at the 2004 SCBWI National Conference Glitter Ball
with Arthur A. Levine
(a.k.a. The Coolest Editor in the World)
- we won first place in the costume contest! -
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Disco Mermaids?
What in the world is a Disco Mermaid? And why would we choose that for our moniker? Hold on tight because you’re about to find out.
Over the next two days we’ll post photos taken at the past two SCBWI National Conferences. Be forewarned, these pictures should not be viewed by those with weak hearts, bad backs, tennis elbow, a fear of shiny objects, or of mermaids with facial hair.
On Friday, we’ll post the first of a semi-regular feature called Fondue Fridays. One topic. Three Disco Mermaids. And a Lazy-Susan with a laptop.
First topic: Gettin' Jiggy at SCBWI
Over the next two days we’ll post photos taken at the past two SCBWI National Conferences. Be forewarned, these pictures should not be viewed by those with weak hearts, bad backs, tennis elbow, a fear of shiny objects, or of mermaids with facial hair.
On Friday, we’ll post the first of a semi-regular feature called Fondue Fridays. One topic. Three Disco Mermaids. And a Lazy-Susan with a laptop.
First topic: Gettin' Jiggy at SCBWI
Fondue Fridays
- where everyone dips in, and everything comes up cheesy -
Saturday, January 28, 2006
I'm A-Frey-d So! -- Jay
Sex. Politics. Religion. The Holy Trinity of what not to speak with friends about if you’d like to remain friends. Eve, we've discussed all three and never disagreed. Actually, we've never disagreed about anything...until now. So why did it have to be about writing? Why writing? (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, please read yesterday’s post by Eve before continuing.)
To keep us on track, I promise to wrap up this post with a comment on the frustrating world of publishing. But until then, let's get into it. Lying and exaggerating in a non-fiction memoir bothers me for two reasons.
One, I feel sorry for memoirists whose books will now be questioned no matter how hard they try to keep the ‘non’ in ‘non-fiction.’ There is a very simple remedy if you plan on making things up...just let us know. Let your readers decide how much to invest emotionally in your words. I loved Rocket Boys, later made into the movie October Sky, but the disclaimer stating that the author sometimes combined several characters into one character and sometimes altered the sequence of events constantly bugged me. Fiction and non-fiction stories are about cause-and-effect. If you change the sequence of events, then I can’t really understand why something happened (which, I assume, is why most people write memoirs). But thanks for letting me know.
Two, a lot of people are claiming, "His memoir has helped a lot of people. Who has it hurt?" True, it has helped a lot of people. I know people who have quit drinking cold turkey because his novoir (get it? novel+memoir=novoir...cute, ain’t it?) scared them silly. But according to a counselor at the addiction-recovery center Mr. Frey went to, he totally lied about his experiences there. So what if someone can’t quit cold turkey and needs the help of a recovery center, yet they’re too afraid to go to one based on this book?
Okay, time to get to the frustrating world of publishing. I don’t blame Mr. Frey...much. I see him more as a victim of circumstances. He tried selling the book as a novel, even though most of it was true. Gotta give him credit for that. But when a dozen publishers rejected it, his agent suggested that they market it as a memoir because memoirs were hot. With how frustrated I’ve become trying to sell my books, I can see the temptation. And then his book sold. To take out the lies and exaggerations at that point would have meant admitting to the publisher that they bought a book with lies and exaggerations...and apparently that’s only okay if you host a top-rated cable news talk show. [NEWSFLASH: I just learned that the above novel-turned-memoir story appearing in Time, Newsweek, and other publications to win the author sympathy were a lie. This guy can’t stop lying...even now! Dude, you're gonna get caught. What a great person to write a non-fiction book, right? So I won’t defend him anymore. The guy’s a jerk.]
Eve, this wasn’t personal, so go easy on me in your memoirs. And if you need to exaggerate, can I at least have approval on the ones about me?
- Jay
To keep us on track, I promise to wrap up this post with a comment on the frustrating world of publishing. But until then, let's get into it. Lying and exaggerating in a non-fiction memoir bothers me for two reasons.
