena (sexual immorality). The case generated international outrage among those who care about women’s rights and religious freedom.

The post Remembering women sentenced to death on International Women’s Day appeared first on OUPblog.

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Lucy Stone, a nineteenth-century abolitionist and suffragist, became by the 1850s one of the most famous women in America. She was a brilliant orator, played a leading role in organizing and participating in national women’s rights conventions, served as president of the American Equal Rights Association [...]

The post Suffragist Lucy Stone in 10 facts appeared first on OUPblog.

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By Janet Veitch

On Saturday, 8 March, we celebrate International Women’s Day. But is there really anything to celebrate?

Last year, the United Nations declared its theme for International Women’s Day to be: “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.” But in the United Kingdom in 2012, the government’s own figures show that around 1.2 million women suffered domestic abuse, over 400,000 women were sexually assaulted, 70,000 women were raped, and thousands more were stalked.

So, why is there violence against women?

The United Nations talks about a context of deep-rooted patriarchal systems and structures that enable men to assert power and control over women.

In a nutshell, this means that men’s violence against women is simply the most extreme manifestation of a continuum of male privilege, starting with domination of public discourse and decision-making, taking the lion’s share of global income and assets, and finally, controlling women’s actions and agency by force if necessary.

Throughout history and in most cultures, violence against women has been an accepted way in which men maintain power. In this country, the traditional right of a husband to inflict moderate corporal punishment on his wife in order to keep her “within the bounds of duty” was only removed in 1891. Our lingering ambivalence over the rights and wrongs of intervening in the face of domestic violence (“It’s just a domestic” as the police used to say) continues more than a century later. An ICM poll in 2003 found more people would call the police if someone was mistreating their dog than if someone was mistreating their partner (78% versus 53%). Women recognise this culture of condoning and excusing violence against them in their reluctance even today to exert their legal rights and make an official complaint. The most recent figures from the Ministry of Justice show that only 15% of women who have been raped report it to the police. And when they do, they’re likely to be disbelieved: the ‘no-crime’ rate (where a victim reports a crime but the police decide that no crime took place) for overall police recorded crime is 3.4%; for rape it’s 10.8%. All this adds up to a culture of impunity in which violence can continue.

And it’s exacerbated by our media. When the End Violence against Women Coalition, along with some of our members, were invited to give evidence to the Leveson Inquiry, we argued that:

“reporting on violence against women which misrepresents crimes, which is intrusive, which sensationalises and which uncritically blames ‘culture’, is not simply uninformed, trivial or in bad taste. It has real and lasting impact – it reinforces attitudes which blame women and girls for the violence that is done to them, and it allows some perpetrators to believe they will get away with committing violence. Because such news reporting are critical to establishing what behaviour is acceptable and what is regarded as ‘real’ crime, in the long term and cumulatively, this reporting affects what is perceived as crime, which victims come forward, how some perpetrators behave, and ultimately who is and is not convicted of crime.”

When do states become responsible for private acts of violence against women?

The UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) says in its General Recommendation No. 19 that states may be responsible for private acts “if they fail to act with due diligence to prevent violations of rights or to investigate and punish acts of violence.”

Due diligence means that states must show the same level of commitment to preventing, investigating, punishing and providing remedies for violence against women as they do other crimes of violence. Arguably, our poor rates of reporting and prosecution suggest that the UK is not fulfilling this obligation.

What are some possible policy solutions to eliminate violence against women?

The last Government developed a national strategy to tackle this problem and the current Government has followed suit, adopting a national action plan that aims to coordinate action at the highest level. This has had the single-minded backing of the Home Secretary, Theresa May — who of course happens to be a woman. Under this umbrella, steps have been taken to focus on what works — although much more needs to be done, for example on the key issue of prevention –changing the attitudes that create a conducive environment for violence. Research by the UN in a number of countries recently showed that 70-80% of men who raped said did so because they felt entitled to; they thought they had a right to sex. Research with young people by the Children’s Commissioner has highlighted the sexual double standard that rewards young men for having sex while passing negative judgment on young women who do so. We need to rethink constructions of gender, particularly of masculinity.

