Imaginary Blog

Stanford Continuing Studies: What's My Genre? Finding Your Voice in Children's Literature

2011-09-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Imaginary Readers,

Please join us for a 3-day workshop:

What's My Genre? Finding Your Voice in Children's Literature

https://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/courses/course.php?cid=20111_WSP+213

3 Saturdays, Oct. 22-Nov. 5, 2011 (Register at the link above. We'd love to see you there)

Children’s publishing presents a vast array of writing opportunities, with many genres to consider: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, poetry, fantasy, and young adult fiction. Many important questions face an aspiring writer of children’s literature. When discovering their own genre and voice, writers must consider: What age is the main character? How old is the intended audience? What’s currently being published? Over three Saturdays, this course will introduce students to exemplary titles that showcase the unique qualities of various genres. Through fun and absorbing in-class writing exercises, students will begin to discover their own voices while exploring various genres in children’s literature.

The course is open to aspiring as well as experienced writers, and students may bring five pages of their work-in-progress for discussion in the workshop.

Elissa Haden Guest, Author

Elissa Haden Guest is the author of numerous children’s books, most recently the picture book, Harriet’s Had Enough!. Books in her ten-book early reader series, Iris and Walter, have been named Junior Library Guild Selections, an ALA Notable Book, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and a PEN Center USA West Literary Award.

Lynn E. Hazen, Author

Lynn Hazen is the author of the young adult novel, Shifty, which was named on VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction list, and was a CCBC Choice and a Smithsonian Notable. Her other books include Mermaid Mary Margaret, Cinder Rabbit, The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail, and Buzz Bumble to the Rescue. She received an MA in education from San Francisco State and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College.

Join Seymour Snail and his author, Lynn Hazen at SF MOMA Family Sunday on 9/18! (Kids under 12 are free!)

2011-09-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

Seymour Snail, the world famous artist, is sliming his way to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art this Sunday September 18^th (along with his author, Lynn Hazen) for Family Sunday at SF MOMA!

Come join the family fun!

11:30 a.m. Reading of The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail & Author Talk at the Koret Center (2^nd floor)

12:30 p.m. Book Signing at the SF MOMA Museum Store

1:00 on Be sure to join us in the Koret Studios (2^nd floor) after 1 p.m. for a chance to work with Lynn to create your own Amazing Trail book mark and multi-media snail in the Koret Studios.

Lynn E. Hazen writes children's and young adult books filled with humor, heart and hope. Lynn's books for younger readers include: The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail, Cinder Rabbit, (both young chapter books), Buzz Bumble to the Rescue (a picture book), & Mermaid Mary Margaret (a middle grade novel). She has also written a young adult novel called Shifty. Inspiration often comes from her own kids as well as the exuberant children she encounters as a preschool director.

More About Family Sundays at SF MOMA:

http://www.sfmoma.org/visit/families

Every Sunday Kids get in FREE! 

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 

Family tour at 1:00 p.m.

Explore art, create your own, travel to virtual worlds, get hands-on, discover special places, be inspired. That’s just a hint at the fun we have in store for you on Family Sundays. Moderators guide participatory art projects, and docents lead family-friendly gallery tours. Special programs like book readings and movie screenings round it all out. Look. Think. Create. That's the plan for Family Sunday. See the Family Sundays page for details.

Program and museum admission are free for children 12 and under. Regular admission applies for adults and students.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

An Interview With Jim Averbeck and his Editor, Namrata Tripathi

2011-06-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Imaginary Readers.
Today, I'm delighted to offer an interview with author-illustrator, Jim Averbeck, and his editor at Atheneum, Namrata Tripathi.

Hi Jim and Namrata. Welcome to the Imaginary Blog.

Lynn: To start us off, could you each please tell us a little about yourself, your career, and one unusual thing that few people know about you?

Namrata Tripathi: Let’s see…I’m from India but I grew up in several different countries and then I moved to NYC, a
town I’m so happy to call home. I started my publishing career ten years ago at HarperCollins Children’s Books. From there I went on to Hyperion Books for Children (now called Disney/Hyperion). And in December 2008 I came over to Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. As for an unusual fact: I was a competitive archer in college and was All-American/ranked 10th in the country in women’s collegiate recurve bow. (Nerd Alert! Dangerous Nerd Alert!)

Jim Averbeck: Okay that’s weird – because I also was on the archery team in college. I wasn’t ranked, but I owned my bow and stabilizers and had a lot of fun. Wait! Does that mean I’m a nerd, too? I always suspected I was. As for my life and career: I grew up in Ohio, in a suburb of Cincinnati, on a little cul-de-sac that abutted the woods. I always wanted to travel, so after graduating from Case Western Reserve University and working for a few years, I joined the Peace Corps. I lived for four years in Cameroon in Central Africa. I’ve touched foot on five of the seven continents and plan to hit the other two before I die. I think that’s why I became a writer – because Planet Earth really wasn’t enough for me, but the only way to travel to other worlds is through fiction. My first book, In a Blue Room, won a Charlotte Zolotow Honor. My second book, except if, just came out. Few people know that I have a Master’s in Intuitive Medicine, an alternative healing technique.

Namrata: Yes, Jim—it means you’re a nerd too! You know what they say about birds of a feather…

Lynn: Jim, could you please tell us about your inspiration for except if? And is it true that this story was partly inspired as one of those year-end “assignments” in your Revisionaries critique group?

Jim: Yes, that’s’ true. Each year the group has an assignment to write something entirely new, from a theme or writing prompt. In 2008 the theme was “baby book.’ I didn’t want to write a book about a baby as that felt too predictable, so I asked myself, “what is like a baby, but not.” My answer was “an egg is not a baby bird, but it will become one.” And that was the first line of the story.

Lynn: Namrata, what did you think when you first saw Jim's manuscript and sketches? Was it love at first reading? Did you have any challenges getting everyone on board at the acquisitions or marketing meetings?

Namrata: It was indeed love at first sight. The concept was brilliant. And in my acquisitions memo I wrote, “This one is a winner!” and everyone agreed.

Lynn: Jim and Namrata , Did you always imagine the illustration style to be like the final result? What was your process?

Namrata: We always knew we wanted the style to bold, simple, and graphic. We worked really hard on the illustration style as Jim was being really adventurous and trying a whole new direction. The art director, Ann Bobco, and I fell in love with Jim’s line quality and we tried to guide the art and palette so that Jim’s gorgeous line work would be showcased.

Jim: My usual art up to that point had been more… I guess ‘sophisticated’ would be the word. But when I wrote except if I did so in a child’s voice, as one long run-on sentence. (You know how kids will related a story: “and then Johnny did this and then I did that and then… and then…and then…” Maybe “and then” can be my next book.) I wanted the art to be closer to the kind of drawing I see children do, to match the text. My first sketches were very childlike, but I knew for someone to buy the book, they would need to change. So I worked with oil crayons and textured paper to get an interesting line quality. I drew the same sketch many times quickly, often with my left hand, to get a childlike quality to the drawing. The original book had a bit of a color-concept-book aspect to it, with bright bold color blocks. Nami and Ann suggested the line would pop more with muted tones and I agreed. We retained a bright color for the dino star of the book, but dialed back the rest of it. It took me a while to get there because I am naturally drawn to super-vibrant colors. I love the end result. I hope others will too.

Lynn: Jim, were there any first readers, critique group members or others who did not "get" what you were aiming for?

Jim: Actually they all got it and urged me to submit it immediately. But this was at our holiday party and I decided to bring it back when less wine had been served. I worked on it for a few weeks and then was satisfied and turned it over to my agent.

Lynn: One thing I completely love about except if is the fun celebration of the unexpected. Sometimes unexpected events in the life of an author-illustrator or an editor are less than fun and we feel like that once sure and sticky-footed lizard who realizes he is a dino and falls on his rump.

Could you each please share two unexpected moments in your career (one positive, one less so)?

Jim: In the long run, there really is no such thing as a “negative” fall. Things that seem so tragic in the moment usually turn out to be a great opportunity for growth. If it is your writing or art you are struggling through, you usually end up with a stronger product. I mean look at the dino in except if. True, he loses the lizardy abilty to climb walls, but he grows into a friggin’ DINOSAUR! How cool is that?

For my example, I’ll turn to the next book on which I am working with Nami and Ann, Oh No, Little Dragon! I turned in what I thought was a perfectly lovely idea for the backgrounds of the book. I wanted this mottled purple that would feel like the interior of the castle where Little Dragon lived and would emphasize his awesome fire. Nami and Ann … uh… disagreed. For a while I did some work that we all thought was okay, but didn’t really send any of us into rapture. In the end my crit group helped me light upon a new idea, which I loved and which excited Nami and Ann as well. It has a more sophisticated design feel and while still showcasing my linework. See what you think.

Namrata: That’s a perfect example! And like Jim, I’m not sure I see the process in terms of falls and triumphs. It’s really all an evolution (you know, from an egg to a snake to a lizard to a dino...). The funny thing is, when we’d first seen Jim’s rough sketches, we’d actually assumed that the final color art was going to be pulled back with just pops of color for our main characters. We’re thrilled that our art evolution got us there. (…and back to an egg! Wow…we really milked this analogy!)

Lynn: Jim & Namrata, since this is an imaginary blog I’m hoping you each have some advice for writers and illustrators on how to keep going when we feel we are falling, failing or what we are imagining is not yet showing up on the page?

Namrata: Hmm…I have two almost contradictory pieces of advice.

1.) Just sit down and do the work. Do it again and again. It takes time and practice and discipline. No one said creating art or literature is easy!

2.) Get out in the world and explore. Allow yourself the opportunity to engage with the world. Read other people’s books, look at other people’s art, listen to great music, eat fabulous food. Do whatever it is that makes you energized and inspired. I find that surrounding myself with people who are super talented (or surrounding myself with their work) is a good place to start!

Jim: Chocolate. (and then do what Nami said.)

Lynn: Namrata, could you please share any advice on how to surprise an editor (in a good way :-), and any TOO surprising or unexpected things we may want to avoid?

Namrata: My favorite surprise is always a brilliantly written manuscript or a fantastic art sample. One surprise I could have done without: a mini bottle of Sambuca that came with a submission.

Jim: Nami, you may forward all sealed food and drink and anything with an e-bay resale value to me. I shall dispose of it properly.

Lynn: Jim, you are the master of poetic brevity, page turns, the unexpected, and bringing your story full circle in except if. Could you share any tips for aspiring writers on how to accomplish such literary feats?

Jim: You know how when you make whipped cream, you need to whip it and whip it, but not overdo it, or you will end up with butter? (Which is fine, but butter isn’t something you want to eat by the spoonful.) The same is true of writing. I feel like my best writing springs nearly full-grown from my head, like except if. If I find I am working and working on a project but it just isn’t “peaking” then maybe it is time to set it aside and start a new project. That’s how you achieve the sort of things you mention in your question. (But don’t despair of that project that you set aside. That was just training for creating your perfect whipped cream. And you can often use a little of that discarded butter to spread around on other projects to sweeten them up. No time spent writing is a waste of time.)

Lynn: Jim and Namrata, since this is an imaginary blog, what aspects of your writing & illustrating (or editing) career is surprisingly different than you ever imagined?

Namrata: I never thought that as an editor I’d have so little time to read. That was the rudest surprise for me. On the flip side, I didn’t know, going into this industry, how many wonderful friends I’d make in the authors and illustrators I’ve worked with along the way.

Jim: The publishing business model, with its returns and complicated royalty structure and glacially slow payment system makes for a lot of financial stress on the author. Yuck. – My flip side would be similar to Nami’s. Unlike most businesses where people are cut-throat and competitive, the children’s book world is one where everyone seems to celebrate other people’s success, because no matter who connects a child with a book, it is a victory for everyone.

Lynn: Jim, what are you working on now? What can your readers look forward to next?

Jim: I have a second book that I mentioned earlier Oh No, Little Dragon! and I also have a book coming out after that called The Market Bowl, which is set in the country in which I was a Peace Corps volunteer. And I am working on a few novels and some other picture books.

Lynn: Jim and Namrata, what is the one question you’re hoping to be asked? And of course, what is the answer.

Namrata: Fill in the blank: “Two boards, binding, and paper is a picture book…EXCEPT IF…”
“it is imagination itself!”

Jim: Okay Nami, that is just plain eerie because I have been signing except if like this : A book is just paper and ink, except if you read it, then it’s a world.

Namrata: That is weird! An author/illustrator and his editor are separated by a continent, except if they are psychically linked. Clearly!

Lynn: Thank you, Jim and Namrata, for your fun and inspiring responses. Imaginary Readers, you can discover more about Jim and his books at the link below.

www.JimAverbeck.com

Forecast: A surprisingly fun read for young children and their grown ups with except if. And more great books for years to come from psychically-linked Jim and Namrata.

Gifts! Wow--just wow!

2010-12-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

The next stop on my Napa County Reads SHIFTY tour was Silverado Middle School. The students were great again. We were in a library here--and take a look at the student work I discovered on the library bulletin boards. Fun, fun, fun!! I saw SHIFTY-themed bookmarks and a great art and literacy activity where students made "gifts" for the characters in my book. What a gift to the author to see this--so inspiring. The students really showed a lot of creative thought toward the characters and the story by the gifts they chose to give.

It's was a colorful visual delight.
Wow, just wow!
Take a look at the gifts the students gave to Soli/Shifty, Sissy and Martha. Baby Chance and Lester the Cat got gifts, too. Even one of the book's antagonists, Sheila-not-Shelly, got a gift (some "chill pills," a happy stamp and candy to sweeten her life and make her chill out a bit!) Ha! That made me smile!

And the gift to the author? Meeting all the students who were reading SHIFTY--and the whole Napa Reads experience! Thanks Napa County students, teachers, arts and educational community. If you were the teacher(s) who created this project, please re-introduce yourself to me. Thanks so much. Please thank your students, too. Posting these pics made me happy all over again.

Here's the cool video about Napa County Reads.
Be sure to watch to the end to see the children's chorus!

Napa County Reads 2010

To read more about my experiences with Napa County Reads, please look here, here, and here.

Napa Valley Opera House & Redwood Middle School

2010-12-10T19:30:00.000-08:00

Here we are back at the Opera House. And here are some of the students who attended. I think these delightful young ladies were from Redwood Middle School. They came up to have their books signed and to strongly encourage me to write a sequel to SHIFTY! We took this picture to keep reminding me to write a sequel or companion book. Seeing their sweet faces and remembering all the student and professional artists I met that night will certainly inspire me when I'm in the midst of writing and rewriting.

I met Redwood Middle School's After School program teachers and several of the student artists.
Here is the Teacher's Statement and some of the truly wonderful planter boxes created by the student artists. Take a look and also take a look at the video made by the Napa County Office of Education and the Arts Council Napa Valley to see the students in action. At the end of the video is the Napa Valley Children's Chorus, too!

This planter was on wheels! And there's Lester!

Here is the other side of the planter on wheels. Soli would approve!

Love the colorful peace symbols below and how Lester keeps showing up again and again.

A couple of weeks after the event, a friend who attended surprised me with a gift of the red-heart planter above. Sweet! I'm using it to keep my CD's organized and every time I see it, it makes me smile.

Below, here's Lester again. Maybe Lester needs a book of his own next? Love the colorful flowers and use of buttons and objects on the Shifty-themed planters.

These two are also cool, as were the rest of the student-made planters. See the video for a view of a few more. I could have spent hours taking pics of them all and reading the artist statements.

