Border Crossing Jessica Lee Anderson
Manz's mother is an alcoholic, a sometimes painter who is still reeling from a stillbirth. His dead father was crazy. Manz's best friend has an abusive father.
Manz and Jed get a job over the summer at a local ranch where Manz meets Vanessa, one of the kitchen worker. Only, when Manz hears about Operation Wetback*, he starts thinking that the government is starting it up again. Even though Manz is a citizen, US-born of a white citizen mother, the voices in his head tell him everyone else is in on it, tell him that the government will ship him to Mexico, unless he can stop it.
As the voices grow louder and louder, Manz can't stop them, can't not do what the tell him. He doesn't realize that no one else can hear them.
On the surface this is an ISSUE NOVEL. Paranoid Schizophrenia! Alcoholism! Domestic Abuse! Immigration! Dead babies!
But, in execution, told through Manz's eyes it's not heavy-handed. It's just the way things are. The real story is Manz's worsening condition. Anderson does a good job of letting the reader know what is "real" and what isn't. Part of this is that she does a good job of setting everything up before Manz starts to lose his grip on reality.
It's a fast-moving, compact book. I like the ending-- there's resolution, without it being super-tidy.
Interestingly, I just saw this photo on another book jacket--American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar. Same cover photo, different nationalities. Hmmm...
Operation Wetback was a pretty extreme anti-illegal immigration/deportation program in the early 50s.
ARC Provided by... the publisher, at ALA a few year ago.
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Blog: Biblio File (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: YA, Fiction, immigration, mental illness, Jessica Lee Anderson, Add a tag
Blog: GregLSBlog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Jo Whittemore, P.J. Hoover, Jessica Lee Anderson, writers and dinosaurs, Add a tag
Jo, Jessica, and PJ pose predatorially |
Jo Whittemore was born in Kentucky on Halloween and moved to Texas while in sixth grade. She writes fantasy and contemporary humor for middle graders and is an Aggie. She is the author of THE SILVERSKIN LEGACY trilogy (Llewellyn); and FRONT PAGE FACE OFF and ODD GIRL IN (Aladdin MIX). Her next novel, D IN DRAMA, is forthcoming from Aladdin MIX in August 2012.
Jessica Lee Anderson was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew up in a lot of places (her father was in the air force), including Hawaii and Texas. She writes contemporary young adult fiction. Her novels include TRUDY (winner of the Milkweed Award) and BORDER CROSSING (Milkweed). Her latest novel is CALLI (Milkweed 2011).
P.J. Hoover grew up in Virginia, holds electrical engineering and history degrees from Virginia Tech, and can solve a Rubik's Cube in under two minutes. She writes fantasy for middle grade and teen readers. She is the author of THE FORGOTTEN WORLDS trilogy (CBAY Books) and SOLSTICE (CreateSpace 2011). P.J. was previously featured on WRITERS AND DINOSAURS here.
Blog: Day By Day Writer (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: books, reading, Writing, Jessica Lee Anderson, Add a tag
Saturday was the monthly meeting of the great Austin chapter of the SCBWI at the awesome independent bookstore BookPeople, and all who attended got a healthy dose of inspiration.
The speaker was author Jessica Lee Anderson, who taught about dealing with the ups and downs of publishing through songs — and yep, she even sang.
Jessica reinforced the idea I wrote about in my last post, that the writing is the best part of the journey, so stop worrying about publication. But how to do that? Well, with a little Patience (from Guns ‘n Roses), R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (from Aretha Franklin) for ourselves as writers and people, and the knowledge that I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor). (Jessica’s talk had a wonderful soundtrack!)
Jessica also reminded us that reading is one of the best ways to become a better writer, and she said she had set a goal for 2011 to read a book a week. A book a week! And she’s running ahead of that goal right now!
I was amazed. I can’t read that fast. (She did admit to me later that she listens to a lot of audio books in her car and has to drive a lot, so that’s one way you can fit them in.)
Although I won’t be matching Jessica’s pace any time soon, she did inspire me to push harder to get more books read. Spurred on, this weekend I picked up my book whenever I had a few spare minutes, instead of browsing the Web. I was determined to finish the novel I was reading and start another. I finished on Sunday afternoon and immediately went to my unread pile and picked up a new book. I’m already racing through that one — as often as I can at least. We’ll see if I can finish it in a week.
So, stop worrying, be patient, keep writing and make reading a priority.
Do you have a reading goal?
Write On!
0 Comments on Patience, perseverance and a whole lotta reading as of 1/1/1900
Blog: Day By Day Writer (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: writing advice, Kirby Larson, Writing, Author Interview, writing conferences, Patrice Barton, P.J. Hoover, Jennifer Ziegler, Jessica Lee Anderson, Liz Garton Scanlon, Austin SCBWI conference, Shana Berg, Add a tag
Today is my last post from the Austin SCBWI conference. It’s my seventh post about the conference and I’ve just given you a sampler from the presentations, so it shows how great these conferences can be.
Before I get into the post for today, here’s a quick recap of the other posts from the conference in case you missed any: agent Mark McVeigh on publishing, agent Andrea Cascardi on getting and working with an agent, editor Cheryl Klein on writing a great book, agent Nathan Bransford on finding the right agent for you, author/former editor Lisa Graff on writing and revising and advice from ALA winners.
The conference had plenty of other published writers, and here’s advice from them:
Kirby Larson (2007 Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky): The secret of success is keeping your bum in your chair and working. No matter how bad you think it is, you have to get the first draft done and keep going.