What will the End Violence Against Women Campaign focus on this year?

End Violence Against Women welcomes the fact that the main political parties now recognize that this is a key public policy issue, and we’ll be using the upcoming local and national elections in 2014 and 2015 to question candidates on their practical proposals for ending violence against women and girls. We need to make sure that women’s support services are available in every area. And we’ll be working on our long-term aim of changing the way people talk and think about violence against women and girls — starting in schools, where children learn about gender roles and stereotypes — much earlier than we think. We hope Michael Gove will back our Schools Safe 4 Girls campaign. We also look forward to a historic milestone in April, when the UN special rapporteur on violence against women makes a visit to the UK to assess progress.

On International Women’s Day this year, what is the most urgent issue for the world to focus on?

As Nelson Mandela said: “For every woman and girl violently attacked, we reduce our humanity. Every woman who has to sell her life for sex we condemn to a lifetime in prison. For every moment we remain silent, we conspire against our women.” While women across the world are raped and murdered, systematically beaten, trafficked, bought and sold, ending this “undeclared war on women” has to be our top priority.

Janet Veitch is a member of the board of the End Violence against Women Coalition, a coalition of activists, women’s rights and human rights organisations, survivors of violence, academics and front line service providers calling for concerted action to end violence against women. She is immediate past Chair of the UK Women’s Budget Group. She was awarded an OBE for services to women’s rights in 2011.

On 22 March 2014, the University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre will be hosting the 15th Annual Student Human Rights Conference ‘Mind the Gender Gap: The Rights of Women,’ and Janet Veitch will be among the experts on the rights of women who will be speaking. Full details are available on the Human Rights Law Centre webpage.

Human Rights Law Review publishes critical articles that consider human rights in their various contexts, from global to national levels, book reviews, and a section dedicated to analysis of recent jurisprudence and practice of the UN and regional human rights systems.

Oxford University Press is a leading publisher in international law, including the Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, latest titles from thought leaders in the field, and a wide range of law journals and online products. We publish original works across key areas of study, from humanitarian to international economic to environmental law, developing outstanding resources to support students, scholars, and practitioners worldwide. For the latest news, commentary, and insights follow the International Law team on Twitter @OUPIntLaw.

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Image credit: Crying woman sitting in the corner of the room, with phone in front of her to call for help. © legenda via iStockphoto.

The post International Women’s Day: a time for action appeared first on OUPblog.

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As part of the WOW! Women On Writing blog tour, I am reviewing Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women of Extreme Religion. I have a print copy to giveaway to U. S. mailing addresses. Please see the rafflecopter form at the end of the review to enter!

Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religions is an anthology edited by Susan Tive and Cami Ostman, who both chose to enter religious communities they weren’t born into. They met in a memoir writing class—Ostman has written a book about running a marathon on every continent, and Tive was working on writings about her years spent in Orthodox Judaism.

After discussing their lives over coffee and wine outside of class, they realized that their journeys were similar: both experienced a faith that asked them to shun personal freedoms many women in the United States take for granted. Both were expected to view men as the head of their married and religious lives. The more they talked, the more they began to question: “Why did we choose to join such restrictive religious practices? Why did we stay so long? Why was it so hard to leave?”

Then they wondered if other women had experienced the same thing in their lives. Since Ostman and Tive were writers, they developed the idea for the anthology, and Beyond Belief was born.

In the introduction, the editors explain that they had many ideas for how this anthology should look when they first got the idea. They were only going to allow women who had chosen to enter an “extreme religion,” although they were not going to define extreme. But they received many pieces from women born into their religion and the struggles as children and teens, and so the editors changed their minds. They ask readers of the anthology not to judge the true stories in the book on whether or not they are “extreme enough.”

Buy Beyond Belief on Indiebound.org!

The bottom line is this book is filled with heartfelt and well-written essays that readers will find interesting and which often read as fiction, but they are not. Maybe these narratives seem like they could be fiction because readers who grew up in a “non-extreme” religious household will be filled with wonder and disbelief when reading what some of these women have been through in their lives, all in the name of religion.