One, I feel sorry for memoirists whose books will now be questioned no matter how hard they try to keep the ‘non’ in ‘non-fiction.’ There is a very simple remedy if you plan on making things up...just let us know. Let your readers decide how much to invest emotionally in your words. I loved Rocket Boys, later made into the movie October Sky, but the disclaimer stating that the author sometimes combined several characters into one character and sometimes altered the sequence of events constantly bugged me. Fiction and non-fiction stories are about cause-and-effect. If you change the sequence of events, then I can’t really understand why something happened (which, I assume, is why most people write memoirs). But thanks for letting me know.
Two, a lot of people are claiming, "His memoir has helped a lot of people. Who has it hurt?" True, it has helped a lot of people. I know people who have quit drinking cold turkey because his novoir (get it? novel+memoir=novoir...cute, ain’t it?) scared them silly. But according to a counselor at the addiction-recovery center Mr. Frey went to, he totally lied about his experiences there. So what if someone can’t quit cold turkey and needs the help of a recovery center, yet they’re too afraid to go to one based on this book?
Okay, time to get to the frustrating world of publishing. I don’t blame Mr. Frey...much. I see him more as a victim of circumstances. He tried selling the book as a novel, even though most of it was true. Gotta give him credit for that. But when a dozen publishers rejected it, his agent suggested that they market it as a memoir because memoirs were hot. With how frustrated I’ve become trying to sell my books, I can see the temptation. And then his book sold. To take out the lies and exaggerations at that point would have meant admitting to the publisher that they bought a book with lies and exaggerations...and apparently that’s only okay if you host a top-rated cable news talk show. [NEWSFLASH: I just learned that the above novel-turned-memoir story appearing in Time, Newsweek, and other publications to win the author sympathy were a lie. This guy can’t stop lying...even now! Dude, you're gonna get caught. What a great person to write a non-fiction book, right? So I won’t defend him anymore. The guy’s a jerk.]
Eve, this wasn’t personal, so go easy on me in your memoirs. And if you need to exaggerate, can I at least have approval on the ones about me?
- Jay
Friday, January 27, 2006
DOES EMBELLISHING IN CREATIVE NONFICTION MATTER? I'M A-FREY-D NOT! -Eve
Although our blogging is about children’s books, I feel compelled, after being pummeled with “James Frey Is a Lie” headlines, to address this issue. After all, many a teen addict has read his “memoir”, A MILLION LITTLE PIECES, and come away with a new respect for the powers of rehab. So, to me it should be considered a “crossover” book, certainly marketed to teens as well as adults.
So, here’s my thing: Does any of Frey’s alleged fabricating matter in the grand scheme of things within the world of literature and entertainment? Nope. We spent a lot of time discussing how autobiographies/memoirs can never really be entirely TRUE in my recent teen novel writing class with the fabulous Valerie Hobbs. Anyone who’s taken Psychology 101 knows that memories are plastic, not perfect. They change. Do we embellish memories of yesterday or ten years ago when relating them to make for a good story? Yes. Do we ever remember things EXACTLY as they happened? Of course not. (This has been proven in multiple studies of witnesses to crimes…my sister, the Public Defender, told me) Does every memoir on the planet have some element of drama added for effect, mixed in with some hazy, imperfect, dream-like memories? Absolutely!
So…James Frey wrote a very entertaining account of a crappy little snippet of his sad life. So, he “lied” to Oprah. Who cares? I’m not condoning lying to anyone, but what human has never lied? Not one, I bet. And what memoirist has not made stuff up? Can you assure me that everything Augusten Burroughs or Dave Eggers has said is true? (Love Dave Eggers, by the way. Seriously, I idolize the guy.) Now, my friend Jay makes a great point in reminding me that James Frey actually made stuff up that contradicted public and police records…okay, not the smartest move. But does the fact that he embellished truths really make his story less heartbreaking or inspiring? I don’t think so. Jay disagrees. He feels “duped”, manipulated into emotionally investing in a dude’s story BECAUSE it was presumably true. Then, to find out most of it is false makes him distrustful and resentful for being roped in.
