The Flux Blog

Happy Halloween from Flux

2009-10-30T20:35:00.013+03:30

Halloween's a rather exciting time around Flux. As I slave away on the next series of podcasts (they're coming soon--promise), I thought I'd share a few costumes from our soiree this year--based on our own book covers!

The Acquisitions Department's theme this year was....

That would be yours truly as Uncle Fester (and Thing).

Stay tuned. More podcasts coming in November. Honest.

Brian doesn't Tweet here anymore.

2009-09-29T20:07:00.002+03:30

Hi all,

Believe it or not, more podcasts are coming. In fact, I'm putting the finishing touches on THREE new editions. But I wanted to post this quick word about the Flux twitter account.

The FluxBooks account was started by my Esteemed Predecessor and, initially, he was the only one using it. Lately, I've been sharing tweeting duties with the good folks in our marketing and publicity departments. Unfortunately, with mulitple tweeters (tweeties?), it becomes difficult to tell who is saying what.

So, in the interest of making sure you know when you're getting info from me and when you're getting info from others, I will no longer be tweeting @fluxbooks. I've started my own account @EyeOnFlux. I'll be the only person using this new account so you'll know that (unless hackers steal my password and begin sending you news that you've won the British lottery) anything said there comes from me directly.

Kapische?

To recap: Brian, Flux's editor, is no longer tweeting @fluxbooks (but PLEASE continue to follow that account because they will tweet more frequently than I and will have TONS of interesting stuff to say) and will now be tweeting @EyeOnFlux. Both accounts (I imagine) will post updates as to when new podcasts are posted.

And, seriously, they're almost done. I mean it.

Something to fill the time

2009-08-14T18:08:00.002+04:30

Production on the new podcast is a liiiiitle bit behind. New one is coming soon. Until then, you might enjoy this.

Today on Twitter, agent Chris Richman tweeted about a funny Onion story having to do with writing. This sent me tripping down memory lane, thinking about all the great Onion stories they've done concerning writers, litearture, and the sometimes painful collision of the two. So here's a small round-up of some of my faves. (Um, for those unfamiliar with the Onion, I'll just offer a small warning that they're not always PC, they often use blue language, but it's always done for humor. Still, those with tender dispositions might want to turn away now.)

Sci-Fi Writer Attributes Everything Mysterious To 'Quantum Flux'

My Novel Addresses Universal Themes Of Humanity And Has Fucking

Someday, I Will Copyedit The Great American Novel

Author Too Much Of A Pussy To Kill Off Characters

Heroic Computer Dies To Save World From Master's Thesis

Third-Person Limited Omniscient Narrator Blown Away By Surprise Ending

Maya Angelou Honored For Courage, Blackness

Scholars Discover 23 Blank Pages That May As Well Be Lost Samuel Beckett Play

Author To Use Water As Metaphor

Books Don't Take You Anywhere

Nation's Teens Disappointed By Banned Books

There Are So Many Experiences I Want To Write About Having Had

Area Woman Fulfills Dream Of Becoming Writer By Getting Job At Bookstore

Masters In Writing Fails To Create Master Of Writing

Author Wishes She Hadn't Blown Personal Tragedy On First Book

Self-Help Book Believes It Can Be A Bestseller Someday

Nation Afraid To Admit 9-Year-Old Disabled Poet Really Bad

Area Man Well-Versed In First Thirds Of Great Literature

My Short Fiction Will Restore America's Romantic Spirit

Monster At End Of Book Claims Life Of TV's Grover

It's Funny How What You're Saying Relates To My Novel

Novelist Thinks People Shrug 10 Times More Than They Actually Do

First-Time Novelist Constantly Asking Wife What It's Like To Be A Woman

Novelists Strike Fails To Affect Nation Whatsoever

Eye on Flux: June 2009 Edition

2009-06-11T00:10:00.011+04:30

Overview: Two really great interviews this month (and a special sneak peek behind the scenes of the Printz awards) plus YOUR questions answered in the Flux Mailbag.

* * * * *

See Flux in Action at ALA: Yours truly will be at ALA's 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago from July 11-14 at Booth #2658. We'll have Flux authors on hand to sign copies of their books. Schedule is as follows:

Maggie Stiefvater (author of LAMENT and the forthcoming BALLAD)
Saturday, July 11, 1pm

Susan Fine (author of INITIATION)
Saturday, July 11, 2pm

Simone Elkeles (author of HOW TO RUIN A SUMMER VACATION, LEAVING PARADISE, HOW TO RUIN A TEENAGE LIFE, and the forthcoming HOW TO RUIN YOUR BOYFRIEND'S REPUTATION)

Sunday, July 12, 1pm

* * * * *

Interview: Micol and David Ostow, authors of SO PUNK ROCK (AND OTHER WAYS TO DISAPPOINT YOUR MOTHER)

The sister-brother writing team of this hybrid graphic novel (which recently got a starred review in Booklist) discuss where the idea for the book came from, how their collaborative process works, and whether or not they'd ever collaborate again.

Check out SPR's Official Site here:

http://www.kosherpunkrock.com/

See the awesome book trailer!

Micol's Web site: http://www.micolostow.com/

David's Web site: http://www.davidostow.com/

Sample art from SO PUNK ROCK:

Follow the Tribe on Twitter:

Ari http://www.twitter.com/rockonari
Reena http://www.twitter.com/NJchoirGRRL

* * * * *

Flux Mailbag: This month's burning questions get answered....

--"Do you accept submissions from anyone?"

--"What bit of practical advice (aside from the oft-spoken 'Write well') do you have for aspiring writers?"

* * * * *

Interview: Elizabeth Burns, blogger at A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy and recent Printz Award committee member.

Liz Burns took time to give an insightful look into the processes involved in getting on the Printz committee (hint: it involves black magic...I kid...maybe....), what the day to day life of a Printz committee member was like (hint: any free time involves reading...a lot...)

Check out Liz's blog at: http://yzocaet.blogspot.com/

She also contributes articles to Pop Goes the Library: http://www.popgoesthelibrary.com/

* * * * *

To download the podcast:
AAC (iPod friendly) version: Right click here and select 'Save as.' (Clicking on the link will prompt the file to launch in iTunes.)

MP3 version: Right click here and select 'Save as.' (Clicking on the link will prompt the file to launch in iTunes or Windows Media Player.)

* * * * *

Next month: More author inteviews! More burning questions answered! And another Flux author steps forward in a brave attempt to be the new reigning champion of 60 Seconds of Fame!

Eye on Flux: May 2009 edition

2009-05-19T20:48:00.010+04:30

Overview: With the first podcast down, we sally forth with our May edition, featuring interviews with three authors, a peak into the Flux mailbag, and a new segment called 60 Seconds of Fame.

Interview: Jeremy Craig, author of THE STRAITS

We talk to Jeremy about his debut YA novel and its eerily prescient correlation to a recent article in the New York times. Jeremy also shares some of his favorite literary figures and discusses how his writing relates to his current status as film school graduate student.

For more information, check out Jeremy's web site:
http://www.readthestraits.com/

Interview: Gillian Summers, author of THE SECRET OF THE DREAD FOREST

Berta Platas and Michelle Roper don the pseudonym of Gillian Summers to write the Faire Folk Trilogy, the concluding volume of which comes out in June. Berta and Michelle offer a preview of what's to come in the series, give their insight on working with a writing partner, and talk about their attraction to renaissance festivals.

For more information, check out Gillian's web site:
www.gilliansummers.com/

Flux Mailbag: I answer questions sent in by listeners relating to the types of books we do at Flux and whether or not I read every submission we receive.

Send your questions for the Flux Mailbag to questions at fluxnow dot com. Each month, I'll randomly select a few questions to answer and if yours appear on the podcast, I'll send you the Flux book of your choice!

60 Seconds of Fame: A.S. King, author of THE DUST OF 100 DOGS, joins us to launch a brand new segment on the podcast where authors sit on the hot seat for 60 seconds and compete for valuable prizes (i.e. bragging rights for being the reigning champ of 60 Seconds of Fame).

To download the podcast:

AAC (iPod friendly) version: Right click here and select 'Save as.' (Clicking on the link will prompt the file to launch in iTunes.)

MP3 version: Right click here and select 'Save as.' (Clicking on the link will prompt the file to launch in iTunes or Windows Media Player.)

Next month: We'll talk to Micol and David Ostow, the sister-brother writing team behind Flux's first hybrid graphic novel, SO PUNK ROCK (AND OTHER WAYS TO DISAPPOINT YOUR MOTHER) and our special guest will be Elizabeth Burns, librarian/blogger extraordinaire who will discuss her recent tenure on the Printz award committee.

Eye on Flux: April 2009 Edition

2009-04-29T22:21:00.027+04:30

Overview: Our inaugural podcast! We set the stage for this new series of podcasts to discuss upcoming Flux titles, the world of YA, and anything else the editor feels like talking about.

Interview: Susan Fine, author of INITIATION

We sat down for a talk with Susan Fine to discuss how her background as a teacher at a private school influenced the world she created in INITIATION.

For more information, check out Susan Fine's website.

Available on Amazon, Borders, BN.com, Powells, and Flux

Interview: Lucienne Diver, author of VAMPED

We chatted with Lucienne about her debut YA book and how her work as a writer informs the work she does as a literary agent.

For more information, check out Lucienne Diver's website.

Available on Amazon, Borders, BN.com, Powells, and Flux

Send us your questions! Ask us your Burning Questions about Flux, the world of publishing, our authors, etc. and if we answer your question on the podcast, we’ll send you the Flux book of your choice. Send questions to questions at fluxnow dot com.

To download the podcast:

AAC (iPod friendly) version: Right click here and select 'Save as.' (Clicking on the link will prompt the file to launch in iTunes.)

MP3 version: Right click here and select 'Save as.' (Clicking on the link will prompt the file to launch in iTunes or Windows Media Player.)

Next month: We look at our June releases, answer questions, and introduce a new segment: 60 Seconds of Fame!

Eye on Flux

2009-04-27T23:38:00.002+04:30

Yes, you’re in the right place.

Welcome to the new blog for EYE ON FLUX, our brand spanking new podcast. This change marks a new direction for the Flux Blog. Where in the past we were a repository for Flux news, interesting stories from the world of publishing, and the occasionally bizarre random musings of Flux’s acquiring editors (I include my Esteemed Predecessor on that), the launch of the podcast brings a new feel and tone for the blog.

This space will now be the “go to” source for everything having to do with the podcast. We’ll have a link whereby you can download it. You’ll be able to stream it directly from the site. We’ll have supplemental information on everything you hear in the podcast. And it’s all FREE!

