Once upon a time, I lived in Honolulu. Although I had a touch of island fever (who am I kidding? I had a terrible case of island fever because I was living on land which was surrounded on all sides by the vast ocean….), I generally loved living there for those two years, six weeks, and perhaps four days. I worked as a reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin (which has now…
This week, I thought I might try to focus on picking one book to represent each genre I like to read in order to keep my list here from being a thousand books long. I may fudge a little, since many of the books I’m anticipating could fall into more than one category. YOUNG ADULT: On the Come Up by ANGIE THOMAS I know this pick could not be…
I am not a fast reader, which makes keeping up with all the new books sort of difficult. This year, I’m excited for lots of great books (like Willa & Hesper by Amy Feltman! The Affairs of the Falcóns by Melissa Rivero! Good Talk by Mira Jacob! The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling!), but I’m also looking forward to finally get to read the ones that have been sitting on my shelf already….
Happy New Year to the lovely readers of this blog! I hope you had a wonderful break and are not starting 2019 with a fever, like me! This year is a pretty monumental year for me and a lot of my loved ones. Friends are moving back home, others are getting married, and others are pursuing new callings and careers. And of course, THEY COULD HAVE NAMED HER ANYTHING will…
This year, we interviewed dozens of authors for The Debutante Ball about what it’s like to become a writer. We asked them for their most helpful tips for established and emerging writers alike, and they had so much to say on an array of topics: from becoming a literary citizen to learning how to persevere through doubt to the magic of releasing a book into the world. It’s the end…
Please welcome Reyna Grande to the Ball this week! Reyna is an award-winning author whose stunning memoir The Distance Between Us was a New York Times bestseller, and whose novels have been adapted as a common read selection in classrooms across the country. A Dream Called Home, which came out this year, is Reyna’s fourth book, and we are incredibly honored to have her as a guest. In A Dream Called Home,…
This week, Barrelhouse featured my short story “Urban Legend” in their seasonal issue. I’ve pasted the first paragraph below: It was the week of her performance review, and Adrienne was ready for a promotion. That Monday morning, at the 12th Street Gym, all the lockers in use were fastened with locks. When she joined months ago, they told her she could buy one at any hardware store, but Adrienne had…
This week, we’re speaking with Stephanie Elliot, the author of young adult novel SAD PERFECT (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). SAD PERFECT tells the story of sixteen year old Pea, who struggles with a little known eating disorder known as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). The novel was in part inspired by Elliot’s daughter’s real-life experience with the disorder. Called “a well-written page-turner whose sensitive topic is covered with finesse and grace”…
I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. It might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit—John Steinbeck I spent my blog post last week advising everyone not to pay too much attention to writing advice. I guess it…
Let’s talk about something taboo: spending money. I recently subscribed to Scarlett Thomas’ Patreon newsletter. For $10 a month, she sends out a weekly writing task. It’s a lengthy, wondrous, and compelling email that has made me think about writing in new ways. Now, I’ve never done something like that before. And at some point in my life, spending $10 a month would have made a serious dent in my…