Which brings me back to my original point (and I did have one). Does it matter that James Frey lied? Not TO ME. To be fair, I totally see why others are angry. No one likes to feel “duped”. People are mad that they bought into the story and felt for this dude, who apparently never had it all that bad. He “Vanilla Iced” us. He
“Milli Vanilli-d” us. But guess what? I’m still entertained. I still love “Ice Ice Baby” and “Girl, You Know It’s True”. You know why? Because they’re fun songs. And James Frey’s a hell of a storyteller. But that’s what he is…a STORY-teller. He’s not a role model. He has no obligation to be completely honest with us. He’s not a journalist, a Priest, a politician (people we assume will tell us the truth…uh, yeah, whatever)…so he made some stuff up. The heart of the story is true.
Guess what book changed my life as an averagely depressive 13 year old girl? GO ASK ALICE, by Anonymous. Marketed as a “real life” diary of a drug addicted 15 year old girl, this teen nonfiction book has been one of the most recommended 8th grade reads for thirty years. Is it all true? No. Did it still entertain me and inspire me to stay far far away from drugs and bad kids? Absolutely! Served its purpose. So, I could not care less if the girl really truly lived on the San Fran streets and ate garbage and got butt-raped by a trusted older couple...among other horrific things...or if someone made it up. It is a fascinating read nonetheless. But that is because I see reading for pleasure as ENTERTAINMENT. Period.
If I really want to learn something, I’ll bust out my old medical textbooks. Come to think of it, a lot of that stuff is based on assumptions and outdated research. Should my PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE book be re-labeled “Fiction”?
Note to James Frey’s editor: Just replace the little “Oprah’s Book Club” sticker with a “Based On True Events” sticker, and you’re good to go!
I’m outta here!
-Eve
So, here’s my thing: Does any of Frey’s alleged fabricating matter in the grand scheme of things within the world of literature and entertainment? Nope. We spent a lot of time discussing how autobiographies/memoirs can never really be entirely TRUE in my recent teen novel writing class with the fabulous Valerie Hobbs. Anyone who’s taken Psychology 101 knows that memories are plastic, not perfect. They change. Do we embellish memories of yesterday or ten years ago when relating them to make for a good story? Yes. Do we ever remember things EXACTLY as they happened? Of course not. (This has been proven in multiple studies of witnesses to crimes…my sister, the Public Defender, told me) Does every memoir on the planet have some element of drama added for effect, mixed in with some hazy, imperfect, dream-like memories? Absolutely!
So…James Frey wrote a very entertaining account of a crappy little snippet of his sad life. So, he “lied” to Oprah. Who cares? I’m not condoning lying to anyone, but what human has never lied? Not one, I bet. And what memoirist has not made stuff up? Can you assure me that everything Augusten Burroughs or Dave Eggers has said is true? (Love Dave Eggers, by the way. Seriously, I idolize the guy.) Now, my friend Jay makes a great point in reminding me that James Frey actually made stuff up that contradicted public and police records…okay, not the smartest move. But does the fact that he embellished truths really make his story less heartbreaking or inspiring? I don’t think so. Jay disagrees. He feels “duped”, manipulated into emotionally investing in a dude’s story BECAUSE it was presumably true. Then, to find out most of it is false makes him distrustful and resentful for being roped in.
Which brings me back to my original point (and I did have one). Does it matter that James Frey lied? Not TO ME. To be fair, I totally see why others are angry. No one likes to feel “duped”. People are mad that they bought into the story and felt for this dude, who apparently never had it all that bad. He “Vanilla Iced” us. He
“Milli Vanilli-d” us. But guess what? I’m still entertained. I still love “Ice Ice Baby” and “Girl, You Know It’s True”. You know why? Because they’re fun songs. And James Frey’s a hell of a storyteller. But that’s what he is…a STORY-teller. He’s not a role model. He has no obligation to be completely honest with us. He’s not a journalist, a Priest, a politician (people we assume will tell us the truth…uh, yeah, whatever)…so he made some stuff up. The heart of the story is true.