And just so you still get your fix for all the latest Flux news, there’s always the OTHER Flux blog on our main Web site: www.fluxnow.com, maintained by the always entertaining Tricia O’Reilly. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out what Tricia’s doing over there.

Here’s the skinny on what this podcast-thingy is all about:

The podcast will occur monthly (for the foreseeable future).
I (Brian) will be hosting the podcast (for those with an insatiable desire to learn what I sound like).
We’ll highlight forthcoming books from our catalogs via author interviews.
We’ll answer Listener Burning Questions and give free books away.
We’ll have discussions about the world of young adult literature, we’ll have special guests, we’ll have fun.
For the time being, EYE ON FLUX is ONLY available here. We anticipate having distribution on iTunes in the near future.
Look for the first edition later this week.

Spread the word! Go forth my pretties! Make blog posts and send e-mails. Make sure that everyone has their eye on Flux!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2009-04-22T17:35:00.001+04:30

It's been mighty quiet 'round these parts, I reckon. Must be a good reason for that.

Well, boy howdy, there is! You might be seeing a few changes at the ole Flux Blog in the near future. Kind of a "re-imaginin'" like them thar Hollywood folks like to say.

Best put the kettle on, kick your feet up, and keep your eye on Flux, ya hear?

Let me get this straight... you're dissing the Wild and Crazy Guy?

2009-03-17T19:05:00.005+03:30

For reasons that should be obvious, I get a bit twitchy whenever someone suggests banning a book or play or tries to impede others from access to artistic materials. For instance, a school superintendent in Oregon shut down a high school's impending production of Steve Martin's play, PICASSO AT THE LAPINE AGILE, after 137 community members signed a petition stating their "concern" about the show's adult content. Similarly, across the country, other high schools have faced similar opposition to their proposed stagings of the musical, RENT.

In the case of the Oregon school, Steve Martin himself has stepped up to the plate and offered to fund a non-profit production of the show to be produced off-campus in an effort "to prevent the play from acquiring a reputation it does not deserve."

I'm always happy to see parents taking an active interest in their children's activities and I firmly believe it is every parent's right to steer their children away from anything they feel might be harmful (based on personal values, of course). That stops making sense to me, though, when this "protective" nature expands to the children of other parents. Isn't it just easier (and more responsible) to tell your kid "I don't want you to have anything to do with that show" than it is to attempt to block other people's children from having the experience? Or am I missing something?

Anyway. Yay on Steve Martin. I hope the director of the show takes him up on this offer.

Congratulations to Robin Friedman!

2009-03-16T21:51:00.003+03:30

Robin's Flux book, NOTHING was recently shortlisted for Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Award for Best Young Adult novel.

Winners will be announced at the end of May. Robin's book had previously won the 2009 Sydney Taylor Notable Books for Teens Award. Go Robin!

Noah's got nothing on these ARCs

2009-03-09T17:08:00.003+03:30

Liz Burns, bloggoddess at A Chair, A Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy has a well-researched piece on the nature of ARCs (that's Advance Reader/ing Copies) over at ForeWord Magazine.

Check out the first article here.

And the second one here.

Thou Shalt

2009-03-05T22:16:00.002+03:30

Agent Nathan Bransford has a fantastic post offering 10 Commandments for Writers.

My favorite?

6. Keep up with publishing industry news. It may seem counterintuitive to follow the news of a business in which layoffs currently constitute the bulk of headlines. But it behooves you to keep yourself informed. You'll be happier (and more successful) if you know what you're doing.

Actually, they're all my favorite. Good stuff.

Rejection, schmejection.

2009-02-26T18:59:00.001+03:30

Agent Janet Reid has a great story about how getting rejected can be a good thing.

If you like this, then you'll enjoy...

2009-02-25T17:31:00.003+03:30

Back in my days as a bookseller, I often talked with customers who looked for recommendations based on authors they liked.

"I like Nelson DeMille," I'd hear. "Got any books like that?"

We had cheat sheets that told us "if a customer likes THIS author, recommend THAT author." After a while, you got a feel for what people wanted and could make recommendations without even thinking.

There's been an interesting discussion on Adbooks recently that stemmed from one person's request that people recommend titles that are "like" TWILIGHT. The subsequent answers have often surprised (and occasionally amused) me. Sometimes I'd go, "That's a fair comparison" and other times I'd think, "Those two books are NOTHING alike." It got me to thinking: what exactly do we mean when we say one book (or author) is like another?

Are we comparing style of writing? Similar theme? Pacing? In the case of TWILIGHT, when asking for a comp title, do we mean something that's romancey? Angsty? Vampirey? More importantly, when someone asks for a recommendation, do we offer suggests based on what WE feel is comparative or what we think the OTHER person feels is comparative?

When someone asks you for a comparable title, which area do you typically default to?

Biz Lingo

2009-02-23T17:25:00.002+03:30

Editorial Anonymous is doing a great running series of posts defining various publishing industry terms.

Dying to know what CMYK, PPB, or F&G stand for? Want to find out exactly what the difference is between a galley and an ARC? Then EA is your one stop shop!

Accolades! Accolades! Accolades!

2009-02-19T19:33:00.004+03:30

As you might have guessed, I'm a bit behind.

Some congrats are in order for Flux authors!

Congratulations to A.S. King whose DUST OF 100 DOGS was named a Spring 2009 Indie Next list pick! (Stop by the D100D website to check out the book trailer!)

Congratulations to Robin Friedman whose NOTHING was named a 2008 Sydney Taylor Award -Notable Book for Teens.

Some great reviews for Heather Duffy-Stone's THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TELL YOU:

“A sharp writer, Stone’s central triangle of relationships is both strong and universal, and her details are authentic.”—Booklist

“[T]he story is powerful and engaging and worthy of attention.”—Kirkus Reviews

And praise for Barbara Haworth-Attard's MY LIFE FROM AIR BRAS TO ZITS:

“Although laugh-packed, the heart of this endearing, but definitely not sappy, novel is Teresa's evolving family relationships, which challenge her to grow up quickly.”--Kirkus Reviews

“This is a book for chick-lit fans who want more intelligence than fluff.”--ForeWord Magazine

And a bit of advance praise for a book you'll be clamoring for come April: Vance Briceland's THE GLASSMAKER'S DAUGHTER:

"A thoroughly engrossing and surprising narrative, with wonderful descriptions of an imaginary Italian kingdom, this one's a strong contender for next year's Cybil’s!”--Readers' Rants

You can take the boy out of publicity...

2009-02-06T17:40:00.007+03:30

Although I currently wield the dreaded red pen (actually, no, my pen is black), I find my roots in publicity hard to shake and I continue to be fascinated with unique approaches to marketing and publicity. Say what you want about THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (I happened to love it), the marketing plan that blurred the line between reality and fiction was br-ill-iant. Others have tried to mimic this sort of approach to varying degrees of success.

This most recent effort comes to us from across the Pond, regarding a forthcoming book called MR. TOPPIT. Apparently, the publishers took out a large add in the Times, claiming to be the characters in the book who then went on to denounce the book as unauthorized. Nothing courts controversy like something being made public that was never meant to see the light of day. The ad then directs you to a web site for more information but when you arrive there, the site claims to have crashed due to high volume of traffic but clicking on the "more info here" bar sends you to a blog with further mocked-up info.

It's kinda fun (says the geek who enjoys all the tertiary internet diversions offered by the producers of LOST).

One bit of frustration is that after only a base level of searching, I still don't know what the book is about. But here's the thing: I want to find out. So I'm going to keep digging. Damn their ability to spark my curiosity!

It's a fun little gamble that Penguin has taken. I'm really fascinated by risky attempts at book publicity; the more creative, the better. I remember a stunt a few years back involving carting a casket full of books around town and handing out free copies. (Was that also London? I can't remember. I couldn't find it in a quick Google search. If you remember this and have the info, send it my way.) What remains to be seen, of course, is if it will translate into sales. What's obvious is that it's translated into attention, which is half the battle right there.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go figure out what this book is all about. I have to.

UPDATE: I found it. I cheated. You'll have more fun if you burrow through the blog.

Coming soon to a Kindle near you...

2009-01-28T18:49:00.005+03:30

Never let it be said that Flux isn't standing at the ready to pounce on any bandwagons that saunter our way.

Starting this month, the first few Flux titles (HOW TO RUIN A SUMMER VACATION, THE TREE SHEPHERD'S DAUGHTER, and INTO THE WILDEWOOD) became available as Kindle downloads on Amazon. Over the next few months, more titles will be appearing in this exciting (and popular) format.

The people I know who have Kindles swear by them. I know several agents who use them as an alternative to schlepping paper manuscripts around, I know publicists who enjoy being able to view popular blogs for breaking news, and I know editors who use them on the commute to work to get caught up on the competition.

As Kindle 2.0 looms in the near future (with, I'm told, a sleeker design) and as Amazon struggles to keep up with the orders, it's clear that the age of the e-book may finally be coming into its own (and, no, I don't think that threatens the future of publishing real books, as some harbingers of doom like to predict...but that's a post for another time). I say "finally coming into its own" only because e-books have had a start and stop history, as have most new techonologies strugging to discover which formats make the most sense (VHS vs. Betamax, Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD).

So for you e-book readers out there, have at thee! More Flux to come!

Freaky (sorta) Friday

2009-01-16T23:48:00.005+03:30

Remember FREAKY FRIDAY? Not the movie(s) but the original book by Mary Rodgers? In it, teenage Annabel Andrews swaps bodies with her mother and is forced to give Mom's life a try (it turns out harder than she first imagines).

Well, I've decided that if I ever wake up in the body of a teenage girl,* the book I'm turning to that will tell me what I need to know is Barbara Haworth-Attard's MY LIFE FROM AIR BRAS TO ZITS.** A hit in Canada (under the title A IS FOR ANGST), Flux is pleased to publish the US debut of this funny and original novel. Teresa, the book's protagonist, is a fresh and (sometimes painfully) honest voice that had me from page one. I'm not saying I want to BE Teresa, but I think she holds her own in the story and (again, should I find myself a teenage girl in this or any future life) I'd be happy to follow her example (well, mostly).

You may have guessed by now that this February release also just arrived in house and I'm holding a shiny new copy in my hands, which made me happy and giddy and prompted the need to tell the world about it.

So there it is, world!

*=No, I don't plan on this happening but I liked to think I'm prepared for any eventuality. Ask me sometime what I plan to do if I ever find myself in John Malkovich's body.

**=The plot of Barbara's book has NOTHING to do with FREAKY FRIDAY or body swaps. It's just a segue device. Not necessarily a good one. I'll work on it.

Yes. Exactly. This is all true.

2009-01-13T19:34:00.001+03:30

You had me at 'ahoy.'

