I was honored this November to serve as one of the pep talkers for the National Novel Writing Month Young Writers Program. Here's the start of my piece (read it in entirety at NANOWRIMOYP):
Dear Writers,
By now your hair needs a trim, your room's a mess, and your Facebook
friends are worried you're dead or in a monastery. At this point in a
story, voices in our heads whisper that we're wasting time.We should be
doing something more valuable, right? Why are we spending hours alone
in front of our computers? How does that help a hurting planet?
Don't listen. Storytelling is a powerful act. Stories have the
mysterious power to widen hearts and change minds. The human psyche is
never quite the same after receiving a story.
In some ways, novelists have even more storytelling power than the
best Hollywood directors. Unlike Steven Spielberg or Peter Jackson, we
share the direction of our story with our readers' imaginations.
Together, an author and a reader cast the characters, create setting,
and decide on pacing. Because written and oral stories require more
audience participation from story consumers, I think they embed more
deeply into the psyche.
We novelists also get access to all five human senses. Moviemakers
can provide a top-notch experience of sight and sound, but that's as
far as they go. Since our co-director, the imagination, resides within the reader's mind, we also can engage the senses of taste, smell, and touch.
As you're writing, here are three tips to empower your co-director ...
The lovely Isha Roy of Global India Newswire interviewed me recently while I was in D.C. attending the South Asian Literary and Theater Festival. I talked about the benefits of growing up between cultures, what Americans think of India these days, my gratitude for other South Asian American writers, and a bunch of other stuff, including my forthcoming projects.
Atinuke reading from her chapter book set in Nigeria, NUMBER ONE CAR SPOTTER: http://yfrog.com/j13ptz
My turn to speak at #wioc11. Yikes. Here goes.
The Conference was held in the gorgeous Memorial Union building at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. My visit was hosted and coordinated by Rachel Weiss, Assistant Director of the Center for South Asia. Thanks, Rachel!
K. T. Horning started the conference with an astounding presentation featuring 80 great books that span the globe. I was mesmerized. As soon as it's posted on the CCBC site, I'll share the link, I promise.
Anne Pellowski spoke next, demonstrating several different genres of global storytelling, including drawing stories, string stories, and handkerchief stories. She also introduced her passion — offering IBBY-affiliated workshops around the planet that empower local storytellers to create cloth storybooks in marginalized minority languages with no picture books.
Atinuke and I were the speakers during the afternoon sessions. I was entranced by Atinkuke's work and voice(s), and already posted a review of her newest series here on the Fire Escape.
Last but certainly not least, my friend Kashmira Sheth (BOYS WITHOUT NAMES) attended the conference and graciously hosted me to a delicious Afghani meal on State Street. Madison is a stimulating University town, and Kashmira's hospitality made it feel like a home away from home.
Used to be that you'd look far and wide in vain to find a funny, heartfelt chapter book set in another continent, especially one featuring a boy. That's why I'm so excited to recommend THE NO. 1 CAR SPOTTER series by Atinuke, the story of a delightful lad growing up in a small African village. First published by Walker Books in the UK, these early readers and fantastic read-alouds are published in the U.S. by Kane Miller.
Oluwalase Babatunde Benson is known as "No.1 car spotter" by friends and family because he can identify every make of car that goes by on the busy road that passes the village. Divided into four self-contained chapters, this first in a series by Atinuke (author of the Horn Book honoree ANNA HIBISCUS series) chronicles No. 1's everyday adventures, from serving customers at Mama Coca-Cola's roadside stand to (unwittingly) helping his father find a new job.
"Atinuke has a Beverly Cleary–esque gift for depicting daily-life details with both humor and authenticity," says the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. "A great, almost necessary book and one that you’ll be delighted to discover," says librarian Betsy Bird, blogger for School Library Journal. I wholeheartedly agree. Betsy also adequately defends Atinuke's decision to set the books in a village somewhere in "Amazing Africa," instead of specifically in Nigeria.
