Voice Acting For Dummies: My Fantasy Studios Gig

To kick off my writing vocation in Northern California, Brilliance Audio sent me to Fantasy Studios in Berkeley to record the introduction and my own contribution to OPEN MIC: RIFFS ON LIFE BETWEEN CULTURES IN TEN VOICES.

Wait, stop.

Fantasy Studios, people.

This is where Lil Wayne heads after his Bay Area concerts, where Robin Williams voices his animated characters, where Journey and Aerosmith and the Grateful Dead recorded bestselling albums.

I walked in feeling awestruck, certainly, but secretly I was slightly cocky. After all, when I read to our boys growing up, I tried to be mesmerizing, right? They seemed into it. And when I read in church, I strive for reverence and excellence, and people seem to appreciate it. So it couldn't be that hard to read my own writing aloud, right?

Wrong.

Director and master voice actor Paul Costanzo gently but firmly led me through a session that lasted two hours, giving perfect examples with his beautiful voice, using inflection, pacing, intonation, and pitch to add meaning and depth to my writing. At times I swear he sounded more like a Bengali-American woman than I did.

Paul Costanzo (left), director and voice actor, and sound engineer
Alberto Hernandez (right) steered me through my recording session.

Thanks to today's experience, I certainly won't listen to an audio book in the same way. The thought, care, and talent that voice actors put into reading our novels make the purchase of an audio version well worth it. Their voices add a whole new dimension to our stories, as I sensed while listening to the audio version of Bamboo People, voiced by Jonathan Davis.

"To me, phrasing a piece of copy requires the same sensibility as phrasing a line of music," said Costanzo in an interview with the Mill Valley Literary Review. "The job of the narrator is to get the words off the page and into the theater of the mind of the listener, and the way the words take shape off the page has a profound impact on what the listener can envision."

I hope I managed to accomplish a bit of that in my own narration. The audio version of OPEN MIC releases 9.10.13, the same day as the anthology, so I guess we'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, I'm browsing libraries and bookstores to find some good audio books.

Top Ten "Little" Things To Miss In Boston

The packers are boxing up our 12.5 years in the Boston area. Tomorrow's moving day, so it's a good time to post my list of Top Ten "Little" Things To Miss in Boston. Note: friends, neighbors, schools, libraries, indies, sports, publishers, history, architecture, and church are Big Things, and so are not listed. Ready? All additions welcome.

#10: Lilacs in the Spring: I hear some grow in California, but there's something dizzying about lilacs in New England because you've been longing for color and fragrance for months. Below is a variety that bloomed in our garden.

#9 Apple Picking: Apples, too, grow in California, but as my fabulous next-door neighbor says, "Nothing tastes like a New England Macintosh or Macoun. Irreplaceable!" Not to mention the five-senses experience of brilliant foliage in the background and the energizing tang of autumn air.

#8 Our House at Christmas.

#7 Washing Dishes in October.

#6 Sweet Caroline in the 8th Inning.

#5 Indie Ice Cream.

#4 The Accent: Versatility with four-letter words is a "hallmahk," (see below) s(short o)rry.

 

#3 Insider Town Names: This accompanies #4, but deserves a separate category, don't you think?

#2 Walkability: It's a cozy city, plus from our house I can walk to the Newton Free Library, Whole Foods Market Newtonville, and Newton Presbyterian Church, among other destinations, and bike along the Charles to Harvard University for Saturday morning coffee.

#1 Logan Airport: Close to home thanks to the Big Dig, requiring neither trains nor shuttles to get you to the JetBlue Airways gates at Terminal C, a Dunkin' at departures and one at arrivals, Menino's classic Bostonian voice welcoming all visitors, but best of all, my portal back to my home away from home.

Thank you, Boston. Here we come, San Francisco Bay Area!

You're Invited: PEN New England Discovery Award Event 5/19

Please come celebrate authors Anna Boll and Kathy Quimby, winners of this year's PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award. The event starts at 6:30 pm on Sunday, May, 19 at University Hall at Lesley University in Cambridge. It's free and parking is available. Both authors will read from their winning submissions and refreshments will be served afterwards. Come mingle with other authors, members of the PEN NE Children's Book Committee, and the winners. (I'll have the privilege to introduce Anna and her work during the event.)  Hope to see you there!

Thank you, New England, for Seven Years of Author Visits

Today marked my last all-day author visit before our big move to California. I met with four classes of seventh graders at Boston Collegiate Charter School (BCCS) in Dorchester, one of my favorite destinations thanks to the Foundation of Children's Books (find out more about this organization, please--they have an incredible vision to bring authors into underserved schools).

