tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12318003511614121312024-02-20T22:56:34.667-08:00Jo KnowlesYoung Adult AuthorJo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-34678290671555746012012-10-31T05:41:00.002-07:002012-10-31T05:41:04.284-07:00Congratulations! You are a Goodreads Choice Award NomineeThe subject line of this post is the subject line of an e-mail I received yesterday. Here is the note that went with it: <br /><br /><a href="http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/pics/catalog/461/331359" target="_blank"><img alt="logo_nominee" height="100" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/jbknowles/2831170/331359/331359_100.png" title="logo_nominee" width="100" /></a><br /><i>Hi Jo,<br /><br />Congratulations, your book has been nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award! This is a tremendous achievement as the Goodreads Choice Awards are the only major book awards chosen by readers.<br /><br />Fifteen books have been nominated in 20 categories, including Fiction, Nonfiction, Mystery, Memoir, Young Adult Fantasy, and many more. Voting is open to all 12 million Goodreads members, and winners will be announced in December.<br /><br /><b>Three Chances to Vote!</b><br />Opening Round: October 30 – November 11 <br />Semifinal Round: November 12 – November 18 <br />Final Round: November 19 – November 27<br /><br /><b>What You Can Do</b><br />• Use the "Goodreads Choice Award Nominee" badge on your Web site and blog, and link it to your category. The badge may also be used in advertising campaigns, both on Goodreads and elsewhere. <br />• In December, we will provide "Goodreads Choice Award Winner" badges for use on your Web sites and blogs and in advertising campaigns.<br />• You are welcome to use the Goodreads Choice Award nominee or winner badges on the next printing of the book. Young Adult winner Divergent and Romance finalist Fifty Shades of Grey both highlighted their success in the 2011 Choice Awards on subsequent paperback editions.<br />• Write a blog post thanking your fans and encouraging them to vote for your book.<br />• Make a short video to rally your fans to vote.<br />• Offer special content to thank fans for their support. Paranormal fantasy nominee Ilona Andrews even promised fans a short story upon making it to the 2011 finals.<br />• Encourage fans on Facebook and Twitter to vote. Hashtag: #GoodreadsChoice<br />• List a giveaway to fuel increased demand for the book.<br />• Add an excerpt for new readers visiting the book's Goodreads page.<br /><br /><b>About the Nominations</b><br />Instead of consulting publishing experts or a judging panel, we look to readers to find the best books of the year. We analyze statistics from the 170 million books added, rated, and reviewed on the site in 2012 and nominate based on a book's number of ratings and average rating. So a nomination is truly an honor because it comes straight from the readers!<br /><br />Visit <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/2012#73854-Best-Middle-Grade-&-Children%27s">Nominees for Best Middle Grade & Children's</a> to view all of your fellow 2012 nominees! <br /><br />Good luck! <br />Jessica and the Goodreads Team</i><br /><br />~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~<br /><br />I am speechless and overwhelmed and thrilled and a bit lost. I am not a huge fan of asking people to vote for you for anything, unless you are running for public office. Books and reading and reader response are mostly such personal things. I don't want you to rate or review or vote for a book unless you really do love the book! :-) <br /><br />So, I share this here to bring attention to the contest. I don't want to sound ungrateful. I'm psyched! It's amazing! Holy cow! It is INSANE. I can't believe it!!!!!!! I can't stop smiling!<br /><br />But... <br /><br />I feel really uncomfortable asking for your vote, even though that's what authors are supposed to do in these cases. <br /><br />But... <br /><br />I would also feel really uncomfortable <i>not</i> sharing the news here because it's a huge honor and Goodreads has asked the authors to help promote the awards (see letter above). And I AM incredibly grateful!!! I mean, seriously! Actually, I'm mostly still shocked. <br /><br />*conflicted*<br /><br />What do I really want to do? <br /><br />Say THANK YOU to all the people who I know and don't know who read <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12384984-see-you-at-harry-s">See You At Harry's</a> and took the time to go to Goodreads to rate and review it. I want to thank all the booksellers and teachers and librarians and friends and relatives and strangers who recommended it to their friends and kids and students and parents. It's because of you that quiet old Harry's is on the same list of books that Rick Riordan, Eoin Colfer, Jeff Kinney and Carl Hiaasen are on. How on earth is that even possible? And why are the children's bestsellers so often men? (Sorry. Totally off topic.)<br /><br />As you can guess, I really am overwhelmed and thrilled and a bit lost. And very conflicted. <br /><br />But mostly, just grateful. Really, really grateful, that <i>See You At Harry's</i> is a book at all. That still feels like a miracle itself. :-)<br /><br />So, if you are a Goodreads user and would like to participate, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/award/choice/2012#73854-Best-Middle-Grade-&-Children%27s">please visit the page.</a> And if you like to spread the word about such things, that would be lovely too. But please vote for your favorite book. And please keep reading and sharing your favorite books with others. That's what it's really all about.<br /><br />Thank you!<br /><br />xoJo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-76607071765351343722012-06-08T04:00:00.002-07:002012-06-08T04:02:30.283-07:00Friday 5: Join me for these five fun events this summer!<b>Friday, June 15, 4:30pm:</b>
I'll be on a panel with Karsten Knight and Elaine Dimopoulos at the Children's Literature Association Conference at Simmons College. We're going to read a bit from our work and then answer all of your questions about writing.<br />
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<b>Wednesday, July 11, all day:</b>
I am the guest author at Kate Messner's wonderful TEACHERS WRITE project. I'll be answering your questions throughout the day! Go <a href="http://www.katemessner.com/blog/">here</a> to take part. :)
<b>NOTE:</b> Every Monday all summer I'll be posting warm-up exercises here specifically aimed at helping teachers taking part in Kate's project.<br />
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<b>Saturday, July 14, 4:00pm:</b>
I'll be reading and sharing stories about the making of SEE YOU AT HARRY'S at <a href="http://www.myvermontbookstore.com/">Bartleby's Books</a> in Wilmington, VT. Come with your questions! There will be GOOD prizes for those who ask one! :-)
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<b>Thursday, July 19, 4:00pm:</b>
I'll be recommending summer books with amazing authors Kate Messner and Linda Urban at <a href="http://www.bearpondbooks.com/">Bear Pond Books</a> in Montpelier, VT! Fun for all ages! Come share your recommendations too! Great event for parents and kids interested in starting up (or who already participate in) a reading group/book club!