2009-01-06T21:56:00.003+03:30

Some of you know that I started my career with Flux as the senior publicist. In that capacity, I had the good fortune to work one-on-one with many of the authors (and in my new position, I'm enjoying the chance to get to know the other authors not in my charge) and it often fell to me to discuss with them some of the quirkier of aspects of publishing. Like having a final copy of a book in your hand when it first gets delivered from the printer is very different from the book actually appearing on a bookshelf. These things take time. And after a bit of initial consternation, everyone comes to understand this.

My Esteemed Predecessor liked to blog about new books when final copies arrived in house. He'd share his delight at seeing the book come to light and just generally enthuse about how excited he was that soon the world would know the wonderful secret he'd been sitting on for months.

This sort of blog post usually started this chain reaction:

Esteemed Predecessor (on blog): TITLE X is in the house! Woo hoo!

Author of TITLE X to Me (the author's publicist): You have my books in? Why aren't they in the stores? Why aren't they available? Oh sweet Gutenberg, my life is over!!!!*

Me to Esteemed Predecessor: I hate you.

And then me and Author of TITLE X would talk about the aforementioned difference between having a book in house and having a book in store and everything would be cool.

Now that I've shifted sides, I completely understand his often unbridled giddiness at seeing a project come to fruition. Case in point: I'm holding in my hands a brand-spanking new copy of THE DUST OF 100 DOGS, the debut YA novel of A. S. King. It's pretty. I didn't acquire this book. I had no editorial input. But I read it and fell instantly in love with it.

The book has generated a bit of internet buzz for its cover and some of the early reviews have been positively glowing. I can guarantee that you haven't read anything quite like this book and if you think you've got it pegged based solely on the premise (17th century pirate is killed and reincarnated as 100 dogs before finally being reincarnated again into a 20th century teen with all her memories intact), you're very, very mistaken.

This beautiful book (no, really, how can you not love the cover?) also features a fantastic interview with the author, conducted by Leila Roy, the blogoddess over at BOOKSHELVES OF DOOM. Everyone who has read this book can't help but talk about it. So pardon me while I summon the spirit of my Esteemed Predecessor and crow about the impending arrival (in a bookstore near you) of DUST OF 100 DOGS. You'll find it in about a month. Pick it up and see what all the talk is about.

*= This is, of course, an gross exaggeration of the actual reaction. But I think the spirit is there.

Where Young Adult is a Point of View, Not a Reading Level

2008-12-18T23:07:00.004+03:30

And now the NEW YORKER is throwing its rumpled hat into the "can YA be literary" debate. And not doing a very remarkable job of it.

In the comments section, the inimitable John Green points to the same argument I always use when someone tries to define YA as any book with a teen protagonist: Well, then, CATCHER IN THE RYE is YA. Funny, that's not where it's shelved. That would also make Brian Malloy's YEAR OF ICE a YA novel (again, not where it's shelved). Jonathan Safran Foer's EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE becomes a middle grade novel with its 9-year-old protagonist. THE LIFE OF PI was released as an adult novel, shelved in the literature section, until someone realized its crossover potential and a YA edition was later released. Would it have received the accolades it did if it had started as YA? (Sadly, probably not, owing to an excess of snobbery.)

How can people accept that adult literature can fall into literary and commercial categories (and Michael Chabon would argue that even that delineation is an atrocity) but refuse to accept that YA can offer the same depth and breadth of character? Is it simply because it's easier to dismiss that which one doesn't understand? (Well, duh, yes.) The problem, as I see it, is that little effort is made to even start to understand. That the entire YA oeuvre has, in many cases, been condemned on a small sampling. That would be like reading one poorly written science fiction novel and condemning the entire genre as a result.

I've given up being outraged when I see people whose alleged education would suggest they know better than to make blanket statements of condemnation based on their peripheral experience with YA novels. It's not worth my time or energy. It's sad, though, when the media feels the need to present only one view point on the subject. And it's always the one with the weakest arguments.

Go fig.

My First FAQ

2008-12-11T00:18:00.003+03:30

In desperate need of a blog post that exists purely to spite A.S. King (long story), I thought I'd take a moment to address a few questions that have come my way since taking over here at Flux. It occurred me to that the answers might be of use to people besides the one who asked the questions. Many of these questions are related not just to Flux but to "the biz" in general. Please remember: most of these answers apply to ME. Questions that focus on preference are MY preference and may differ by editor or publishing house. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. Let's check the Flux mailbag for some FAQ!

Writermania100 writes: Is there a standard font and format for manuscripts to be submitted to editors and agents?

I think there are a few standards. Double spaced? Absolutely. I don't think I'll find anyone who argues with me on that. Will I banish you to the Total Perspective Vortex for sending me something single spaced? No. (I will WISH I could banish you as I hit Ctrl-A and double space it myself and that will make me start reading your work with my mind in a haze of anger and resentment but I won't banish you.) One inch margins? Yeah, I think that's pretty standard across the board. Fonts? Oy. Some old school editors and agents ask for Courier. Personally, I hate Courier. Dunno why. Just hard on my eyes. I'm very much a Times New Roman guy. (And, yes, if you submit something in Courier, I'll do my Ctrl-A trick and magic it into being TNR.) I encourage people NOT to get creative with fonts. Don't submit your fantasy novel in Olde English font. (Please, for the love of Mike, don't submit ANYTHING in Olde English font.)

YAguy asks: Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to the stuff you read?

Of course I do. The person who tells you they don't is a liar-pants. Will I share them with you? Mmm. I dunno. As soon as I start saying, "I hate when writers do this..." it sends writers in a tizzy, either fumbling to "fix" something in their manuscript or they denounce me as a fool who wouldn't know their brilliant writing if it grew legs, crawled up my arm, and danced the Watusi. I'll say this much: I enjoy logic. I want things to make sense on some level. If your hockey playing, first person boy protagonist is spending WAY too much time cataloging every article of clothing that every character he encounters is wearing ("Todd was standing there in his navy blue, GAP, zip-up pullover, his dark tan Dockers, ankle cut white socks, and brown bowling shoes..."*), I need to know that there's a really good reason this guy is obsessed with fashion**. Otherwise, I'm going to assume you just took a writing class where the importance of concrete details was impressed upon you and you took it a liiiitle too much too heart. Again, will it make me reject you? Probably not. But you can bet any sweet bippy you may have lying around that it WILL come up in my editorial letter. And it will look a lot like this: "Is this really his voice? :-("

SuperAgent29 asks: Are you going to go and change everything that Andrew worked so hard to establish?

This actually is THE most FAQ I have. My somewhat wishy-washy answer thus far has been: I don't see the point in fixing that which isn't broken. That's not to say that I might not explore some new territory (I like to experiment) but I like what Flux is and I like what we're known for. My goal isn't to change and shake things up. My goal is to continue the standards we've tried to maintain since our inception. If that's a little vague and evasive, good. Means I can do whatever I want. :-)

Although I never opened myself up to questions, I find myself getting them. That's cool. Feel free to keep sending and maybe I'll do another of these soon. And not just out of spite.

*= I made this line up. This is not from an actual submission. But it closely approximates one of those moments where I go, "Ummm..." in certain manuscripts.

**=I'm not saying that hockey playing, first person boy protagonists CAN'T be obsessed with fashion. That might actually make for an interesting book. But the observations should be organic to the character. You should assume, for the purposes of this post, that said HPFPBP showed absolutely NO OTHER INTEREST in fashion throughout the book, except when another character would walk through the door and he would interrupt his discussion of Derek Boogaard to go into extended detail on what the character was wearing.

Bang Head Here

2008-12-02T22:22:00.003+03:30

I'm surprised Andrew hasn't piped in on this one yet. Guess it's up to me. Be afraid.

So, yeah, the YA blogosphere nearly caught fire over the last 48 hours or so after this writer made some staggeringly ill-formed blanket judgments about YA as a whole. One of those instances where an entire oeuvre is condemned because someone jumped to rash conclusions based on a limited (and, apparently, ill-chosen) sampling. It's like saying all science fiction sucks based on reading a single STAR WARS novelization.

There are rebuttals, refutals, recriminations, and other re words floating around. It's good to see. Nothing mobilizes the YA world like being dismissed (or the mistaken perception of being dismissed, as novelist Margo Rabb learned a few months ago when she penned a NYT essay that was frequently misunderstood). Colleen Mondor has a wonderful response on Guys Lit Wire. And TadMack sends her thoughts from Glasgow.

Sometimes I think we owe these Ann Coulters of YA thanks. (Not Colleen and Tadmack! I mean Caitlin Flanagan and her ilk.) By contributing outlandish opinions, they force us to look at what we do and want to accomplish and really appreciate that we have vision that's not limited by our diminished sense of tolerance. Just like how banning a book is the surest way to watch its numbers rise, poo-pooing YA galvanizes the community.

So go ahead. Turn up your nose, naysayers. That which does not kill us...won't get a second chance to try. BWAH-HAH-HAH!!

Today I am a man.

2008-11-21T18:21:00.004+03:30

Another rite of passage at the helm of Flux: I acquired my first book!

OK, truth be told, I've acquired my first FOUR books. They all sort of happened at once.

It leaves me searching for a metaphor or simile. I want to say I feel like I've inherited this wealth of books (Flux's backlist and everything Andrew acquired for the next year and a half) and now I've got a chance to honor that inheritance by spreading my wings and starting my own--

And it's about there I realize that's a horrible simile. That's not even "first draft" bad. That's "I swear I wasn't on hallucinogens at the time I said it but it would have been nice to be able to claim that because, seriously, there's no justification for anyone who is clear of thought to be stringing that set of words together" bad.

Let's just leave it at this: I'm thrilled. Thrilled that I get to continue working with the authors with whom my esteemed predecessor forged relationships. Thrilled that I've had the pleasure to make a few fun discoveries on my own and add them to my literary harem (and the horrible metaphors continue...Bad editor! Bad!). I should just stop. And I will.

Please join me in welcoming Heath Gibson, Ed Briant, and Karen Kincy to the Flux family! Their stuff made me giddy with happiness and you'll be seeing why in 2010.

We might change the name to "The Star Blog."

2008-11-17T23:30:00.002+03:30

Congratulations to Emily Wing Smith whose debut novel, THE WAY HE LIVED, (just out this month), received a starred review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY!

From the review:

It's a testament to Smith’s skills that although her central character speaks
only through other people’s recollections, his identity emerges distinctly by
the end of the novel, giving the audience enough information to judge his
actions for themselves.

Lament, Lament, Lament is on fire!