I had the pleasure of hearing Atinuke read from the book at the Wisconsin International Outreach Children's and Young Adult Literature Celebration this past weekend and it was candy for the ears. Here's a clip of the author, in case you're not yet convinced that you need to buy this book and read it pronto with the nearest and dearest children in your life:
When Thanhha Lai was about to debut this, her first novel, HarperCollins editor Sarah Sevier asked me to write a blurb for the book. Here's what I said after reading the advance reader's copy:
"In this poignant, funny, and unforgettable novel, Thanhha Lai shares in verse how her family escaped Vietnam before the fall of Saigon. American and Vietnamese characters alike leap to life through the voice and eyes of a ten-year-old girl—a protagonist so strong, loving, and vivid I longed to hand her a wedge of freshly cut papaya. This tenderly told tale transports readers to the time immediately after the Vietnam War and also opens hearts to newcomers displaced by war today."
What are the top five children’s picture books that you enjoy sharing with children?
Your choices can help create the United States’ top ten list for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Libraries for Children and Young Adults Committee. The goal of the project is to create a list of picture books from around the world that have been selected and recommended by librarians. These can then be used:
As a way of celebrating and promoting the language, cultures and quality of children’s book publishing from each country.
By countries wishing to purchase books from other countries and are looking for ‘favorite’ titles to help build and develop their collections.
By “Sister Libraries” as a way of exploring the children’s literature of their ”Sister Library” country.
As an opportunity to encourage interaction and growth within IFLA.
To develop the list into an exhibition with supporting catalogue that can be exhibited at the IBBY and IFLA conferences in 2012.
CRITERIA: CHOOSE BOOKS THAT ARE ...
excellent for reading aloud to and with children
suitable for any age between 0 – 11 years
able to last the test of time
published first in the United States
written originally in English
of good quality and a high standard of publishing
exemplary in demonstrating partnership between text and art
characterized by a positive message
in print (and therefore available for purchase)
Ready to enter your choices? Start the survey here.
Back from an exciting visit in D.C. for the South Asian Literary and Theater Arts Festival, hosted by the Smithsonian Institution. I'm grateful to the Smithsonian, the host of volunteers who took such good care of us, and my fellow presenters. My weekend started at the National Zoo and culminated with a feast at the Embassy of India.
My hotel room wasn't ready, so I walked to the zoo on Friday afternoon to hang out with this dude.
As the Festival began, novelist Aatish Taneer (NOON) was interviewed by the executive producer of NPR's Morning Edition, Madhulika Sikka.
I spoke on a panel with Nina Godiwalla (SUITS: A WOMAN ON WALL STREET), moderated by Sriram Gopal of DCist fame.
Gandhiji and I outside the Embassy of India.
Isha Roy of Global Newswire India, author Nina Godiwalla, and I enjoyed our chat at the reception.
Ambassador Rao descended the staircase in a gorgeous black and gold sari and encouraged us to pursue literary excellence with Mother India cheering us forward.
We were entertained by Bharat Natyam dancers and a Bollywood singer.
“We took the unusual step of placing a protective band around the book with a warning about the content and also included an introduction inside the book by the original translators explaining the historical context."
Already, UK booksellers typically move the novels out of children's areas into the adult graphic novel sections of their stores.
We've discussed the option of bowdlerizing content on the Fire Escape before, and I took a poll, asking
visitors to the Fire Escape when, if ever, it would be okay to update a
classic children's book to reflect changing mores about race. The
results (152 votes) were almost equally split between those who thought some changes might be in order, while the rest arguing that a book must stand as is.
Slightly more than half of you (83 votes, or 54%) said never.
Among those who felt it might be worth it to change a classic book, we
see a strong belief that an author alone retains the right to change
the story. Fifty-nine voters (38%) thought it would be appropriate to update if the author were still alive and wanted the changes.
Twenty-eight (18%) thought it would be permissible to revise a classic children's book if the publisher included a note in the re-issue explaining the reasoning behind the change.
Fifteen of you (9%) thought it would be okay to update if the changes made were incidental rather than integral to the plot, and fifteen (9%) more were amenable if the copyright holder (a descendant) were still alive and authorized the changes.
What do you think about Egmont UK's belly-banding move? And if you're interested,here's how I weighed in on the issue. Enjoy the trailer for the film, scheduled for release December 21st:
