Mrs. Magoo Reads

Interview with Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver is the author of one of my favorite books, Before I Fall.

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What is the one, most important message you hope to send through Before I Fall?

Hmmm. I think there are a lot of messages I'd like to convey in the book, but I guess the single most important one is that we are all interconnected; we exist in a community, and the more we honor and respect that community, and look beyond ourselves, and try and do well by other people, the happier we will be.

What was your high school experience like? How did it influence Before I Fall?

My high school was similar in many ways to the high school depicted in Before I Fall, although I'm happy to say that people were, for the most part, nicer than the characters in my book. But I definitely felt that there was a social hierarchy, and that people got assigned identities that may or may not have conformed to their actual personalities--and of course, there were petty cruelties and rumors and ways that we all lashed out at one another. I tried to channel those social dynamics into the book.

Do you see bits of yourself anywhere in your novel or in your characters?

Everywhere. I believe firmly that novels are like dreams: in some ways, all of the characters are reflections of yourself.

Can you tell us about your second novel, Delirium?

Yes! Delirium is kind of a dystopian Romeo and Juliet story; it takes place in a society that has deemed love a contagious disease, and also figured out how to cure it. The book is very different from Before I Fall, but I very much hope that readers will connect to it just as strongly.

What advice would you give to any aspiring young writers?

Write, write, write! Write every day. And read everything you can get your hands on: blogs, newspapers, books, poems, essays. All of it helps.

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Thanks so much, Ms. Oliver, for the interview!  Click here to buy Before I Fall.

Interview with Sara Bareilles

I'm very excited to announce that I have interviewed Sara Bareilles about her love of reading and the importance of literature in her work! Her album, Little Voice, contained the hit song Love Song, which was nominated for two Grammy's. She also recently performed at a concert hosted by Michelle Obama!  Her second album, Kaleidoscope Heart, is being released in September 2010.  Check out the interview below:

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Why do you think reading is important?

I guess what it boils down to is that reading is our best source of information. Information is knowledge. Knowledge is power. We’ve all heard it before, but it’s so true. We have access to just about everything through written language, and it enriches my life every single day.

How has literature affected your music and/or lyrics? Do you see a connection between music and literature?

I was an avid reader growing up and I think all the time I spent in my books helped me nurture my imagination. I loved getting lost in a fantasy world with different characters feeling like they were so real I actually KNEW them. It made me want to create stories like that in my life. The way I know how to do it is through song. I think that’s a special connection between music and literature... They take you places. They can create entirely different worlds for the audience member that inspire all sorts of things.

What were your favorite books as a teen? What are your favorite books now?

My favorite books as an early teen were books like the Secret Garden, Black Beauty, and the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Fantasy tales about kids on adventures really spoke to my overactive imagination. As an older teen my tastes changed with the help of my English classes in high school. I was so distracted in high school it took excellent teachers (Mrs. Salter and Mr. Miller, thanks) to get me to remember how much I loved reading. I loved Catcher in the Rye, Catch 22, and A Tale of Two Cities to name a few.

Do you do much writing (stories, poems, journal keeping, etc) in addition to your songs?

I definitely keep a journal and I have for years and years. I try to be open about letting myself express my creativity in whatever way speaks to me, but I love writing songs. Those are really my stories and poems.

Do you ever have songwriter's block? Does it exist? How do you deal with it?

I absolutely struggle with writing sometimes. It’s a tough thing to be disciplined about because sometimes you just can’t force it. I have to really balance needing to stay in front of the piano to finish an idea and just needing to walk away sometimes. It’s an ongoing process that I haven’t figured out yet. I think the trick is to not fall into the stressed out, fear-feeding part of trying to be creative. That’s not where anybody’s best work comes from.

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Thank you so much, Ms. Bareilles!

Click here to buy her album, Little Voice!

Review Video of Cast the First Stone

I created a review video of Cast the First Stone by Gwendolyn Glover.

Click here to buy Cast the First Stone.

Interview with Gwendolyn Glover

Gwendolyn Glover is the author of Cast the First Stone. Enjoy the interview!

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Do you relate to Denny or Haley more? Why?

I relate more to Haley because I was very shy in high school. I didn’t have a boyfriend. I hid in books a lot. I was extremely devoted to and protective of my two younger brothers. My family was lower class for many years. We got our clothes passed down from cousins, from the thrift store or, when we were lucky, from Kmart. It was tough, but it made us really appreciate the things we had.

In college, I acted a little more like Denny. I was a little wilder. :) But I still relate more with Haley. I know firsthand her struggle between taking care of her family and wanting to go have her own adventures.

Was the character of Denny based off of yourself or anyone you know?

Denny was based off my best friend in high school. She was a really tough girl. The first feminist I knew. We were like yin and yang. She was the dark, angry one and I was the sweet, happy one. On the outside. We listened to No Doubt and Metallica, created our own sci fi comic book world, stayed up until 1am watching Mystery Science Theater 3000, and could eat a half gallon of strawberry ice cream between us. We didn’t fit into any kind of group at high school. She was a little goth while I was nerdy and shy. We spent every day together until I went off to college.

Once I got deep into writing the book, the characters became their own. Denny and Haley no longer looked like me and my best friend. (My best friend never had a drinking problem.) But their friendship dynamic is based on us.

Can you give us a sneak peek into your second novel?