Guess what book changed my life as an averagely depressive 13 year old girl? GO ASK ALICE, by Anonymous. Marketed as a “real life” diary of a drug addicted 15 year old girl, this teen nonfiction book has been one of the most recommended 8th grade reads for thirty years. Is it all true? No. Did it still entertain me and inspire me to stay far far away from drugs and bad kids? Absolutely! Served its purpose. So, I could not care less if the girl really truly lived on the San Fran streets and ate garbage and got butt-raped by a trusted older couple...among other horrific things...or if someone made it up. It is a fascinating read nonetheless. But that is because I see reading for pleasure as ENTERTAINMENT. Period.
If I really want to learn something, I’ll bust out my old medical textbooks. Come to think of it, a lot of that stuff is based on assumptions and outdated research. Should my PATHOLOGIC BASIS OF DISEASE book be re-labeled “Fiction”?
Note to James Frey’s editor: Just replace the little “Oprah’s Book Club” sticker with a “Based On True Events” sticker, and you’re good to go!
I’m outta here!
-Eve
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Saving Anna -- Jay
Anna, on behalf of the children’s book writing community, I would like to say, “We’re sorry.” It was nothing more than a bad coincidence and I’m doing my part to rectify the situation.
Am I speaking to a specific Anna? No. I’m speaking to any Anna who reads books for teens. I changed the title of my YA manuscript because I couldn’t bear the thought of a girl named Anna seeing another book with her name in the title. It would be different if the books dealt with girls who lived fabulously comfortable lives with wonderful boyfriends, loving families, and attended schools where everyone was treated with respect. But they didn’t. The books dealt with teen suicide.
Whenever I’m working on a book, I research other books on the same general topic. And what did I find this time? Two more books dealing with the suicide of a teenaged Anna. After the Death of Anna Gonzales by Terri Fields and Drowning Anna by Sue Mayfield.
But before I discovered this eerie coincidence, my manuscript began winning contests using the title Baker’s Dozen: The AudioBiography of Anna Baker. It won a Work-In-Progress Grant from SCBWI and the Grand Prize in SmartWriters.com’s Write-It-Now Competition.
Even though their websites already listed my manuscript with the name Anna Baker in the title, I needed to change the title. I needed something close, with the same ring, but different. Hopefully you’ll soon find Baker’s Dozen: The AudioBiography of Hannah Baker in a bookstore near you.
And to Hannah, I’m sorry. I hope my book is the only one.
- Jay
Am I speaking to a specific Anna? No. I’m speaking to any Anna who reads books for teens. I changed the title of my YA manuscript because I couldn’t bear the thought of a girl named Anna seeing another book with her name in the title. It would be different if the books dealt with girls who lived fabulously comfortable lives with wonderful boyfriends, loving families, and attended schools where everyone was treated with respect. But they didn’t. The books dealt with teen suicide.
Whenever I’m working on a book, I research other books on the same general topic. And what did I find this time? Two more books dealing with the suicide of a teenaged Anna. After the Death of Anna Gonzales by Terri Fields and Drowning Anna by Sue Mayfield.
But before I discovered this eerie coincidence, my manuscript began winning contests using the title Baker’s Dozen: The AudioBiography of Anna Baker. It won a Work-In-Progress Grant from SCBWI and the Grand Prize in SmartWriters.com’s Write-It-Now Competition.
Even though their websites already listed my manuscript with the name Anna Baker in the title, I needed to change the title. I needed something close, with the same ring, but different. Hopefully you’ll soon find Baker’s Dozen: The AudioBiography of Hannah Baker in a bookstore near you.
And to Hannah, I’m sorry. I hope my book is the only one.
- Jay
Monday, January 23, 2006
Happy ALAAA Day
HAPPY
ALA AWARDS
ANNOUNCEMENT DAY!!!
- How many have you read? -
(be sure to contact your state senators
ALA AWARDS
ANNOUNCEMENT DAY!!!
- How many have you read? -
(be sure to contact your state senators
to make this day a national holiday...as it should be)
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