Are these the work of student artists? Or professional artists? I'm not sure. The pictures got all jumbled on my camera, I was so excited to see them all. Either way, I love all the colors and designs and how different artists interpreted various characters, themes and scenes in the book. If you are one of the artists of any of these planters on this page or any other blog pages here and want credit for your great work, please comment below and I'll add your name. (Students, please ask your parents' permission of course)
If you bought of the planters at the auction, please comment which one. I'd love to see pics of them in their new homes, too!
The day after the Opera House event I spoke at Redwood Middle School. The venue this time was the school library, so there were not nearly as many students as at Harvest Middle School, but they were equally well-prepared, they had great questions and were very enthusiastic.

School visits, Shifty Music, and a "this is not a drill" FIRE ALARM!

2010-12-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

Napa County Reads SHIFTY!

My first day of Napa County school visits after my Napa Valley Opera House presentation began at Harvest Middle School. I met the principal and more amazing teachers including science teacher extraordinaire, Ms. Laura Lewis. Ms. Lewis had rallied the other science teachers in the weeks prior to take a bit of time to read SHIFTY aloud to their students during their science classes because the English curriculum was filled to the max with little time for reading aloud.
That's me on the left, Laura Lewis to the right of Shifty, and another great teacher. (I met so many amazing teachers and librarians, counselors and youth advocates during Napa Reads! I hope someone reminds me of the other teacher's name.)

Ms. Lewis was great. She showed me her copy of SHIFTY with several different bookmarks, marking the slightly different progress of several science classes. Because of Ms. Lewis and the other science teachers, most of the students had heard at least half of SHIFTY read aloud. This makes all the difference for a successful author visit. She also prepared a totally cool mix of music from the songs in the book, mostly the songs of Martha's misheard lyrics. So that made me smile and put me in a good mood as the students filed in (and in, and in, and in!) Bleachers and bleachers of students! We're talking about a half-gym full of 6th, 7th and 8th graders, maybe 300-350+, which would normally make me a bit nervous to start. But like I said, the songs made me remember some funny moments in the book and put me at ease. Thank you Ms. Lewis!

Harvest Middle School students created the colorful poster below of the cover of the book which they asked me to sign. The poster will hang in their school library with several other author visit posters.

I wish I could have gone to the library to see all the posters hanging in there--but it was time to start my presentation!

The students were super responsive and engaged! They participated actively, asked great questions, and then suddenly--

--THE FIRE ALARM WENT OFF--!

Yikes! It was LOUD! I was told "this is not a drill." Okay, so it was time to leave the gym. The teachers and students were incredible as they filed safely out of the gym along with the rest of the school to the yard outside. It took some time to make sure everything was okay and to file everyone systematically back into the gym! Luckily we were in a 90 minute block period so once everyone was seated again we resumed with a teensy bit more of my presentation and Q & A (my favorite part). Again the students were lively and engaged and had really great questions.
That's me again with Dr. Barbara Nemko, superintendent of schools, admiring the poster at Harvest Middle School. Today in the mail, I received a BIG packet of letters from Barbara. She shared the letters that the students at Harvest Middle School had sent, thanking her for the copies of SHIFTY for the students to read and for bringing me to school. I'd like to thank Dr. Nemko, too!

The students' letters were fun and I'll quote some here soon, but now I need to post more pics of Shifty-themed planter planter boxes created by the after school students at Redwood Middle School.

A Great Surprise Video about Napa County Reads

2010-12-08T17:18:00.000-08:00

This was a fun surprise to find in my google alerts!
A video about Napa County Reads.
Be sure to watch to the end to see the children's chorus!

Napa County Reads 2010

Seymour Snail named a 2010 Maryland Blue Crab Young Readers Award Honor Book!!

2010-11-28T22:05:00.000-08:00

Whoo hoo! This is fun news!

The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail has been named a 2010 Maryland Blue Crab Young Readers Award Honor Book in the Transitional Fiction category.

This award, sponsored by the Maryland Library Association, honors the best in beginning and transitional fiction and non-fiction for children. For more information, please visit: http://www.mdlib.org/divisions/csd/blue.asp

Thank you Maryland Library Association. I'm honored.
So is Seymour. Did I mention, Whoo hoo?

Whoo-hoo!

Here are some animated crabs based on children's art from my MermaidMary.com website. I am sure Mary Margaret will not mind lending them to Seymour's Blue Crab celebration. Let's see if they stay animated on blogspot.

Okay, these crabs are really red crabs on a blue background, but I love their expressions. If you need a blue crab, here is the front of the brochure for the Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award (however the surfing crab looks a little greenish blue to me!)

Thanks again to the Maryland Library Association for recognizing Seymour.

Napa County Reads Shifty: More Amazing Shifty-themed Planter Boxes

2010-11-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Family and friends have been asking to see more Shifty-themed planter boxes created by professional and student artists that were auctioned at the Napa Valley Opera House to support literacy by Napa County Reads. I'm happy to share the following pictures. You can see my earlier posts about Napa County Reads and more totally cool Shifty-themed planters here, here, and here.

Toby Gewertz is the artist of the amazing planter box above.

Soli loves to drive. How cool is this planter-on-wheels by Gary Snethen?

I was overwhelmed and touched with how unique and beautiful each of the planter boxes were. I loved seeing what parts of my novel spoke to the artists and how the artists brought scenes, settings, characters and themes to a different media.

When I was writing SHIFTY, I was just trying to capture the story the best I could--to bring Soli, Sissy, Martha, and Chance's story to life on the page. Seeing parts of Shifty's story brought to life in these planters was unexpected, wonderful and truly inspiring!

I'd love to match up the artist names with each of the boxes. If you created one of these planter boxes or know the artists' names, please comment, and I'll add them. Thanks!

This colorful planter box must have been inspired by Sissy's fortune cookie early in the story which said, "Keep a green tree in your heart and a songbird will come."

Below is a pic of Soli/Shifty depicted as a shape-shifter Coyote by artist Hugo Corro. See Hugo Corro's artist statement, Sissy as a rabbit, and more views of the planter box here.

I tried to take lots of pictures at the Opera House event to remember them all, but I was also meeting many amazing people that night and I was just a little bit nervous about my upcoming talk. So if you were there at the Napa Valley Opera House and you took pictures or bought one of the planter boxes, I'd love to see your planter in its new home, see more pics or hear why a particular planter "spoke" to you.

If you are one of the artists who participated, thank you, THANK you for depicting Shifty's story. The artists' statements were amazing too, but the lighting posed a challenge in getting pictures of the artist statements without too much reflection. You can see a few of them in the preview here.

Forecast: More Shifty-themed planter boxes coming soon.

And please comment below. What are your fav's and why?
Are you one of the artists? Please tell me which box you created and share your artist statement. And if you bid on one of the boxes, please tell us what drew you to that planter box. Thanks!!

SHIFTY-Themed Planter Boxes--SNEAK PREVIEW!!

2010-10-23T19:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a sneak preview of some of the amazing SHIFTY-themed planter boxes and the equally amazing artist statements. A few of the planters are already on display at the Napa Main Library. I was so touched to see them and read the artists' thoughts on what parts of Shifty's story inspired them to create their art. These SHIFTY-themed planters will be displayed for silent auction at the free Napa County Reads Public Event on Wed. Oct. 27th at the Napa Valley Opera House. Learn more about 2010 Napa Reads SHIFTY! here.

Wow, just wow!
Take a look.

Here are the two long sides of Emily Freiman's planter box.

And here are the 2 paintings on the shorter ends of Emily's creation.

Here's another colorful planter with an artist statement by Darlene Meltzer.

I'll post some more (sneak preview) planter box photos tomorrow.
They are pretty amazing, don't you think?

Napa County Reads SHIFTY!!!

2010-10-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

Here's my exciting news!

I am jazzed, honored, and very excited that Napa County Reads has chosen SHIFTY as their selection for 2010!

What does this mean?

Students galore (and the Napa Valley Community) will all be reading and discussing SHIFTY!

I'll be speaking to students at 9 (!!!!!!!!!) different middle schools, high schools, and to youth at community court

Napa Reads is hosting a SHIFTY-themed bookmark contest with the winning bookmarks being distributed by Napa County Libraries

Artists (both student and professional) are creating SHIFTY-themed planter boxes to be auctioned off in a fundraising event to support literacy on Oct. 27th at the Napa Valley Opera House

I'll be speaking at the historic Napa Valley Opera House for "An Evening of Art, Music, Food and a Great Book." Panelists joining me include a foster parent, a former foster youth, a foster youth advocate from VOICES, a social worker, a probation officer and a Napa County judge. Wow!

Students from the Napa Valley Childrens’ Chorus, under the direction of Kim Markovich, will entertain with a short program of favorite songs.

Oh, and I hear there is some kind of student writing contest, too!

Please join us:

Wednesday, October 27
at the Napa Valley Opera House
It's FREE!
6:00 p.m. Reception & Silent Auction
7:00 p.m. Program Begins

Here is the Napa Reads Press Release:
(Note: I'm speaking mostly at middle schools and a few high schools so I'm not sure about the "5th graders" part. Of course I'd be happy for a zillion 5th graders to read SHIFTY, too!)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Napa County Reads Public Event: October 27, 2010
Annual Literacy Program Announces 8th Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser
BY CHRISTY BORS

Napa, CA -Napa County Reads, an annual literacy program fundraiser co-partnered by Napa Valley Office of Education (NCOE) Napa City-County Library and Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV), kicks off another successful year with the 2010 selection of Shifty, a young adult novel by Bay Area author, Lynn E. Hazen.

Now in its eighth year, Napa County Reads combines art and literacy education by selecting an inspirational book to be read by 5th grade students and the community. Along with reading the book, students are encouraged to create a bookmark themed after the selection. As in years past, four bookmarks, this year's inspired by Shifty, will be chosen to be the official "Napa County Reads" bookmarks and distributed throughout Napa County libraries for 2010.

Napa County Reads helps foster a love of reading because everyone is reading, talking about, and sharing the same book, including many adults in the community," explains Barbara Nemko, Superintendent of Napa County Schools. "Students are further motivated by knowing they will meet the author and get to ask questions about the writing process, and why the subject matter of the book was chosen."

Additionally, on display at Napa City-County Library are original artworks by local visual artists, ranging from student to professional. Arts Council Napa Valley brought this additional artistic component into the literacy program back in 2007 by presenting an interpretive art project that allowed local students and artists the chance to illustrate portions of the Napa County Reads selected novel on unique canvases.

As a finale to the program, the artwork is auctioned at the Napa County Reads Reception each fall. This year's free public reception, presented at Napa Valley Opera House as part of Napa Valley ARTS 2010, features a reading and book signing by the author as well as a special panel discussion by former foster youth. 100% of the event proceeds benefit Napa County Reads.

Shifty is the story is about a 15-year-old boy in foster care. Author Lynn Hazen, a resident of San Francisco, incorporated her love of the Bay Area into her young adult novel, bracketing Bay Area landmarks around main character Soli's misadventures as a foster teen. Shifty includes themes of resiliency, loss, love, and redefining family. Hazen's work has won numerous awards, including the Top Shelf Fiction Award from the Voice of Youth Advocates magazine, and a Smithsonian Notable Book Award. Kirkus Reviews praised Shifty as, "a realistic story that resonates."

The artists who created work inspired by the novel couldn't agree more. Thematic interpretations of Shifty were placed on planter boxes, this year's unique "canvas" chosen by ACNV. Planters were selected because they nurture the growth of roots, much like foster homes across America. With varied approaches and individual styles, the planter boxes each touch on different themes of the book. Materials used on the planters range from steel to encaustic wax.

This year's Napa County Reads Reception and Silent Auction will be held Wednesday, October 27th, beginning at 6:00pm at Napa Valley Opera House. The event is co-sponsored by the Napa County Office of Education, Napa Valley Opera House and Arts Council Napa Valley.

###

As I said at the start of this post, I am jazzed, honored, and very excited! I'm also in awe of the series of events planned by Napa Valley Reads Committee.

Next blog post up--a sneak preview of some of the totally amazing SHIFTY-themed planter boxes and the equally amazing artists' statements.

I'm Baaaaack!

2010-10-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well, hello there, Imaginary Readers!
I've been away awhile, haven't I?
Life has been busy. And good.
I traveled a bit over the summer.
I had a busy start to the school year but all is well.
I'll have some summer pics to share a bit later from New York and Vermont, but for I now just wanted to say hello and that I'm back with exciting news coming up next.

Let's Talk About The Quiet Book With NY Times Bestselling Author, Deborah Underwood, & Her Editor, Kate O'Sullivan

2010-05-07T18:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Imaginary Readers,
Please meet Deborah Underwood, the author of the wonderful new picture book, The Quiet Book, and Kate O'Sullivan, Deborah's editor at Houghton Mifflin. I completely love everything about The Quiet Book including the illustrations by Renata Liwska. And I am not alone! The Quiet Book is getting rave reviews everywhere and it's a NY Times Bestseller (#5 on May 2nd, and it'll be #2 on May 16th). Whoo hoo!
Hi Deborah and Kate. Welcome to the Imaginary Blog.
Lynn: To start us off, can you each please tell us a little about yourselves, your career, and one unusual thing that few people know about you?

Deborah: I grew up in a small town in Washington state, attended Pomona College, then moved to San Francisco, where I've been ever since. I've been writing for kids since 2001, but before that I did various other types of writing--everything from adult articles to greeting cards and puzzles. Not many people know that the first few years after college, I made my living as a street musician, playing guitar and singing (and freezing) down at Fisherman's Wharf. I still sing, but now it's with a chamber choir (we get to perform inside, where it's warm!).
Photo of Deborah credit: John Vias

Kate: I grew up in Lexington, MA, went to college in CT, and haven’t strayed too far by working at Houghton Mifflin in Boston . . . Bill Peet wrote and illustrated some of my favorite childhood books and he’s the reason why I landed here. I wish I could play guitar and sing like Deborah does; alas, I have a guitar in my living room corner that I bought in college and intended to learn how to play - but I guess I’ve been too busy reading!

Lynn: Deborah, could you please tell us about your inspiration for The Quiet Book?

Deborah: I got the idea for The Quiet Book while I was sitting in a church, waiting for a classical guitar concert to start. As I sat there, I noticed several types of quiet--the hushed whispers before the performer entered, the audience's polite silence while he was tuning, and then that expectant, almost-electric silence right before he started to play. During the concert, I started thinking about other kinds of quiet, and wondered if there were enough varieties to make a picture book. I scribbled some notes down, and the manuscript took shape over the next month or so.

Lynn: So many authors, including myself have been rejected by editors or agents with a comment along the lines of, "We love this or that about your story but in the end found it too quiet." Oh, the dreaded "Too quiet" editorial brush-off! Deborah, did you have any such responses from your crit group, agent or editors when you first completed The Quiet Book?

Deborah: My critique groups were extremely supportive, thank goodness. Their faith in the idea helped keep me from losing confidence when the expected "too quiet" rejections from editors started to roll in. I was thrilled that Kate understood what I was trying to do and wanted to work with me. She gave me one of my very first "good" (i.e. personal) rejections when I was just starting out, so it was great to finally get to work with her after all those years.

Lynn: Kate, what did you think when you first saw Deborah's ms? Was it love at first reading? Did you have any challenges getting everyone on board at the acquisitions or marketing meetings?

Kate: I have to say that it was love at first reading for me – I found Deborah’s quiets so unique, so authentic and true to children’s lives that I knew they would draw readers in. Luckily, my publisher and editorial director have a lot of faith and trust in my passion for particular projects, so I didn’t encounter any of the dreaded “too quiet” resistance.

Lynn: Deborah & Kate, Did you always imagine animals for the illustrations? What was your process on choosing such a perfect illustrator?

Deborah: I'd always assumed the characters would be people. But then Kate said they'd found an illustrator who did wonderful animals and asked if I'd be open to animal characters, and I said absolutely. I'm not a particularly visual writer--I don't usually have strong ideas about how my characters should look--and I love animals. Now it's hard to imagine the book any other way.

Kate: When I read Deborah’s manuscript, I immediately pictured it with Renata Liwska’s wonderful, gentle – and quiet – animal characters. I have been crazy about her artwork since she and I worked on LITTLE PANDA and knew that it would be just right for Deborah’s whimsical observations. Matching illustrators to manuscripts is one of my favorite parts of my job and I have to say that Renata and Deborah are a dream team.

Lynn: Deborah, did you include many illustration notes with your manuscript or did you let the words carry Renata's imagination? Were there any early readers, critique group members or others who did not "get" what you were aiming for?

Deborah: I did have some illustration notes, although not many. Working on this book was a great experience, because I got to see sketches early on and make comments. I feel like we all worked collaboratively to make the book the best it could be.

Lynn: Deborah & Kate, since this is an imaginary blog I’m hoping you have some advice for writers on how to keep going when what we are imagining is not yet showing up on the page?

Deborah: I suggest a two-pronged approach: Sometimes you need to just make yourself sit down and write, even though you're not feeling inspired. And sometimes you need to give yourself permission to take time off, even if it's just a few hours, and give your unconscious a chance to work. I find that the latter can be even more challenging than the former. We're conditioned to feel guilty if we're not actively working, yet sometimes the best ideas come when we're not sitting at our desks. I nearly skipped the guitar concert that inspired The Quiet Book because I was really busy and didn't feel I should take the time off. I only went because my dad had already purchased a ticket for me. If I hadn't gone, The Quiet Book might not exist now.

Kate: I’m afraid that I don’t have any new advice on this front; writing about something you’re passionate about is still the way to get the best book. And read, read, read to help you write, write, write! Reading is excellent practice for discovering what you think works (and doesn’t) in a book, what you yourself want to say, and how you’re going to say it. Lastly, know that if one of your manuscripts gets rejected, it’s just that manuscript – not your entire body of work as a writer.

Lynn: Deborah, Can you please tell us a little about whether any of the quiet situations were inspired by real-life people?

Deborah: Not really--I think most of them are situations that almost all kids find themselves in at one time or another. One of my favorite illustrations is the one for "last one to get picked up from school quiet"--the poor moose's forlorn expression perfectly captures that feeling we've all experienced. When I'm with someone who's reading the book for the first time, that's the page where invariably he or she will make a sympathetic noise out loud. "Car ride at night quiet" is one that I remember distinctly from childhood--the peacefulness of leaning against the cool car window and gazing up at the moon.

Lynn: Have either of you thought of any "blooper kinds of quiet" (not intended for a child audience)? If so, please share.

Deborah: Oh, there are so many...I'm fond of "internet date used very old photo quiet" and "first 'Ma’am' quiet."

Kate: Let’s see: “first gray hair quiet,” and “finding out niece’s dance recital is 4 hours long quiet”

Lynn: Kate and Deborah, What aspects of your writing (or editing) career is surprisingly different than you ever imagined?

Deborah: I was probably delusional when I thought that at some point I'd "get" writing. Certain aspects become easier with time, but you never get over the main challenge: you have to sit down and create a fresh story where none existed before. I imagined that by the time I'd sold several books, that whole blank-page thing wouldn't be an issue. Ha!

And on the Pollyanna-ish side, I never expected writing would put me into contact with so many wonderful people. I can't imagine what my life would be like without my amazing children's-writing friends and colleagues.

Kate: To continue with the Pollyanna-ish vibe, I’d have to say that the continual joy I feel, season after season, as new books are created, published, shipped, and put into kid’s hands has caught me by surprise a bit. That, and how difficult it is to actually read and edit at the desk, during working hours . . .

Lynn: Deborah, what are you working on now? What can your readers look forward to next?

Deborah: I'm wrestling with a new picture book at the moment. I also have a number of other picture books and easy readers in various states of disrepair, two more of the Sugar Plum Ballerina chapter books that need to be written, a terrible first draft of a middle-grade novel, and a few other novel and screenplay ideas. So what I'll probably do next is organize my sock drawer.
Lynn: Thank you Deborah and Kate for visiting with us at The Imaginary Blog.

Imaginary Readers, please take a look at The Quiet Book.
Also take a peek at more wonderful sketches by Renata Liwska and tell us what you think.

Writers, have you ever had a manuscript rejected for being "too quiet?"

Can you think of a Blooper-Kind-of-Quiet?
If so, please comment!

Making Books With Young Children: A "Make and Take" Hands-On Workshop For Adults

2010-04-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 1, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in San Francisco
(For info & to register, please download a pdf here)

Learn unique techniques for making books in this "Make and Take" hands-on workshop for adults who work and play with young children & their families. This workshop is ideal for preschool teachers, early childhood professionals, therapists, children's book authors who do classroom visits, parents and nannies. Please join Lynn Hazen, MA, MFA & Debbie Vuong, MFT in this fun workshop. Certificates for 5 hours of Professional Development will be awarded.
Why Make Books with Children? Building individual and collaborative family & classroom books with young children provides many opportunities for creative expression, encourages self-esteem, early literacy, family-friendly home-school interaction, cross-curriculum learning, and an early love of books. Plus it's fun! Children, teachers, and families will want to read these one-of-a-kind books together again and again, encouraging an early start to a life-long love of books, reading, writing and creativity.

Books include pop-up books, accordion books, collaborative books, theme books, dictation stories, file folder books, teeny-tiny books, memory books, social stories, and more ideas just in time for Mother's & Fathers Day!

Required: Each participant needs to bring a pair of scissors, pencil, pen, and a large glue stick or small bottle of white glue (or both). Other materials will be provided. (But if you have some stuff/treasures you want to clear out of your art supply closet, please bring it to use or share with your fellow workshop participants).

Optional: Feel free to bring any children's art, photos, kid-painted papers, collage items, favorite markers, etc. (Or any scrap-booking type materials you might like to use in your Make & Take sample books).

Encouraged: If you've already made any books with children, please bring some samples to show.

This "Make and Take" Hands-On Workshop For Adults will be led by Lynn E. Hazen, www.LynnHazen.com who has an M.A. in Early Childhood Education, & an M.F.A. in Writing For Children and Young Adults; and Debbie Vuong, MFT. www.debbievuongmft.com

Any questions? Please email: PreschoolLynn@gmail.com

Location: St. Francis Lutheran Church, 152 Church St. SF. 94114
(near the J Church Street Car line. Neighborhood parking nearby okay on Sat.)
(Many thanks to Friends of St. Francis for their support of this event)

To register, please copy and mail the form below with your check to:
Lynn Hazen, PO Box 40097, San Francisco, CA 94140
You can also download a pdf of this info here to print & mail (or send to your friends--please do! There's a discount for groups of 4 or more)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name____________________________________________
email____________________________________________
Phone number_____________________________________
How did you hear about this workshop?_________________

Registration fee for the workshop is $75. per person

* $5.00 Early Registration Discount if received by April 19th.

** Groups of 4 or more may take an additional $5. discount if registrations are mailed together in the same envelope. Please list names and emails on reverse of this form of all 4 people if registering together for the group registration discount. Thanks!

Registration Fee: $75.00
*Early Reg Discount - <____>
** Group of 4 Discount - <____>
Total $ ________
Please make checks payable to: Lynn Hazen
Circle YES if you need a receipt.
Make receipt out to: ___________________________________________
To register, please mail form above with your check to: Lynn Hazen, PO Box 40097, San Francisco, CA 94140

Any questions? Please email: PreschoolLynn@gmail.com

Lynn Gets a Haircut

2010-04-14T21:11:00.001-07:00

My hair grows slowly. I lost track of how many years it took to grow an extra 10 inches of hair so I could cut it and donate it to: www.LocksOfLove.org

These past several months when my hair was not quite long enough to cut, I couldn't help thinking that the process of growing one's hair to give away to someone you don't know, has a few parallels to writing a novel for unknown future readers. You take extra care of your hair, add more conditioner, avoid rubber bands that might damage it. And you hope that your small offering will be helpful to a child who needs it--because even though you don't know him or her and most likely never will--you care.

When writing, you take care to capture the best story you can, revise again and again, weave in humor and heart, all the while hoping that someday your imagined readers will laugh, maybe even cry, and that they'll discover a little strand of hope in your story just when they need it.

When revising your novel, it sometimes requires some drastic cutting, too!

Forecast: Less shampoo required!

A Busy Saturday: Part 1: Storytime at Books Inc, Berkeley

2010-03-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning I headed to Books Inc in Berkeley for Storytime. I brought live snails from my garden, a real (not live) Stink Bug encased in plexiglass, The Amazing Snail of Seymour Snail, and Cinder Rabbit. Oh, I brought a CD of the Bunny Hop, too. Everything was set up and ready to go.
All I needed was the audience of children. At first there were no children. It was a beautiful sunny day. The children must have been outdoors playing. But these cool cushions were ready for storytime...
It's a beautiful store there on 4th Street in Berkeley. Above is the fun Storytime carpet. The cushions are even more fun and exciting with children wobbling and falling off of them! Children arrived shortly after I took this pic and one little guy was particularly talented at wobbling, belly floating, and falling stunts. Then it got busy with stories, snails, stink bugs, questions, and a whole lot of Bunny Hopping. So busy in fact, I forgot to pull out the bunny ears for the kids to wear during the Bunny Hop. Oh well. Luckily for me, Books Inc folks, Sarah and Ben gave the ears a try.

Thanks Sarah and Ben!

Forecast: More authors and Storytimes at Books Inc, Berkeley. And more exciting wobbling on those fun cushions, too!

Hop on over to Books Inc Berkeley and check out the kid's section. Tell Sarah and Ben that Lynn says "Hi!"

Same Busy Saturday: Part 2--Moss Art? Will It Work?

2010-03-17T23:00:00.000-07:00

After my Books Inc Storytime in Berkeley, I returned to San Francisco and an afternoon of blue skies and sunshine. After so much rain these past couple of months I wanted to be outdoors and I wanted to experiment with some moss painting.

What do you think, Imaginary Readers? Is this going to work?
First I found some moss growing all over the yard. The moss seems to love the recent rains.

I had already scanned some children's snail art and transferred it to a piece of wood. Then I had dremeled out a little groove for the moss paint goo. I soaked the wood in water and my friend, Charlesie, soaked a few terra cotta pots, too.

Then I smushed up some moss and yogurt to make gooey moss paint. I like to think that Seymour Snail would approve of this.So we painted the wood and the clay pots.

The idea is that over time and with frequent spritzes of water from a spray bottle the moss will begin to grow...
I'll report back soon with some more pics in progress. Will the moss grow?

Forecast: A growing love of moss art?

What do you think, Imaginary Readers?
Will it work?
Do you have any unique recipes for garden arty paint?
Seymour wants to know.

Same Busy Saturday Part 3: The Amazing Jandy Nelson & The Sky is Everywhere

2010-03-17T21:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening, I went to Jandy Nelson's book launch party at Books Inc Opera Plaza in San Francisco. What fun. There was a whole crew of alums from Vermont College's MFA program in writing for children & young adults (and a whole lot of other fans) to celebrate Jandy's debut YA novel, The Sky is Everywhere. Have you read this book? It's amazing. You must read it!

The Sky is Everywhere & VCFA is Everywhere, too!

Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA alumni and current students from the left (back), Lynn Hazen, Sharry Wright, Marsha Morrow, Jandy Nelson, Ann Jacobus, Page Koehlert, and Annmarie O'Brien. Frances Lee Hall in the front. More MFA alum arrived later but it was too crowded with Jandy's fans to gather for another photo op!

Above, Jess from Books Inc (in the back) helped keep things running smoothly. Here's Jandy again, the gorgeous book cover, and Page in pink!

Below is Alisha Niehaus, Jandy's editor at Dial/Penguin, and Jandy of course.
(Below) Jandy Nelson and Annmarie O'Brien, another VCFA MFA grad. Annmarie is teaching a class in Writing the YA Novel at UC Berkeley Extension. Starts soon, so register now all you budding YA novelists!

Jandy, Lynn, and Julia Whelan, the narrator of the audio version of The Sky is Everywhere. I hear the audio book is brilliant, too.

Forecast: Everyone is going to love The Sky is Everywhere.

What do you think, Imaginary Readers? Have you read this book yet? Are you going to?

SHIFTY Book Giveaway Contest at the Ultimate YA Reading Group.

2010-03-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

SHIFTY book giveaway at the Ultimate YA Reading Group. It's easy to enter here: http://bit.ly/ShiftyUltimateYA

All you have to do is leave a comment on Facebook's Ultimate YA Reading Group's link above responding to the following question(s):
- Tell us something about the first car you ever drove.
- If you are not yet driving, what kind of car would you LIKE to drive?

Deadline: March 6 – March 27, 2010
Five (5!!) winners will be chosen at random.
(you might need to join Ultimate YA Reading Group to leave a comment and enter the contest, but it is easy, just click "join this group" on their Facebook page.)

Take a look at the comments and descriptions of first cars and driving experiences. Some interesting posts that are fun to read. I think my character, Soli, in Shifty, would like reading these snippets of first driving experiences.

http://bit.ly/ShiftyUltimateYA

Post your comment, too, for a chance to win a copy of Shifty.

Forecast: 5 Winners and some great first car stories!

Hop on Over to Books Inc in Berkeley on March 13th at 11:00 a.m.

2010-02-28T15:17:00.001-08:00

Dear Imaginary Readers,
Hop on over to the new Books Inc store in Berkeley on March 13th. I'll be reading from Cinder Rabbit and The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail. Shall we do the Bunny Hop? Draw some snails? Race some real live slow-moving snails? (Bring your own snail. I'll bring a couple of mine!) Bring the kids. All ages welcome. Of course, adults and fellow authors welcome, too. I hope to see you there.
1760 Fourth Street in Berkeley.

Author Visit & Cool Student Posters to Encourage Reading

2010-02-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

I visited a really wonderful school recently for their annual Author Day. It was so well organized and fun. The PTA ordered copies of my books months in advance so each class had a chance to read or hear my books read aloud before my visit. When I arrived I met an enthusiastic audience of well-prepared students. They had lots of great questions about the writing process and being an author.

Each grade made a cool group poster. What a great way to support literacy school-wide, with colorful student art, many great book titles, and fun messages.

They used themes which matched my books and encouraged reading such as:
You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover,
Dive Into Reading,
Swim Into an Ocean of Books,
Hop Into Reading,
Slow Down & Read,
and Bee a Reader!
Please take a look at the group posters and a few close-ups.
One fifth-grade class read SHIFTY and made this cool group poster with student art and scenes
from the novel.

Uh-oh! Is someone about to be towed?

This must be Lester. I love the cat's expression, the shading and especially the detail of the L on the cat collar. Sweet!

Yikes, below must be when Soli runs over some nails.

Did Soli drive this car or just wish he had?

Another group of students made a poster full of book covers and inside flaps. I was thrilled to see SHIFTY there (rubbing book flaps) with such great titles.

Seeing SHIFTY right next to Gary Paulsen's HATCHET made me happy because HATCHET was one of our family's favorites when my sons were younger.

This colorful poster showed more titles, student art, and first lines of books.

Again, I was happy to see MERMAID MARY MARGARET in such good company!

One of the younger grades read THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL in advance of my visit. They made this neat poster. The R-E-A-D was formed with snails colored by the students. Seymour Snail definitely approves of this reading message.

The Kindergarten class had read BUZZ BUMBLE TO THE RESCUE. They recently bought a Venus Fly Trap, too. Wow, were they excited. What a great group. Here is part of their colorful poster with a "Bee a Reader" theme. Buzz approves!

Well, maybe you can't judge a book by its cover, but you can tell a lot about a school's students, teachers, librarian, principal, PTA, and parent community by their support of reading.

Thank you, Dolphins, for inviting me to your school.

Forecast: Reading and a life-long love of books!