BCCS has this to say about itself:

Boston Collegiate Charter School serves over 600 students in grades 5 through 12. Our goal is to instill in our students the expectation of college from the moment they walk through our doors. Boston Collegiate has consistently brought its mission to life: 100% of our graduates have been accepted into college! The majority of them will be the first in their families to graduate from college. In 2012, 100% of BCCS 10th grade students scored Advanced on the Math MCAS exam, ranking BCCS as first in the state on this exam.

Wow. Each year during my author visit to BCCS, I see this mission in action. These kids are focused. They ask great questions. Today one was taking careful notes while I spoke. I asked if I could see them and she gave me a copy:

Here are a few phrases that caught her attention as I was speaking:

• "challenge: find a book you'll read again"
• "rejected a lot"
• "7th grade was her least favorite year"
• "books widen hearts more than movies"
• "no shoes in the house in India"
• "stories are everywhere ... find your own"

Yep. That about sums up my presentation.

Thanks, New England, for seven great years of hospitality to me as an author. Since 2006, I've visited dozens of schools and libraries in all of your states, explored your lovely small towns and dynamic cities, discovered your great restaurants and coffeeshops,* and last but far from least, met your dedicated, passionate educators.

I'll be back for a week in the spring and a week in the fall to make the rounds. In the meantime, keep up your good work of connecting books with young readers. I'm going to miss being a part of it all year around.


*Check out the Cape Verdean lunch I relished today at a restaurant in Dorchester, for example—perfect, since I was speaking to many Cape Verdean students:

New SCBWI Award for Unpublished Authors over 50!

Maybe it's because I recently hit (ahem) a big birthday myself (your cue to coo in kindly disbelief, thank you very much), but this announcement that just zinged into my in-box was exciting:

The SCBWI is proud to announce the immediate launch of the Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award for authors over the age of fifty who have not been traditionally published in the children’s literature field.  The grant was established by Newbery Award winner and Newbery Honor Book recipient Karen Cushman and her husband, Philip Cushman, in conjunction with the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.  Karen published her first children’s book, The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal), at the age of fifty-three and has gone on to become one of the field’s most acclaimed novelists. 

 “This award was established to encourage and celebrate late bloomers like me, who didn't start to write until age fifty.  But then I bloomed, and I'd love to see others do so as well,” said Karen.  

SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver agreed, “One of the great aspects of writing children’s books is that it’s not age-restrictive. The SCBWI hopes an individual’s creative expression can make a valuable contribution, no matter what his or her age.”  

The award is open to both unpublished children’s book authors or author/illustrators over the age of fifty, and one winner will be chosen from the pool of those who have submitted material for the SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grants. 

The winner will receive $500 in cash, and free tuition to any worldwide SCBWI conference.  The first winner will be selected this year and announced along with the other Work-in-Progress Grant recipients. 

About Karen Cushman 

Karen Cushman is the author of The Midwife’s Apprentice (winner of the 1996 Newbery Medal), Catherine, Called Birdy (a Newbery Honor book), The Ballad of Lucy Whipple (winner of the John and Patricia Beatty Award), and her latest book, Will Sparrow's Road (Clarion 2012). Karen lives and writes on Vashon Island in Washington.  To learn more about Karen visit www.karencushman.com. 

General Information 

Founded in 1971, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is one of the largest existing writers’ and illustrators’ organizations, with over 22,000 members worldwide. It is the only organization specifically for those working in the fields of children’s literature, magazines, film, television, and multimedia. The organization was founded by Stephen Mooser (President) and Lin Oliver (Executive Director). 

Charlesbridge Hosts Panel on Diversity in Children's Literature

Charlesbridge and the Children's Book Council's Diversity Committee Present

Diversity on the Page, Behind the Pencil, and in the Office:
A Discussion with Children’s Book Creators and Editors

Thursday, May 16, 2013 | 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Moderated by Ayanna Coleman, CBC Diversity Committee

Panelists:

Mitali Perkins, author
London Ladd, illustrator
Katie Cunningham, Editor, Candlewick Press
Alyssa Mito Pusey, Senior Editor, Charlesbridge Publishing
Monica Perez, Executive Editor, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Location: Charlesbridge Illustration Gallery
First Floor, 85 Main Street, Watertown, MA 02472

 Seating is limited for this free event, so please register here.