Many different religions are covered from Evangelical to Catholic to Baptist, from Mormon to Muslim to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The stories are divided into three sections: “In the Beginning,” where authors write stories about getting IN to these religions; “Burnt Offerings,” a very interesting section on the practices and beliefs of people IN extreme religions; and finally “Exodus,” about women who got out of an unhealthy religious situation for them.

Depending on readers’ own religious beliefs, they may see themselves in the pages of the essays—parents trying to raise their children according to their beliefs, or young mothers lost and struggling who need support and aren’t finding it in church, or even women going through divorce and leaving a particular religion.

Many of the authors in this book are brave for sharing their most personal stories and inner beliefs. This book is not

“preaching” that anyone should leave a certain religion or that there’s even anything wrong with being religious. It’s an honest look at the lives of these women authors. Readers can learn from their stories—understanding religious customs, finding their own freedom, living life to the fullest, respecting elders, and loving family members for whom they are.

If you are interested in religion, have been exploring different churches, or even questioning where your beliefs lie, then you will appreciate the thought-provoking and touching essays in Beyond Belief.

 

Enter below to win Beyond Belief!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL - Shannon Hitchcock
setting: 1920's, North Carolina
age range: 12 and up
release date: February 1, 2013
study guide based on Common Core State Standards

Please tell us about your book.
It’s 1922 and Jessie has big plans for her future, but that’s before tuberculosis strikes. Though she has no talent for cooking, cleaning, or nursing, she puts her dreams on hold to help her family. She falls in love for the first time ever, and suddenly what she wants is not so simple any more.

What inspired you to write this story?
A snippet of a family story and my son’s 8th grade history project. His teacher had each student collect ten family stories. Each story had to take place during a different decade. I decided to write a novel loosely based on one of the stories Alex collected.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research?
I read novels set in the 1920’s, North Carolina history books, memoirs written from sanatoriums, and doctors’ accounts of the disease. I also contacted a local historian in my hometown who helped me locate resources about life on a tobacco farm in the early 1900’s.

What are some special challenges associated with writing historical fiction? 
Not to tell everything you know, but just enough to add flavor to the story.

What topics does your book touch upon that would make your book a perfect fit for the classroom? 
THE BALLAD OF JESSIE PEARL could be used in a cross curricular unit by ELA and Social Studies teachers. Keely Hutton, who’s an eighth grade ELA teacher, reviewed my curriculum guide and gave this feedback:

With JESSIE you have the perfect opportunity to tie in [the following]: 

 non-fiction pieces about the time period

TB

women’s rights and roles in family/society

health care during epidemics 

historically what was happening during those years in the US and the world

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Today, I am sharing with you another story from the book Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Mahabouba did not die in childbirth or due to giving birth, but she did become incontinent. According to Kristof and WuDunn, more than 3 million women and girls are incontinent due to the lack of medical care during childbirth.

Here’s Mahabouba’s (an Ethopian girl) tragic story: When her parents divorced when she was a small child, she was given to her father’s sister, who didn’t give her an education and treated her as a servant. Mahabouba and her sister ran away to town and worked as maids for room and board. A neighbor told her that he could find better work for her when she was 13 years old, but he actually sold her for $10 to a 60-year-old man as a 2nd wife. The man raped and beat her. She got no sympathy from the first wife either, who also beat her out of jealousy. Mahabouba tried to run away, but she was always caught.

She soon became pregnant, and so the beatings didn’t happen as often and she had more freedom. When she was 7 months pregnant, she ran away. She fled to town, but the people said they would take her back to the man, so she ran to her village. She found her immediate family gone, and nobody wanted to help her because she was pregnant and someone else’s wife. She went to drown herself in the river, but her uncle found her and put her in a little hut by his house.

She had no midwife, and so she tried to have the baby by herself, but her pelvis hadn’t grown large enough to accommodate the baby’s head (since she was so young) and she ended up in obstructed labor. After seven days, she passed out and then someone summoned a birth attendant. When she woke up, she discovered her baby was dead and she had no control over her bladder or bowels. She couldn’t walk or stand. The people in the village thought she was cursed, and she should leave. But her uncle was torn. He gave her food and water, but moved her hut to the edge of the village and took the door off so there was no protection from the hyenas.

The first night, the hyenas came. Even though she couldn’t move her legs, Mahabouba warded them off with a stick at 14 years old. She knew to survive she had to get out of the village. She had heard of a Western missionary in a nearby village, and so she crawled for almost two days to the next village, up to the missionary doorstep. The missionary saved her and took her to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital.

If you want to read what happens to Mahabouba at the fistula hospital or the wonderful work they do there, please buy the book: Half the Sky.

Tomorrow, I will tell you a way you can help girls like Mahabouba.

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Anne Zaccardelli, Library and Online Sales Assistant

Sally G. McMillen is the Mary Reynolds Babcock Professor of History and Department chair at Davidson College. Her newest book, now out in paperback, Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women’s Rights Movement illuminates a major turning point in American women’s history, a convention and its aftermath, which launched the women’s rights movement. Below I share the interview I conducted with McMillen about this tumultuous time in our nation’s history.  Be sure to check out McMillen’s previous OUPblog posts here.

OUP: While I was reading the book, I was completely shocked at just how scandalous it was for a woman to merely speak in public. Why was that?

Professor Sally McMillen: The idea of American women speaking in public to mixed audiences was unacceptable until the mid-nineteenth century. They could address other women, and Quaker ministers like Lucretia Mott spoke in meetings. In the late 1830s, when Sarah and Angelina Grimke addressed audiences of men and women, New England ministers were shocked. Women should confine their activities to the domestic arena and not presume to be experts on moral issues—in this case, slavery. In 1837, these ministers issued a formal “Pastoral Letter,” objecting to the sisters’ audacious behavior. Their “Letter” was read in churches across New England, denouncing the two for stepping beyond the female sphere. This caused a number of women to realize that they were as enslaved as the slaves they were trying to free. It also led to Sarah Grimke’s writing one of the earliest treatises on women’s rights, Letters on the Equality of the Sexes. Nearly a decade later, Lucy Stone, who attended Oberlin Collegiate Institute, discovered that the school did not allow female students to study rhetoric, to debate, or to speak in public. Later, during her career as a public orator for the anti-slavery movement, Stone sometimes found herself drowned out by rowdy protestors and pelted with rotten vegetables and books. Finally, by the 1850s, such reactions subsided, and women’s voices were heard.

OUP: From Hillary Clinton’s pant suits to the cost of Sarah Palin’s clothes, a female politician’s appearance is heavily scrutinized today. Did the suffragettes have this problem as well?

McMillen: Clothing has always been an issue for women that can elicit strong responses. In the mid-nineteenth century, female attire consisted of layers of petticoats, tight corsets, and floor-length dresses. Tight lacing caused health problems by constricting internal organs. In 1850, Elizabeth Miller returned from Europe where she had worn the “Turkish costume” with puffy pants and a short skirt. Welcoming this freedom of movement, soon her cousin Elizabeth Cady Stanton adopted the outfit, as did Lucy Stone and Susan B. Anthony. Amelia Bloomer’s newspaper ran sample patterns, and the new fashion statement now had a name (“bloomers”). But the comfortable costume had an abbreviated life, for the public and the press ridiculed women for such unsightly, unfeminine attire. Female reformers soon realized that the

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I have to admit, I was ignorant. I had no idea Chattanooga was so lovely and filled with exciting things and sweet people. This place needs to go on the Roadtrip Vacation List!

Yesterday I talked to students at Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences and Tyner High. (Yes, yes, I know I am technically on hiatus from school visits, but this trip were arranged through the A Tale for One City program, so it's different.)

Do they look like Monday morning, or what? They were actually much more lively than this picture looks. It was really nice to hang out with kids again. (Special thanks to the kids who came over from Howard!)



CSAS is in a historic building and some of the lockers are wooden. Gives the expression "old school" new meaning.

