I’m thrilled to announce that Cleavage, an anthology about teens and body image that includes my story “Profanity,” now has a book trailer. Thanks to Air Productions for putting it together and Jamye Dawicki for the awesome music.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJnw0hVYy7s&feature=player_embedded
I just finished a week of WordPlayer writing workshops at Pegasus Studios summer arts camp. It was my third year teaching 9 to 13 year-olds at the camp. This year, I used an otherworldly theme, and we wrote stories based on the photography of Gregory Crewdson, created our own fantastic characters (everything from our version of vampires to animals with a human spirit residing within), and wrote using masks to springboard into our characters. I’m always amazed at the wonderful spontaneous writing that these creative kids can produce. One teen greeted me with the news that a story she started in last year’s camp is now 30 chapters long (about 30,000 words)! I felt privileged to read her story, which is well-written and engaging. Thanks to all for sharing your writing with me.
Cleavage was named a Best Book for Teens by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting Canadian children’s books. Here’s what they had to say about the book: “An edgy new collection of 15 stories about girls who challenge convention and those who wish they could. Hilarious, comforting and intense, these stories make us think more about taking pride in wearing our bodies just the way they are.”
The life of a writer can be ruled by the mailbox. Sometimes I get pleasant surprises in the mail, like a letter from a reader or an acceptance from a publisher. Other times, the news is not so great. On June 23, I went to my mailbox to find I had been awarded an Ontario Arts Council Work-in-Progress grant for my next project, a teen novel tentatively titled The Yo-Yo Prophet. I shrieked loud enough to disturb the neighbours. Now, I’m back to writing, with a little more enthusiasm and a big smile on my face.
Check out this new online interview of me at Cheryl Rainfield’s informative site. Cheryl is a avid reader, reviewer and author of fiction for teens. Her first novel Dragon Speaker: The Last Dragon will be published by HIP Books in September 2009.
When a good story idea hits, it settles in my body and takes over completely. The character occupies my mind, inhabits me, makes unreasonable demands. I find the engine of a story inside myself, where experience and imagination connect. I believe that a story must inhabit a writer to ring true, and that writers must give themselves over to the story completely until it emerges, transfigured by that unique and magical place that is the writer’s imagination.
At long last, I have created a teacher’s guide for Take the Stairs. These teaching ideas were prepared with contributions from Kathleen Moro of St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School in Oakville, Ontario, and Diane Tursman of Vaughan Secondary School in Thornhill, Ontario. Thanks to you both for sharing your ideas. To read the guide, go to Take the Stairs and click on the link for the Teacher’s Guide.
I write to understand the world. It’s that simple. I love how a gorgeous string of words can alter my perceptions, widen my view of the world. Words have incredible power. They can inspire us to do great things. They can make us laugh or cry. I’m continually fascinated by the power of words to move me.
Earlier this year, I decided I had enough free time to increase my volunteer activities. Just as I was making this decision, I got an offer I couldn’t refuse from one of my favourite organizations. I’m pleased to announce that starting November 2009, I’ll be vice-president of CANSCAIP – the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators, and Performers. What I like about CANSCAIP is its commitment to mentoring both new and emerging creative people. If you’re interested in writing, illustrating, or performing for children or teens, check out one of CANSCAIP’s monthly meetings or its annual conference Packaging Your Imagination.
Last week, I visited a grade 12 English class at Vaughan Secondary School in Thornhill, near where I grew up and went to high school. Every school visit is unique, but what makes this one stand out for me is the interesting activities the class had done with my novel Take the Stairs. It’s the second time this year that a high school teacher has contacted me with innovative teaching ideas for this book. I’m thrilled to observe how people use the book, and how they react to it. I hope to post these activities on my website soon, including ideas about exploring the etymology of characters’ names, linking song lyrics to stories in the book, and illustrating the setting. (Below you can see the Vaughan students’ illustrations of The Building from Take the Stairs.) In the meantime, thanks to Diane Tursman and her students for sharing their insights.