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<b>Monday, July 30, 6:30pm</b>
I'll be giving a FREE writing workshop at the <a href="http://moultonboroughlibrary.org/mpl/">Moultonborough, NH Public Library.</a> This workshop will be appropriate for adults AND kids ages 10 and up. Bring a pen and paper and be ready to have lots of fun! I'll also be signing books.Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-80027916056323250652012-03-07T05:04:00.002-08:002012-03-07T05:05:02.316-08:00Wordless Wednesday: Thank you, Kacee!<object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JC2dvSFuWjQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JC2dvSFuWjQ?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-90261526418485207032012-01-24T06:16:00.001-08:002012-01-24T06:16:34.814-08:00Talking Truth with TeensToday instead of blogging here, I have a post up over at EngChat.org called <a href="http://www.engchat.org/2012/01/guest-post-by-joknowles.html">"Talking Truth with Teens." </a>
I talk about the dreaded question, "Did it happen to you?" and the degrees of truth in fiction. Hope you'll stop by!
I'll be hosting the EngChat on Twitter (you can use the hashtag #engchat to find us) and talking more about the topics raised in my post next Monday, January 30 at 7pm. Please leave a comment or come join the chat! Thanks!Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-17872281885564304912011-09-02T05:18:00.000-07:002011-09-02T05:20:05.729-07:00JumpingToday is the day I chose to set my self-imposed goal of "finishing" my WIP. (Meaning, getting it in good enough shape to share with my agent.) I have been having a lot of doubts lately. A lot of fears. I only have 3 chapters left to revise, and as I inch closer to the end, these doubts and fears grow. What if he hates it? What if my editor hates it? What if this was the dumbest idea ever?
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<br />What if what if what if...
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<br />Yesterday was a particularly hard day.
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<br />But then the mail came.
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<br />Did I mention we haven't had mail since last Saturday because the mail truck couldn't get here, thanks to Irene?
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<br />But yesterday, it came.
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<br />And inside, was this:
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfc3Thz-C64iu3a7e1tGgEX7e6gJgIlG4YrtFcH3mIFqAJ8vyLOLiqUa_Gq9YyW9VgQrmqC9z86tAtZcHg6B9stTa8MVTYwC3ijNsRZn1QpgY_puu4K9or8vrFA7lU1snSHhgDriYhs1A/s1600/Photo+on+2011-09-02+at+08.12.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfc3Thz-C64iu3a7e1tGgEX7e6gJgIlG4YrtFcH3mIFqAJ8vyLOLiqUa_Gq9YyW9VgQrmqC9z86tAtZcHg6B9stTa8MVTYwC3ijNsRZn1QpgY_puu4K9or8vrFA7lU1snSHhgDriYhs1A/s320/Photo+on+2011-09-02+at+08.12.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647735797383746274" /></a>
<br />An advance copy of the brand new paperback of <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780763652968">Jumping Off Swings</a>, which will be available in October.
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<br />I am choosing to take this as a good sign, since my WIP is a companion piece to SWINGS. How could I not? The timing is just too odd and perfect.
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<br />Like a whisper, to keep going.
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<br />As I sit here working with the book beside me, I can sense my character inside those pages, waiting for me to finish his story at long last. Whispering, "Hurry up! Jump!"
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<br />So here I go.
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<br />And just for fun, here is a slideshow I made of all my friends and loved ones taking the jump, too:
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<br /></lj-embed><div style="width:426px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3386706919797289749&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-15.slide.com/p1/3386706919797289749/lt_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3386706919797289749&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-15.slide.com/p2/3386706919797289749/lt_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=lt&at=un&id=3386706919797289749&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-15.slide.com/p4/3386706919797289749/lt_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div>
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<br />Have a great weekend, everyone! I hope you all do a little jumping of your own.
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<br />xoJo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-55034993435508664362011-08-26T05:18:00.001-07:002011-08-26T05:20:34.396-07:00When does it start to feel real?When I'm working on early drafts, my project feels like my own little secret.
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<br />The story is like the kind of dream you have that is so private and personal you don't want to share it with anyone for fear that as soon as you talk about it, the magic of it will disappear. And besides, your dreams rarely make sense to anyone but you.
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<br />But as I get close to finishing a draft, I start to form the words that will define what the heart is. And I can say to a few close friends something vague, but true. "It's about family."
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<br />That's about as far as I can go, because it all still feels like a dream I'm still clinging to. Trying to make sense of.
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<br />Finally, I finish a draft and get the nerve to share the story with my trusted critique partners. And they help me to find the actual bones of the story. And now I can feel the dream becoming less translucent and wispy, and a little more clear. A little more solid. A little more real.
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<br />It seems like another whole year (or two) goes by and I keep rewriting the dream, over and over. I know it's not a dream anymore, not really. But it still feels like one. Like something I could still lose. I share it with my agent. Go back to the beginning. Share it with my editor. Go back to the beginning. I ask my wise and wonderful friend Jennifer Richard Jacobson's question over and over: "Is it true yet? Is it true yet?"
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<br />Then finally, at some point in all this, my editor finally says, "I'm sending the manuscript to copy editing."
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<br />And suddenly, it dawns on me that this story I've only dared to share with a small handful of people I love and trust is going to be read by strangers.
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<br />That's when it finally starts to feel real.
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<br />But while I wait, I wonder. I doubt. Because that's what I do.
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<br />Finally, the copy edits arrive. Inside, I find a note tucked in from the copy manager. It is private, and personal, and it makes me cry. Especially when I get to the end:
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<br /><i>I'm left ruminating on the power of that truth telling, knowing it will mean so much to your readers, in so many ways. Somehow that telling--the telling of it just so--offers solace. So thank you for the book, and I look forward to seeing it take shape.</i>
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<br />It's this letter that gives me the courage to go back in again. This time, reading the words as if they are finally, in her words, a book taking shape. Then I let them go again.