2008-11-11T23:21:00.004+03:30

Muchos kudos to Maggie Stiefvater, whose debut LAMENT will be seeing a SECOND starred review in the forthcoming December issue of BOOKLIST. To quote the review:

This beautiful and out-of-theordinary debut novel, with its authentic depiction
of Celtic Faerie lore and dangerous forbidden love in a contemporary American
setting, will appeal to readers of Nancy Werlin’s Impossible and
StephenieMeyer’s Twilight series.

Congrats, Maggie, on Star Deux!

UPDATE: Sorry, make that Star Trois! Maggie's third star just sparkled into existence in the most recent (and sadly last) issue of KLIATT. From the KLIATT review:

Part adventure, part fantasy, and wholly riveting love story, LAMENT will
delight nearly all audiences with its skillful blend of magic and ordinary
life.

Happy Halloween from Flux!

2008-10-31T20:31:00.002+03:30

Halloween is kind of a big deal around these parts. Every department picks a theme and then dresses up accordingly. The acquisitions theme this year was "Famous Felines."

Bonus points if you know who I came as. (Hint: The glasses should be a giveaway.)

Happy Scary Day, y'all!

Nosfera 2: Return of the Killer Doubt

2008-10-23T18:57:00.003+03:30

Yesterday, I went through my first rite of passage as a new acquiring editor.

I sent out my first rejection letters. They were fairly low trauma* (meaning they went to people who’d submitted picture book or middle grade proposals, neither of which Flux publishes). I’m much more apprehensive about the ones I know I’ll eventually be sending to people writing what we DO publish. Even the most professional writers who know that rejection is part of the game don’t want to hear, “Sorry, not right for us.” Those writers, though, can quickly move on. For people just emerging on to the writing scene (Flux publishes many first time authors), rejection can be harder.

One of the things about rejection is that it can lead to self-doubt which, anyone who’s been writing for awhile will tell you, is a writer’s worst enemy. More than any bad review or scathing critic, self-doubt cripples, inhibits, and decimates. Of course, that’s if you let it. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Often, writers are more than willing to give themselves that consent.

There’s a wonderful musical that just closed on Broadway called [title of show]. (Yes, that’s the title of the show.) It’s a wonderful metafiction about two guys trying to write an original musical. Ultimately, the show stands as a tribute to the creative process and what creative people go through in their varied attempts to do their thang. My favorite song in the show is a number called, “Die, Vampire, Die!” It’s about dealing with doubt, that which is inflicted by others and that which comes from within. A vampire is defined as “any person or thought or feeling that stands between you and your creative self expression.” You can hear the song here.** (Warning: Contains adult content. Despite how unbelievably awesome this song is, I wouldn’t crank up the speakers and play this at work. Unless you wait tables part time at the International House of Curse Words. And even if you did, I doubt you’d have access to a computer so you--... I digress.)

“Die, Vampire, Die!” is my own personal creative anthem. It reminds me that someone who doesn’t like my stuff is just one person and I won’t let the vampires in my head make me think otherwise. The quality I admire most in the writers whose work crosses my desk is their fearlessness. They're not afraid to take risks. Sometimes the risks pay off, sometimes... not so much. BUT they took the risk. They got out the crucifixes and garlic garlands and managed to fend off what I can only imagine was USDA Grade A Prime Vampire Attacks. And that will always get my attention and respect.

I suppose I need a point to this post. OK, try this: a rejection letter is not a permission slip giving you carte blanche to doubt yourself. Maybe you do need another draft to tighten things up. OK, saddle up and do it. You're in this to write, right? Maybe you sent your stuff to the wrong agent/publisher. Move on. You want to find someone as passionate about your stuff as you are. You NEED that. If someone says 'no,' it's a good thing. You don't want your work in the hands of someone who can't get fully behind it. It might take a while to find that 'yes,' (Editorial Ass has an excellent post about that here), but when that happens, you'll be glad you took a stake to those vampires.

*="Oh, sure, Brian. It's low trauma for you. You're not the one getting rejected." But that's my point. It should be low trauma for the person getting rejected as well, to hear that I can't even consider their work because we don't do those kind of books. That's like getting worked up because you took your picture book into McDonald's and asked them to publish it. And then the guy behind the counter said, "We actually don't publish books. Can I get you a combo meal?" These people should bonk themselves playfully on the head and say, "Silly me. Next time, I'll do a little more research and ferret out what kinds of books a publisher does before I send a mass mailing of my manuscript at my own expense."

**=And if you have any interest in theatre at all, I highly recommend the cast recording for [title of show]. There are many other wonderful numbers pertaining to the aspirations of creative people.

Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!*

2008-10-22T16:55:00.005+03:30

This via Leila over at Bookshelves of Doom: a mother in Oregon is challenging a high school that keeps The Book of Bunny Suicides on their shelves. The mother has checked the book out of the school, is refusing to return it, and threatening to burn it.

Says Taffy Anderson, the mother: “It is a comic book, but that’s not funny. Not at all,” Anderson said. “I don’t care if your kid is 16, 17, 18. It’s wrong.” (Emphasis mine.)

This is what I ultimately find disturbing about any attempt to ban books: an overdeveloped need to protect everyone else. She's not protecting her kid; she's protecting your kid. Isn't that kind? I respect and defend a parent's right to say to their own offspring, "No, Johnny, I don't want you reading that." But when that parent decides that nobody's child should read that... that's where there's a problem.

I'm reminded of an incident three years ago where the head of a private school in Texas had the guts to return a three million dollar donation when the previously announced gift suddenly came with strings attached: the donor wanted Anne Proulx's "Brokeback Mountain" removed from the library. The YA community rallied and many authors donated signed copies of their books to the school as a show of support. That incident started ASIF (Authors Support Intellectual Freedom), an online community of primarily YA authors speaking out against censorship.

The upside to the Bunny Suicides saga? (Because, you know, there's always an upside.) The school has been inundated with offers to replace the book (as well as other challenged books). Oddly enough, I really hope her 13-year-old son who attends that school is 100% behind his mom's decision to challenge the book. If not, he could be in for some major hazing. (Although the fact that HE'S the one who checked it out of the library in the first place suggests to me he might not be on board with Mom's crusade.)

*=Bonus points if you sang along with the title of the post.

Cybils!

2008-10-20T17:02:00.004+03:30

Mr. O'Reilly: If the good Lord had wanted us to worry, he would have given us something to worry about.

Basil: He has! My wife!

--FAWLTY TOWERS

Sorry, I can't hear "Cybil" without thinking of everyone's favorite fishwife, Sybil Fawlty.

But today, I'm talking about the Cybils, the children's and young adult blogger's literary award, and the fact that NINE Flux titles have been nominated for the Cybil awards in the Young Adult and Fantasy/Sci Fi category. The Flux nominees are:

Fantasy/Sci Fi

Dead Girl Walking by Linda Singleton
Lament:The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

Young Adult

Jump the Cracks by Stacy DeKeyser
Swimming with the Sharks by Debbie Reed Fischer
My Life as a Rhombus by Varian Johnson
Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones

Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) by Carrie Jones

Everything You Want by Barbara Shoup

The Shape of Water by Anne Spollen

The long list for each category is very impressive and I know the judges will have their work cut out for them. It's great to see our authors in such fine company.

And now the countless hours of reading begin for many eager bloggers across the country/world. Maybe the Cybils could find a sponsor in Visine...

LAMENT is seeing stars!

2008-10-13T19:10:00.000+03:30

Congratulations to Maggie Stiefvater whose debut novel, LAMENT: THE FAERIE QUEEN'S DECEPTION, just got a starred review in Publishers Weekly. A quote from the review:

"YA readers searching for faerie stories will be happy to find this debut novel, an accomplished take on well-loved themes.... Stiefvater brings to her story several layers of romance, a knowledge of Irish music and a talent for
plot twists. She is also unafraid of taking plot developments to their logical outcomes, even when they mar the characters' happiness. Vibrant and potent, her
writing will hook genre fans. "

The "she is unafraid" line is one of my favorites. As you can imagine, having just started in this position, my every waking hour is spent reading every single Flux book that I either didn't work on as a publicist or that we've acquired for future publication. With every book and manuscript I read, I'm gaining familiarity with the scope of our authors and when I started reading Maggie, the word "fearless" was one of the first to pop into my brain. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks so.

Write What You...? No.

2008-10-09T20:53:00.003+03:30

Over on Nathan Bransford's blog,* Nathan asks readers to share their traumas by listing the worst writing advice they were ever given. There are definitely some doozies. But the thing about writing advice is it's often hard to see when you're getting the bad stuff. (When are you getting the bad stuff? When it's treated as an absolute.) What I've discovered is that sometimes good advice is confused for bad, largely because it gets lost in translation.

"Write what you know."

One of the oldest, if not THE oldest, bits of sage advice around. Some people hear this and they nod, closing their eyes to indicate deep understanding. Others rebel and say, "If we only wrote what we knew, we wouldn't have books like LORD OF THE RINGS or books that deal with experiences no human has had."

This is a good example of what is ultimately a very good bit of advice that, without follow through (or in the hands of the wrong instructor) can go very, very wrong. It's advice that should come with a warning label: You must be this introspective to use this mantra. It's advice that some writers take to one extreme (limiting their repetoire to only writing stories with an autobiographical protagonist who does exceedingly boring things) or the other (the aforementioned "But we wouldn't have LOTR!"). Every day across the world, writing teachers unleash these four words once every six minutes** but it's the excellent writing teachers who lend it a bit of context and explain HOW to use the advice.

Here's the secret: it's not literal. "Write what you know" does not mean limit yourself to the mundane things you encounter on a day to day basis. It's a plea to funnel your experiences, your thoughts, and all the little lessons you've accumulated in life into the worlds and characters you create to lend them that ring of familiarity. Readers love to be swept away in imagination but there's always that bit that pleads, "Give me something I can relate to." No, no one I know has ever been to wizarding school. That's not what J. K. Rowling knew either (so she made it up...shocking, I know). BUT, as Harry grew older and struggled with his growing attraction to girls and the awkwardness of often being branded an outsider, well, Jo just didn't pull that out of a pointed hat. She wrote what she knew about and used it to give her characters depths and feelings. Write what you know isn't about plot, it's about character and soul and those bizarre little quirks that motivate us, for good or bad. It's about articulating your curiosity, your heartbreak, and that which gives you fever.

It's a fact: books infused with our own personal truths are better. (Prove me wrong. I dare ya.)The best plot in the world won't be sustained by cardboard characters spouting cliches. Depth comes from complexities, contradictions, and drive that can only be conveyed with self-examination and a willingness to bare the results. This holds true whether your story is a heart-wrenching, teen angst-ridden drama or a light, funny beach read. And if possible, I think this holds even more true for the fiction we label YA. As Barbara Shoup once told me: "Teens have amazing crap detectors." If you're not writing what you know in a YA book, you'll get called on it.
Every time.