Honoring Salman Rushdie: An Intimate Reading and Dinner

Believe me, if I were in New York City on May 6th, I'd be at this event. The Asian American Writer's Workshop is inviting us to honor Salman Rushdie at Tribeca Cinemas, and to sweeten the deal, they've added a fabulous lineup of other guests: Zadie Smith, Jonathan Safran Foer, Téa Obreht, Amitava Kumar, Himanshu Suri (formerly of Das Racist) and Top Chef competitor Dale Talde. Get tickets and/or find out more here.

2013 Jane Addams Children's Book Awards

JANE ADDAMS CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS ANNOUNCED

APRIL 27, 2013… Recipients of the 2013 Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards were announced today by the Jane Addams Peace Association. Since 1953, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award annually acknowledges books published in the U.S. during the previous year.  Books commended by the Award address themes or topics that engage children in thinking about peace, justice, world community and/or equality of the sexes and all races.  The books also must meet conventional standards of literacy and artistic excellence.

Each Kindness, written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin, is the winner in the Books for Younger Children Category. We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March, written by Cynthia Levinson and published by Peachtree Publishers, is the winner in the Books for Older Children category.

Each Kindness Small actions, or the lack of them, can be haunting as is the case for Maya and for Chloe in their rural elementary school. This open-ended, profound tale created in free verse and sober watercolors glimpses interactions between Chloe and Maya, the new girl arriving midyear in broken sandals, before the teacher invites students to ponder their kindnesses.

We’ve Got a Job In 1963, four thousand young African American students, from elementary through high school, voluntarily went to jail in one of the most racially violent cities in America. Focusing on four of these students, this photo essay recounts the riveting events throughout the Children’s March.

Two books were named Honor Books in the Books for Younger Children category.

Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers, written by Sarah Warren and illustrated by Robert Casilla, published by Marshall Cavendish Children, has been named an Honor Book for Younger Children. In California in the 1950s, teacher Dolores Huerta was concerned for her students. Learning the conditions of the migrant families, Dolores became a determined activist who fought for labor rights through her words and actions.

We March, written and illustrated by Shane W. Evans, and published by Roaring Brook Press, a Neal Porter imprint of Macmillan, has been named an Honor Book for Younger Children. Simple and powerful illustrations capture the excitement and hope for even the youngest reader of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The colorful crowd of 250,000 demonstrates their strength and unity in marching to Martin Luther King’s historical speech for racial equality.

   

Two books were named Honor Books in the Books for Older Children category.

Marching to the Mountaintop: How Poverty, Labor Fights and Civil Rights Set the Stage for Martin Luther King Jr’s Final Hours, written by Ann Bausum and published by National Geographic, is named an Honor Book for Older Children. A long sanitation worker strike began in 1968 following the deaths of two sanitation workers on the job sanitation workers in Tennessee. The strike became part of the larger civil rights movement and brought Martin Luther King, Jr. to Nashville to support the workers in their fight for for integration, safety, better pay and union protection.

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery, published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, is named an Honor Book for Older Children.  This biography with much first person input from Ms. Grandin herself explains how her autistic mind works, how her peers and family perceive her, and her relentless efforts as an activist.

A national committee chooses winners and honor books for younger and older children. Members of the 2012 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Committee are Marianne Baker (Chair, Barboursville, VA), Ann Carpenter (Harwich, MA), Julie Olsen Edwards (Soquel, CA), Lauren Mayer (Seattle, WA), Beth McGowan (DeKalb, IL), Sonja Cherry-Paul (Yonkers, NY), Tracy Randolph (Sewanee, TN), Lani Gerson (Watertown, MA), Susan Freiss (Madison, WI), and Jacqui Kolar (Chicago, IL). Regional reading and discussion groups of all ages participated with many of the committee members throughout the jury’s evaluation and selection process.

             

The authors and illustrators of the 2013 Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards will be honored on Friday, October 18, 2013 in New York City.  Details about the award event and about securing winner and honor book seals are available from the Jane Addams Peace Association (JAPA.)  Contact JAPA Executive Director Linda B. Belle, 777 United Nations Plaza, 6^th Floor, NY, NY 10017-3521; by phone 212.682.8830; and by email japa@igc.org.

For additional information about the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards and a complete list of books honored since 1953, see www.janeaddamspeace.org.

2013 South Asia Book Award for Children’s and YA Literature

The South Asia Book Award, administered by the South Asia National Outreach Consortium, is given annually for up to two outstanding works of literature, from early childhood to secondary reading levels, which accurately and skillfully portrays South Asia or South Asians in the diasporas, that is the experience of individuals living in South Asia, or of South Asians living in other parts of the world. Up to five Honor Books and Highly Commended Books will also be recognized by the award committee for their contribution to this body of literature on the region.

2013 Winners

The Rumor by Anushka Ravishankar, illustrations by Kanyika Kini (Tundra Books, 2012).  In the village of Baddbaddpur, the people like to tell tales. Pandurang is so dour that he can make milk turn sour. One day he coughs up a feather. As the story of Pandurang’s feather is passed from one person to another it grows and grows and grows until it can hardly be recognized. (Grades PreK-4).

Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely Through a Never-Ending War by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, House of Anansi Press, 2012). Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out what happened to Afghanistan’s children since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.  She interviewed children who spoke about their lives. They are still living in a country torn apart by war, violence and oppression still exist, particularly affecting the lives of girls, but the kids are weathering their lives with courage and optimism. (Grades 5 – 12).

2013 Honor Books

Chained by Lynne Kelly (Farrar Straus Giroux, Margaret Ferguson Books, 2012). To work off a family debt, ten-year-old Hastin leaves his desert village in India to work as a circus elephant keeper but many challenges await him, including trying to keep Nadita, a sweet elephant, safe from the cruel circus owner. (Grades 4-7).

The Elephant’s Friend and Other Tales from Ancient India by Marcia Williams (Candlewick Press, 2012). Drawing from three books of best-loved Indian folktales — Hitopadesha Tales, Jataka Tales, and Panchantra Tales — this graphic storybook collection, alive with kid-friendly illustrations, is infused with humor and warmth. (Grades K-4).

The Wooden Sword by Ann Redisch Stampler, illustrated by Carol Liddiment (Albert Whitman & Company, 2012). Disguised in servant’s clothes, an Afghani shah slips out of his palace to learn more about his people. When he encounters a poor Jewish shoemaker faithful that everything will turn out just as it should, the shah grows curious. Vowing that no harm will befall the poor man, he decides to test that faith. (Grades  K-5).

Same Sun Here by Silas House and Neela Vaswani (Candlewick Press, 2012). A twelve-year-old Indian immigrant in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner’s son become pen pals, and eventually best friends, through a series of revealing letters exploring such topics as environmental activism, immigration, and racism. (Grades 4-7).

2013 Highly Commended Books

Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth by Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes (Chronicle Books, 2012). The bold, bright colors of India leap right off the page in this fresh and funny picture book adaptation of how Ganesha came to write the epic poem of Hindu literature, the Mahabarata. (Grades Prek-3)

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo (Feiwel and Friends Book, an imprint of Macmillan, 2012).  14 year old Aman and his mother flee the horrors of war in Afghanistan and escape to England.  But just as they are getting settled in their new home, Aman and his mother find themselves in a detention center.  Their only hope is Aman’s friend Matt, Matt’s grandfather, and the dream of finding Shadow, Aman’s  trusted and loyal canine companion. (Grades 5-8).

The Sweetest Mango by Malavika Shetty, illustrations by Ajanta Guhathakurta (Tulika Publishers, 2012). The sweet, simple story and luscious pictures evoke delicious flavors of hot days, warm friendships and the smell of mango in the air. (Grades PreK-3)

Tina’s Mouth: an Existential Comic Diary by Keshni Kashyap, illustrations by Mari Araki (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012).  Tina Malhotra, a sophomore at the Yarborough Academy in Southern California, creates an existential diary for an assignment in which she tries to determine who she is and where she fits in. (Grades 9-12).

The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani (Delacorte Press, 2012). When Sonia’s father loses his job, she must move from her small, supportive private school to a public middle school.  The new school, her father’s diagnosis of clinical depression, and her half- Jewish and half- Indian heritage leave Sonia feeling more confused about herself, her friends, and her family.  Grades 5-8).

Congratulations to the winners! 

Download the 2013 South Asia Book Award announcement.

PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Book Discovery Award 2013

One of my favorite literary involvements in New England is serving on the Pen New England Susan P. Bloom Children's Book Discovery Award Committee. This year, I was delighted that two of my writing buddies, Katherine T. Quimby and Anna J. Boll, won the award.

The best entries were all about voice, and these two accomplished Vermont College graduates absolutely nailed their main characters' respective voices. If you're in the area, join us at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. to hear the authors read their work, snack, schmooze, and celebrate children's books.