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<br />Yesterday, they came back to me. My words have been type-set in a new font. They don't look like mine any more. But they are. And now, seeing them as they'll look <i>inside</i> an actual book, they feel as real as they ever will.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPON9QjbLbzZ8zw7fl0Kd1pl80IOKzrmO7zGPY1F0seQdEg_nXahezps292Q_V_T0JbSvCyJlhBn82JbYHekS9bX1ENoIEgnpFZeY_SbX0s3PQTYwMqzh4RfSxqsdFn3hqPjobMeUC_0pY/s1600/Harry%2527s1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPON9QjbLbzZ8zw7fl0Kd1pl80IOKzrmO7zGPY1F0seQdEg_nXahezps292Q_V_T0JbSvCyJlhBn82JbYHekS9bX1ENoIEgnpFZeY_SbX0s3PQTYwMqzh4RfSxqsdFn3hqPjobMeUC_0pY/s320/Harry%2527s1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645138157509272066" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKneuIWT40EycMocg7LALY9VODycK1XEcvY4zvmQgk40aGOrwdccSgyrIvY9X-e4Rfk_rlp9eUKDIPfv1LA37I2BSeQ7seTNJCMBF5Cj2xZTq_ANxY6QAF-My8wKasbnaJaKdTJkqvDkh/s1600/Harry%2527s2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKneuIWT40EycMocg7LALY9VODycK1XEcvY4zvmQgk40aGOrwdccSgyrIvY9X-e4Rfk_rlp9eUKDIPfv1LA37I2BSeQ7seTNJCMBF5Cj2xZTq_ANxY6QAF-My8wKasbnaJaKdTJkqvDkh/s320/Harry%2527s2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645138315612800562" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YXV4vYXpsZub3uUXJs4fiLkEvgh4Vux9u7D51O2zK4z4m5LTbu45BXT_v-NkCFM_nlqKXC1pTi8Vach66K4tpBRbfle_DVmhmT5W41hqINLRP9FZlcwb4GjVUEMefDXa5lu34N8C1iAe/s1600/Harry%2527s3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 284px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4YXV4vYXpsZub3uUXJs4fiLkEvgh4Vux9u7D51O2zK4z4m5LTbu45BXT_v-NkCFM_nlqKXC1pTi8Vach66K4tpBRbfle_DVmhmT5W41hqINLRP9FZlcwb4GjVUEMefDXa5lu34N8C1iAe/s320/Harry%2527s3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645138438683686338" /></a>
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<br />Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-38733221515956088512011-08-11T07:53:00.000-07:002011-08-11T07:55:46.505-07:00Kirkus Interview-The Deleted Scene :-)When a writer from <i>Kirkus Reviews</i> contacted me about doing an interview for their YA Blog, I admit I was pretty shocked. I mean, they even trademarked their motto: "The world's toughest book critics"!
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<br />But this writer was very kind, and even told me that one of my answers made him cry. That doesn't sound so tough to me. :-)
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<br />The interview went up today, and you can read it <a href="http://www.kirkusreviews.com/blog/young-adult/behind-jo-knowles-pearl/">HERE</a>
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<br />I love their tagline: "Jo Knowles talks about the beauty of butter..." LOL!
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<br />This interview has been cut WAY down, so many of my answers have been condensed. But since one question and answer were completely eliminated, I thought I'd provide it here, since this has been an issue with all of my books so far, and I am still trying to figure it all out:
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<br /><b><i>There’s a lot of heavy subject matter here in the span of a book that isn’t incredibly long, yet it progresses smoothly. What was your key to merging so much - death, secret lives, secret relationships, psychological scars, amorous developments - without being clunky?-Gordon West</i>
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<br />You know, I’m always surprised when people point these things out to me. I consider PEARL to be my lightest book so far, so when I see it described as “heavy” I think, <i>What do you mean??</i> But when you point out the elements the way you do in your question, I can see your point. As for keeping the story progressing smoothly, that is always my biggest challenge, so I’m glad you didn’t find it too clunky. In most cases, the answer is revising over and over and over until it works. But with this book, while there was tons of revising, I think there was a little more going on. The truth is, we all walk around with our own invisible luggage. Some people (and yes, I’m talking about myself in particular) are incredibly good at hiding the weight we carry. I’m not sure this is a healthy thing, but I do think it might somehow be tied to the first part of my answer, which is that I wasn’t quite aware of all those elements as “elements” in the first place. Maybe that’s why they don’t appear to overwhelm the story. </b>
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<br />I think this is not a very good answer and probably why it didn't make the final interview. I am still working on this idea of recognizing the true weight of the things I carry quietly. I suppose my characters are, too. :-)
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<br />What is one of your struggles and how are you working to overcome it?Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-32200279761683888612011-08-05T07:23:00.000-07:002011-08-05T07:24:27.245-07:00More lessons in "The Year of Being a Writer"This week has taken on a lovely rhythm and I'm sad to see it go. <br /><br />My son spent half the day at circus camp, and I used that time to write/revise like the wind.<br /><br />He'd come and we'd have lunch.<br /><br />He'd read from his summer reading book and I'd write some more.<br /><br />Then we'd read together.<br /><br />Repeat.<br /><br />That was pretty nice. But at the end of next week, I'll be starting on another freelance job and life will go back to its usual frenzy. My goal? To finish this revision before the freelance package arrives.<br /><br />I am very nervous about this project because it was something I wrote knowing full well it might not sell. Well, I mean, that is true of every project, obviously. But I think this one has only one publisher I could sub it to, so that adds pressure.<br /><br />When I was debating whether to write the story, knowing it could well be a "waste of time," my husband pointed out that this is clearly a story I need to tell, so I should write it and not worry about whether or not anyone would buy it. It's like what Jack Gantos said last weekend. "I think about what I want to write, not what I want to sell." So far that seems to have worked out pretty well for him, right? <br /><br />As I make these final changes, I still have trouble quieting that horrid voice of doubt questioning whether I should have spent the last year and more working on this project. But with each edit, the voice gets a little more faint. Now, it's replaced with the imagined voices of my agent and editor, pointing out the remaining flaws as I try to read the words through their eyes and predict how they'll react to each chapter, each scene. But mostly, I know that is impossible. What I really need to do, is trust my own eyes. My own heart. So eventually I will try to quiet their voices, too. <br /><br />Instead, I return to Jennifer Richard Jacobson's wise advice, and ask myself, "Is it true yet?"<br /><br />Nearly. It nearly is.<br /><br />We write to share the truths we need to tell. We write because discovering them leads us to a better understanding of ourselves and each other. Even though the discovery process can be brutal, we still need to do it. We need to allow ourselves to do it. Sometimes, we need to force ourselves. But what I've learned this time around is that, however painful it is, however long it takes, and whatever happens next, it wasn't a waste of time.Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-14038613206029113932011-08-01T04:36:00.001-07:002011-08-01T04:36:55.732-07:00Quotes and Inspiration from the Simmons InstituteI spent Saturday at the Simmons College Summer Institute. If you're not familiar, this is an incredible celebration of children's literature. Children's book authors and illustrators speak throughout the day, offering variations on the theme of the institute. This year, the theme was "The Body Electric."<br /><br />In addition to having famous speakers, they also have two break-out sessions a day (called Professional Connections) with others in the field, such as book reviewers, scholars, and some (ahem) lesser-known authors. :-) So, I was asked to lead two break-out sessions. This was great fun and also very inspiring to see so many students who love children's literature as much as I do. And I was thrilled to see so many of them interested in writing! So, in case any of the attendees are reading this, THANKS for being such a great audience.<br /><br />It was a day full of inspiration for me, really. So I thought I'd share some of the lines that stood out in particular:<br /><br />From Byan Collier, a question:<br /><br />"Think about the first time you stepped outside this morning. What color was the day?"<br /><br />From David Small, some thoughts to ponder:<br /><br />"A child whose mother doesn't love him always grows up with a hole in his heart."<br /><br />and <br /><br />"The body expresses what the mind doesn't allow yourself to utter."<br /><br />From Sharon Draper, a gift:<br /><br />"Celebrate the me that is yet to come."<br /><br />And from Jack Gantos, a good reminder:<br /><br />"I think about what I want to write, not what I want to sell."<br /><br /><br />One special surprise for me happened in the morning right before my first session. Just as I finally found the room I was to speak in, I heard a quiet male voice say, "Jo Knowles." <br /><br />I turned, and there was my Communications Professor from my first year at Simmons, Bob White! Oh, how I loved that class. Talk about inspiration. The most important lesson I learned however, was a subtle one. I doubt I was even aware of it at the time, but I am sure it helped point me in the direction that eventually led me to where I am today. Bob showed me how effectively—how powerfully—one can communicate without speaking. He showed me that I didn't have to speak to be heard. I could write.<br /><br />And so, when I saw him standing there, looking like the spitting image of the Dumbledore I imagined long before I watched the movies (and of course I know why that is now, Bob being so much like Dumbledore himself, providing inspiration and hope in his unique way), my heart pretty much melted. <br /><br />I wish I'd had time to visit with him and tell him how much it meant to me to see him standing there, waiting to say hello. Because at the moment, it meant the world. It was the sort of small act of kindness that can make someone who often feels small herself, feel quite big. <br /><br />Thank you, Bob.Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-79183437649093745922011-07-19T12:23:00.000-07:002011-07-19T12:25:07.276-07:00Today's the day!I started working on PEARL years and years ago in my third-floor office in the English & Philosophy Department at Simmons College. It started with a girl named Bean, who was lonely and misunderstood. And that's where she stayed, stagnant, for years and years until one day, I started thinking about her again. This time, Bean was still there, but there was also a boy named Henry. And they were best and only friends. And then I started writing.<br /><br />I guess this is how it is with me. Books take a long time to be born from idea to finished product. But if I don't give up on them, it does, eventually, happen. :-)<br /><a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/jbknowles/pic/0018c2gq/"><img src="http://pics.livejournal.com/jbknowles/pic/0018c2gq" width="640" height="480" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Today, PEARL leaves my hands. Now she belongs to the reader who happens to pick her up next. It feels a little bittersweet to let go, it's true. But mostly it feels sweet.<br /><br />The past few weeks I've been doing some interviews via <a href="http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/"> The Teen Book Scene.</a> Here are the links, including one for my dream movie cast! :-)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.readingteen.net/2011/07/pearl-cast.html">"Pearl Cast"</a> with ReadingTeen<br /><a href="http://www.reclusivebibliophile.com/top-10-writers-who-inspired-jo-knowles">"Top Ten Writers Who Inspired Jo Knowles" </a> with Reclusive Bibliophile<br /><a href="http://www.hopelessbibliophile.com/2011/07/tweet-amazing-jo-knowles-author-of.html">"Talking characters with Jo Knowles, author of Pearl" </a> with Hopeless Bibliophile<br /><a href="http://onlysexybooksallowed.blogspot.com/2011/07/chopping-it-up-with-jo-knowles.html">"Chopping it Up with Jo Knowles"</a> with Only Sexy Books Allowed<br /><a href="http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com/2011/07/pearl-excerpt.html">"Pearl Excerpt"</a> from Supernatural Snark <br /><br />Still to come:<br />July 20: "This or That" at <a href="http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com">Supernatural Snark</a><br />July 21: "Tens list: Bean an Henry" at <a href="http://agoodaddiction.blogspot.com">A Good Addiction</a><br /><br />Thanks so much to The Teen Book Scene for inviting me on this tour and being such wonderful hosts!<br /><br />And thanks to all of you who've given me so much love on Twitter and Facebook this morning. I'm feeling very Pearly. But you all are the true gems. I love you.<br /><br />xoxoxoJo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-61279511601648524492011-04-07T04:40:00.000-07:002011-04-07T05:07:55.947-07:00Giving A little Piece of Myself, Or More Advice From Steven TylerYesterday, I was working on an essay/guest entry for <a href="http://www.gayya.org/">Gay YA</a> and struggling a bit with figuring out how to say what I want to say. So, I do what I always do when I'm stuck: I shared what I had with my husband. Now, I thought I was nearly there, but when he finished reading he shook his head. <br /><br />"You're missing a key piece here," he said. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA8npolE0lp2aASUCtZGG80TjHBZoGjp_Zsg-PhbyEEJgLYr0lpBXC3cwB_qQ2ZEmpifvDkiox59Y5Ap1yooUphwKRS5xOObcGbPrOTDyR888kgaV2ipsmFH9ZTNBU-6gQYQis4Ng7Z-C/s1600/tumblr_krnke8m5nW1qzmturo1_500.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmA8npolE0lp2aASUCtZGG80TjHBZoGjp_Zsg-PhbyEEJgLYr0lpBXC3cwB_qQ2ZEmpifvDkiox59Y5Ap1yooUphwKRS5xOObcGbPrOTDyR888kgaV2ipsmFH9ZTNBU-6gQYQis4Ng7Z-C/s320/tumblr_krnke8m5nW1qzmturo1_500.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592809912363019554" /></a><br /><br />"I know but I don't know what it is," I told him.<br /><br />"It's YOU," he said. "You haven't put yourself in here yet. When you write things like this, you always give a little piece of yourself away, but I don't see that here. Sorry."<br /><br />Then, he disappeared with my son to go practice Karate, leaving me sitting on the couch thinking...<br /><br />Ugh. I don't know how to do this.<br /><br />So I asked myself. <i>OK, well, why is this important to you in the first place? I mean at its core. Why does this REALLY matter to YOU?</i> And as soon as I asked that question, the memory of someone I love and miss burned in my heart. <br /><br />And I knew.<br /><br />I opened my file, took a deep breath, and gave that piece away.<br /><br />I showed the essay to my husband again and he said, "Yes. That's what I meant. Sorry you had to go there."<br /><br />Later that night, my son and I tuned in to American Idol for some sage advice from our man Steven Tyler. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYZ7vGuPaJDu-En3g_AOP1yncDsW-mYtEWH1hk1wtgySqfDETF5Ef5er7sNsSHaP-WRpTcYcVPAnt4ybWJ56DTI-JjFnzdt63vt2wuipyrnuoBFjAzhknmDsQ9IZwt9kvUzhazGAqEcoH/s1600/american-idol-audition-brings-steven-tyler-to-tears.