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Okay...I promised an update on my best friend's trip to South Africa,
so without further adieu...here's Diana sticking her toe in the Indian Ocean! (pretty impressive, huh?)


Molweni!

Well, I feel just like a celebrity. You know: Where in the world's Matt Lauer and Diana Black!

Mary's so right. The trip to South Africa was life-altering. For example, I didn't have a sinus infection when I left, but I do now...

No, wait. Maybe there is something a bit more profound to glean from the experience.

Like how courageous and resourceful people can be after hearing a life-altering diagnosis or forcibly removed from their homes, their neighborhoods and required to live in "houses" pieced together with metal scraps and discarded window frames.

How people can rise above wrongful imprisonment and continue to struggle against injustices to humankind.

How strong women are, and how much we are alike regardless of cultural differences.

And how everyone loves to laugh. I believe it was Victor Borge who said, "The shortest distance between two people is a smile."

The opportunity to make this trip and share it with Mary's blogger buddies sure makes me smile.

Okay, I think this is where I'm supposed to say how wonderful she is (right, Mary?), and how without her, I would be nothing. That she has made me everything I am, the woman among women I model myself after as should every other woman in the universe. (Did I forget anything? Oh, yeah...) And she's beautiful and a wonderful writer and my bestest bud. (Those last comments? Right from my heart.)

So thanks, Mary, and all of you who expressed an interest in my little jaunt. May each of you succeed with your own individual "trip of a lifetime." Be it that trek to the mailbox with your first manuscript or to a foreign corner of your imagination and/or the earth.

Hamba kakuhle (Xhosa for "go well"),
Diana

Want more pictures? Here's the link to Diana's amazing blog. You'll see amazing pictures of scenery, Diana's "sista sojourners," lions, native birds, and you'll even (almost) see a picture of a giraffe!

South African Sojourn

What a way to start the month. First, John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA is under fire for being "pornographic".

And now, some parents are going after SPEAK. The teacher involved has asked me not to name the school because she wants the process and policies of the district to unfold away from the glare of any spotlights. I respect that. I am allowed to say that it's a middle school in suburban Detroit. For the record, this has also happened in New Hampshire, Florida, Ohio, Washington, New York, Maine, and California. (As a result of the challenges, the book was embraced, not banned. Which does make an author feel good and a teacher feel even better.)

I sent her a note with teen sexual assault statistics and shared the feedback I've had from readers and their parents, who are grateful for a story that allows them to broach a difficult subject.

This teacher could use some professional support. If you teach SPEAK, can you please leave a note in the comments section for her? Tell her why you use the book. Tell her about your classroom experiences and your professional opinion about the place of the book in the curriculum. Or just give her a pat on the back. If you are a teen, tell her what the book meant to you.

Thank you very much and spread the word.

Now for something positive! Join the brilliant people at The Brown Bookshelf for 28 Days Later - an awesome, wonderful, joyful concept: a black history month celebration of children's literature. They are highlighting an African-American author or illustrator every day this month. Today's honoree is Rita Williams-Garcia, whom I met at NCTE back in November. If you're looking for some great authors, start with this list.

This is my editor Sharyn November with the lovely and talented Rita Williams-Garcia.

Our Team In Training effort is going strong. Between the two of us, BH and I have already raised $1755 of our goal of $5000. Yeah, that means we're still standing here, in the snow, shivering, with our hands out. Please donate to the goose or donate to the gander. We're raising $5000 and running a half marathon for the National Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Come on. Give a little!

(I ran 5 miles on Saturday and 4 miles yesterday. BH ran 5 miles both days. We didn't have any trouble sleeping this weekend.)

Thank you to the Giants and Patriots for a great game last night!!! All hail the Giants defense - even though I wanted the other guy to win, you gotta respect the job they did.

And now the countdown to March Madness...

Along with the countdown to my deadline. scribblescribblescribble

The Myth of Mars and Venus: Do men and women really speak different languages? by Deborah Cameron, Rupert Murdoch Professor of Language and Communication at Oxford University, argues that gender needs to be viewed in more complex ways than the prevailing myths and stereotypes allow. In the article below Cameron looks at historical stereotypes of female orators and reflects on Hillary Clinton’s primary run.

After Hillary Clinton lost to Barack Obama in Iowa, the London Times columnist David Aaronovitch suggested that part of Mrs. Clinton’s problem might lie in our contradictory attitudes to women’s public speech. If their style is assertive they are labeled “shrill” and “strident”; if it is softer and more conciliatory, that casts doubt on their ability to lead. However she speaks, it seems a woman cannot win. (more…)

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I feel much better today, but am still hovering on the edge of the crud. (note - I originally misspelled that as "xrud." I think it works better that way.) BH has had it worse than me. I think another 24 hours of solitude and we'll be all set.

I am feeling just xruddy enough that I have even less focus than usual. So this will be a random and disjointed entry.

Angela wrote to me on my Facebook: What do you think of the new AmazonKindle and the virtual road down which books have now turned? Do you think this is really the end of the printed word, like so many techies do? ... cannot imagine not having an actual "book" in my hand to read.... Troubling, I feel. Your insights would be much appreciated."

I think that Amazon should give me a Kindle so I can really explore this. They gave one to Neil Gaiman, but then they took it back. That was rather ungrateful of them.

Will Kindle-like devices take the place of paper-based books? Yep, I believe they will. But do not rend your garments or gnash your teeth. The concept of Story isn't going anywhere. It is encoded into our DNA. It's just that when technology changes, the vehicle for Story changes and that makes some folks uncomfortable for a while. And then we adjust. I suspect that the need to preserve forests combined with a generation of computer-friendly kids will make paper-based books into historical artifacts. If it helps bring the planet back into balance, I'm all for it.

A note from a Hungarian reader living in Malaysia came in the other day. Yeah, that's what I said. A Hungarian reader in Malaysia. How cool is that? She read SPEAK and was finishing up PROM for her English 10 class. She wrote " I loved Prom, too, though for entirely different reasons. To me, it shed some light onto the lives of "ordinary, everyday" teen-life in Philadelphia. You wouldn't believe the 'bubble' I'm coming from! :)"

Congratulations to the Fayetteville-Manlius girls cross country team for winning Nationals for the second year in a row!!!

Middle school teachers - you want to read this review of Teri Lesesne's new book, " Naked Reading: Uncovering What Tweens Need to Become Lifelong Readers".



SPEAK at Nottingham was fabulous.

In large part, because the director, Ginny Fennessy, and the cast and crew put so much energy into it. Thank you!

NB: A number of teachers have written asking for information about putting on SPEAK at their schools. Steve Braddock, the playwright, and my publisher will be working out the details of this soon. I expect to post information about how to obtain the proper rights and scripts by the end of January.

Last, but not least, The Creature With Fangs (who now has an album on my Facebook and her own Dogbook account - sigh) completely killed the toy Meredith bought her at Thanksgiving.

The CWF hates to chew hard things, even though she has great teeth. Fangs. She loves to chew soft things. Problem - soft things are easily destroyed. Does anyone know about an indestructible soft chew toy for large beasts?

Yesterday I had the chance to go back to junior high, only now they call it a middle school, and next year they change it again to a K-8 configuration.

Levy. On Fellows Avenue in Syracuse.

This was not as traumatic as revisiting my high school was. For one thing, I went to Levy with a bunch of kids I grew up with, and we hadn't moved or gone through all the other trauma that made 8th-9th grade so ouchy for me. For another, I was an incredibly clueless kid in seventh grade. I'm sure there was all kinds of middle school drama going on around me, but it did not register. I remember feeling tall and awkward, I remember my art class, the gospel choir, and, vaguely, Social Studies. I remember being in a couple of fights and burning my arm on the radiator in the cafeteria. And I remember the long walk there in the winter darkness. Nothing horrible, nothing earth-shattering.

But yesterday was fun. I got to speak to a group of teachers (including one that I went to school with) and a larger group of students.

They were neither clueless nor awkward, though a couple of them were tall. Two of the girls were daughters of women I had grown up with, which was very cool. Syracuse really is a small town. I like that.

I've spent today deep, deep into pages. More tomorrow. We might sneak out for some of the local holiday festivities on Saturday. If you don't want to drive north to Mexico, drive to Syracuse instead to watch my almost-mater, Nottingham High School perform SPEAK on stage this weekend.

QUESTION: What is your strongest memory from seventh grade?

Last night was pretty much an out-of-body experience.

Anyone who reads my books knows that I struggled in high school, for a lot of different reasons. The bad news is that I was a depressed kid for a long time. The good news is that I did not die or do anything permanently stupid. I grew up, dealt with stuff, and became an extremely happy writer with an acute sensitivity for teens who are struggling with all manner of pain, stress, pressure, and sadness.

But last night I had to go back to my high school. The place I had worked so hard to get out of.

It still smells the same.

Three steps into the lobby and I started breaking out in hives. I wanted to bolt, but my Beloved Husband made me promise not to, plus I was curious about how the actors, crew, and playwright had interpreted SPEAK. I dug my fingernails into my palm and sat down in the auditorium where I had spent so many miserable hours. I focused on not hyperventilating.

And the kids saved me. Totally saved me, grabbed my heart, cradled it and made me proud to be connected to them. Thank you, thank you, thank you: Fiona Cunningham for taking the biggest risk of all and becoming Melinda for a while, Tyler Baird, who is Andy Evans only on stage, Chloe Tiso (Heather), Stephanie Jacobs (Rachel), Kate Bonsted (Ivy), and Ross Berman (David), along with all of the other actors and hardworking crew who rocked that stage. Thank you Regan Horacek for the fabulous poster, Steve Braddock for another tremendous job bringing one of my books to life on stage, drama teacher and director Scott Austin for making magic happen, and John Czajkowski for a brilliant set and lighting scheme.

(You can watch interviews with some of the cast from this Channel 10 Page.)

As if that wasn't enough, Vera House was set up in the lobby to educate people about their powerful Clothesline Project for survivors of sexual assault and abuse. Perfect.

One of the privileges of being the author upon whose book a play is based is that you get to go backstage after the show...

...and talk to the cast and crew.


Actors and crew members spread out on the incredibly functional and well-designed set. (The guy sitting in the green shirt is Tyler Baird, who played Andy Evans.) I answered questions and signed programs, scripts, posters, and shirts.

I thought we'd be backstage for maybe five minutes. After all, they had a cast party to get to. But everyone was so nice and they were all jacked up on the adrenaline of an outstanding performance so we wound up hanging out for more than an hour.

These three girls also acted in the Gifford production of FEVER 1793.

from the right: Scott Austin, Tyler Baird, me, Fiona Cunningham, and I hate to admit this, but I cannot remember the name of the girl on the left. (Help me, someone!)

Steve and Fiona and me.

Thank you, thank you everybody connected to last night. I am completely honored with your interpretation of my work.

This is November 11th. That means Happy Birthday, Jared!

It also means please remember.

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?

There are some wonderful comments in reply to yesterday's post about if writers should consider watching television as a way to improve their craft. You might enjoy reading them - please chime in with your opinion!

I'm still in need of teachers using SPEAK in the classroom so I can connect them with an Australian teacher looking for examples of how that book words with students. If you want to help, please email me at laurie AT writerlady DOT com and I'll hook you up.

Busy day. If I get everything done, I plan on watching the NOVA special about training for the Boston marathon tonight.

Sending out prayers to you, Uncle Jim and Aunt Barb, and wishes for for a speedy recovery and return to strength!

I have an email from a teacher in Australia who wants very much to teach SPEAK. She needs our help. The books have already been purchased, but the principal is having second thoughts about putting the book in curriculum.

She writes: ...could you please help me with some real examples of 'Speak' being used effectively in the classroom and/or pass on my email to someone who may be able to help me?

If you would like to help this teacher, send me your email address to laurie AT writerlady DOT com. I'll pass it on to her. Thanks!

I had another email which kept me pondering all weekend. The person heard me speak at the SCBWI conference in Michigan a few weeks ago and asked if I really meant it when I said writers should turn off the television.

The answer is no. And the answer is yes.

My primary point was this: if you are trying to be a writer, and if you find yourself complaining that you don't have enough time to write, then honestly examine how much time you watch TV. The average American watches 4.5 hours of television a day!. If you want to write and you fall in that category, it's a no-brainer. Turn off the television. Start writing. End of problem.

Now if you like television, and you are satisfied with the amount of time you're writing and quality of your work, by all means, keep watching.

BUT....

Some people see their television and movie-watching as a critical part of becoming better writers. They feel that the exposure to Story structure (Plot A, Plot B, Plot C, character arcs intersecting, etc.) that they get out of watching well-written shows helps their writing. I've had folks argue with me that they must watch TV to write books and write them well enough to be published.

Are you sure you want my honest opinion here?

I think that kind of viewing will help if you are trying to write a screenplay or break into television writing. But it's not going to do much for your book writing.

I see a consistent weakness in the writing of young people and writers who don't read much. They fumble with narrative description. They are great at dialog and they often get the bones of their story laid out well. But the actual description of scene action, setting, the observation of small details which reflect the emotional journey of the character - all that stuff is not up to snuff.

You learn how to write those elements of Story by reading. They are not part of "live action" storytelling - the kind we see on screens and stage. Television and film are different media than books. That's why books don't translate onto the screen without a great deal of changes.

TV and film are just as valid as books when it comes to storytelling. I don't think TV is evil. I see nothing wrong with being a fan of a show and really enjoying your time watching it. (Though I do believe American Idol is an utter waste of time.) There are plenty of shows and movies I've enjoyed. My larger point is this: if you think that watching TV will help you write a great book..... well, good luck with that. I don't think it works.

(Full disclosure - I tracked my TV viewing this week. I watched approximately two hours of news. BH and I watched most of the first Godfather movie Friday night, and some of the Ohio State vs. Penn State football game Saturday. I watched NFL football yesterday while I worked on thank-you notes and started watching a (Netflix) movie with Number One Son that was called on account of homework.)

What is your opinion about this?

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...

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland begins with Alice, a young girl, sitting on a bank quite bored and sleepy. All of a sudden she sees a White Rabbit running by saying “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” The narration points out that when Alice “thought about it afterwards, it occurred to her that she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed quite natural.” (more…)

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