ALA Winners, Yuyi Morales & Kekla Magoon

2010-01-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

Oopsie, I slept right through my well-intentioned plan of waking up early and watching the ALA Webcast. Then I figured out I did not have the required Windows Media Player. The good news is, by the time I woke up, this announcement was posted with all the ALA winners.

Better news? Yuyi Morales won a Belpré Illustrator Honor for illustating “My Abuelita,” written by Tony Johnston . Whoo hoo! The Pura Belpré Awards honor Latino writers and illustrators whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience.
See Yuyi's video on Making My Abuelita here:

Making My Abuelita from Yuyi Morales on Vimeo.

More good news from ALA is that Kekla Magoon won the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award for her book, “The Rock and the River.”

Hooray for talented award-winning writer and illustrator friends.

Hooray for talented writer and illustrator friends with or without awards.

Hooray for talented writer and illustrator friends, published and not, who keep putting their heart and hope into their craft, their art, their stories.

It all begins with heart and hope, so keep imagining, writing, drawing and creating.

Oh, and while we are in the mood for hoorays, Hooray for publishers who put images of people of color on the covers of books the first time around.

I interviewed Kekla last April right here on The Imaginary Blog (along with Bethany Hegedus as Kekla and Bethany are co-editors of the literary magazine Hunger Mountain's Children and YA section).

You can read the whole interview here.
And here are a few highlights of Kekla's responses:

Kekla:
My novel, The Rock and the River, is set in 1968 Chicago. The civil rights movement is in full swing. Sam Childs (age 13) has been raised in the movement, as his father is a well known civil rights activist in their community. But Sam’s older brother, Stick, grows frustrated with the slow pace of change, as many young people did at that time. When Dr. King is killed, Stick leaves home and joins the Black Panther Party. Sam finds himself torn between the ideals of his father and his brother. He wants to believe in his father, to believe that non-violent protest will lead to the change he desires – but it gets harder for Sam to stand by as his community is being ravaged by police brutality and poverty. He begins to explore the Panthers with Stick, though he still struggles to decide what is right. Will Sam follow his father or his brother? His mind or his heart? The rock or the river?

Lynn: How do you juggle your time creating new work, promoting your published work and now editing your section of Hunger Mountain?

Kekla:
It’s a very big struggle for me to prioritize. Lately I’ve been using a series of to-do lists to help me organize my activities. I write the tasks right into my calendar each week. My writers’ group sits down every January to outline goals for the year, which I find really useful in targeting my long-term goals. On my own, I then break down the goals by month, and each month I break them down by week. This is not to say it that it all gets done! But it has helped me understand my work pace and process better, when I can look back and compare my intentions vs. my accomplishments. It has helped me understand what I can realistically accomplish in a day/week/month, which in turn has helped me stop putting pressure on myself to accomplish too much in too short a time. I’ve become better at saying NO to outside activities that will draw me away from my writing and professional goals. The hardest thing for me lately is to focus on producing new writing, since book promotion and editing are new and exciting adventures for me. But my writers’ groups definitely help me keep on task with my latest draft!

Lynn: Do you do school visits, too?

Kekla:
Yes! We each do school visits on our own book, but we also developed a joint presentation. It’s another area of our partnership that works really well. Since our books are set in 1959 and 1968, we are uniquely positioned to provide students with an in-depth presentation about the beginning and end of the civil rights era.

Our presentation is called “The Movement: Civil Rights in America 1959-1968.” It’s subtitled: “Two Books. Two Authors. One Powerful Presentation.” We lay out a timeline of civil rights movement, beginning with Bethany’s Between Us Baxters, which occurs at a time when segregation was still in effect in the South. She discusses Jim Crow laws, Brown vs. Board of Education, the Klan and the Citizen’s Councils, and the kinds of events that occurred that ultimately drove the black community to organize and launch the civil rights movement. Using a photo montage, we fast-forward through the parts of the movement that students more typically study in school, until we reach 1968 and the assassination of Dr. King. I talk about the effect that Dr. King’s death had on black communities around the country, and the new militancy and community organizing efforts that rose up in the wake of his murder. It’s a topic students don’t normally get to study, but is an area that needs more attention if we ever hope to understand the civil rights era as it truly happened.

Our presentation is fun and interactive, using audience participation and readers’ theater to engage students in the material. There’s a lot about our books that make them complement each other. Together, we cover the gamut of civil rights issues: Polly’s a white working class girl in a Southern rural setting, early in the movement. Sam’s a black middle class boy in a Northern, urban setting, late in the movement. The divergent perspectives and settings give us a means to examine the civil rights era from two fresh angles. We provide teachers’ guides and classroom material as a follow-up to our presentation.

We also both do interactive writing workshops for smaller groups.

Bethany:
It is wonderful to partner with Kekla on the school visits, as well. We brainstorm, work on promotional materials, rehearse with one another and keep each other laughing throughout the process of whatever is thrown our way.

Lynn: Do you have any tips for authors in the time management juggle?

Bethany:
Give up television! I am serious! I no longer have a TV! But I do catch episodes of my faves online (gotta see Lost and Damages!) but truly cutting back on the television has given me a lot more time than I once did. Now instead of watching American Idol I just hop over to facebook and follow editor Elizabeth Law’s witty banter and takes on the performances. I am caught up in five minutes.

Kekla:
Ha. Bethany’s quite right. But I love my TV, so that solution doesn’t entirely work for me. (Though, I will say that having DVR makes a big difference…) My suggestion is to include your writing activities in your calendar or schedule in advance, as if they are fixed events, with a date and time attached. Lately I have been managing my time this way, especially since I work from home full-time, which to the outside world often reads as if I’m not working. People have no qualms about calling me to do things in the middle of the day, as if I don’t have anything better to do. I find it easier to say no when I can open my calendar, see my writing plans, and decide if the other activity is actually more important to me.

Lynn: Since this is an imaginary blog, can you please tell us in what ways your writing and now editing career is different than you originally imagined?

Kekla:
Well, depending on how far I look back, the fact that I’m a writer/editor at all is something different from what I imagined my life would be like. As a child/teen I imagined myself as a doctor or teacher – all my varying career interests were much more “traditional” than the creative life I’ve patched together for myself in reality. Even looking back just to the time I started writing seriously, which was about eight years ago, I couldn’t have imagined myself making a full-time living this way. My previous professional jobs were very disappointing to me, and I quickly came to believe that any job I ever had would be messy and stressful and painful. As my writing life has evolved, I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be that way. Although writing bears its own messes and stresses and pains, that energy now feeds my work instead of detracting from it. I feel lucky these days to be doing something I love.

###
Come to think of it, Imaginary Readers, I interviewed Yuyi last year, too. But she kept winning so many awards, I had to keep updating the interview before I posted it. I will have to tally in Yuyi's latest award and post her interview soon, quick before she wins again.

Forecast: Many more awards to come for both Yuyi and Kekla.

2010 Santa Clara County Reading Conference at Asilomar

2010-01-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

I just got back from the 2010 Santa Clara County Reading Conference at Asilomar.

I met some wonderful teachers, librarians, resource specialists and old and new author friends. Asilomar always has a great vibe. The natural setting and the buildings designed by Julia Morgan create an amazingly beautiful environment. When you add a few hundred people who are passionate about books for children and young adults, you cannot go wrong! I presented a workshop on "Writing Activities to Encourage and Inspire Young Authors." The participants were enthusiastic, did some writing of their own, and asked great questions, too.

Here's a bit of Asilomar sunset from Saturday evening.

Betsy Franco and her son, Tom Franco gave a Fireside Chat. They talked about their collaborative process on their new YA novel, Metamorphosis. Tom drew and the creative vibe was in the air. Tom showed his very unique tiger sculpture, Betsy shared stories about her other books, and they both talked about their creative work with children and youth. Inspiring and fun!

This is the first time I've been to the Santa Clara County Reading Conference, but I've been to Asilomar many times with San Francisco South's SCBWI conference for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. I've always had a thing for the pine cone motif on the curtains in the rooms.

Each time I'm back to Asilomar I feel like I'm visiting a beloved relative. Here's a bit of curtain from my room in The Lodge. Returning to Asilomar makes me happy. Seeing the familiar pine cone motif makes me happy. Meeting people who love books makes me happy. And I was happy to see that the gift shop had cotton socks with not just Asilomar written on them, but the pine cone motif woven in. So naturally I had to buy a pair so I could take a bit of the Asilomar vibe back home with me.

It started to rain before I had a chance to walk on the beach but just as I was leaving, traffic slowed for these gentle creatures. The car behind me at the stop sign did not seem to mind that I stopped, rolled down the car window and took a few pics. I like the pace of life at Asilomar.

The rain cleared on the ride back and I pulled off at the vista point to take this pic for my mom. She loves the fog rolling over the hills. Hey Mum, this one's for you.

I'm sure all my Imaginary Readers are hoping to see one more close-up of the pine cone on the curtain, right? You're in luck!

Forecast: The writer with the pine cone socks tapping away at the keyboard imagining she is back at Asilomar!

I've Been a Bit Swamped but Now I'm Back!

2010-01-09T23:52:00.000-08:00

Dear Imaginary Readers,

You may (or may not :-) have noticed I've been away a bit. Yes, well, as you know I'm a children's book writer. So I have been doing what children's book writers do--working on my new books. I've been swamped but it's been a good creative swamp and we writers need to venture there alone from time to time to capture more words on the pages.

But what better time to return to the Kidlitosphere than after the holidays, at the beginning of a new year (and a whole new decade!), and right at the start (or a couple of days after the start) of The 2010 Kidlitosphere Comment Challenge. Take a look here, here, or here for more details. Thanks to Mother Reader & Lee Wind for helping me get me back on the BlogWagon!

What do you think, Imaginary Readers? Is it possible for me (or you) to make 100 comments on Kidlitosphere blogs in 21 days, creating one new habit of reading and making 5 (or if you are starting late, 5+) comments on various blogs per day?

Forecast: A whole lot of bloggy commenting going on!

NaNoWriMo!

2009-10-31T12:42:00.001-07:00

Can you guess what I'm hoping to do in November?
Crazy, right? I know. But why not?

www.NaNoWriMo.org

Forecast: A whole lot of writing going on! Care to join me?

Hunger Mountain Announces Winners of Katherine Paterson Prize

2009-09-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

Press Release:
Hunger Mountain announces winners of Katherine Paterson Prize

September 28, 2009—Montpelier, VT— The winner of the Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing is Liz Cook from Roslindale, Massachusetts, the editor of Hunger Mountain announced today. Ms. Cook’s short story for young adults, “Crazy Cat” has earned her a $1,000 prize and publication in Hunger Mountain, the national arts journal published at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

“We received 300 entries—and the talent and dedication apparent in those entries was overwhelming,” says Miciah Bay Gault, managing editor of Hunger Mountain.

Katherine Paterson, the award-winning author of Bridge to Terabithia, judged the contest. Along with a first place winner, she chose three honorable mentions: Susan Hill Long from Portland, Oregon, for her middle grade novel excerpt “Tornado;” Emily Jiang from Palo Alto, California for her young adult novel excerpt “Paper Daughter;” and Tricia Springstubb from Cleveland Heights, Ohio for her story for young children “No Mistake.” Each honorable mention receives $100 and publication on Hunger Mountain online.

Gault called Liz Cook last week to let her know she’d won the much publicized Katherine Paterson Prize. “She couldn’t believe it,” says Gault. “She was so excited to think that Katherine had read—and enjoyed—her writing.”

Hunger Mountain is a print and online journal of the arts showcasing fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, writing for children, and visual art. Visit Hunger Mountain for more information about the Katherine Paterson Prize and three other writing prizes offered annually.

Vermont College of Fine Arts, which houses the editorial offices for Hunger Mountain, is the first college devoted entirely to low-residency, graduate fine arts programs, offering three MFA
degrees in Writing, Writing for Children and Young Adults, and Visual Art.

(End of press release and back to Lynn).
Congratulations to Liz Cook, Susan Hill Long, Emily Jiang, and Tricia Springstubb as well as the finalists.

Imaginary Readers,
I think you will find great inspiration at Hunger Mountain.
Find out more info about the contest here:
http://www.hungermtn.org/contest-news

and here:
http://www.hungermtn.org

Read an amazing talk by Katherine Paterson here.

Learn about VCFA (Vermont College of Fine Arts) MFA Program here.

Yes, some of you know I earned my MFA at VCFA. People often ask me if the program was worthwhile. I always answer: Yes, yes, YES!!

Read an interview with Bethany Hegedus & Kekla Magoon, co-editors of the Children and YA section of Hunger Mountain here.

Forecast: More great stories from Hunger Mountain, VCFA, Liz Cook, and the honorable mention writers and finalists!

SHIFTY Reviews on Amazon UK & the 4 Covers of SHIFTY

2009-09-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hello Imaginary Readers,

There are times as an author when you wonder if anyone is reading your books (or your blog :-). So it was a fun and very nice surprise to receive a google alert pointing me to reviews of SHIFTY on Amazon UK. I'm thrilled with the UK reviews and that readers liked my characters and story. Plus is was super fun to read some of unique words and phrases used to describe SHIFTY. Please take a look.

SHIFTY will be published October 1st in the UK by Frances Lincoln.
Here are the four covers of SHIFTY:

UK cover (published by Frances Lincoln)

Australian cover (published by Allen & Unwin)

US covers (hardcover-2008) & (paperback-2010) published by Tricycle/Random House--

The US paperback version, below, comes out in March 2010.

Imaginary Readers, which cover do you like best?

NaNoWriMo & YWP: An Interview with Tavia Stewart-Streit, Director of the Young Writers Program & Operations Manager at the Office of Letters and Light

2009-08-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Imaginary Readers,
I’ve been away a bit this summer working on my new middle grade novel. I'm back now with an interesting interview I hope you will enjoy.

I am sure many of you have heard of NaNoWriMo? (National Novel Writing Month).
Check out NaNoWriMo’s website at: http://www.nanowrimo.org

While you are there, click on the Young Writer’s Program logo that looks like this:

Or just go to: http://ywp.nanowrimo.org
Wow, you'll find great writing resources there for teachers and students. So, as students head back to school this fall, I thought it'd be fun to interview Tavia Stewart-Streit, Director of the Young Writers Program & Operations Manager at the Office of Letters and Light.

Lynn: Tavia, thank you for joining us at The Imaginary Blog.

I have to say that I've always been impressed by the creative endeavors of NaNoWriMo. So I was thrilled to learn that there was a Young Writers Program involved with NaNoWriMo too. Then when I saw the nifty free downloadable Novelist Workbooks for teachers and students at various grade levels I just had to meet the responsible enlightened folks involved.

There are some fun facts and FAQ on your website but I'd love a quick update and inside view of the process from your POV. Whose idea was it to include and encourage young writers in NaNoWriMo? Who created and designed the great workbooks?

Tavia: NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program was created after we were inundated with requests from participating educators for a kid- and teen-friendly version of the event. They wanted to share the blissful sense of accomplishment they felt after writing an entire novel in 30 days with their students—to see what would happen if they encouraged their kids to run amok in their imaginations for an entire month.

So did we!

The Young Writers Program launched in 2004, got its own website in 2005, and by 2006 had a thriving international community consisting of both educators teaching our program in classrooms and young writers participating on their own. To meet the demands for more resources and a more kid-friendly site, we launched a redesigned website in 2008 along with dozens of lesson plans for educators and our Young Novelist Workbooks for students. The workbooks were written by a team of writers including myself, and were designed by the talented, Graham Dobson!

I'm proud to say that the word about the workbooks has leaked to the adult site, and they're now being used by writers of all ages! My favorite worksheet is the "Character Questionnaire" from the high school workbook. I feel that knowing everything you can about your characters before November 1 is essential. It allows you to sit back, relax, and let your characters lead you from the beginning to "The End."