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 223px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYYZ7vGuPaJDu-En3g_AOP1yncDsW-mYtEWH1hk1wtgySqfDETF5Ef5er7sNsSHaP-WRpTcYcVPAnt4ybWJ56DTI-JjFnzdt63vt2wuipyrnuoBFjAzhknmDsQ9IZwt9kvUzhazGAqEcoH/s320/american-idol-audition-brings-steven-tyler-to-tears.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592810522222402354" /></a><br />And I'm not kidding, after the very first song, this is what he said:<br /><br /><i>"Man, every time you sing you bring another little piece of yourself to the party, man, and I love that about you and that was beautiful."</i> - Stephen Tyler<br /><br />Yep.<br /><br />It's all about revealing that little piece, isn't it?<br /><br />I know it can be hard. Seriously. Hard. But isn't that the point of writing in the first place? <br /><br />Today, I'm thankful to Peter, for being honest and helping me see what work had to be done. And to Steven Tyler, who shares his wonderful quirky self every week.<br /><br />:-)Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-15993722411074838122011-03-30T04:46:00.001-07:002011-03-30T05:54:03.310-07:00How mentors change lives, and some news!I've written an essay about a very special mentor which is available to read <a href="http://lyndamullalyhunt.blogspot.com/2011/03/mentor-monday_28.html">HERE.</a><br /><br />Yesterday, after I found out the post was up, I e-mailed Lowry to let him know. We haven't been in touch for quite a while, and realizing that made me very sad and a bit guilty. But he wrote back right away, and here's one thing he said:<br /><br /><i>You know, one of the greatest things in life is having someone give you the opportunity to do for them what you are truly capable of. You can only reach your full potential as a teacher with the right student, and when that student comes along, it's a gift. I've always felt it is an honor to be allowed to help people. I'm glad I was able to do it for you.</i><br /><br />As I work with students myself now (thanks to Lowry), I know just what he means. There are these moments, especially when I'm meeting privately with a student, when I say something about his or her writing and find myself thinking, "Do you believe me?" "Did you really hear what I just said?" "Are you listening?" Because I know similar words helped me stay on the path. Similar words gave me something to cling to. Kept me from giving up. Made me believe I had any potential at all. I'm so grateful to Lowry for teaching me how important a teacher's words, a mentor's words, can be. <br /><br />In the news category:<br /><br />I am soooooo excited and truly, truly honored to be one of the author mentors at the next <a href="http://lyndamullalyhunt.com/wp_info.php">Whispering Pines Retreat!</a> I've been reading Cynthia Lord's descriptions of this year's retreat and I can't wait to go! If you've been, I'd love to hear your thoughts and tips. :-)Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-41212798242079950322011-03-24T05:26:00.001-07:002011-03-24T05:26:43.397-07:00All I Really Need To Know I Learned From...Steven Tyler?<br /><br />I know I know.<br /><br />But every week he seems to say some little off-handed thing that is actually, well, BRILLIANT. <br /><br />Like last night, in response to a stand-out performance, he said:<br /><br />"Sometimes I think it takes a little bit of being crazy to make a difference in this world."-Steven Tyler.<br /><br />So true. Soooooo true.<br /><br />And isn't it true about writing, too? I mean, my favorite books are the ones that, I bet at some point, either the author or the editor had that thought: Am I crazy? Can we really do this? And I'm so grateful to the people who've been brave enough to say YES. <br /><br />It's how we push boundaries and raise the bar, I think. It's how we grow and discover what we're really capable of.<br /><br />Letting yourself go can be so hard, it's true. But I think when we do, I mean when we REALLY do, it's the most freeing feeling in the world.<br /><br />I have a rare and blissful full day of writing today and I'm officially giving myself permission to let the words go wherever they want. I am going to write like there's no one in the room, just like Steven says (OK, I edited that, but I bet he would agree).<br /><br /><a href="http://pics.livejournal.com/jbknowles/pic/00168sz3/"><img src="http://pics.livejournal.com/jbknowles/pic/00168sz3" width="156" height="156" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Who's with me?Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-45158472838036705452010-11-15T04:45:00.001-08:002010-11-15T04:45:45.233-08:00Potter Party Pics! :-)Last Friday my mom hosted a Harry Potter party at her library.<br /><br />Here's what we saw in the lobby.<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2q1dlzr" target="_blank"><img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/2q1dlzr.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />My sister and I decided to go as brothers:<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=10ymlqo" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/10ymlqo.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />One kid said to us, "Nice hair! Who are you?"<br /><br />We put our heads together and said, "Ummmm, what do you think?"<br /><br />He said,' OH! Right! Which one's Fred and which one's George?"<br /><br />We kind of had to fight over it, given what happens in book seven.<br /><br />Here's one of the other moms as Professor Sprout.<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=zkophk" target="_blank"><img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/zkophk.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />Isn't she great??<br /><br />We each got sorted into houses with a real sorting hat! <br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2lna6ap" target="_blank"><img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/2lna6ap.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />I was Ravenclaw. Very relieved I didn't get put in this house: <br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=eafaf5" target="_blank"><img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/eafaf5.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />(My sister and son weren't so lucky.)<br /><br />Here's my mom as Madam Hooch.<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=senmzq" target="_blank"><img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/senmzq.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />We played Quiddich inside with a balloon and feather dusters. Believe it or not, it got kinda ugly! Professor Sprout pulled my hair off! My my house still tied for first!<br /><br />We also had to take OWL's. I think my house tied for second place. And then, we had a scavenger hunt for the Sorcerer's Stone, which involved visiting Moaning Murtle's bathroom.<br /><br />After the house cup winners were announced (my house tied for first! yay!) and the prizes were given out (Burtie Botts Every Flavor Beans), we had some refreshments.<br /><br />Owl droppings:<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=5xjxo6" target="_blank"><img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/5xjxo6.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />Olivander's wands:<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=24zdbtu" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/24zdbtu.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />And Aragog's babies:<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=e5miko" target="_blank"><img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/e5miko.