The best writing advice I ever got? It's not so much advice but it's a quote I keep near my computer that I look to whenever I get stuck.

"You were made and set here to give voice to this, your own astonishment."
--Annie Dillard

To me, it says everything I hope to get across when I write and what I hope to see when I read the works of others. "Show me what astonishes/surprises/confuses you." If your characters are astonished, they have to deal with that. And THAT'S where the heart of your story comes from.

Look closely at what Dillard's saying. YOUR astonishment. It has nothing to do with wizarding schools and spaceships and yet everything to do with it. Because, in the end, writing what you don't know should always be informed by what you do know.

*=Do you read Nathan's blog? You should.

**=Totally made-up stat.

Ahoy, Mateys! Sneak peeks of DUST OF 100 DOGS begin to arrive!

2008-10-08T16:23:00.003+03:30

Although A.S. King's debut novel, THE DUST OF 100 DOGS, won't be released until February, it's already enjoying some fab pre-pub buzz (that's industry talk for "it's getting a nice amount of attention that one hopes will translate into interest in the book upon its release").

First, it got some great endorsements from a cadre of amazingYA authors: Lisa McMann, Heather Brewer, Lauren Baratz-Logsted, and Carrie Jones.

Then there was the shout out from Alison Morris on her PW blog, Shelf Talker, where she admired the cover (which was then admired by others).

Now, the inimitable Leila over at Bookshelves of Doom has chimed in with her thoughts. To quote Leila: "The Dust of 100 Dogs is entertaining, multi-layered, smart and definitely gripping...."

But my favorite part of Leila's review is where she questions whether or not this is YA. Anyone who pays attention to industry trades or even articles in the New York Times knows that this can be a dicey topic. Where does the Y in YA begin and end? The good news is that EVERYONE has an opinion on the matter, which leads to some great chatter on the matter. (My opinion? I adhere to Flux's credo--YA is a point of view, not a reading level.)

Again, to quote Leila: "The subject matter doesn't pertain to my YA or not YA question -- there's no topic here that I haven't found in other YA books -- it's the tone and the perspective(s). Then again, the genre is constantly evolving and expanding. Maybe in the future the line between YA and adult will get more and more blurred. I'd like that. "

I'd like that too.

In today's news: Nothing

2008-10-03T19:47:00.012+03:30

Actually, there is something. Robin Friedman's Nothing is getting some great coverage! You may have seen the CBS Early Show spot on "Man-orexia." Now check out this from the New Jersey Star-Ledger. Or this from the Warren (NJ) Reporter.

Congrats, Robin!

Band Book Week

2008-10-03T19:47:00.008+03:30

Sorry I'm a little late coming to the party. In the hullaballoo of taking over the new position, I'd almost missed all the wonderful press about Band Book Week. It's so great that the blogging community has come together to celebrate and note this often neglected subgenre of YA lit.

Flux is proud to offer two stellar entries in this field: BAND GEEK LOVE by Josie Bloss which was a summer reading favorite for band campers all across the country. (Fret not, Bloss fans, a sequel IS on the way...) And we've also got the recently released BUSTED: CONFESSIONS OF AN ACCIDENTAL PLAYER by debut novelist Antony John which features band geek Kevin Mopsely who stands to rocket to A-list popularity status at school...provided he can supply the senior class guys with an accurate catalog of all the senior girls' measurements.

I hope when you settle in to pay deference to Band Book Week, you'll consider picking up one of these...

....Wait, what?...

...Two Ns? Really? Man, homophones suck...

Never mind.

The New Guy Card

2008-09-29T17:50:00.005+03:30

"Last night, I played poker with a deck of tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died."
--Steven Wright

You know what the best part of any new job is? It's not the smell of a freshly cleaned desk. It's not the many congratulations and warm fuzzies you get as you start. It's the fact that you get to be stupid.

New jobs allow you to be a card-carrying idiot for about three months. IT'S GREAT!

"Why didn't you get me that proposal?"

"Oh, sorry. Didn't know it was due. I'm still new to this."

I'm a reasonably intelligent person. I've got a couple degrees. I understood and laughed at all the jokes on FRASIER. But getting permission to drop the facade and just screw up is a lot like exhaling after holding your breath for, like, a year.

Right now, many of you are thinking, "Yes, but do we WANT a moron at the Flux helm?"

Hakuna matata. The New Guy card is, as I suggested, a short term reprieve. And just because I've got an excuse to make mistakes as I sift through files and e-mails and manuscripts doesn't mean I WILL mess up. But let's agree that anything new has a learning curve and I expect to be playing the New Guy card for at least a few weeks, if not the full 3 month period. (Why three months? I dunno. In my experience, that's usually the time it takes to feel really comfortable in the new skin. We'll see.)

I can see I'm instilling you with oodles of confidence. Buck up, campers! I don't know about you but I'm here to have some fun. Anyone care to join me?

Adios

2008-09-27T00:03:00.000+03:30

This is my last post, and I'm happy to turn it over to Brian. You're in good hands (he's a MUCH better blogger). All Flux authors should have received an email, but if you haven't for some reason, know how much I've enjoyed working with you and how grateful I am for the experience. Keep in touch.

Best,
AK

The New News

2008-09-23T19:15:00.000+03:30

Following the last announcement, I am very please to make this announcement: Flux has a new editor.

Next Monday, Brian Farrey will take over for me and begin acquiring books for Flux. Many of you know Brian as Flux's senior publicist, and in that role he has been instrumental in what we've done so far with Flux. Aside from his work at Flux, Brian is a dedicated connoisseur of YA literature, and he recently earned his MFA in creative writing with an emphasis on the genre.

Suffice it to say that I am thrilled with this choice. I think Flux is in very good hands for a successful future and I know I will follow with great interest what Brian and all of you do in the coming years.

Stay tuned for more details.

-AK (still in charge for 72 more hours)

Kinda Cool

2008-09-15T23:43:00.000+04:30

Sales figures aren't something I dwell on a lot here, but I do think this little fact is fascinating and heartening. One of the major chains has sold over 1,500 copies of our edition of Marilyn Sachs The Fat Girl in the last eight months--and over 400 copies last week alone.

The Fat Girl was first published over twenty years ago and had been out of print for a while when I read a post of Roger Sutton's blog, where he mentioned Sachs' novel. We've now had it back in print for a little over 18 months, and while Stephanie Meyer needn't worry, I am very pleased to see several thousand copies of the book have reached readers and the book is enjoying healthy success in this second go-around.

I'm not saying this to highlight any remarkable perceptiveness on my part. It was a pretty simple deal. I liked the book, thought we could sell it, and there was space on our list. What I do think is interesting is that I have never heard a word from a reader about this book being dated (remember, it's over 20 years old) or irrelevant. All we did was update the cover and add a brief note from Marilyn. The readers did the rest.

Maggie!

2008-09-10T23:45:00.002+04:30

Lots of good news for Lament, but you should go to Maggie's blog to see it because Maggie's blog has talking octopi and mine does not.

Children's authors and inadequacy

2008-09-10T22:56:00.000+04:30

I'm halfway through an interesting biography of Margaret Wise Brown and I just read this article in the Times on Maurice Sendak. (And for good measure, throw in the Margo Rabb Times piece from earlier this year.) All of this has inadequacy and failure on my mind. Here's a bit from the Sendak article:

... he is plagued by the question that has repeatedly been asked about Norman Rockwell: was he a great artist or a mere illustrator?

“Mere illustrator,” he said, repeating the phrase with contempt. It’s not that Mr. Sendak, who has illustrated more than 100 books, including many he wrote, is angry that people question Rockwell’s talent; rather, he fears he has not risen above the “mere illustrator” label himself.

Similarly, Wise Brown was tormented by the sense that her work for children was not valuable and that she should strive to write for adults. (There' are long discussion of the book she worked on "with" Gertrude Stein and of her relationship with the poet and actress Michael Strange that are particularly fascinating on this point.)

I don't think this sense of writing the wrong thing or of writing in a less valuable genre is unique to children's book authors at all, but it does seem to have a unique character. (Am I correct in observing that some authors of adult "genre fiction," especially sci-fi, have a protective chip-on-the-shoulder underappreciated attitude? I am not being critical--just an observation.)

Thoughts?

The News

2008-09-09T18:58:00.000+04:30

As many of you have heard by now, I am leaving Flux and Llewellyn on September 26 to take the editorial directorship of Carolrhoda, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group in Minneapolis, where I will be acquiring children's books of all sorts for all ages (including YA). I do this with a good deal of sadness because my time working at Flux (and keeping this blog) has been the most rewarding of my career, but this new challenge is very exciting and offers me unique opportunities. I simply cannot pass it up (and yes, I will continue to blog. After Sept. 26, go here for details.).

I have tried to send an email to all Flux authors, but inevitably somebody will get missed or Spam filtered, so please do give me a call if you have questions or concerns. I look forward to speaking with as many of you as possible.

Thanks so much to all of you who made this such a great three years. Please keep in touch.

That new Google Browser

2008-09-08T20:59:00.001+04:30

No, I'm not going to geek out on you (though I could). But even if you're not interested in Google's Chrome, it's worth checking out the comic famed comics artist Scott McCloud created to explain the thing. (New York Times article here.)

Tad Mack on REMEMBER THIS

2008-09-03T22:55:00.001+04:30

Readers' Rants just posted a delightful review of S.T. Underdahl's Remember This.
"A heartbreaking, fabulous family novel. Bring your tissues."

Good notices for LAMENT

2008-09-03T22:53:00.000+04:30

Maggie's book is just now heading out of the warehouse, and we're hearing good things. Like this, from Book Divas.

" I was not able to put the book down until I read the final page."

Or this from Readers' Rants.

SLJ for JUMP THE CRACKS

2008-09-02T21:38:00.001+04:30

School Library Journal just posted a very positive review of Stacy DeKeyser's YA debut, Jump the Cracks.

"DeKeyser accurately describes the thought process that Victoria goes through as she comes to the realization of what she's done. While at the heart of her choices is her anger over her parents' divorce, the author does not oversimplify the situation. Teens are sure to find this an interesting read."

More cover love

2008-08-29T18:11:00.001+04:30

At SuperPunch.

An interview with Emily Wing Smith

2008-08-29T00:28:00.001+04:30

When a book design is finished and we find we've got extra pages in the last signature, Production Editor Sandy, Designer Steff, Marketing People, and I talk about how we can fill them. More often then not, we end up doing an interview or perhaps discussion questions, and more often than not, I get to do the interviewing. Most recently, Steff finished the design for The Way He Lived, and I sent Emily six questions. Her answers are, as I expected, very thoughtful, but I thought her answer to my last question was particularly worth sharing early.