I’m currently working on a novel entitled Invisible Elephants. It’s about a 15 year old girl, Abby, who feels like she’s invisible. She’s hides in books and identifies with fictional characters more than the people around her. She really wants to please her perfectionist father. Abby sees her older brother as having it all: popularity, good looks, charm, and talent. That is until a hot, mocha-skinned guy interrupts the normalcy of their community. Both of the siblings fall in love with the enchanting stranger and chaos ensues. You can read one of the chapters on my blog if you’d like. I hope to have the book finished by next summer.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I was nine years old when I decided that I wanted to be a writer. I was making up and telling my brothers stories before I learned how to write. I wrote and illustrated my own stories. Growing up, I was very interested in writing mystery, fantasy, and science fiction. My parents were very supportive of my writing, but didn’t really know how to give me advice. It wasn’t until I went to college that I learned about good literature (I hadn’t even heard of Toni Morrison until then) and how to actively read and dissect literature. Then I had to learn how to find my own style instead of trying to write like someone else.

What advice would you give to any aspiring writers?

Read, read, read. Then read some more. Write down everything. Keep a journal. Write poetry, no matter how bad it is. The more you write, the better your writing will become. Also check out New Moon Girls magazine. It’s a magazine written by girls and they take submissions.

My writing is inspired by many amazing, female authors. Here are just a few of them: Alice Walker, Maxine Hong Kingston, Miranda July, Dorothy Allison, Jeanette Winterson, and Madeleine L’Engle. I totally recommend checking them out.

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Click here to buy Cast the First Stone.

Review Video of The Dark Divine

Check out this review video of The Dark Divine by Bree Despain.

Click here to buy The Dark Divine.

Interview with Lee Nichols

Lee Nichols is the author of Deception.

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How did you create the character of Emma? Did you try to base her off of a modern girl, or an old-fashioned one?

I think she's a very contemporary character dealing with a history she didn't know she had.

Do you believe in ghosts?

Not in the way I've imagined them here. But I do feel like places and things can hold the spirits of people who've died, and sometimes that can invoke a spooky feeling.

If you could go back and change one thing about your novel, what would it be?

Whenever I finish a book I always think of a Picasso documentary I watched years ago. He would paint whole paintings and then say, "Okay, now I really know what it is I'm trying to say," and paint a completely different picture. So there's no one particular thing I'd like to change, but I can see whole new directions to go in. And if I were Picasso, I probably would do that.

Can you tell us what to expect from you in the future?

There are two more Haunting Emma books. BETRAYAL comes out March, 2011. Emma's powers really take hold and Bennett turns into more of a bad boy. And POSSESSION, which if I finish writing it, will be out late 2011. Ghosts start to possess kids at Emma's school.

What advice would you give to any aspiring young writers?

Start writing right now. Nobody understands your experience as a teenager, better than you do. I'd love to see more, authentic young voices in YA. I think committing to a writing schedule really helps. Promise yourself you'll write 2500 words a week, and in six to eight months you'll have the first draft of a novel.

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Click here to buy Deception.

Review Video of Thirteen Reasons Why

I created a review video for Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

Click here to buy Thirteen Reasons Why.

Review Video of All Unquiet Things

I made a review video for the fabulous novel All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab.

Click here to buy All Unquiet Things.

Review Video of The Lonely Hearts Club

Check out this review video of The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg.

Click here to buy The Lonely Hearts Club.

Interview with Elizabeth Eulberg

Elizabeth Eulberg is the author of The Lonely Hearts Club.

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Have you ever vowed to stay single? How long did it last? Did it turn out well?

There have been a few moments in my life where I wanted to swear off boys forever (usually after a bad break-up), but it never lasted long. I’ve also been very busy with things that I’ve put my dating life on hold, but I’m a firm believer of “it will happen when it’s supposed to happen.” So I try to put a positive spin on any speed bumps I’ve encountered on my path to meeting Mr. Right.

Have you ever started/been in any clubs? How did that turn out?

I was in a bunch of clubs in high school, but none nearly as fun as the Lonely Hearts Club. The clubs I were in were mostly academic: the German Club (although I don’t speak German, that was the name of our foreign exchange club, not sure why…AND I was even President senior year!), Student Council, etc. The “clubs” that I feel I got the most out of were the bands I was in: pep band, marching bad, combined band and jazz band. I felt a sense of community with my fellow music students and that is where I felt most comfortable during high school. Music is still a big part of my life.

Are you a big Beatles fan? What's your favorite song by the Beatles?

I’m a huge Beatles fan. Even though my parents aren’t fans, I grew up playing Beatles songs in music classes for piano and clarinet. I think I became an even bigger fan in college when I studied abroad in London and went on a Beatles walking tour – complete with a walk across the infamous Abbey Road zebra crossing. It is really hard for me to pick a favorite song, I have about 20! “Here Comes the Sun,” “Revolution,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Something,” “Blackbird,” “Come Together,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Penny Lane,”… I could seriously go on and on.

Can you describe your road to publication?

My road to publication was a long one. I came up with the idea for The Lonely Hearts Club in the spring/summer of 2004. Over the course of two years, I wrote about four drafts before sending it to an agent whom I knew. With my agent, I did about seven more drafts before we had a manuscript that she felt comfortable sending out. I did about 3 rounds of editing with my editor at Scholastic. I made A LOT of mistakes at the beginning of the process – I didn’t have an outline or character studies. So the first few drafts were figuring out where the story was going and fleshing out the characters. I made sure I had a better understanding of the plot and characters for my next book: Prom and Prejudice and it paid off. I only did two drafts before it got sent out and only had one round of editing. I will never start another project without an outline and character studies.

What advice would you give to any aspiring young writers?

Read, read, read and read! Read everything and anything you can get your hands on. In terms of writing, the most important thing, in my opinion, is to write for yourself. I get asked “I have an idea for a book, how do I get published?” a lot. You shouldn’t worry about getting published or finding an agent. The main goal should be to write what excites you and to get it in the best shape possible. THEN you can worry about everything that comes with getting published.

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Click here to buy The Lonely Hearts Club.