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />It was such a fun night. I was so impressed with all the kids' costumes and the way my mom put it all together. Hopefully she'll have another party this summer to kick off the final movie. I'm sure there will be tears. Do any of us really want to let go of the magic?<br /><br />~*~*~*~*~*~*~<br /><br />Monday Morning Warm-Up:<br /><br />Write to the prompt, "I knew it was finally over when..."Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-23853359554533142992010-11-02T04:56:00.000-07:002010-11-02T07:06:41.045-07:00She's here!It seems so early, since the book doesn't come out until July.<br /><br />And yet...<br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />PEARL is here! </span><br /><br />And the best part? This is my first book my son is old enough to read! (Along with his very patient cat.)<br /><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=e7h341" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i53.tinypic.com/e7h341.jpg" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a target="_blank" href="http://tinypic.com?ref=jachev"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />On the back:<br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);"><span style="font-size: larger;"><b>"Meet Pearl and Henry: misfits, best friends, <br />and—possibly—one another's first love."<br />Henry Holt, July 19 (ages 12 and up)</b></span></span></div><br />I'm hoping there will be ARCs available at NCTE/ALAN, which (holy cow!) is in just a few weeks! Will you be there? I'm not scheduled to do any signings but I'll be around to meet up. My workshop is on Monday at 12:30. I am determined NOT to let my nerves ruin the weekend. Ahem. *plans escape to the Wizarding World* :-)Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-67317123979106434442010-10-20T04:12:00.001-07:002010-10-20T04:15:20.946-07:00Hoping it will get betterSince I am home all day and no one can see me, this is me today, <br />thinking of Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, <br />Raymond Chase, Billy Lucas and all the other children we've lost.<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=ixbi1c" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/ixbi1c.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />I wish we could have made it better for these kids before it was too late. <br /><br />I hope we can all work to make it get better for the young people out there who feel the pain of bullying every day. <br /><br />It has to get better now, not someday. <br /><br />LGBT youth in need of immediate help should contact The Trevor Project's 24/7 Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386) or The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).<br /><br />To read some thought provoking comments on The Contemps blog yesterday, visit <a href="http://www.thecontemps.com/2010/10/hot-topic-tuesday-thats-so-what.html">HERE</a> and read the comment section. Lets keep this conversation going. Thanks.Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-61792398670101508192010-10-01T06:19:00.000-07:002010-10-06T07:06:22.639-07:00Parties books and more parties :-)<b>1. Congratulations to Barry Golblatt on his TEN YEAR AGENCY ANNIVERSARY!</b><br />Wednesday afternoon, Cindy Faughnan and Robin Wasserman were my trusty co-pilots on a mad-cap drive to Brooklyn for the party. We were pretty late, but we were thrilled to make it in time for the toast. Here are a bunch of people listening to Barry give a fantastic speech about his journey:<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=21neh41" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/21neh41.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />Thank you, Barry for all you do. It's amazing to think about all the dreams you've helped come true. Here's to many many more!<br /><br />It was really fun to see Barry's clients outside of "retreat" mode. I made the dopey comment that it was fun to see everyone dressed, by which I meant in fancy clothes, but some people took it the wrong way. Oh well! ;-P<br /><br />Here are two of my favorites, Sara Ryan and <a href="http://danpoblocki.com/">Dan Poblocki</a>.<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=1hxgfk" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/1hxgfk.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />And here are Sara, Cindy and Me. Cindy just signed with Joe Monti! YAY!!!!!<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2ii7frn" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/2ii7frn.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br /><b>2. PEARL is coming in July!!</b><br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=wmlf8p" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/wmlf8p.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />It does seem like SOOOOOO far away, but it's nice to know an actual pub month! :-)<br /><br /><b>3. While in NY, I also signed the contract for SEE YOU AT HARRY'S!</b><br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=24ewex1" target="_blank"><img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/24ewex1.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />I was thrilled to see the book classified as "ages 10 and up." Middle school! Woohoo!!! I love middle schoolers! And finally my sister can stop saying, "When are you going to publish a book I can actually have in my library?" (She's a school librarian in a k-8 school) :-)<br /><br /><b>4. It's not too late to <a href="http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/392344.html">do the Banned Books Meme!</a></b><br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=vx2s2e" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/vx2s2e.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />I was really excited to see <a href="">this one</a> yesterday. Thanks <lj user="cynthialord">! xo<br /><br /><b>5. Join the JoNoWriMo party!</b><br />This afternoon we'll be checking in at the community page and on Twitter with the hashtag <b>#JoNoWritingParty</b> All are welcome!<br /><br />HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-37577977515325216362010-09-27T05:15:00.000-07:002010-09-27T05:16:15.002-07:00Banned Books Meme-Time!<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: larger;">It's Banned Books Week!!!</span></div><br />A couple of weeks ago, <a href="http://www.ekristinanderson.com/?p=1168">The Hate Mongering Tart</a> asked readers to send her photos of themselves reading their favorite banned book. Her posts were really fun and informative, which led me to think, <i>HEY! More people should do this! </i><br /><br />So, a little meme:<br /><br /><strong>1. Go find your favorite banned book.<br />2. Take a picture of yourself with said book.<br />3. Give that book some love by explaining why you think it is an important book.<br />4. Post it to your blog.<br />5. Spread the word!</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=vx2s2e" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/vx2s2e.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />My favorite banned book is <i>The Chocolate War</i>, by Robert Cormier. <br /><br />The first time I read this book, I was in high school. <br /><br />It changed my life. <br /><br />This was the first book I read that I felt got it right. Understood. Saw. Knew why people did bad things. This book made me look at the "bad" people around me and see beyond what I was afraid of and look for the story that made them who they were. Human.<br /><br />And then I began to look for that second story in everyone. <br /><br />I began to stop making snap judgments about people. I began to wonder, "What's your story?" Why do you behave the way you do?