Lynn: How many students are you expecting to participate in the NaNoWriMo challenge this year? Any unique locations, students, or groups who've participated in the past?

Tavia: This coming November, we're expecting as many as 25,000 young novelists worldwide to write with us! In the past we've had students participate in every state and in dozens of other countries including South Africa, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Holland, Pakistan, Great Britain, Australia, and Ireland, just to name a few. NaNoWriMo has been taught to all grade levels from preschool to 12th grade and has inspired students to write in ESL classrooms, schools for the hearing impaired, and many after school programs for underprivileged children.

Lynn: Can you share any inspiring stories or events that have come about through the Young Writers Program?

Tavia: My favorite story is about a Middle School in Battle Creek, Michigan. Each year, the entire school participates in NaNoWriMo, including the staff! For one month, the hallways are covered with classroom word-count banners, writing prompts, and excerpts from the students' novels. The school hosts pajama write-ins and allows students to write between classes and at lunch in the computer labs. Luke Perry, the teacher who originally introduced the program to the school, wrote in after his first year teaching NaNoWriMo to say that he "will never teach the same way again."

It's great to hear that NaNo not only inspires students to write, but inspires teachers to teach writing in a new and innovative way. We hope to hear more and more of these writing revival stories as our numbers increase.

Lynn: What else is The Office of Letters and Light up to after NaNoWriMo is over?
Did I see something about screenwriting for young writers, too?

Tavia: OLL is a year-round operation! We work all summer and fall updating the NaNoWriMo websites and YWP curriculum, take a short winter nap for a week or two in December, then get right to preparing for our second creative writing event, Script Frenzy, which takes place each April.

Script Frenzy is a lot like NaNoWriMo, but instead of writing novels, we write scripts. We encourage participants to write any kind of script they'd like including screenplays, stage plays, TV scripts, comic book scripts, short film scripts, and radio scripts! Participants can work with a partner if they'd like, which is a ton of fun, and they can write multiple shorter scripts as long as they reach their page-count goal by the end of the month. I think one of the coolest things about Script Frenzy is that, after it's over, participating classrooms can team up with their drama department to have their students' newly-written scripts performed!

To find out more about Script Frenzy's YWP, you can visit http://ywp.scriptfrenzy.org.

Lynn: Please tell us a little about yourself. What brought you to your current position?

(Tavia Stewart-Streit, Director of the Young Writers Program, below)

Tavia: Never in a million years did I think that I'd actually use my degree in Creative Writing to make an actual living. But I thought I'd give it the old after-college try, so I moved to San Francisco to wait tables and volunteer or intern at any publishing house or literary magazine that would take me. Within a year, I was working two restaurant jobs and three internships. One of my internships was at McSweeney's Publishing, which turned into a paying job in customer service. Though McSweeney's was—and still is—one of my favorite creative companies in the whole wide world, customer service was customer service. Luckily, my boss liked me enough to send along the posting for a position at the Office of Letters and Light. What a wonderful day it was when I went from juggling five jobs to working at one amazing organization.

In my spare time, I volunteer for a small local publisher called Watchword Press. I co-edit their bi-annual literary magazine and curate my brain-child, Whole Story, an event that transforms a conjunctive gallery and theater space into a life-sized, multi-media diorama in reaction to one short story.

In my spare, spare time, I practice yoga, make ice cream, and write short fiction and poetry.

Lynn: Is there anything else you'd like to share with our Imaginary Readers?

Tavia: The writing doesn't need to stop on December 1 or, in the case of Script Frenzy, May 1. Let NaNoWriMo and Script Frenzy be creative catalysts—let the events inspire you to do more and write more. Whether you spend your "off-season" revising your novel or script, or you spend it writing short stories or poetry, remember that you did and still can write everyday…and you should! Write on!
--Tavia Stewart-Streit

Lynn: Thanks, Tavia, for joining us on the Imaginary Blog.

Forecast: Young writers writing! Cool activities, workbooks & downloads at http://ywp.nanowrimo.org. All ages writing at NaNoWriMo this November, and ongoing enlightened projects from Tavia at the Office of Letters and Light!

Seymour on Bookie Woogie & Lynn Interviewed on Growing Readers, The Children's Book Review

2009-07-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of fun things to note as I head back to town from a great writers' retreat.

a very demanding Stink Bug, by Isaac

Z Dad and Z Kids reviewed SEYMOUR on Bookie Woogie. If you haven't had a chance to see their Bookie Woogie site, where "Three kids and their dad talk about books," please check it out. The talented kids there (Lily, Grace & Isaac) do amazing art in response to the books they read. ZDad (Aaron Zenz) captures their conversations. The result? Consistently wonderful, funny and spontaneous responses to books from the children's points of view. Thanks to ZDad, Lily (age 6), Gracie (age 8) and Isaac (age 10) for their thoughts on The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail, and their totally cool snail art.

snail trail, by Lily

Seymour Snail paints, by Gracie

You can see more of the kids' wonderful art at Chicken Nugget Lemon Tooty (Selected pictures from Isaac, Grace, and Lily including "Illustration Friday" posts).

I was recently interviewed by Amanda at The Children's Book Review: Growing Readers site. Please take a look.

Seymour Snail on Twitter--How Silly is That?

2009-06-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

Seymour has his own profile on Twitter--
That's Silly, I Know!

Plenty silly, in fact. But then, Seymour is a funny and creative snail.
Seymour will share his sense of humor and unique worldview as he ventures slooooowly onto the high-speed web.
You can follow Seymour at: http://twitter.com/SeymourSnail (Or his author, Lynn) at: http://twitter.com/LynnHazen

Do you know any children's book characters on Twitter? Please comment below with their Twitter ID's. I'd be curious to see what these characters have to say. Seymour and I will start a list. Thanks for helping us.

Forecast: More Seymour Snail Silliness at NOT the typical Twitter pace! (He's a snail after all)

Lynn Interviewed for Do It All Mamas & Papas on Examiner.com

2009-06-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Imaginary Readers,

It's my lucky week for being interviewed. First the Carma's Window interview. Now, Angele Sionna, Early Childhood Parenting Examiner at Examiner.com, interviewed me for her Do It All Mamas (& Papas) column. Please take a look.

Jim Averbeck read it and said it sounded like I am a big fan of bedtime. I am a big fan of bedtime. My own--of course--after long busy days, and my family's, too. Oh sure, now my kids are grown. But when they were young, late at night when everyone in the family was asleep and the house was quiet--was when I could write without interruption. I'm still a bit of a night owl.

Angele's interview includes my responses to:

Examiner: What secret do you have to share with other parents about "having it all" with your family and business?

Lynn: First of all, there is no "having it all." There is usually a shortage of something--not enough time, not enough money, not enough relaxation and "quality time" with family, not enough sleep, a house that's not clean enough, and not enough energy to carve out one's creative endeavors. We're constantly making choices about what we (and our family) need and want. It's a juggle for sure. The secret? Perhaps knowing that nobody "has it all." Then do your best juggling it all while appreciating what you have. A sense of humor helps, too.

Examiner: What is the number one piece of advice you have for other parents?

Lynn here again. You can read the rest of my responses to these and other questions at Do It All Mamas (& Papas)

Here are more interviews with me around the web. Thanks for taking a look.

Lynn on Cynsations (3/2009)

Lynn at ForeWord Magazine (2009)

Lynn on Cynsations (3/2006)

Lynn interviewed at Through the Tollbooth (4/2008)

Q & A with Lynn at www.LynnHazen.com

Here are pics of a very young Lynn. If you scroll down on that page you'll see my Kindergarten & 2nd Grade report cards! Uh-oh!

Lynn interviewed at Carma's Window

For interviews of fellow authors, illustrators and more, check out the side bar over there on your right.

Forecast: Bedtime & more writing!

What's on YOUR Memorable Moments List?

2009-06-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

May's Carnival of Children's Literature is up, hosted by Tarie at Into the Wardrobe. I like how she organized the posts into distinct categories. Take a look.

Carma over at Carma's Window reviewed SHIFTY and posted an interview of me. Thanks, Carma. It's always interesting to be interviewed. Sometimes questions feel similar to previous author interviews, but then a particular phrasing of a question or perhaps the mood I'm in when answering creates an unexpected response. This happened with one question in particular that Carma asked me. I responded with "top-of-my-head-truth" of course--actually lots of little truths-- but the combined truth I had not quite pulled together in my mind until she asked. Carma mentioned my Shifty Card video http://vimeo.com/4556993, then asked:

Q: The use of video's in blogs and websites are gaining in popularity. I love the way you made yours. I am sure you have experienced many memorable moments in your career. Is there one that stands out more?

Hazen: Oh, it is hard to choose one. Here are a few:

Dancing around the living room in a fit of happiness singing along with the lovely loud music of Joni Mitchell, "…go to the Mermaid Café, Have fun tonight…" when I found out my first book had sold (MERMAID MARY MARGARET)

A much quieter happy moment many months (years?) later--getting all unexpectedly teary-eyed when seeing the same first book available for check out at my San Francisco Public Library.
Meeting so many creative kindred spirits in the sometimes wacky world of children's books--fellow authors, illustrators, editors, agents, booksellers, teachers, librarians and of course, readers, all of whom care deeply about books.

Speaking of readers--high on the memorable moments list is meeting children and teens, and getting fan mail, email, and drawings from children and youth who have liked my books.
Doing the Bunny Hop with an enthusiastic library full of young children with CINDER RABBIT.
Connecting with youth at the San Francisco Juvenile Justice Center and local high schools about reading, writing, and my book, SHIFTY.

Wow, so many memorable moments. I’m thankful to have experienced them. I guess it is good to reflect on these moments from time to time, especially in the inevitable “less than inspiring” times as an author. I might just have to print this list, post it on my bulletin board and reread it in times of “writer frustration” so I don’t forget!
---
After the interview I did print up my memorable moments list and I'm adding to it: funny things that happened on school visits, brief pauses for celebration, small but so meaningful kindnesses from readers, connections to people and books. There are many ups and downs, lots of waiting and time warps in a writer's career. So I'm sure my Memorable Moments List will come in handy soon.

Imaginary Readers, please tell me what is on your Memorable Moments List?

Forecast: Cloudy “less than inspiring” times, increased wackiness, chances of ups and downs, waiting & time warps--as well as brief pauses for celebration, misty eyes at the public library, intermittent meaningful kindnesses, funny things, and sporadic fits of happiness, dancing & singing!

Updated My SHIFTY My Space Page

2009-05-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

I spent some time on my SHIFTY My Space page this afternoon trying to remember how to edit my SHIFTY profile there. Whew! I figured it out and updated the page.

Now I just need more teens, tweens, librarians, teacher-types, fellow authors and friends to drop in, become friends and say hi!

Do YOU know any teens, tweens, teachers or librarians? Please send them my way. www.MySpace.com/ShiftyTheBook

Thanks!
There's a catchy tune playing there, too. Please come listen.

Forecast: Foot-tapping!

An Interview with Doug Cushman, the Wildly Talented Illustrator of THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL

2009-05-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

Imaginary Readers, we are in for a great treat. Today I'm interviewing Doug Cushman. As you know, Doug illustrated my latest book, THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL. I couldn't be happier with his creative and fun portrayal of Seymour, Mr. Stink Bug, Coco La Roach, all the other characters, and of course, the whole story. Here we go.

Lynn: Have you always enjoyed drawing and painting? What kinds of things did you create as a child?

Doug: I can’t remember a time that I wasn’t drawing or writing. I made books when I was eight or nine years old. One was called SPACE CAT; a cat in a space suit who crash landed on a prehistoric planet and battled dinosaurs. Forty-plus years later I published SPACE CAT (with some changes) for my 100th book for HarperCollins. I haven’t changed all that much!

Lynn: That's such a great story. Do you have any quirky habits or rituals that feed your creative process?

Doug: I listen to a lot of music and draw a lot of pictures in my sketch books to get the juices flowing. I find going to a café sometimes in the afternoon with my notebook or laptop helps; it’s a change of scenery.

Lynn: What is your workspace or studio like? Are you well organized or surrounded by creative clutter? Do you have any toys that inspire you?

Doug: The place is a mess. ‘Nuff said.

Lynn: How did you first hear from Holt about illustrating Seymour? What were the initial steps? What media did you use for this book?

Doug: I was visiting Holt and chatting with Reka (our editor). She said she might have something to show me. That was pretty much it. I’ve known the folks at Holt for years, they’re old friends.

My usual process is to design the characters then launch into the sketches, pacing the text out. The finishes were done in watercolor and ink, my usual working method.

Lynn: Was there any character or part of the story of The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail that you particularly enjoyed illustrating?

Doug: Your story so reminded me of all the crazy nonsense that was going on in the art world with the big galleries and artists back in the 70s; I wanted to play with all those images and characters.

Lynn: What was most challenging part of the process? How did you overcome that challenge?

Doug: Pacing out the book, figuring out what I wanted to illustrate and “enhance” (the text really told the story, my drawings were just decorations really). Trying to balance the text and pictures on each page is always difficult.

Lynn: When you were working on Seymour, did any children give you any input on any characters or scenes?

Doug: Nope, no kids, no one really. I had lots of bug books and a large snail shell that I found in the countryside in Burgundy. That shell was my main inspiration.

Lynn: Kirkus Reviews praised The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail with:

"Engaging characters and winning art create a solid addition to the field of transitional literature…"
&
"Cushman’s anthropomorphized bugs from the art gallery are a hoot..."

Could you please share any secrets of how you made Seymour and the other buggy characters so fun and expressive?

Doug: I draw what I see ;-)

Lynn: Did anyone you know become a knowing or unwitting model for one of the characters in The Amazing Trail of Seymour Trail?

Doug: No one I know personally but there’s probably a little of me in Seymour.

Lynn: Please tell us a little about your career as an artist and illustrator. How did you get started?

Doug: As I said, I’ve always been drawing and writing stories so it wasn’t any stretch to decide to make my living as an author/illustrator. I went to a private art school in Connecticut and, after graduating, just showed my portfolio to anyone that was willing to look at it. It took 3 or 4 years to get my first book. Even after 120+ books under my belt, I still feel I have A LOT to learn about drawing and story-telling.

Lynn: 120 Books! Wow. Please tell us about any of your other upcoming projects.

Doug: I’m always working on two or three things at any given time; but I’m of the school of not saying anything about works in progress, the old superstition about jinxing the work, etc.

Lynn: Thanks Doug. Do you have any final advice for aspiring children's book illustrators?

Doug: Just keep drawing and painting and learning. And try to stay focused. And eat your vegetables.

Lynn: Seymour would agree with all of that! Imaginary Readers can find Doug at his website: www.doug-cushman.com

Forecast: Writing, drawing, painting, learning, focus, and of course, vegetables!

Seymour Celebration!

2009-05-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

Books, Berets, Friends & Fun!

Yes, last Saturday was fun with a celebration for my new book, THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL illustrated by Doug Cushman. It was doubly fun because it was a double book launch party for Elissa Haden Guest and her new book, HARRIET'S HAD ENOUGH! Here come some pics of the celebration.

(Above) Elissa & me in front of Cover to Cover Booksellers. Yep, I'm wearing my beret with a snail decoration on it. (Seymour the Snail wears a beret on the cover of the book, too!)

Below, yummy goat cheese with edible flowers from Harley Farms.

(Below) Mr. Stink Bug in the window holding a copy of THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL.

Me, my son Mike & Liz. Mike helped with the mechanics of Seymour zipping around and around the window display on a hidden Lego train. Thanks, Mike! See the video below. What fun!

Seymour Slimes His Way from Lynn H on Vimeo.

More friends and berets! Lynn & Karen below.

I love the illustrations in THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL. Stay tuned for an interview with the illustrator, the wildly talented Doug Cushman. Thank you, Doug for bringing Seymour and his pals to life.