AK: The young adult genre has gotten a lot of attention lately, and there's a lot of discussion about what makes a book "YA," as opposed to "adult." In your mind, what makes this book YA?

EWS: I didn’t give any thought to whether or not my book would be young adult. I’ve wanted to write young adult fiction since the time I was a young adult myself. I read YA literature in junior high and high school, studied YA literature in college, and specialized in YA literature in graduate school. I feel the same way a lot of YA authors feel: that in my heart, I will forever be seventeen years old.

My own feelings aside, however, I think The Way He Lived is a young adult book because of its tone. While many books for adults feature young adult characters, adult books generally have the tone of “look at what I’ve learned.” The tone in my book (and I think this is true of young adult books in general) is “learn with me.”

An Imprint-Wide Blush

2008-08-26T20:19:00.001+04:30

PW Blogger Allison Morris has an absolutely awesome post at "ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog" about our covers, wherein she gives a gold star for "producing some designs that are a little bit different and a lot teen-friendly." She says tons of nice things about a variety of our covers, so please head on over.

Anne Spollen on Writing and Being Written To

2008-08-26T18:29:00.001+04:30

Anne Spollen writes some of my favorite sentences (I suspect she'd never write that blog title) and then goes on to combine them into some of my favorite books. Her latest blog post talks a little about her process. This alone is interesting enough, but she also touches a little on the writing that her books begets--the fan and "other" mail. Very amusing.

Maggie Stiefvater on Seven Impossible Things

2008-08-25T21:22:00.001+04:30

Seven Imp has a brief but wide-ranging interview with the multi-talented Maggie Stiefvater. Check it out.

Carrie Jones doubles up in SLJ

2008-08-22T01:55:00.000+04:30

In the magazine, there's a fine review for Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape):

"....This is a thoughtful and often humorous read, and while there are almost too many different issues going on here (teen pregnancy, physical abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, gay bashing, life-threatening allergic reactions), Jones manages to make it all work. Her descriptions of life in a small town where everyone knows your business are spot-on, as are her depictions of high school. An occasional character is over-the-top, but Belle herself is a likable, believable character whose emotional crises will resonate with teens."

Meanwhile, over at SLJTeen, they've reviewed Girl, Hero very favorably. You must read the whole thing because it's a good, thoughtful review from an actual teen reader, but this part is particularly interesting:

I was really nervous picking up this book because Carrie Jones’ previous novels, Tips on Having a Gay (ex) Boyfriend (Flux, 2007) and Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape) (Flux, 2008) are my two favorite books in the world. I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading this book and found a fresh, new voice jumping off of the page at me. There were still some familiar elements of Carrie Jones’ other books, like the bits about sexuality, Amnesty International, and Students for Social Justice, but it was enough of a new story that those elements didn’t bug me too much. One thing that was a bit disappointing was the fact that Lili has a cat named Muffin, and so does the character Belle Philbrick from Tips … It doesn’t seem creative at all. Even though Muffin is only mentioned one time in “Girl, Hero” that I can remember, names should always be changed when you write another book that isn’t part of a series.

I for one was glad to see Muffin reappear in another book, but apparently that was less okay than I thought. Authors, be aware.

Girl, Hero also got some nice coverage in a PW article about epistolary novels:

Another fictional letter writer is the protagonist of Girl, Hero by Carrie Jones, due in August from Flux. At school, Lily is searching for a way to fit in yet still be herself, while at home she must deal with a needy mother and a traumatized older sister. Struggling to find someone to believe in, Lily pens letters to her hero, the late John Wayne, a strategy that helps her find the hero inside herself.

Librarilly Blond on Nothing

2008-08-22T01:43:00.001+04:30

Carlie Webber of Librarilly Blonde has a cool post on boy eating disorder books, featuring Robin Friedman's Nothing. In the comments, Little Willow points out the title coincidence between the two books. (Two points to anyone but Brian Farrey who can find the other packaging related coincidence associated with Robin's book.)

Early Praise for The Way He Lived

2008-08-22T01:38:00.000+04:30

I am immodestly excited to be publishing Emily Wing Smith. Her debut novel is incredibly brave and unique--and fortunately I'm not the only one who thinks so. In addition to the excellent endorsement from Sara Zarr, award winning author Ellen Wittlinger sent this: "A compelling account of the ways in which grief weaves through and changes the lives of six teens. Compassionate and heartfelt." All true. It's an amazing book.

I'm back

2008-08-19T20:12:00.001+04:30

I was on vacation, and now I'm not. Expect a big review round-up post soon, since there was tons of excitement while I was gone.

Meanwhile, allow me a moment of self-promotion. I'm teaching a class this fall at the wonderful Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. It's called "Revising the Young Adult Novel." If you're in the area, you can come hear more about it next Tuesday, at the open house.

Kudos confirmed for Spollen and Shoup

2008-07-31T18:14:00.001+04:30

Librarian and blogger Lisa Chellman has a clever take on blog reviewing. She writes: 'These days, I choose the vast majority of my books based on blog recommendations—i.e., books that have probably been reviewed multiple times on various widely read blogs. I feel like I'd just be saying, "Ditto, ditto, ditto."' So she's posting some of her recent reading and her favorites reviews for them, including the Shape of Water and Everything You Want.

"[Everything You Want] about each character searching out what they truly want in spite of—rather than because of—the new money in their lives. For Emma, a college freshman who's never dated (her closest experience hither-to resulted in her getting punched in the face), it's about groping her way into the future and, she hopes, finding love along the way—universal themes in spite of extraordinary circumstances. Also, did I mention that much of the dialogue is downright hilarious?"

"I wasn't sure what to expect. And even if I'd been told what to expect, I don't think it would have prepared me for what I found. To say that this book is about grief and moving beyond grief isn't sufficient. It took me by surprise with its strangeness and beauty and glimpses of humor amid the darkness."

Fictionistas

2008-07-31T00:52:00.001+04:30

The Fictionistas blog is interviewing all the finalist for the Romance Writers of America's YA RITA award. It's a diverse group of authors and books, so do check it out, and Flux's own Simone Elkeles is one of the five, so check on Friday for her interview.

Great notices for Nothing

2008-07-30T06:46:00.001+04:30

Robin Friedman's Nothing probably managed to do something no other book has done before. She got reviewed in the Huffington Post and Guys Lit Wire on the same day. The HuffPo article is by journalist and mental health advocate Tom Davis, who suffered from bulimia as a young man and is Robin's inspiration for the story. Davis writes:

"When I first told Robin about my history, I could see her connecting in a way that displayed a combination of humility, empathy and sympathy -- a rare trait for anybody in a society that's too busy to communicate in ways that are more complex than a one-sentence e-mail.

"Robin, in fact, is on a short list of people in my life who, I believe, can connect with people on an emotionally deep level. She has a sincerity -- as well as a raw and honest, but affecting laugh -- that can put the most unrefined person at ease."

I've had a chance to talk to Tom briefly and his commitment to this issue is impressive. It's not often that I get to interact with a book, its author, and her inspiration all at once, so this has been a particularly exciting book for me.

Bloggy kudos for Debbie Reed Fischer

2008-07-29T00:21:00.001+04:30

The blog Reading Keeps Me Sane recently reviewed an advance copy of Debbie Fischer's Swimming with the Sharks.

Overall the book is brilliant. The ending was scintillating. I loved the book in the end. It was just hard to finish reading it, but I'm really happy I did. Debbie Reed Fischer is an excellent writing. She's going to be a huge Young Adult Fiction writer in the future. I can't wait to read her first book, Braless in Wonderland which came out this past April.

Debbie is a member of the Class of 2K8 author's group. I contributed a little backstory on Debbie's path to publication for their blog. I think they're posting it this week.

A couple of excellent notices for Girl, Hero

2008-07-28T17:44:00.001+04:30

Librarian Nan Hoekstra has a nice review on her blog, and PW featured Carrie's third novel in an article called "Letter-Laced Fiction."

Attention All Bloggers

2008-07-25T06:03:00.002+04:30

I'm composing this using a free piece of Microsoft software called Windows Live Writer. It's a standalone editor that can post to most major blog platforms (I use Blogger) and I'm pretty sure it's awesome (not as awesome Henry, built still pretty awesome). Here's just a few bells and whistles: It supports drag and drop pictures and allows you to resize them intelligently. You can customize the border width. And, when you grab an image that's a link, like from Amazon or your dear publisher's web site, it grabs the link, too (click the CWIM cover image). All of this with no coding. The editor detects your blog's layout, so the layout you see as you compose is what you get--you can even preview it in full context. It's got a tool for tables, video, maps, and people are writing plugins for it, so it's expanding all the time. Basically, it seems like Word, but for blogging. If you're running Windows and you blog, then I'm pretty sure this will save you time. Get it free.

Writing and categories

2008-07-24T18:44:00.001+04:30

The Margo Rabb piece in the New York times has engendered a lot of interesting discussion, but I'm a little uncomfortable with the degree to which writers are allowing the book business's categories to dictate their conception of a book's worth. Obviously, I believe in young adult fiction as a category in a certain extent. I believe it's a useful way to corral certain books in a bookstore or library, and I believe that, as a genre, it provides a useful rough set of boundaries. And that's all, really. Artistic achievement and the writer's craft are completely separate from this.

I quipped in an email to a colleague that "the book industry screws artists in lots of ways, but I’m beginning to think the greatest crime it’s perpetrated is forcing writers to accept its convenient marketing categories as meaningful to the value of their work."

Actually, I think it takes two to perpetrate this particular travesty. Novelists have to take the categories seriously. I will acknowledge that it would require a naive view of human nature to expect authors to be completely uninterested in how their publishers and readers categorize their work, but I think it takes a similarly naive view of the history of the novel itself to get overly involved in the fine points of contemporary commercial characterization of their work. A novelist's contemporaries are often extraordinarily bad judges of what a novel is. From its birth, the novel--especially in English--was seen as a trivial, second class form. Most novel writing was popular, disposable entertainment. Even into the 20th century, the book business proved wildly inconsistent in its initial characterization of books, from their content to their permanence, sometimes to the author's financial advantage.

Many of my authors know that Nabokov is my go-to example for a lot of things, and this is no exception. The first American editors to read Lolita in manuscript were sure they and the author would go to jail if the book were published. Their attitudes only softened slightly after the book was released by a French publisher with a reputation for erotica (a certain court ruling also helped).