<br /><br />Instead of saying, "She's just a bully." I started to say, "I wonder what happened to her."<br /><br />I didn't know it then, but this book made me a writer.<br /><br />It also made me more compassionate.<br /><br />And while critics insist the book has none, it gave me hope.<br /><br />I didn't care about or notice the swears, Mr. Scroggins. <br /><br />I didn't care about the masturbation scene, Mr. Freeman. <br /><br />What I cared about was how all those characters became who they became. I cared about how one character's actions could profoundly affect another. And even though in this book those actions were mostly for the worse, it somehow showed me that the opposite could be true as well. Jerry dared to disturb the universe. And I wanted to, too.<br /><br />I didn't become a trash-mouth masturbating scoundrel after reading the book. (I know, I know, *laugh laugh laugh* that is a funny sentence). <br /><br />No. <br /><br />I became a more caring, compassionate person.<br /><br />Books don't harm, people do. <br /><br />So please. Go share a book and help make the world a better place. <br /><br />:-)<br /><br /><br />~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~<br /><br />Monday Morning Warm-up:<br /><br />Your turn!Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-3830113220194351752010-09-20T05:08:00.001-07:002010-09-20T05:08:50.746-07:00What is the Opposite of Clean? Part IIYou've probably heard that Laurie Halse Anderson's groundbreaking, life-saving book SPEAK is under attack again by a man who claims the content is pornographic because apparently all sex, even if its rape, is.<br /><br />And you've probably read lots of blog entries defending Laurie's book and all books that deal with rape and other realities Mr. Wesley Scroggins would like us to pretend don't exist.<br /><br />These entries have all been incredibly moving. But the one that is pressing most against my heart is <a href="http://anywherebeyond.livejournal.com/322189.html">Sandra Mitchel's post</a> in which she heartbreakenly explains:<br /><br /><b>"And as I walked home, I cried- not because this man had just raped me. I cried because I was embarrassed, because I knew better than to talk to strangers, because it was my fault he did this dirty thing to me. I wasn’t going to tell my mother."</b><br /><br />Can you imagine how a seven-year old girl came to the conclusion that what happened to her was dirty?<br /><br />Ask Mr. Wesley Scroggins.<br /><br />Ask the book banners.<br /><br />Instead of thinking what happened to her was an act of horrific violence, her thought was that it was dirty. And she wasn't going to tell her parents it happened.<br /><br />Three years ago, I wrote a post here called, <a href="http://jbknowles.livejournal.com/195339.html">What is the Opposite of Clean?"</a> There was a great discussion in the comments.<br /><br />I wonder if it's time to have it again. <br /><br />I know the people who make "CLEAN BOOKS" lists are well intentioned. This is not an attack or accusation. It's a plea for all of us to think about the potential power of our words. <br /><br />Couldn't we think of a better, more accurate term to describe books that don't contain sex or swears? Because I am very worried that the message, whether intended or not, is that any book that does not fall in this category contains something dirty. So it must be bad. It must be wrong.<br /><br />And I wonder how that makes the 7% of girls in grades 5-8 and 12% of girls in grades 9-12 who have been sexually assaulted* and see these classifications in her school or public library feel about the secret she's keeping right now. <br /><br />The opposite of clean is dirty. <br /><br />When we hold books up because they are "clean" we're implying that there must be something wrong with or bad about the other books. And what does that tell these girls? There must be something wrong with or bad about you.<br /><br />Words are powerful. Mr. Scroggins shows us that. Laurie Halse Anderson shows us that. And Sandra Mitchell shows us that.<br /><br />Why can't we just call these books "sex-free" or "swear-free"? <br /><br />Why can't we just be honest?<br /><br />Thanks for listening.<br /> <br /><br /><br />~*~*~*~*~*~<br /><br />Monday Morning Warm-Up: Speak<br /><br /><br /><br />*Statistics gathered from RAINN.orgJo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-58721507789662012052010-09-13T05:20:00.000-07:002010-09-13T05:21:32.811-07:00Channeling my inner Rocky and cheering for brave librariansDo you ever feel, sitting in the quiet, facing a mountain of work, the need for some theme music to get you pumped up?
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<br />That is me this morning. I need the Rocky song.
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<br />Some of you know I have been feeling kind of odd and uncomfortable about having my book, <i>Lessons From A Dead Girl</i> on the official <a href="http://www.ala.org">American Library Association's </a>"banned books list".
<br /><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780763644857?aff=JoKnowles"><img style="border: 1px solid #000" src="http://images.booksense.com/images/books/857/644/FC9780763644857.JPG" onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found.jpg';" /><br />Shop Indie Bookstores</a>
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<br />Well, recently, I have been feeling better about it. Because suddenly I am getting all of these Google alerts for the book. And they are not of the <b>"this book is evil/perverted/sick/harmful/inappropriate"</b> ilk.
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<br />No!
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<br />They are of the <b>"Hey, this book is on the 'Read a Banned Book Challenge' and you should put it on your list so we can talk about it!"</b> variety.
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<br />Yes!
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<br />And why this change? Because <a href="http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm">Banned Books Week</a> is coming up and because there are these amazing librarians out there putting lists together to give these books some love and positive exposure by encouraging readers to put them on their to-read lists.
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<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=33ags28" target="_blank"><img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/33ags28.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>
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<br />THANK YOU librarians, for taking on the book banners with humor, thoughtfulness and intelligence. Thank you for caring and understanding that talking about books that challenge our way of thinking about the world, about society, about secrets that shouldn't be makes us stronger, not weaker or more vulnerable. Thank you.
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<br />And thank you to all the bloggers who have joined the <a href="http://litbites.blogspot.com/2010/08/ban-this-2010.html">Lit Bites challenge to read and discuss these books!
<br /><center><a href="http://litbites.blogspot.com/2010/08/ban-this-2010.html"><img border="0" alt="Bites" src="http://i398.photobucket.com/albums/pp66/donnaduck/banthissmall.png" title="Ban This!s" /></a></center>
<br />While I'm not a fan of making books fight each other, I love that it can open discussion about both books. If you'd like to give <i>Lessons From A Dead Girl</i> some love (or the other book!), you can go to the Lit Bites "Book War" page where <i>Living Dead Girl</i> and <i>Lessons</i> are doing the Rocky thing. <a href ="http://litbites.blogspot.com/2010/09/book-wars-37.html">Go here and vote/comment.</a> :-) Thanks!