Maria & Karen above.

Lynn & Elissa (above)

4 Revisionaries (above): Lynn, Jim, Karen & Maria

Jim & Karen

Charlesie, Lynn & Ryoko (Charlesie helped paint the cool platform to hide the train, and she made the super yummy cookies below left in the box that looked like little mini painting palettes!) Ryoko helped make the cool bug and flower art in the window. Yes, it takes a village to launch a book!
More friends below:

Frances, Lynn & a young reader!

(above) Venus & her Little Stars and Lynn

(above) My inspiration for Charlie & Prince Charming Whiskers in Cinder Rabbit.

(above) Clara & Lynn
(below) Ryoko & Lynn

Seymour Slimes His Way!

2009-05-16T00:54:00.000-07:00

Seymour Slimes His Way from Lynn H on Vimeo.

Is Your Beret Ready?

2009-05-15T23:55:00.000-07:00

I hope you can make it to the Double Book Launch Party on Sat. May 16th at Cover to Cover.
Saturday May 16th
10 a.m. to noon
Cover to Cover in San Francisco
1307 Castro St (between 24th St & Jersey St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 282-8080

And of course if you have a beret (or other fun hat), please wear it!
Be like Seymour, And Monet, Be creative, And wear a beret.

My friends Ryoko & Shannon went with me recently to the Berkeley Hat Store in search of the perfect beret. Take a look at some of the wonderful hats we found. Come to the book Launch Party to see what we ended up with!

Forecast: Hat Fun! And stay tuned for the vid of Seymour as he slimes his way around and around Cover to Cover's window display. What fun!

Make a Cool SHIFTY CARD

2009-05-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

Check out my latest videos on How to Make a SHIFTY Card.
The first one is a short (90 seconds) video of the completed SHIFTY Card. The next one is the 8 minute "How To."

You can download the free pdf pattern to make your own SHIFTY Card at www.ShiftyTheBook.com. Once you are there, click on the Students & Teachers link.

Thanks for taking a look. And if you make your own SHIFTY Card, please post a vid and let me know where so I can see your personal artistic touches. Thanks!

The SHIFTY Card Completed (short version) from Lynn H on Vimeo.

How to Make a Cool SHIFTY Card from Lynn H on Vimeo.

SHIFTY was chosen for VOYA'S Top Shelf Fiction, as a CCBC Choice, and a Smithsonian Notable. More info about my YA novel, SHIFTY, can be found at www.ShiftyTheBook.com. Please forward to interested teens, teachers and librarians. And tell them I'm available for high school, middle school, and library visits!
I have a few other author videos I created on Vimeo. You can see more info on my profile there.

Today is SEYMOUR'S Pub Date!

2009-05-12T12:55:00.001-07:00

Hello Imaginary Readers,
I know "Seymour's Pub Date" sounds like our little snail is off to have a beer with his buggy buddies. But really, a book's "pub date" is the date a book is released for publication, the date it is available to order or purchase from your favorite store. Kind of like a book's birthday!

Today's the day! Happy Pub Date to Seymour!

If you're in the San Francisco area, please join me for Seymour's Book Launch Party this Saturday, May 16th, from 10 a.m. to noon at Cover to Cover Booksellers. 1307 Castro St, San Francisco, CA 94114. You can call to order signed copies after the event. (415) 282-8080

You should see the colorful window display there. What fun! My son Mike lent his electric Lego train and creative mechanical engineering expertise so that a hidden Lego-powered train car zooms slimy Seymour round and around the window. My friends Charlesie & Ryoko helped paint a colorful platform and create flowers, snails and funny bugs. I'll try to get some pics and a video or two up soon. Thanks everybody. It takes a village to launch a book!

If you are far from San Francisco or have other Saturday plans,
Please order SEYMOUR from your local independent bookstore at Indie Bound.

Here is what Kirkus has to say about my favorite snail...
"Seymour Snail is an endearing artist..."

"Cushman’s anthropomorphized bugs from the art gallery are a hoot..."

"Creative wordplay abounds..."

"Engaging characters and winning art create a solid addition to the field of transitional literature."
KIRKUS REVIEWS, April 1, 2009

SEYMOUR loves Indie Bookstores!

Or if you are Amazon-inclined you can order SEYMOUR here.
Thanks!

Forecast: Something to celebrate! Please celebrate with me this Saturday. And wear your beret! Be like Seymour, And Monet, Be creative, And wear a beret!

Bad Poetry Friday--May Challenge--Rhyme Badly with May

2009-04-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Imaginary Readers,
On this last Friday in April I'm bravely posting my own bad poem and a silly challenge for you for the 31 days (and 5 Fridays) in May.

First, the Bad Poetry Friday Challenge for all brave bad (and so-bad-you're-good) poets--

For May, please compose your poems to include at least one rhyming couplet with words that rhyme with May. A quick peek at your rhyming dictionary or at RhymeZone.com's selection of May rhyming words will give you a clue of how silly and fun this will be. Bad poetry writing opportunities abound!

Rhyme Zone has organized hundreds of May-rhyming-words from one syllable to ten syllables just for you and your Bad Poetry Friday Muse. How could you not be inspired with such words and phrases in English and French as:
dismay
souffle
toupee
dog sleigh
rate of pay
yap away
exponential decay
alphanumeric display
and of course--
jean baptiste pierre antoine de monet...
plus hundreds more--take a look!

So send your Rhyming-with-May Poem ( 8 lines or less, related to writing, publishing or reading children's books in some way) without delay--today (or any day of the week) to BadPoetryFriday@gmail.com

I'll post the best or worst every Friday on The Imaginary Blog. Don't forget the amazing imaginary prize opportunites! Here is how to play.

And now--
To celebrate the arrival of a boxful of my new books (my author copies of The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail just arrived!!) and for today's Bad Poetry Friday I am posting my own poem.

Be Like Seymour
by
Lynn E. Hazen

Be like Seymour
And Monet
Be creative
And wear a beret!

For Imaginary Readers in the San Francisco Bay Area, please come to Seymour (and Harriet's) Double-the-Fun Book Launch Party on May 16th 10:00-noon at Cover to Cover. For more fun, please wear your beret!

Misplaced your beret?
Here is a good place to find all kinds of berets--every possible color, all styles imaginable, wool or cotton, with sequins perhaps(!!!) and of course the Che beret (complete with red star and fake hair). Take a look!
http://www.berkeleyhat.com/basqueberets.html

Forecast: More bad poetry fun, of course. Plus creative artists, writers and poets all wearing berets! I wonder who will show up at Seymour's launch party sporting a sequinned beret?

Interview with Bethany Hegedus & Kekla Magoon, New Co-Editors of Hunger Mountain's Children's & YA Section

2009-04-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Imaginary Readers!
We are in for a treat. Today we are interviewing Bethany Hegedus & Kekla Magoon, YA novelists and co-editors of the literary magazine Hunger Mountain's Children and YA section.

(Bethany left, Kekla right)

Lynn: Hi Bethany and Kekla. Please tell me a little about Hunger Mountain and how you got involved.

BH:
Hunger Mountain is the well-established and respected literary journal that is affiliated with Vermont College of the Fine Arts. Recently, the decision was made to bring Hunger Mountain online and with it to add a Children’s and YA section to the journal. Miciah Bay Gault, Managing Editor of HM invited alumni to send in a resume or CV for the editor position. I responded quickly but knew the job would be large and that if I took it on I would want to partner with someone. Kekla and I have been doing joint school visit presentations and we have a good working relationship balancing each other’s strengths and weaknesses (in this case two minds and four eyes are better than one!). We each sent in our materials, expressing a desire to work together and the HM board met and went over all the applicants and surprise, surprise selected us! We were thrilled and excited and are now glassy-eyed. Or at least I am!

KM:
I’m excited, too! Like Bethany I was intrigued by the position announcement, but worried about the volume of work it would be for just one person. Our partnership enables us to share tasks, problem-solve jointly, and generate more and better ideas. I knew I wanted to be involved in the new children’s and YA section because I realized it could be a fresh and unique resource for the children’s writing community. Writing and editing are such solitary activities, and it’s easy to become isolated, so another part of the appeal of working on HM is the opportunity for me to engage with a larger community of writers. So far it has been a neat process.

Lynn: As editors, what kinds of content are you looking for?

BH:
Content! The meat of the magazine! What we are doing is something new in literary journals and for our field, and we are excited about this. The intended audience for the Children’s and YA portion of Hunger Mountain is adults and not children. It is lovers of our craft, industry professionals, working authors and illustrators as well as teachers, librarians, and anyone who admires the work that those in the children’s field produce.

Since our content is aimed at adults and not children, children’s writers are encouraged to be experimental; find a place for their “odder” and “edgier” work. However, it isn’t all about being “odd” or “edgy.” Those in the kid lit community know and respect craftsmanship both inside and outside the box.

Basically, for me, I want to publish work by up-and-comers, as well as established writers who take creative risks, create and demonstrate the range of adolescent emotion from PB age to YA. Also we will be publishing a number of craft-related essays and industry interviews and we see HM as adding to the content and scholarship that is published by Horn Book, SLJ and other journals that cover children’s literature. However, the fact that we publish fiction and creative-non fiction, not reviews, sets us apart.

KM:
Our vision for HM is to be a point of information and connection for YA and children’s writers online. As editors, we hope to create a space where writers can experiment, share ideas, and be inspired. We will publish short fiction, including novel excerpts, poetry, and short non-fiction pieces. Even though the journal’s audience is adults, the fiction that we publish will still be of a style and quality that would appeal to children and teens. Like Bethany said, this places us in a rather unique position, where authors can test out their material on a knowledgeable adult audience. As a writer, the opportunity to submit short fiction to HM would appeal to me because, as it stands, there are a limited number of places where short fiction for children and teens can be submitted. We are open to an unlimited variety of material and subject matter for new fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, as long as it represents your best work. In addition to highly-polished new pieces, we’d love to see deleted scenes from published books, the short story that launched a novel, or samples from a picture book artist’s sketchbook.

On the article side of our publication, we’re also launching something unique. We’ll seek personal essays, objective/journalistic articles and opinion articles. We’ll include pieces on basic craft issues, the writing life, and children’s publishing, but we’ll also explore opposing points-of-view on industry trends and even controversial topics related to writing. As a reader, the journal would appeal to me because it fills a need for a public space in which to explore these craft and industry issues. Many writing advice and craft books exist that deal with these issues, but it can be hard to engage other people in conversation about hard-copy writings. There are also many blogs and websites out there for YA and children’s writers that promote discussion, but blogs are a more informal medium than what we are trying to create. HM will offer published articles and fiction PLUS the opportunity for reader feedback and discussion, which will enable us to spark dynamic conversations about hot-button issues and trends in our field.

Lynn: What's the payment for selected work? And what rights are you buying?

BH:
HM believes in paying authors and illustrators for their work. Our payment range varies between $25-75 and often well-known contributors volunteer their pieces. The major payment is in contributing to the literary community and being affiliated with such a quality journal. We buy first time world wide serial rights only; and upon publication rights revert back to the author.

Soon the submissions will be open to all. HM will be using an online submission manager, so fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction can be sent in online.

Lynn: I hear Hunger Mountain is also launching the Katherine Paterson Writing contest. Can you tell us a little more about that?

BH:
Newbery winner Katherine Paterson has long been affiliated with VCFA and sits on the board of the institution but in her own words she is not a teacher. Which may be true; she isn’t on faculty but teach and inspire she does with her novels and characters from Gilly Hopkins to Rosa, from Bread and Roses.

As a local Vermonter, when HM was looking to create the contest and give it a name, the Bridge to Terabithia author was the first that came to mind. Katherine Paterson kindly agreed and now we have The Katherine Paterson Prize. Ask me, it has as nice a ring to it as Pulitzer!

Here is the official announcement and contest rules.

Lynn: I know you both have new novels. Please tell us about your books.

BH:
In my debut novel, Between Us Baxters (WestSide Books/09) Polly Baxter has always been friends with Timbre Ann Biggs. It may matter to everyone else that their skins are different colors, but they don’t mind being the only “salt and pepper” friends in town. Or at least Polly doesn’t. Raised firmly with her mother’s belief that “you can’t pick your family but you can pick your friends” Polly clings to her friendship with Timbre Ann. After all, it is Timbre Ann who quizzes her on her vocabulary words and whose hand-me-downs she wears. It is also Timbre Ann who Polly begins to keep secrets from, including her daddy’s drinking. However, Timbre Ann has a way of knowing things about the Baxter’s, even when it isn’t Polly who shares them with her. When black-owned businesses begin to burn to the ground, Polly struggles to cope with the implications that her family may be involved and to understand the true meaning of friendship.

KM:
My novel, The Rock and the River, is set in 1968 Chicago. The civil rights movement is in full swing. Sam Childs (age 13) has been raised in the movement, as his father is a well known civil rights activist in their community. But Sam’s older brother, Stick, grows frustrated with the slow pace of change, as many young people did at that time. When Dr. King is killed, Stick leaves home and joins the Black Panther Party. Sam finds himself torn between the ideals of his father and his brother. He wants to believe in his father, to believe that non-violent protest will lead to the change he desires – but it gets harder for Sam to stand by as his community is being ravaged by police brutality and poverty. He begins to explore the Panthers with Stick, though he still struggles to decide what is right. Will Sam follow his father or his brother? His mind or his heart? The rock or the river?

Lynn: How do you juggle your time creating new work, promoting your published work and now editing your section of Hunger Mountain?

BH:
I just try to focus on the work at hand: whether that may be an upcoming school visit, a novel deadline, a check-in call with my agent, work with Kekla on Hunger Mountain, a revision of a picture book or working on my website or other promotional materials. I tend to rely on instinct in terms of my daily priorities. Somehow, some way it all gets done! (My laundry, now that’s another thing!) And, my writer’s group keeps me honest and keeps me producing new work weekly. That is key!

KM:
It’s a very big struggle for me to prioritize. Lately I’ve been using a series of to-do lists to help me organize my activities. I write the tasks right into my calendar each week. My writers’ group sits down every January to outline goals for the year, which I find really useful in targeting my long-term goals. On my own, I then break down the goals by month, and each month I break them down by week. This is not to say it that it all gets done! But it has helped me understand my work pace and process better, when I can look back and compare my intentions vs. my accomplishments. It has helped me understand what I can realistically accomplish in a day/week/month, which in turn has helped me stop putting pressure on myself to accomplish too much in too short a time. I’ve become better at saying NO to outside activities that will draw me away from my writing and professional goals. The hardest thing for me lately is to focus on producing new writing, since book promotion and editing are new and exciting adventures for me. But my writers’ groups definitely help me keep on task with my latest draft!

Lynn: Do you do school visits, too?

KM:
Yes! We each do school visits on our own book, but we also developed a joint presentation. It’s another area of our partnership that works really well. Since our books are set in 1959 and 1968, we are uniquely positioned to provide students with an in-depth presentation about the beginning and end of the civil rights era.

Our presentation is called “The Movement: Civil Rights in America 1959-1968.” It’s subtitled: “Two Books. Two Authors. One Powerful Presentation.” We lay out a timeline of civil rights movement, beginning with Bethany’s Between Us Baxters, which occurs at a time when segregation was still in effect in the South. She discusses Jim Crow laws, Brown vs. Board of Education, the Klan and the Citizen’s Councils, and the kinds of events that occurred that ultimately drove the black community to organize and launch the civil rights movement. Using a photo montage, we fast-forward through the parts of the movement that students more typically study in school, until we reach 1968 and the assassination of Dr. King. I talk about the effect that Dr. King’s death had on black communities around the country, and the new militancy and community organizing efforts that rose up in the wake of his murder. It’s a topic students don’t normally get to study, but is an area that needs more attention if we ever hope to understand the civil rights era as it truly happened.