An article in the Boston Globe by Harvard Prof. Leland de la Durantaye from three years ago sums it up nicely:

'Lolita appeared in two pale green volumes from the Paris-based Olympia Press in September 1955. Few readers took notice of the foreign publication until December, when Graham Greene, writing in the London Sunday Times, included the book by the virtually unknown Nabokov in his list of the three best he had read that year. John Gordon, a conservative Scottish editor, examined the unexpected entry in Graham's list and shortly thereafter denounced it in the Sunday Express as "the filthiest book I have ever read," adding that it was "sheer unrestrained pornography." Sales soared, interest increased, and when, after much fearful hesitation on the part of publishers, the work was published in an American edition in 1958, it spent six months as No. 1 on the bestseller charts.'

So, which was more important to the book's success? It's legitimization by Greene or its vilification by Gordon. Or both? I tend to think the controversy--is it art, is it porn?--was the important factor. Nabokov, who outwardly scorned concerning himself with an audience any larger than his one ideal reader, seems to have been reasonably and pragmatically content to tolerate the mischaracterization and occasional abuse (see movie tie-in cover) of his book in the popular imagination, as long as a core of readers (eventually a very, very large core) understood its genius, and as long as he was comfortably compensated for that popular success (which he was, Lolita the book and movie that followed allowed him to quit teaching and live comfortably in Montreux, Switzerland for the rest of his life).

I can't guarantee anyone caught up in the is-it-YA,is-it-adult? controversies a comfortable existence in a Swiss hotel, but I'm having a hard time seeing how it's a bad thing.

Margo Rabb on YA in the Grey Lady

2008-07-21T16:54:00.001+04:30

Margo Rabb's Cures for Heartbreak was one of the books that got me through torturous jury duty a year ago. Check out her essay in the Times on YA. Good stuff. (Thanks A.S. King for sending the link.)

"So clearly a teenager"

2008-07-18T22:12:00.001+04:30

No, this isn't a foreign policy blog, but I do think this story on All Things Considered from a couple days ago about interrogation at Guantanamo is more than a little interesting as an example of cultural perception of "teenagerness." The reporter, Tom Gjelten, makes a really interesting observation at about 2:30 into the clip:

"To me this is so clearly a teenager being interrogated. I mean, how many times have you spoken to your own teenage kids this way..."

It's not so clearly a "child," but a teenager. He's recognizing something universal. For me, one of the strongest indicators of YA in fiction is what Gjelten is picking up on: an unbearable tension created by a young person in an adult situation (in this case a situation that no adult would handle well, either). This is why I think of YA as a genre.

(Interesting to note that they got lots of letters about that comment. The ones they read vigorously disagreed.)

A little plug

2008-07-18T18:05:00.001+04:30

Alice Pope just announced at her blog that the 2009 CWIM (Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Marketplace)
is now available. Aside from it being a lovely shade of lavender, it contains articles by people like author Cynthia Leitich Smith and editor Allyn Johnston, and there are interviews with Sherman Alexie, Cecil Castelluci, and Scotwesterfled, among others. And I wrote an article, too, wherein I manage to discuss the medieval world view, John Cougar Mellencamp, Nirvana, Peter Cameron, and Lorrie Moore. I did mention this was a plug, right?

Wish You Were Here at Chasing Ray

2008-07-16T17:28:00.001+04:30

Quoth Colleen:

"I often write about how it is hard to review teen books as an adult - you just don't think like a teenager anymore so sometimes adult reviewers can get frustrated by how teenagers act. Barbara Shoup's Wish You Were Here is so pitch perfect though, that as the child of divorced parents whose mother remarried when I was a teen....well let me just say this woman knows of what she writes. She nails so much of the frustration of that situation; it is eerie. Flux has reissued the book (it came out in May) and I'm so happy with it - expect more in my August column."

I'm so happy to see reviews like this for Wish You Were Here and for Marilyn Sachs' The Fat Girl, which we also rereleased a while ago. There is a great deal of interesting YA by active authors languishing out of print. I firmly believe that teen readers aren't bothered by "contemporary" stories set a decade or two in the past.

Okay, this is new

2008-07-16T01:56:00.001+04:30

Maggie Stiefvater, author of the forthcoming Lament, is also a painter and a prolific blogger. So, she's combining these talents to create something she's calling Teaser Tuesday. And it apparently involves bears. Maybe she should explain.

I wracked my brains to think of ways to talk more about [Lament] in the upcoming weeks (okay, not really. Really I just drank some sweet tea and listened to some City Sleeps and decided I like to draw bears doing funny things), and I decided that what I want to do is feature a teaser from LAMENT every Tuesday from now until its release.

Yeah, that didn't help me much either, so maybe you should just go look.

Another good notice for Girl, Hero

2008-07-14T22:38:00.001+04:30

Charlotte's Library has a great entry about Girl, Hero, in which she identifies a little-recognized benefit of Carrie's novels:

"That being said, here’s another reason why I am going to try to get my
boys to read the works of Carrie Jones. She writes the nicest high
school boys ever (in this book, it’s Paolo, who’s cool and sweet and
understanding), and I want my sons to be that nice too."

True, but why, if Carrie is capable of such great boys (and she is), is her one super-bad boy named Andrew?

Friday Review Avalanche

2008-07-11T20:22:00.001+04:30

Kirkus reviews for Girl, Hero and Robin Friedman's Nothing just showed up on the interwebs. Both very positive.

"Parker's negative body image and need for control will be familiar to teen readers, but the callous dismissal of his few attempts to discuss his worries says worlds about social expectations for teen boys."

In a quirky but deliberate voice both serious and funny, Lily navigates her complicated life by writing to John Wayne. ... [R]eaders will respond to the self-aware but vulnerable Lily as she grows over time into her own unique hero."

And then Midwest Book Review has a review of our paperback of Barbara Shoup's Wish You Were Here.

“WISH YOU WERE HERE is a deftly composed coming-of-age tale, sure to please young adult readers.”

A great endorsement for Lament

2008-07-11T18:01:00.001+04:30

Maggie Stiefvater's Lament is a couple months away, still, but early praise keeps coming in, this time from none other than Cynthia Leitich Smith, author most recently of Tantalize (which should be out in paper any minute) and keeper of the indispensable Cynsations blog.

"Chock-full of the fierce and the fey, Maggie Stiefvater's Lament is musical, magical, and practically radiating romance. A blood-fresh reinvention of old traditions, perfect for engaging sharp minds and poetic hearts."

Kliatt on Wildewood and Band Geek Love

2008-07-10T23:35:00.001+04:30

KLIATT has two excellent reviews for Flux books in its most recent issue: Band Geek Love's heroine, Ellie, is "refreshingly real and honest" (despite the fact that you often want to strangle her), and Into the Wildewood is "a mixture of Clueless and The Two Towers that somehow melds them with style. Summers's book will attract new fantasy recruits and diehard fans."

A great review for Girl, Hero

2008-07-10T23:24:00.001+04:30

The ALAN review has an awesome review of Carrie's novel. A highlight:

'Readers will find secret comfort in Liliana’s
so-absurd-it-must-be-true story, noticing specks of their own lives scattered here and there, specks they do not want anyone to know about, specks that make them who they are. Liliana’s story will empower
readers, reminding them of their ability to overcome anything, as long
as they first tip their hat and whisper “saddle up.”'

Couldn't agree more.

Heads Up

2008-07-10T21:50:00.001+04:30

I think this is a really interesting idea. Mark your calendars.

Building for the Teenage

2008-07-08T22:51:00.001+04:30

In a previous life I worked at a company that published books about home improvement and design, and I was very interested in residential architectural stuff. I stumbled on to a book called A Pattern Language by an architect and Berkeley professor named Christopher Alexander and several collaborators. It's a fascinating book about the ways humans divide up the spaces they live in, from a planetary scale to a room scale. The "patterns" of the book are archetypal design challenges that the authors have identified and solutions to those challenges that the author propose. I think the book is fascinating to anyone who occupies space (and that would be everyone), but for the purposes of this blog, I think the two patterns that directly address teenage life are very interesting.

Pattern 84 is called Teenage Society. Here's the problem:

"Teenage is the time of passage between childhood and adulthood. In traditional societies, this passage is accompanied by rites which suit the psychological demands of the transition. But in modern society the 'high school' fails entirely to provide this passage."

And here's a taste of the solution:

"We believe that teenagers in a town, boys and girls from age 12 to 18, should be encouraged to form a miniature society, in which they are as differentiated, and as mutually responsible, as the adults in full scale society . . . . Therefore: Replace the 'high school' with an institution which is actually a model of adult society. . . ."

Here's the other teenage pattern, number 154 Teenager's Cottage:

"If a teenager's place in the home does not reflect his need for a measure of independence, he will be locked in conflict with his family."

There solution is what they call the "teenage cottage." The whole description of how they conceive the space is really interesting to me. They see space as a way to help a teenager redefine their connection to the family--still connected, but also independent. Here's the solution:

"To mark a child's coming of age, transform his place in the home into a kind of cottage that expresses in a physical way the beginnings of independence. Keep the cottage attached to the home, but make it a distinctly visible bulge, far away from the master bedroom, with a private entrance, perhaps its own roof."

The authors are confident of the archetypal nature of all the problems they identify, but they rate their solutions on a zero-to-three scale to measure how elemental they believe their solutions are--whether they believe there are solutions to the problem that don't incorporate elements of their solution (scoring a zero) or they believe no solution is possible without incorporating theirs (a three). Both of these score a zero. Interesting.

Their first pattern-solution pair seems like Lord of the Flies to me, but I find the second really interesting. I'm sure you could find dozens of examples of this in practice in YA novels and teen TV. (Anybody else thinking of that Beach Boys song, "In My Room"?)

This is a first . . .

2008-07-04T00:38:00.001+04:30

Josie Bloss marked the release of her new novel in a way that's completely novel (sorry) to me. Yep, she got a tattoo. This got me thinking, has anyone else done something interesting to personally commemorate a first novel?

When we were picking a logo for Flux a few years ago, I said it had to be cool enough for me to get it tattoed somewhere, but I only got as far as the Sharpie prototype.

Amen, Cory Doctorow

2008-07-03T18:29:00.001+04:30

I haven't read Little Brother yet, but I will soon. If I needed any additional incentive, there's Cory's excellent column in Locus. He writes "There's a consequentiality to writing for young people that makes it immensely satisfying."

'Writing for young people is really exciting. As one YA writer told me,
"Adolescence is a series of brave, irreversible decisions." One day,
you're someone who's never told a lie of consequence; the next day you
have, and you can never go back. One day, you're someone who's never
done anything noble for a friend, the next day you have, and you can
never go back. Is it any wonder that young people experience a
camaraderie as intense as combat-buddies? Is it any wonder that the
parts of our brain that govern risk-assessment don't fully develop
until adulthood? Who would take such brave chances, such existential
risks, if she or he had a fully functional risk-assessment system?'

Indeed.

The only tiny criticism I have isn't even really a criticism. I would just add that in no way is his thesis limited to sci-fi--Doctorow's subgenre (yes, subgenre) of choice. What he says applies broadly to any kind of YA writing.