Liz Garton Scanlon (2010 Caldecott Honor Book All the World): Find a community to help you, whether a critique group or writing partner, because it helps you live in the solitary environment of writing.
Shana Berg (A Thousand Never Evers): You should have an emotional reaction to your story when you read it.
Jennifer Ziegler (How Not to be Popular): Outlining can be an invaluable tool, but use it as a map.
Jessica Lee Anderson (Border Crossing): In dealing with rejection, rethink, revise and resend, inspire yourself with stories, nurture your creativity.
P.J. Hoover (The Emerald Tablet): Think outside of the box. Don’t settle for cliches and stereotypes. Write unique characters
Blog: How To Be A Children's Book Illustrator (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: News, Kirby Larson, Marla Frazee, Houston SCBWI, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Lisa Graff, Austin SCBWI, Chris Barton, Lisa Ann Sandell, Nathan Bransford, Pictures worth a thousand words, Patrice Barton, Sara Lewis Holmes, Special treats, Mark McVeigh, Cheryl Klein, Stacy Cantor, Philip Yates, Shana Burg, Ruta Rimas, children's book illustrations, Jennifer Ziegler, Caldecott Honor, P. J. Hoover, Jacqueline Kelly, Jessica Lee Anderson, Liz Garton Scanlon, Andrea Cascardi, Edith Piaf, John Singer Sargent, Sara Crowe, Add a tag
What does this short animated clip have to do with John Singer Sargent or children’s book illustration?
A quoi ca sert l’amour, a short animation by Louis Clichy, with thanks to illustrator and animation/game artist Amanda Williams for finding this. She called it “brutal and adorable.”
If a child-friendly story had illustrations with these lines — and visual characters as memorable as these, and color the way John Singer Sargent used it in his painted scenes, it would be some picture book, right?
I’m assembling my fantasy football — I mean illustration project — team here.
So, starting with the cartoon: What makes these stick figures tug at your emotions as they do?
The honesty? That we know these people? And been these people?
The “simple” (but oh-so-sophisticated) graphics with their varied perspectives and 360 degree “camera revolutions”?
All the fast cutting and surprise transitions?
The song? Edith Piaf’s and Theo Sarapo’s singing?
The subject?
Could some of this aplomb be translated into picture book illustrations?
Are these enough questions for now?
OK, so let’s add some color and texture. John Singer Sargent had a knack for these.
Thanks to Chicago based painter Raymond Thornton for finding this.
I know. Sargent is the painter who gives all other painters inferiority complexes. We don’t now a lot about how he made his palette choices. (We know that he looked carefully.)
So enough with dream teaming. We’ve got some housecleaning items today.
Two powerhouse chapters of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) have announced their 2010 pow-wows — both set for early next year.
It’s Time to Mingle in Texas
Awesome Austin
Austin SCBWI comes first with Destination Publication featuring a Caldeecott Honor Illustrator and Newberry Honor Author, along with agents, editors, more authors, another fab illustrator, critiques, portfolio reviews and parties.
Mark the date – Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Get the full lowdown and the registration form here. Send in your form pronto if you’re interested — more than 100 people have already signed up. Manuscript crtiques are already sold out. But a few portfolio reviews are still open at this writing!
Destination Publication features Kirby Larson, author of the 2007 Newbery Honor Book, Hattie Big Sky and Marla Frazee, author-illustrator of A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever, which received a Caldecott Honor Award, and more recently All the World penned (all 200 words of it) by Austin’s own children’s author/poet Liz Garton Scanlon.
Frazee teaches children’s book illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. She and Scanlon plan to talk about their collaboration. You can read wonderful essays by them on this very topic here.
The faculty also includes: Cheryl Klein, senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, Lisa Graff, Associate Editor at Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers, Stacy Cantor, Editor, Bloomsbury USA/Walker Books For Young Readers, Andrea Cascardi agent with Transatlantic Literary Agency (and a former editor), another former editor, Mark McVeigh who represents writers, illustrators, photographers and graphic novelists for both the adult and children’s markets, and agent Nathan Bransford.
The conference also features authors Sara Lewis Holmes, Shana Burg, P. J. Hoover, Jessica Lee Anderson, Chris Barton, Jacqueline Kelly, Jennifer Ziegler, Philip Yates, and illustrator Patrice Barton.
Read more about everyone here.
Happenin’ Houston
Houston SCBWI has announced the (still developing) lineup for its conference just three weeks after Austin’s: Saturday, February 20, 2010. Registration is NOW OPEN.
It headlines Cynthia Leitich Smith, acclaimed author of short stories, funny picture books, Native American fiction, and YA Gothic fantasies, Ruta Rimas, assistant editor Balzer & Bray/HarperCollin, and Patrick Collins, creative director at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Collins art directs and designs picture books, young adult novels and middle grade fiction.
Among the recent picture books he has worked on: Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See?, Old Penn Station and Rosa, which was a Caldecott Honor book.
The conference also features Alexandra Cooper, senior editor at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Lisa Ann Sandell, senior editor at Scholastic Inc., and Sara Crowe, an agent with Harvey Klinger, Inc. in New York.
You can download Houston conference info and registration sheets from this page.
No, you don’t have to be Texan to register for either of these big events. You just have to be willing to get here for them.
Remember that just about any SCBWI conference or workshop is a great education for a very modest investment.
* * * * *
Speaking of great educations for a very modest investment, Mark Mitchell, author of this post and host of this blog teaches classes in children’s book illustration at the Austin Museum of Art Art School and online. Learn more about the online course here — or sample some color lessons from the course here.
Thanks for the feature! See, we are always thinking about your book. You've created monsters :)