Our presentation is fun and interactive, using audience participation and readers’ theater to engage students in the material. There’s a lot about our books that make them complement each other. Together, we cover the gamut of civil rights issues: Polly’s a white working class girl in a Southern rural setting, early in the movement. Sam’s a black middle class boy in a Northern, urban setting, late in the movement. The divergent perspectives and settings give us a means to examine the civil rights era from two fresh angles. We provide teachers’ guides and classroom material as a follow-up to our presentation.

We also both do interactive writing workshops for smaller groups.

BH:
It is wonderful to partner with Kekla on the school visits, as well. We brainstorm, work on promotional materials, rehearse with one another and keep each other laughing throughout the process of whatever is thrown our way.

Lynn: Do you have any tips for authors in the time management juggle?

BH:
Give up television! I am serious! I no longer have a TV! But I do catch episodes of my faves online (gotta see Lost and Damages!) but truly cutting back on the television has given me a lot more time than I once did. Now instead of watching American Idol I just hop over to facebook and follow editor Elizabeth Law’s witty banter and takes on the performances. I am caught up in five minutes.

KM:
Ha. Bethany’s quite right. But I love my TV, so that solution doesn’t entirely work for me. (Though, I will say that having DVR makes a big difference…) My suggestion is to include your writing activities in your calendar or schedule in advance, as if they are fixed events, with a date and time attached. Lately I have been managing my time this way, especially since I work from home full-time, which to the outside world often reads as if I’m not working. People have no qualms about calling me to do things in the middle of the day, as if I don’t have anything better to do. I find it easier to say no when I can open my calendar, see my writing plans, and decide if the other activity is actually more important to me.

Lynn: Since this is an imaginary blog, can you please tell us in what ways your writing and now editing career is different than you originally imagined?

BH:
Hmmm…I originally imagined writing someday would cease to be work, and I mean work with a capital W. It continues to be and though I wish the process was easier some days; and that the brick walls didn’t always appear when I least expect them (or even when I do expect them); but I have come to like the brick walls. I do my best to breathe deep and craft-wise dismantle the walls knowing it will take time, energy and careful thought (and emptying the mind, too!) In my own emotional life, my brick walls didn’t get as high as they were overnight and they didn’t come down overnight either. And I know this is the same for my characters. I have to show their emotional brick walls being built brick-by-brick and then see how they break through them or live inside them. Either way it takes time and plenty of patience.

Enough with the bricks before you throw them at me! Editing, on the other hand, is new to me although critiquing is not. Studying for my MFA at VCFA we were trained in providing valuable feedback to fellow authors. I rely heavily on that training and also the work I have done in my writer’s group over the last ten years. And, I trust Kekla! We think differently; and have different opinions and the discourse between us is invaluable.

KM:
Well, depending on how far I look back, the fact that I’m a writer/editor at all is something different from what I imagined my life would be like. As a child/teen I imagined myself as a doctor or teacher – all my varying career interests were much more “traditional” than the creative life I’ve patched together for myself in reality. Even looking back just to the time I started writing seriously, which was about eight years ago, I couldn’t have imagined myself making a full-time living this way. My previous professional jobs were very disappointing to me, and I quickly came to believe that any job I ever had would be messy and stressful and painful. As my writing life has evolved, I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be that way. Although writing bears its own messes and stresses and pains, that energy now feeds my work instead of detracting from it. I feel lucky these days to be doing something I love.

Lynn: Thank you Bethany and Kekla. Congratulations on your novels and best of luck on your new venture as co-editors of Hunger Mountain's children's and YA section.

Imaginary Readers, you can find out more about Bethany Hegedus and Kekla Magoon by visiting their websites:

www.keklamagoon.com

www.bethanyhegedus.com

Review of SHIFTY--"...jazz/street cadence...intriguing first page...redemptive ending...poignant story..."

2009-04-20T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a new review of SHIFTY--this time in the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

The reviewer, Christine Zilius Mason, says in part:

"...Hazen's prose has a jazz/street cadence that engages the reader from the intriguing first page to the redemptive ending. She brings the characters to life through perfect dialogue and deft description."

&

"...Through the subtle use of language in this poignant story, the reader is led to identify with the spunky characters and to care deeply about whether or not they will make it in their new home."

To read the whole review, please go here: www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_12177973

Aggie Authors at U. C. Davis Picnic Day 2009

2009-04-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

Join Aggie Alumni Authors Lynn E. Hazen, Erin Dealey and Carol Peterson at U.C. Davis Picnic Day on Saturday April 18th!

Free, of course!

First we'll be at the MultiCultural Children’s Faire at U.C. Davis
HART COURTYARD STAGE (billed as CAL AGGIES AUTHORS)
11:00AM-12:15PM
STORYTIME & FUN ACTIVITIES WITH AGGIE ALUM CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHORS!
Meet Aggie children’s book authors, Lynn E.Hazen, Erin Dealey & Carol Peterson.

Then from 12:30-1:30 we'll be at the U.C. Davis Bookstore giving a presentation on: How to Become a Children’s Book Author

Three successful UCD Aggie alumni children’s authors will share tips and how to’s of writing for children & young adults from 12:30-1:30 pm at the UCD bookstore on Picnic Day, Saturday, April 18th. Q & A, autographs, and book sales. (Meet all 3 authors, Erin Dealey, Lynn E. Hazen & Carol Peterson for story time at the Multicultural Children’s Fair 11-12:15 (Hart Stage) just prior to the bookstore presentation. Aggies and non-Aggies of all ages are welcome to both events!

For more information, maps and schedules of everything that's happening at Picnic Day got to: http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu

Forecast: Sunshine and a whole lot of Picnic Day Fun!

Bad Poetry Friday Awards Announced!

2009-04-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

It's time to announce the winners of last Friday's Bad Poetry Friday contest.

We had 2 votes for Karen
1 vote for Betsy
and 1 vote for Kate (with hands and feet thrown in).

However, as Erin commented,
"...in this case NOT winning might be a good thing?"

I think you are right Erin. So...
Our Booo-bery winner is Erin Dealey because:
1. She says she wants to be a Booo-bery author.
2. She mostly followed the rules re: brevity and being related to children's books.

The Mal-decott goes to Karen Ehrhardt as she got the most votes (2), her poem was related to writing (and it was brief!)

The Poo-litzer is awarded to Stacy Dillon. I really liked her mention of the Dewey Decimal numbers, didn't you? How many of you researched what books were shelved at 612.6? How many already knew?

I say Julie Larios and Kate Coombs tie for the No-Bell Prize.

Which leaves the Michael J. Wince Award for Betsy Bird and her 1492 poem with rotting gum and a moldy smelling bus!

As you can see, pretty much everyone is a winner here at Bad Poetry Friday, which is why YOU should send your original bad poem (any day of the week) after reading these rules/guidelines.

Here's how to play:
Just make up really bad original rhymes poking good-natured fun at the frequent craziness of the children’s book world. Then send in your bad rhyme (any day of the week) in the body of your message (no attachments, please) to BadPoetryFriday@gmail.com.

Everyone’s invited--writers, editors, marketing folks, librarians, agents, reviewers, booksellers, and readers—cast your meter to the wind and send us your BAD POETRY please.

We’ll post the best (or the worst) depending on our mood every Friday (or every other Friday).
Let us know if you want to be credited or anon.

8 short lines max
6 or 4 lines even better.
2 lines might be best of all.
We’re going for short here, folks--
Because if it’s gonna be bad, it better be brief!

Forecast: See you next week once again for Bad Poetry Friday.

Double Book Launch Party for Seymour & Harriet!

2009-04-13T15:32:00.001-07:00

Everyone is invited to a Double Book Launch Party!!

Lynn E. Hazen 's, THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL
&
Elissa Haden Guest's , HARRIET'S HAD ENOUGH!

Please join us in the celebration!

Saturday May 16th

10 a.m. to noon
at Cover to Cover in San Francisco

1307 Castro St
(between 24th St & Jersey St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 282-8080

Here is what Kirkus has to say about my favorite snail...

"Seymour Snail is an endearing artist..."

"Cushman’s anthropomorphized bugs from the art gallery are a hoot..."

"Creative wordplay abounds..."

"Engaging characters and winning art create a solid addition to the field of transitional literature."
KIRKUS REVIEWS, April 1, 2009

www.LynnHazen.com

www.ElissaHadenGuest.com

(Paul Meisel’s) "… rosy pinks and golden tans convey the warmth of the family home.”
School Library Journal

"Young readers will be reassured by the tale's comforting message that a family's love is constant…”

"This amusing peek at a common childhood scenario will satisfy parents and children alike."
Kirkus Reviews

Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing

2009-04-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing

This is so cool! It just arrived in my mailbox from Vermont College of Fine Arts. I love Vermont College. I got my MFA there in Writing for Children & Young Adults. Who doesn't love Vermont College? Who doesn't love Katherine Paterson? Not to mention $1000 prize money for this contest! Who doesn't want or need $1000 plus did I mention Katherine Paterson???? Wow!

Take a look:

Hunger Mountain presents the Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing

Calling all YA and children’s writers! We are thrilled to present the inaugural Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing in Hunger Mountain.

Hunger Mountain, the arts journal of Vermont College of Fine Arts, will launch our new online arts journal early this summer. Our new site will include YA and Children’s Literature; we’ll feature articles on hot topics and trends in YA and children’s literature, interviews with publishing industry insiders, and fiction selections by well-known and up-and-coming YA and children’s authors. Upcoming issues will feature pieces by Katherine Paterson, Carrie Jones, Cynthia Leitich Smith, K.A. Nuzum, Rita Williams-Garcia, Sara Zarr and many others!

Writers of Young Adult Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, and Picture Books are encouraged to enter the Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing. Newbery Award winning author Katherine Paterson will judge. We’re looking for unpublished YA and children’s writing. One winner will receive $1000.00 and publication in Hunger Mountain online, and two honorable mentions will receive $100.00 each.

Entries may include:
• Young Adult Fiction (novel excerpt or short story)
• Middle Grade Fiction (novel excerpt or short story)
• Picture Book (text only)

Submission Fee: $20 per entry

Deadline: Entries must be postmarked by June 30th, 2009

Contest Guidelines:
Your packet should include four items:
• A one-page cover sheet that includes:
o Your name, address, email and phone number
o The title of your manuscript
o The category of your manuscript (YA, MG, PB)
o A brief (one to two paragraph/200 word) bio of yourself
o A brief (one to two paragraph/250 word) synopsis of your manuscript

• Your manuscript (original, unpublished work please):
o Up to 5,000 words of middle grade/young adult fiction, or one picture book manuscript (text only)
o Entries must be double-spaced, with margins of at least 1”
o Please number the pages of your entry, and label each page with the title
o Please DO NOT label the manuscript with your name (entries will be judged anonymously)
o Please paperclip (do not staple) your entry
• Entry Fee:
o Check or money order for $20, payable to Hunger Mountain
• Self-addressed, stamped envelope for notification of award winners
• A self-addressed, stamped postcard for us to acknowledge receipt of your entry (optional)

Packets should be mailed to:
Katherine Paterson Prize for YA and Children’s Writing
Hunger Mountain
Vermont College of Fine Arts
36 College Street
Montpelier, VT 05602

Forecast: A whole lot of good writing in Hunger Mountain!

Draw a Bunny!

2009-04-11T19:50:00.000-07:00

Just in case you (or your children) are a bit bouncy from too many jelly beans, malted eggs, marshmallow peeps or chocolate bunnies, this fun How to Draw a Bunny page (an 8 1/2 x 11 free downloadable pdf) might be the perfect activity. Enjoy.

The How to Draw a Bunny page was created by Elyse Pastel,
illustrator of my young chapter book, Cinder Rabbit.
Download your free 8 1/2 by 11 pdf  here.
Read an interview with Elyse Pastel at:
www.CinderRabbit.com

Let the Competition Begin for Bad Poetry Friday!

2009-04-10T00:17:00.000-07:00

We promised a Bad Poetry Contest so here it is. We have imaginary prizes to award, too. But Imaginary Readers, first I need your help and your comments to help judge the contest.

Last Friday we saw 17-year-old Betsy Bird's untitled entry for our Bad Poetry Friday Contest. We now have 5 more brave contestants competing with Betsy for this round of Bad Poetry Friday! So for your Bad Poetry reading pleasure, here they come. After reading them all, please use the comments to tell me which you think is "the best of the worst" and why. Prizes for the best bad poems include The Mal-decott, The Booooo-bery, The Poo-litzer, The No-Bell, and the Michael J. Wince Awards. Oh yes, I know those are cringingly bad. It is Bad Poetry Friday after all.

Please comment on your favorites and help me choose the Best of the Worst.

Let the competition begin:

Entry # 1: Untitled and apparently unfinished poem by Betsy Bird of SLJ Fuse # 8, written when she was 17 years old.

Back in 1492
Columbus sailed the ocean blue
And 92 was once for us
The year we rode that great old bus
Of dusty metal, brown and old
That smelt of rotting gum with mold

Entry # 2:
ee ehrhardt, oops--I mean Karen Ehrhardt sends us this one:
i
b
sucha
bad poet...
u wanna hear
how i come to know it?
my rejection collection show it!
'that's all she wrote.'
'nuff said.
the end.
a.k.a.
fin.

Entry # 3:
Julie Larios of The Drift Record says:
Hiya, Lynn -
I salute Betsy Bird's poem written with heart at age 17 - nothing beats sincere poetry written by a teenager, unless it's poetry by Leonard Nimoy, which beats ALL other comers. But here is my contribution for the week, shaped by your suggestion, Lynn, that if it's going to be bad, it should be brief:

Stellar Thoughts

Every time
a star twinkles
it means
an angel tinkles.

Julie also states, "I love Bad Poetry Fridays. Like sherbet - it clears the palate."

Entry # 4:
Stacy Dillon (a school librarian) of Welcome to my Tweendom sends her fun poem which had me running to find out what a particular number of the Dewey Decimal system was all about.

I was working in a school library.
3 students of mine were named Harry.
They never knew,
what Dewey would do,
So shelved 612.6 under "scary"!

Entry # 5:

From author Erin Dealey:

Which came first--the writer or the egg?

Dear Editor, my manuscript--? (I'm trying not to beg.)

Has any bunny read it yet?
There, ok, I asked it.

All I want for Easter is a contract in my basket.

And Entry # 6: (which coincidentally has a Dear Editor and Bunny theme, too)
from Kate Coombs at Book Aunt. Kate says, "Hey, sorry I forgot about your line length rules. I blame it on the example of the coffee theft people! But I'll send this just the same..." (I think she's talking about Jules & Eisha's previous poem!)

Dear Editor (or, Why the Publisher's Mailbox Is Full)

I wrote about a dear sweet little bunny,

A story both cute and nice and adorable and funny.

My grandchildren love it.

They say it's not one bit

Yucky. No, they say, "Granny,

Whose first name isn't actually Franny,

Someone should make a book

Out of your bunny story, oh look look!

And we will even draw the pictures for you

Because the best grandma of all is most definitely you."

The bunny's name is Billy--

Isn't that perfectly quaint, not in the least silly?

So, dear editor, I beg,

Please buy my story, it's like a darling Easter egg!

The title is Billy Bunny Makes a Friend.

You have to read it all the way to The End.

--Kate Coombs (Book Aunt at http://bookaunt.blogspot.com)

Imaginary Readers, please cast your votes and your opinions in the comments function right below there. Which do you think is the best of the bad?

Then don't be aftraid to cast your meter to the wind and send YOUR bad poetry any day of the week to: BadPoetryFriday@gmail.com.

Here's how to play.

Seymour Snail and Cinder Rabbit Book Widgets--What Will They Think of Next?

2009-04-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

As my sweet grandma Dessie used to say, "Would you look at that! What will they think of next?"