Josie Bloss at The StorySiren

2008-07-03T17:15:00.001+04:30

Josie Bloss' Band Geek Love is in stores now and Josie is blogging about her inspiration for the book over The Story Siren. Have a look. (Personally, I can affirm band-camp tunnel vision, although I was never farseeing or reflective enough to write any of it down. Though, I can say such was my love for band camp--Akers Hall at Michigan State in August, sigh!--that I actually went back as a counselor the summer after I graduated. Bizarre indeed.)

More. A.S. King

2008-07-02T17:51:00.001+04:30

The always insightful A.S. King is blogging over at MysticLit. Check it out.

Wish you lived in Austin?

2008-07-01T22:57:00.001+04:30

Cynthia Leitich Smith has a rundown of the conference she just hosted for kidlit authors at her home in Austin. Wow.

Flux authors Varian Johnson (below, standing) and Jo Whittemore were in attendance.

Richelle Mead on LAMENT

2008-06-30T20:53:00.001+04:30

Richelle Mead, author of the bestselling Vampire Academy and its sequel, Frostbite, just sent a nice blurb for Maggie Stiefvater's forthcoming debut: Lament.

"With her lyrical writing, Maggie Stiefvater reimagines myth and legend to bring the world of Faerie to our own."

Compulsory Reading

2008-06-30T20:46:00.002+04:30

This strip at comic artist Alison Bechdel's blog is genius (Thanks Leila).

Carrie Jones in the Bangor newspaper and on Teensreadtoo.com

2008-06-30T17:39:00.001+04:30

"Maine people inspire novelist Carrie Jones" declares an article in today's Bangor Daily News. Check it out and then hit Teens Read Too and see Tasha's starred review of the book. Highlights:

"How to tell you about this book??... It is powerful, hardcore, and utterly breathtaking. It made me cry and laugh and scream. Carrie Jones doesn’t hold back and makes us realize how lucky we are to have a life that isn’t infiltrated with hardship. This was one of the few books that actually made me cry."

Finally!

2008-06-28T00:52:00.001+04:30

"Saddle up."

Carrie Jones' third novel, Girl, Hero is here. I first read this in manuscript over two years ago, when it was called The John Wayne Letters (and every character had a different name). It seems like this one has been a long time coming, but having it in hand now, it's clearly worth the wait. The early reviews confirm this and now you can find out for yourself.

Of course, Carrie hasn't exactly been sitting around in the meantime. She has a book this winter with Bloomsbury called Need and it's available for pre-order on Amazon now.

Heading into the weekend on a positive note . . .

2008-06-27T20:36:00.001+04:30

The Edge of the Forest has fantastic dueling reviews of Carrie Jones' Girl, Hero. I'm not sure how they're dueling, since they're both very positive, but it's cool all the same.

From Melissa Fox, Book Nut

".... The real success of the book is the letter form it's written in. Because each letter has Lili pouring her heart out to John Wayne, telling him her deepest thoughts, fears, and secrets, the reader feels a connection to Lili, sympathizes with her in a way that otherwise they wouldn't be able to. In addition, starting each chapter with a classic quote from John Wayne, Jones captures the essence of the great movie star, and one girl's idolization of him. It seems a bit odd, given the young-hip-new culture of today's teenagers, that one girl would idolize a western movie star from the 1940s, but it works, and works well. "

And Tanita S. Davis, Finding Wonderland

".... Carrie Jones' third novel Girl, Hero, is both painfully realistic and, peopled as it is with an endearingly bizarre cast of characters, a touch surreal. John Wayne casts a long shadow in this novel (as he does on the very cool cover), but he's not nearly as memorable as Liliana herself, whose scary, sad and funny Freshman year is a testament to the power of acceptance, hope and perseverance, and touches the hero within all of us. ..."

And don't miss Carrie's interview with Dar Williams in the same issue.

Fashion Friday

2008-06-27T17:59:00.004+04:30

The New York Times has discovered that young men wear their "trousers" peculiarly these days. Apparently it has something to do with the stockmarket. Glad that's cleared up.

Flux Twitter.

2008-06-25T18:18:00.003+04:30

Look to the right. Andrew's playing with another Web 2.0 thingee. I'm going to try a Twitter feed for a bit. It's here as well as in the corner of this blog. We'll see how this goes.

Heading into the weekend on a positive note . . .

2008-06-21T00:48:00.004+04:30

The Edge of the Forest has fantastic dueling reviews of Carrie Jones' Girl, Hero. I'm not sure how they're dueling, since they're both very positive, but it's cool all the same.

From Melissa Fox, Book Nut

".... The real success of the book is the letter form it's written in. Because each letter has Lili pouring her heart out to John Wayne, telling him her deepest thoughts, fears, and secrets, the reader feels a connection to Lili, sympathizes with her in a way that otherwise they wouldn't be able to. In addition, starting each chapter with a classic quote from John Wayne, Jones captures the essence of the great movie star, and one girl's idolization of him. It seems a bit odd, given the young-hip-new culture of today's teenagers, that one girl would idolize a western movie star from the 1940s, but it works, and works well. "

And Tanita S. Davis, Finding Wonderland

".... Carrie Jones' third novel Girl, Hero, is both painfully realistic and, peopled as it is with an endearingly bizarre cast of characters, a touch surreal. John Wayne casts a long shadow in this novel (as he does on the very cool cover), but he's not nearly as memorable as Liliana herself, whose scary, sad and funny Freshman year is a testament to the power of acceptance, hope and perseverance, and touches the hero within all of us. ..."

And don't miss Carrie's interview with Dar Williams in the same issue.

Flux on Facebook

2008-06-20T04:48:00.002+04:30

Yep, we're there. If you're so inclined, please check us out, become a "Fan," etc.

(Massive kudos to summer intern Helen for making it happen.)

Varian on Authorial Intrusion

2008-06-19T21:44:00.002+04:30

My blogospheric tentacles take a long time to penetrate LiveJournal's fortifications, so this is a little late, but still interesting. Check out Varian's quickie interview over on L.K. Madigan's blog. (Sneak peak: Varian's got ink!)

Last one, I promise

2008-06-18T20:59:00.002+04:30

Read the GalleyCat entry on the Glenn Beck "emasculation" thing if for no other reason than to giggle at the Dr. Strangelove reference.

Anne Spollen on Anne Spollen, and More Emasculation

2008-06-17T17:13:00.004+04:30

The Shape of Water author Anne Spollen has a blog at Amazon.com where she's discussing some of the details behind her novel. Check it out.

Also, though I was reduced to incoherent sputtering by the Glenn Beck interview with Ted Bell, Colleen at Guys' Lit Wire was not. Check out the post and the abundant comments.

Oh my . . .

2008-06-16T19:49:00.003+04:30

Watch the CNN video on the home page.

I don't know where to begin.

Happy Bloomsday!

2008-06-16T17:26:00.004+04:30

"Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls. He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liverslices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencods' roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine."

Bloomsday, June 16, 1904, is the day in which all of James Joyce's masterpiece Ulysses takes place, and it's cause for celebration in Ireland and around the world. There are innumerable ways to celebrate the occasion--from readings, to tracing Leopold and Stephen's routes, to consumption of delicacies like the aforementioned mutton kidneys or, for the less offal inclined, Gorgonzola sandwiches and Burgundy. I think authors, though, would do well to commemorate also the landmark US court ruling handed down by John M. Woolsey that paved the way not only for the publication of Ulysses in this country but for all sorts of works of art with content some might judge offensive.* So, raise a pint of stout for James Joyce, and be grateful.

* I have read all of Ulysses exactly once, and it boggles my mind that anyone bothered to get exercised over the "scandalous" passages. First, they're incredibly tame by today's standards and second, you have to get through passages like chapter three (which begins “Ineluctable modality of the visible” and only gets less clear from there). Anyone who reads Ulysses for titillation deserves what jollies he or she can find.

UPDATE: Oh, I guess we're not entirely over obscenity in Ulysses.

Here comes Maggie

2008-06-13T17:25:00.004+04:30

Maggie Stiefvater's Lament is still a couple months off, but ARCs went out into the world at BEA and Maggie herself is hitting the kidlitosphere. There's a great interview over at writingforchildrenandteens.com. Do have a look.

A good review for The Tree Shepherd's Daughter

2008-06-12T17:58:00.002+04:30

Bookshelves of Doom just posted a great review for The Tree Shepherd's Daughter, book one of The Faire Folk Trilogy. Do check it out, and, as always, I suggest you make Leila's blog a regular stop.

From the Blogs

2008-06-11T17:47:00.001+04:30

Check out this post over at Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog for the latest on Varian Johnson and Jo Whittemore.

Confessions of a Bibliovore read and reviewed a number of Flux books in her 48-hour Book Challenge, including Into the Wildewood, The Shape of Water, Jump the Cracks, Band Geek Love, and Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape). I particularly love her comment about Anne Spollen's wonderful The Shape of Water : "I kept reading this novel not because I wanted to find out what happened, but because I couldn't pull myself out of Magda's surreal inner life." We've heard a lot this from readers (one teen reader wrote on BN.com that "You sort of can't stop thinking about the girl in this book").

Skype?

2008-06-07T20:17:00.001+04:30

Are there any Flux authors out there who are using Skype? If so, shoot me an email. I've got a project in the works . . .

Thanks,
AK

Confederate Flag Controversy

2008-06-05T17:04:00.006+04:30

This story caught my eye this morning. Three seniors in the Twin Cities suburb of Bloomington were suspended from their graduation for displaying Confederate flags on campus. They said the flags did not signify any sort of racism, rather a fondness for "Southern lifestyle." Do click the link, at least to see the picture. I have mixed feelings about whether it was right for the newspaper to print that photo. Did the photographer encourage them to pose like that?

I think this Northern adolescent fixation with Ol' Dixie is not unique. When I was a sophomore in high school in Michigan at a overwhelmingly white high school, the Confederate flag enjoyed a period of popularity with a certain population, particularly football players, who wore it as a bandanna under their helmets as well as in school. There was no policy--at least not that was enforced--against this, but I do remember an English teacher telling my mother that she was very worried about teaching Huck Finn (in practice, I don't remember there being any problem).

Another great review for The Shape of Water

2008-06-05T01:32:00.004+04:30

I loved The Shape of Water immoderately and immediately, but I know it's not necessarily an easy book, which is why I am so thrilled that reviewers and bloggers are loving it and recognizing its rewards. Here's a bit of the latest from SLJ:

"... this story is riveting, and Spollen's incredibly descriptive prose creates images as clear and alive as those of a master painter."

The whole thing is as positive as the earlier Kirkus review.