After CSAS, my wonderful host, Fran Bender, took me to the Art District for lunch at a coffee shop and quick walk through the museum neighborhood. Then it was on to Tyner.

The students at Tyner were some of the friendliest I have ever had the good fortune to run across.

Some of the guys instantly freeze into GQ cover model positions whenever they feel a camera on them.

The girl on the left wins the "most thoughtful and insightful questions of the decade" award.

Thank you everyone for making the day so much fun!!

Long day today - more schools and my public presentation tonight.

I leave you with John Scalzi's article about the financial realities of the writing life, not to discourage any of you from becoming writers, but so you know what you're getting into. If you are seriously contemplating writing as a career, you owe it to yourself to read the entire article. Thank you, Stef, for the link.

Finally, thank you, mares for the heads-up about the extremely nice review of TWISTED in the Drew University Campus newspaper, The Acorn.

Oh - one last thing. Dinner last night? Shrimp and grits. Heaven - just heaven.

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For my inaugural post, I was planning on introducing myself and talking a bit about the different approaches the trade vs. educational market nonfiction take, and what that means to writers and readers. But after what happened yesterday, I guess I’ll hold off until March for that. Although I will introduce myself, as I was always taught to do by my dear old Gram.

Briefly, I studied English at Oberlin College and received a Master in Education from Southern CT State University. I was an editor of children’s nonfiction for 13 years before moving away from New York City and starting to write full-time. I’ve been doing that for a bit more than 10 years now. Nice to meet you. So, on to what happened yesterday.

A local school put together a wonderful program called A Day of A Thousand Stars, in which people from all over the community descended upon said school for a marathon read-aloud. Every half-hour, a different visitor was escorted to one of the classrooms by a lovely 4th grade host. The joint was buzzing with visiting readers! The local celeb pediatrician, the youth soccer coach, the high school principal, the high school stars of a recent musical production, the lady with the greyhound therapy dog, and me, local author. Most readers chose from the wonderful selection of picture books in the library, or even brought their own favorites to read to their designated classroom.

I brought nonfiction.

Can you feel their hesitation? I did. But not for long.

First, I hooked them with the notion that they were getting sneak peeks. I had no selection of bound books with me. I opened my bag and took out one f&g, and one stack of color printouts. Books that were not quite books yet. Oh yeah, that got their attention.

Until one child asked, “Wait, are these true stories?” (Think Fred Savage in the Princess Bride saying, "Wait a minute. Is this a kissing book?" Same disdain.)

Yes, I nodded.

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As promised, today I am going to answer the questions that Sherry sent into my MySpace account. They are rather timely.

What keeps you motivated to write?
Writing keeps me healthy and sane. When I am working on a story, I channel the dark, sad, confused, angry bits of me into something constructive and healing. I always feel better after a day of writing. I also love the challenge of solving the puzzle of how to create a story.

I know writing is a long process but when i can't get the right inspiration i need to finish part of the story it stresses me out.
I totally hear you. I feel the same way sometimes. When you run out of inspiration, it's usually means you don't understand your character and the conflicts she's facing. Brainstorm ten things that could happen next that would complicate her life, and then brainstorm ten things that would make her life easier. Somewhere in there, you'll find a key to the next scene you have to write.

As an author do you think its best to plan the stories plot and whats gonna happen in the whole book ahead of time or do you think its best to just go with the flow and go wherever the story leads you?
It depends on the book and it depends on how quickly you want to finish it. With my historical novels, I have to outline carefully because the character's journey has to take place within real historical events. With my YA novels, like TWISTED and SPEAK, I am more flexible. In the early drafts, I write whatever weirdness pops in my head. In later drafts, I sort through the chaos and try to give it structure and a sense of flow. But what works for me might not work for you. Everyone has their own process, as my editor Sharyn always says.

Do you ever set goals for youself as to when you're gonna finish writing certain parts of the book?
All the time. And I never, ever reach the goal on time because I am a hopeless optimist and I always forget to schedule in sleeping at night. But I keep doing it. Goals are helpful. Making time to write every day helps even more.