Something new, nifty, easy and fun perhaps? I was poking around the Henry Holt website this morning. Look what I found--nifty book widgets for free--for folks to add to their sites or blogs.
I will give it a try right here.

If you'd like to add a Seymour or Cinder Book Widget to your blog or review site, just zip on over to Holt's web site here for the Seymour Book Widget, and here for the Cinder Rabbit Book Widget and pick yourself up some free and easy html code to simply copy and paste into your review. **

I'd be thrilled if you decide to add one of these fun widgets to your blog so we can perform a little Social Media Experiment to see how quickly our slow snail can slime his way across the wide wonderful world of the Kidlitosphere. Seymour thanks you for giving it a try.

Cinder would be hoppy if you tried her widget, too.

If you need a review copy of Seymour or Cinder, please let me know and I'll ask Holt if they still have review copies available. (Of course it'll help if you are a reviewer of books for younger children so please tell me where you review books).

** helpful hint: if you end up with a big white space (as I did at first) where you posted some of the html, just delete all the code prior to the "embed source ..." and keep all the "embed source ..." including the <> enclosures at each end.

And if you do add one of the widgets to your blog or review site, please let me know how it worked and where you posted it. Thanks!

Forecast: Seymour's Book Widget slowly (or quickly) oozing along at a his own pace. What do you think, Imaginary Readers? What will they think of next?

Hands-On Social Media Intensive Sat. June 6 at Fort Mason in San Francisco

2009-04-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! We got great responses on our first class so we're teaching it again--this time in San Francisco. Thanks to SCBWI for hosting us again.

SCBWI San Francisco/South presents:

Hands-On Social Media Intensive for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators:
Sat. June 6, 10:00-3:30 at Fort Mason in San Francisco

A Bring-Your-Own-Laptop Adventure into the Land of Social Media for Children's & YA Authors & Illustrators. Join Lynn E. Hazen and Susan Taylor Brown as we explore Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, LinkedIn, You Tube, Red Room and so much more. We'll have internet access, so bring your laptop (optional) and we'll have time for you to click along, ask questions and participate in Web. 2.0. As publishers expect more and more from authors and illustrators (before during and after you've published), come learn how to juggle your promotion efforts, social websites & online personalities and STILL HAVE TIME TO WRITE !

$50, SCBWI members (without in-class internet access)

$55. SCBWI members (with internet access--bring your own laptop & surge supressor/power cord)

$70. non-SCBWI members (without internet access)

$75. non-SCBWI members (with in-class internet access--bring your own laptop & surge supressor/power cord)

Pre-registration required. We expect this workshop to sell out quickly.

Lynn E. Hazen, M.A., M.F.A., writes books filled with humor, heart and hope. Kirkus praised her young adult novel, SHIFTY, as "a realistic story that resonates.” SHIFTY was chosen as VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction, a CCBC Choice, and a Smithsonian Notable. Lynn’s younger books include: MERMAID MARY MARGARET (a middle grade novel), CINDER RABBIT, THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL, and BUZZ BUMBLE. Lynn gives writing workshops and author talks at schools, libraries and conferences, and teaches writing classes at Stanford Continuing Studies. www.LynnHazen.com www.LynnHazenImaginaryBlog.blogspot.com

Susan Taylor Brown is the author of the middle grade verse novel Hugging the Rock, which was named an ALA Notable Children's Book, an NCTE Notable Children's Book, VOYA's Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers, and a Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year Selection. Susan's other books include picture books Oliver’s Must-Do List and Can I Pray With My Eyes Open? and the non-fiction book Robert Smalls Sails to Freedom. Susan leads writing and creativity workshops for writers and readers of all ages and conducts online workshops on the use of social media for authors. More info at www.susantaylorbrown.com and susanwrites.livejournal.com

Download pdf registration form here.
Download word doc registration form here.

This June 6th class will be an in-person class in San Francisco.
If you live far away (or can't attend that day) please view Susan's online classes here.

See what previous workshop attendees said about Lynn & Susan's shorter version of an earlier Social Media class.

"I've been a web developer for 14 years and I learned so much!"
Marik Bergits

"Great information on the various tech sites told in a user friendly fashion."
Marya Ashworth

"Susan Taylor Brown and Lynn E. Hazen paint realistic website and blogging panoramas. Practically focused, their energetic presenting made a believer out of me."
Lyndsey Davis

"Blogspicational!"
Chad Cameron

"Lynn and Susan took the mystery out of Twitter for me."
Carma Dutra

"A great introduction to Web 2.0 for Kidlit mavens. Lynn and Susan make the world of social networking seem accessible no matter how busy you are."
Dashka Slater

Forecast: Laptops a-humming with hands-on Web 2.0 Exploration!

Maria van Lieshout's PEEP Launch Party!!

2009-04-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

Just posting photos here so you can see what fun Maria van Lieshout's launch party was for her wonderful new book, PEEP! It was held at Cover to Cover Booksellers in San Francisco.

If you need a signed copy of Maria's PEEP, BLOOM, or SPLASH, just give the folks at Cover to Cover a call at 415-282-8080. They also have signed copies of SHIFTY, CINDER RABBIT, THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR TRAIL, MERMAID MARY MARGARET, and BUZZ BUMBLE.

Forecast: Another book launch party May 16th at Cover to Cover for: THE AMAZING TRAIL OF SEYMOUR SNAIL!! Mark you calendars. 10:00 a.m. to noon. I hope you can come.

© 2009 by Lynn E. Hazen of Lynn E. Hazen's Imaginary Blog. All rights reserved.

Lynn Teaches Writing Workshops to 4th-8th Graders at Young Writers Festival

2009-04-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I drove up to Willows, CA where I met 180 students at the Glen County Young Writers Festival. The early morning drive was beautiful with 180 degrees of sky, farmland, blooming lupine and roadside wildflowers, various sheep, horses and cows silhouetted in the early morning light. It was such a beautiful sunrise I had to stop and take some pics.

The festival was organized by the wonderful Anna Lane.

The students had all sent in writing samples in various categories, then chose 3 workshops to attend. My workshops were on writing fiction, especially on how to add humor and emotion to your writing. The students were great, inspiring, enthusiastic, and asked wonderful questions.

After lunch (and some great story-telling by Michael Katz), many awards were given to the student writers!

The drive back was great too, with fields and hills in all shades of green.

Again, the 180 degrees of sky was amazing. I had to stop to take some pics of the clouds.

I saw many many cool trucks zooming by and I couldn't help thinking that my truck-loving character, Charlie in Cinder Rabbit, would have enjoyed that particular truck-filled stretch of I-5.

To read more about the Young Writers Festival, check out The Willows Journal and the Chico Enterprise Record.

Forecast: More writing!

© 2009 by Lynn E. Hazen of Lynn E. Hazen's Imaginary Blog. All rights reserved.

More Bad Poetry Friday Coming Soon! Next Friday in Fact!

2009-04-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Imaginary Readers,
We are in luck.
The Bad Poetry Friday bug has caught on (thanks to a little nudge from Betsy Bird) and we've received some more BPF submissions that will be posted (you guessed it!) next Friday! So come back and check it out.

We'll have some truly great bad poems by ee ehrhardt, oops--I mean Karen Ehrhardt, Julie Larios of The Drift Record, Book Aunt's Kate Coombs, and Welcome to my Tweendom's Stacy Dillon. Stacy is a school librarian and her fun poem had me running to find out what a particular number of the Dewey Decimal system was all about.

So please come back next Friday to see all of these and maybe your bad poem too. That is, if you send me one (any day of the week) at BadPoetryFriday@gmail.com.

In the meantime, Julie Larios sends this comment:

"Hiya, Lynn -
I salute Betsy Bird's poem written with heart at age 17 - nothing beats sincere poetry written by a teenager, unless it's poetry by Leonard Nimoy, which beats ALL other comers...
I love Bad Poetry Fridays. Like sherbet - it clears the palate."

Forecast: Clear your palate next Friday at the Imaginary Blog

© 2009 by Lynn E. Hazen of Lynn E. Hazen's Imaginary Blog. All rights reserved.

Bad Poetry Friday: Untitled & Apparently Unfinished by 17-year-old Betsy Bird

2009-04-02T23:34:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo! Bad Poetry Friday is Back!!

Here in San Francisco it is not quite Friday, but in NY it is...
So here we go! Just in time for National Poetry Month--it's an untitled and apparently unfinished poem by Betsy Bird of SLJ Fuse # 8, written when she was 17 years old.

Back in 1492
Columbus sailed the ocean blue
And 92 was once for us
The year we rode that great old bus
Of dusty metal, brown and old
That smelt of rotting gum with mold

Betsy comments on her contribution to Bad Poetry Friday:
"...here is a bad poem I just found from my big black high school notebook. A lot of the poems were the usual existential ennui, but there's at least one truly terrible one in here that has nothing to do with boys, body image, or self-pity...Can't imagine why I didn't cap off that bit of 17-year-old brilliance with further lines."

It's not too late Betsy. You can still add more. Personally, I do not think you have captured enough forced rhymes yet!

We'll check in with the Poetry Police shortly and see what they have to say about Betsy's 1492 poem. In the meantime, thanks Betsy for joining in the fun.
And Imaginary Readers, feel free to send in your own bad poetry any day of the week to BadPoetryFriday@gmail.com (no attachments, please)

Everyone’s invited--writers, editors, marketing folks, librarians, agents, reviewers, booksellers, and readers—cast your meter to the wind and send us your BAD POETRY please.
I’ll post the best (or the worst) every Friday.

Look here for the official rules on how to play Bad Poetry Friday!

The Rhymes, They Are A Changing
(sung to the tune of Bob Dylan’s Times They Are A Changing)
Come gather ‘round Bad Poets wherever you roam
And admit that the oddities in publishing have grown
No need to like blogging—you’ve found your new home
If your bad poem to you is worth saving…
We’d better start laughing, or we’ll feel all alone
For the rhymes, they are a changing…

Forecast: Still looking for a talented volunteer to create an inspiring logo for Bad Poetry Friday. I'm sure there is a brilliant one out there. Imaginary Logo?

© 2009 by Lynn E. Hazen of Lynn E. Hazen's Imaginary Blog. All rights reserved.

Lynn Interviewed at ForeWord Magazine

2009-04-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Imaginary Readers,

ForeWord Magazine has an interview of me by Whitney Hallberg in their March/April 2009 edition.

I think the formatting is best here.

In part I talk about the dual imagination process between author and reader. Take a look:

The question no one asks, the one you’re itching to answer is…

"What intrigues me most about writing fiction?"

The creative imagination process—the magic that allows us to create characters and events that didn’t previously exist and capture them on the page for others to experience.

As a writer how do I make my imaginary characters, places and stories real and believable? What exactly happens when we travel the elusive ink-on-paper-bridge between the blank page beginnings of the author’s creativity and the readers’ imagination process on the other side? When readers decode bits of ink on paper, what makes characters, emotions, stories and books come alive? What makes a lasting connection between author and reader even as we are separated in time and space? Though we may never meet in real life, how does this dual creative imagination process between author and reader change us?

Read the rest of the interview here.

And click to see more of ForeWord Magazine.

Forecast: More questions and fewer answers?

© 2009 by Lynn E. Hazen of Lynn E. Hazen's Imaginary Blog. All rights reserved.

Bad Poetry Friday Returns (with the Best of Bad--Betsy Bird) just in time for National Poetry Month!

2009-04-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

We're baaaaaaaaaack and we're baaaaaaaaaad !

That's Betsy Bird of Fuse # 8 with her rhyming hat on!

And bad bad Betsy Bird will be joining us--daring YOU to write a worse poem than her poem. Betsy has even promised to dive into her high school journals for bad inspiration!

Oh sure, there are much loftier blogs celebrating National Poetry Month with stanzas of worthwhile poems. This isn't one of them.

Bad poets need a place to gather and have fun, too, right? So please join us for Bad Poetry Friday!

The Rhymes, They Are A Changing
(sung to the tune of Bob Dylan’s Times They Are A Changing)
Come gather ‘round Bad Poets wherever you roam
And admit that the oddities in publishing have grown
No need to like blogging—you’ve found your new home
If your bad poem to you is worth saving…
We’d better start laughing, or we’ll feel all alone
For the rhymes, they are a changing…

Yes indeedy folks.
It's time once again for
Bad Poetry Friday right here on the Imaginary Blog.
Here’s how to play…

Just make up really bad rhymes poking good-natured fun at the craziness of the children’s book world. Then send in your bad rhyme (any day of the week) to BadPoetryFriday@gmail.com (no attachments, please)

Everyone’s invited--writers, editors, marketing folks, librarians, agents, reviewers, booksellers, and readers—cast your meter to the wind and send us your BAD POETRY please.

I’ll post the best (or the worst) every Friday.
Let me know if you want to be credited or anon.

8 short lines max
6 or 4 lines even better.
2 lines might be best of all.
We’re going for short here, folks--
Because if it’s gonna be bad, it better be brief!

Come creative people, please heed the call
Send us BAD POETRY, or no poetry at all…

Forecast: Bad Poems with a Chance of Laughter.

Oh, and we're cooking up some really bad poetry prizes, too. Wouldn't you love to win The Mal-de-cott?

Send your bad poems soon to see if you can beat Betsy Bird at bad.
And come back Friday to see who wins.

For a few of our previous bad poets, take a look here at Jim Averbeck, here at Marsha Morrow, here at M.T. Anderson, and here at 7 Imps' Jules and Eisha! We're sure you could do worse. That's the spirit!

Of course if you want to read some good poetry this month, go here, here, or here!

And if you are artistically inclined, I'd love to have a nifty Bad Poetry Friday logo. Any volunteers?

© 2009 by Lynn E. Hazen of Lynn E. Hazen's Imaginary Blog. All rights reserved.

The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail--Kirkus Review!

2009-03-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

I like this. It's Seymour's second review, this time from Kirkus.

Yay, it's still:

So far, so gooooooooo...good.

You might recall Seymour's first review from Booklist a while back. If not, click here to take a look.

And here is what Kirkus has to say about my favorite snail...

"Seymour Snail is an endearing artist..."

"Cushman’s anthropomorphized bugs from the art gallery are a hoot..."

"Creative wordplay abounds..."

"Engaging characters and winning art create a solid addition to the field of transitional literature."

KIRKUS REVIEWS April 1, 2009

"Budding artist Seymour the Snail gains experience by working at a local gallery. Employed by the demanding Mr. Stink Bug, shy Seymour struggles with mundane tasks and hears rumors that there is an inspiring artist in town. When the artist’s identity is revealed, Seymour’s world changes dramatically. The brief chapters assist readers transitioning from beginning fiction to longer selections. Detailed, shaded drawings fill each page and provide emotional depth. Seymour Snail is an endearing artist; with his tilted beret and paintbrush in mouth, he paints with passion. Cushman’s anthropomorphized bugs from the art gallery are a hoot; their sunglasses, beaded necklaces and high heels portray their fast-paced lifestyle. Creative wordplay abounds: Slow Seymour works as the Speedy Art Gallery, and jokes often serve the older reader. The spider with the business card shares, “I’m onto something big. It’s called the World Wide Web.” Engaging characters and winning art create a solid addition to the field of transitional literature. (Fantasy. 5-8)"

If you'd like to purchase a signed copy of Seymour, ooze on over to Cover to Cover Booksellers in San Francisco. Just give them a call at 415-282-8080 (and tell them Seymour sent you).

Imaginary Readers, if you are a creative or teacher-talented-type of person, I seek your assistance. I'm looking for art and nature projects related to snails to post (or link to) on my website and blog. If you know of any good snail-themed projects or come across any links to such, please let me know. Thanks!

Forecast: More happy slime & gooey good projects!

And dust off your beret!! Please come celebrate Seymour with me at a book launch party on Saturday May 16th at Cover to Cover.