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<br />~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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<br />Monday Morning Warm-Up:
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<br />Write a cheer to get yourself motivated and post it in the comments so it can get me motivated too. :-)
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<br />Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-79235027154363545522010-09-03T05:32:00.000-07:002010-09-03T05:33:04.330-07:00can't read my, can't read my...can't read my poker faceThe other day my son called to me from his bedroom saying I needed to run upstairs quickly and bring the camera. <br /><br />If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you know this could turn out... um... interesting.<br /><br />Here's what I discovered:<br /><br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=k0rcdi" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/k0rcdi.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />I'm not sure if it's my son who sometimes forgets that Fred is not human, or Fred himself. Either way, apparently they invented some new form of poker and had quite a good time.<br /><br /><br />In other news...<br /><br />About 50 people have signed up for <lj user="jonowrimo"> so far. Looks like we're going to have a great group! I'll post the list I have over there so if you don't see your name and want to join, please just leave me a comment and I'll add you. Thanks!<br /><br /><br />Have a great weekend, everyone!<br /><br />xoJo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-12261464140225961672010-09-01T04:40:00.000-07:002010-09-01T04:41:47.135-07:00JoNoWriMo+1.5It's SEPTEMBER! :-) <br /><br />For me, that means...<br /><br />Reaching the big 4-0, celebrating my wedding anniversary, meeting my next class, and...<br /><br />JoNoWriMo+1.5!<br /><br /><br />If I have at least 10 people interested in doing this again, I'll be happy to host! Tentative start date is September 16 and we'll finish on December 1. <br /><br />I think I screwed up last year and THIS is our fifth year. But I have no idea. Anyone?? If you'd like to join, I'll start making a list. I'll post here and there from time to time before our start date and continue to add to the list. Then, on September 16, we'll get started!<br /><br />For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, you can learn more at <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/jonowrimo/">HERE</a>. Click on the "user info" button.<br /><br />Hope we get a nice group! I am REALLY ready to get to work. How about you?Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-17024165376216808732010-08-27T05:29:00.001-07:002010-08-27T05:29:30.349-07:00Happy Friday 5!1. I am SOOOO happy to have my laptop back with me, even if the guy made fun of my background pic. <br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=333wm6h" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.tinypic.com/333wm6h.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />Guy. Who doesn't love Appa?<br /><br />2. And to not have lost 6 years worth of pics of the boy. Especially during the sweet "I am Harry" phase at age 8:<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=o8s0g2" target="_blank"><img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/o8s0g2.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br /><br />3. Now I just have to figure out how on earth to set up Time Capsule to get everything backed up.<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=zvwqbl" target="_blank"><img src="http://i36.tinypic.com/zvwqbl.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />I have this irrational fear that when I unplug our current router I will never get Internet back. My husband shares this fear so it's just not just me. :) Has anyone out there used this? Is it easy to set up?<br /><br />4. In other news, being away from my computer gave me more time to read, which meant I finished MINDBLIND, by Jennifer Roy<br /><a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2wlzj8m" target="_blank"><img src="http://i33.tinypic.com/2wlzj8m.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a><br />I loved this book. Nathaniel is searching for the formula that will make him a genius and instead finds the formula that shows him the complicated and often ridiculous rules of how to be human, just like everyone else. Another book that is good for your heart. I think it would be particularly popular with middle school students. :-) Has anyone else read this beautiful book yet??<br /><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780761457169?aff=JoKnowles"><img src="http://www.indiebound.org/files/ShopIndieRed.png" alt="Buy from your local Indie" border="0" /></a><br /><br />5. Today we're hoping to find our way to a beautiful swimming spot (with rope swing!) and then maybe head to the Farmer's Market. Next week... back to work.<br /><br />Have a great weekend everyone!Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-11076942152873632222010-08-20T13:36:00.001-07:002010-08-20T13:36:30.623-07:00MarcelKara LaReau posted this on her Facebook page a few days ago and I've been thinking about the benefits of lint ever since. So, I thought I'd leave those of you who haven't seen it yet, with something to make you smile on a Friday afternoon. Besides the obvious reasons to smile on a Friday afternoon, that is.<br /><br /><lj-embed id="72"><br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14190306&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=14190306&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /></lj-embed><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/14190306">MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user4509398">Dean Fleischer-Camp</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br />Have a great weekend!!Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1231800351161412131.post-58800653545660093962010-08-19T05:25:00.000-07:002010-08-19T05:26:28.870-07:00Finding "The Beautiful Page"A lot of times, when I'm reading a new book, I anticipate what I guess I'd call the beautiful page. It's the page that sort of defines the book. It's the page that sings it all together. <br /><br />Lately, I find myself turning down the corner of that page. Some of these books end up having lots of dog-eared pages. Some, not so much. But there's always one. And when I finish the book, I go back and read it again, because that's what I want to remember most.<br /><br />My latest example is from Whales On Stilts, by M.T. Anderson. Now, this is a silly book. A wacky book. I admit, the first time I tried to read it, I didn't get very far. Sorry Mr. Anderson! It's nothing personal. I just knew it wasn't my type. <br /><br />"I just knew." <br /><br />What a stupid phrase. You NEVER know! This should be a new mantra, even. <i>You never know!</i><br /><br />Anyway, recently, my son insisted that we read the book together. Note: He tried to read this book on his own a while back and also failed. But for whatever reason, he did not want to give up on it. Maybe because the book is signed to him. Who knows (you never do!). But it was calling. And so we picked it up, and I started reading out loud. <br /><br />We laughed. We rolled our eyes. We giggled. We said, "Huh?" and "WHAT?!" And then laughed again.<br /><br />And then we found the beautiful page.<br /><br />Here it is:<br /><br /><i>When Lily was done with her story, she said, "What am I going to do?"<br /><br />"Why don't you fight them with your magic sword?"<br /><br />"I don't have a magic sword."<br /><br />"In the world of make-pretend, you can have anything you want, darling."<br /><br />Lily felt tears gather in her throat. "Grandma, this isn't pretend."<br /><br />Her grandmother didn't argue. "I wish games could go on forever," she said soothingly. "I remember, Lily..." she laughed.<br /><br />Lily loved the sound of her grandmother's chuckle. She held the phone closer to her ear.<br /><br />Her grandmother said, "The games we played when I was little lasted for days. We would be running around in the fields down by Tinker's Point like crazy people. We would hide in the grass. We always pretended we were food. Myrtle D. was ketchup. I was a side of bacon. We jumped off the rocks, being food, and I'm afraid we bumped up our knees sometimes."<br /><br />Lily smiled.<br /><br />"I remember the fireflies always being out," said her grandmother, "but probably that was only once or twice." Sadly, she added, "You know, how when you're remembering, you put beautiful things everywhere? You spread them out, and they fill the whole memory. Even if there weren't fireflies every night we played there, those were firefly times, Lily."</i><br /><br />Firefly times.<br /><br />Isn't that beautiful?<br /><br />The phrase says it all, doesn't it? And for this book, it's about revisiting those wonderful days swallowed whole by imagination when you could believe in the impossible, like whales taking over the world. Whales on stilts, even. With laser eyes. Nothing was too over the top in your imagination. I think this book is a celebration of that. Well, it's doing lots of other stuff, too. But for me, that's what's at it's heart. And this is confirmed later, by the longest (and one of the most poignant) footnotes, I've ever seen. But I won't spoil it for you. <br /><br /><i>Whales on Stilts!</i> Surprisingly poignant. <br /><br />You never know.<br /><br />Keep looking for the beautiful page.Jo Knowleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14144112557822924366noreply@blogger.com1