And any other advise you could give me for writing a book would be very helpful please!
Turn off the television. Read every night before you go to sleep. Write for fun. Never, ever criticize yourself during a first draft. Do not pressure yourself by saying "I have to get this published by the time I am 20 (or 30, or 40, etc.) Write the story in your heart.

Great questions, Sherry. Thanks!

This came in from a 15-year-old girl in the Philippines.

... I'm a high school sophomore at an all-girls school in the Philippines.

I just wanted to say that I find Twisted and Speak really amazing books. I can't fully say how amazing they are. If it weren't for a book sale, I probably would not have heard of you, or any of your books, for that matter. I mean, I live here in the Philippines, and the bookstores here have limited copies of your books, mostly the ones for younger children. It took me a long time to find Twisted, and I still haven't seen Catalyst or your other novels. Anyway, I wanted to thank you, too, for writing the way you do. I get to empathize with the characters, even though I haven't been in any situation they're in. That's really something. I get inspired. I write too, but usually in non-fiction, and I write for our school paper. Also, I checked out your website, and saw the playlist for Twisted. It was so weird that those songs are on my iPod. I'm sorry if I was rambling, but I just had to say it. That's all.

All love for the Philippines!! ::glowing::

I also got an email from a guy, a junior, who read TWISTED. It was a very emotional note, with details about how his life paralleled Tyler Miller's. I don't feel comfortable sharing the whole thing, but there were a couple of lines that are universal:

"i picked your book up in the library yesterday and read the first couple of pages and for some reason i couldn't put it down. i consistently got yelled at today and even got a detention for reading during class. so i get home and i finally finish it and I'm just like "wow". this IS the best book i have ever read. hands down.... i just want to be myself, and be liked at the same time, but its like that's impossible. its either be myself and be hated on, or be fake and get worshiped, life sucks and its taken me this long to realize, that shit just isn't going to change, and your book made me realize this.... it feels like I'm supposed to do something epic to let everyone know that I'm done putting up with people's "fakeness". like i want to go outside and scream as loud as i can for as long as i can....

I think he's right. Our culture, especially in high school, doesn't give kids much room to express the real person they feel inside. They feel under so much pressure to conform and it's hard to understand and it damages their souls. (The next time you see an angry teenager, please remember and be kind.)

This is why we write, friends, and this is why we read. To connect with other people. To feel alive. To stumble towards the answers.

I love my job.

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Thank you, elves at Amazon.com! TWISTED was named one of their Best Teen Books of 2007!!

::dances on the crust of snow frozen over the fallen maple leaves::

SPEAK is coming the stage in Central New York this weekend!! It is premiering at one of my alma maters, Fayetteville-Manlius High School, and in a few weeks it will be onstage at my almost-mater, Nottingham High School. All details here. (Note: the production is not suitable for little kids - get a babysitter, please.) The director, Steve Braddock, is the fellow who brought FEVER 1793 to the stage a couple of years ago. I am very excited to see his adaptation, and see what the actors have done with the material.

Post Standard reporter Laura Ryan attended a rehearsal and has some great quotes from Steve (and a couple from me).

The Syracuse New Times has an article, too, and photos of rehearsal. One note - I did not attend Nottingham, as the article says, but if we hadn't moved the summer before high school started, I would have.

In closing - what would Charles think?

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The Galley Group (a teen book club in Allegan, Michigan) read TWISTED and wrote reviews that I would like to paper the entire inside of my house with. You might enjoy reading them, too.

You can also see the real, live author interviewed about the book. (Be patient. The clip might take a minute to load.)

I am writing. The Creature With Fangs is guarding me.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

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Thanks to everyone who ignored the gorgeous weather, the Bills game, and the Giants game to come out to the bookstore yesterday. The crowd was much bigger than I thought and I stayed for a very long time chatting and signing. I hope to have some photos to post soon.

I have already been working on my revision for a couple of hours. I should be able to ship off Part 1 this afternoon. I sure hope so - I am desperate to go to the gym.

In the breaking news category: FEVER 1793 will soon be translated into Korean, TWISTED has been nominated for The Heartland Award, and next month, a stage version of SPEAK will premiere at both Fayetteville-Manlius High School and Nottingham High School.

I leave you library lovers with a little game to play...

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Tyler has always been a geek- until a graffiti prank makes him a legend and the physical labor required during his mandatory community service gives him muscles. His new muscles attract the attention of popular Bethany Milbury, the "goddess" who just happens to be the daughter of Tyler's father's boss and the sister of Tyler's biggest tormentor, Chip. While things are looking up at school for the start of Tyler's senior year, things are home continue to be volatile as Tyler's father's angry and explosive behavior keeps the family on edge. Tyler's positive start to the school year quickly ends following a wild party in which pictures of a drunken, passed out Bethany appear on the internet and Tyler finds himself potentially facing felony charges of lewd behavior, forcible touching, sexual harrassment, sexual misconduct, voyeurism, and kidnapping. As Tyler struggles to prove his innocence in an environment that has already deemed him guilty, he contemplates increasingly darker means of escaping his situation. Tyler is an interesting, complex and very authentic character. His narration is full of vulnerabilty and emotional anguish that conveys the struggles of a young man growing up and trying to find out for himself what it means to be a man. Anderson has another slam dunk with Twisted- its haunting story, chilling scenes, and raw emotion will stay with readers long after the story has completed.

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So many books. So little time. I'm sure you all know the feeling.

But I've been reading up a storm the last week or so. Here's my little list:

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson. Comment: Wow! What a voice. I hope someday I can write a book with such an authentic male protagonist.

Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Comment: I hope this wins the Prinz. I couldn't put it down. I'm trying to get my son to read it so we can discuss it. Brilliant idea, cleverly executed and incredibly thought-provoking.

The Sunflower: On the possibilities and limits of forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal. the_webmeister's aunt Pauline was reading this for her book club when we were in Canada, and I was so intrigued I had to order it the minute I got home. Another thought-provoking read. saramerica used it in a recent column which you can read
here.

Those who save us by Jenna Blum. My friend Malaine recommend this and as I was reading it I realized I'd already read it a while back, but it is so engrossing I didn't mind reading it again, especially given my recent visit to Germany and after reading The Sunflower and Life as we knew it. How would we react in a given life -threatening situation?
Would we be able to hold on to our deepest moral values? Or would the will to stay alive trump all?

Currently reading:

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins. I'm amazed at how much she is able to convey about the characters in verse in a short time (although I guess having read Sonya Sones' books, I shouldn't be) and how much I have come to care about these kids in a short period of time. I've got a sinking feeling that one of them isn't going to make it, and but I'm not sure which one - keep changing my mind about who is going to be the one whose demons get the better of them.
I was hoping to finish it last night but fell asleep. Note to self: go to bed to read earlier tonight!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. This one's been sitting on my nightstand since my new editor extraordinaire, David Levithan, handed me a copy when I visited Scholastic HQ. I kept putting off reading it because there was so much hype and I wasn't sure what to make of it. But I picked it up this morning and Bam! I'm already engrossed. I was afraid the number of pictures would detract from my ability to get into the story, but not true. I'm already on part two and dying to know the mystery.


OK, back to the books. What are *YOU* reading these days?

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It's time for yet another installment if Google Ping, and today we are pinging Laurie Halse Anderson. Ms. Anderson is the author of many great books for young readers, including her new release TWISTED.



For those of you new to this feature, Google Ping is a game I invented where I type a children's author's name over and over on my blog to see how long it takes him or her to find me by either Googling their name or hearing through the grapevine that they have been pinged. The fastest children's author to comment on my blog and prove they are who they say they are (and not some crazed children's author impersonator) is crowned the current champion of Google Ping.

And I know Ms. Anderson will not have the "Anonymous" issue that another author who shall remain nameless has had over the past few weeks. The judges are still deliberating that issue, Mr. Green.

So, here we go:

Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson, Laurie Halse Anderson.

The clock is ticking, Ms. Anderson. The official start time is 10:50 am Eastern time on 5/16/2007.

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