emilywingsmith

A Mouse In The House; Or, Why I'm Leaving Soon

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:58:14 GMT

Last night I was reading, trying to fall asleep. Daniel had long since entered Snoozeville, and it was only ten o'clock. I keep a stack of crossword puzzles between my bed and my nightstand as my go-to insomnia cure, but I try to save them for "special" occasions and I'm not that desperate for sleep--yet. So I'm reading along, and I hear paper rustling. I am not turning pages, nor is Bad Hand causing the book to shake. But I try to convince it's not big deal and continue reading.

Then, what do I see out of the corner of my eye but a Dark Thing scurrying around my room at the speed of light! My only logical response is that it must be a poisonous spider, and it is now fully justified to scream, since waking Daniel up is really only accomplished by high-pitched noises.

When he comes to, I don't think he believes me, as there's an absence of Dark Thing in the room by this time. Then he says, "No, it's not a spider, it's a mouse," and points to the mouse tail now sticking out from under the bedroom door.

I am slightly paranoid about mice. Not because I am scared of them, as they are not in and of themselves poisonous, and thus not scare-worthy. I am paranoid of a little thing called HANTA. As in HANTAVIRUS.

Do not tell me how low the risks of hantavirus are. I do not care, and it will serve only to infuriate me. When I say HANTA I am referring to any of the myriad diseases mice carry. Mice are great and all, but they are NOT ALLOWED in my house.

Daniel set traps, baited with peanut butter. This morning the trap was empty. Today I have cleaned all my floors, which burst my buttons because I just vacuumed a few days ago and I hate to mop. But it must be done, because I will not allow HANTA to thrive in my house. If it means cleaning the floors each day, so be it. Though I am less than thrilled.

Please tell me anything you know about mice, their capture, and why they would dare come into a lit room as early as ten o'clock. Aren't they supposed to be nocturnal?

It's a good thing I leave for NCTE/ALAN on Saturday morning. I will be in Philadelphia, chatting with today's best and brightest YA writers, English teachers, and YA literature academics. My idea of heaven. Anybody else going to be there?

I pledge not to ruin my trip with HANTA-related thoughts.

The Long-Awaited Jean Reagan Interview!

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:11:59 GMT

Those who are just joining us may not know that I've been excited all week for this blog tour stop by author buddy Jean Reagan. Actually, I've been excited for it much longer than that, but you know how blogging regularly isn't my strong suit. Or, if you're just joining us, maybe you don't know that. But that has nothing to do with the point, which is this:

Today Jean Reagan, author of the recently released picture book ALWAYS MY BROTHER, is stopping at my blog on her virtual tour. Wahoo! Many thanks to Jean, for allowing me this opportunity to import many different kinds of technology into my post. Also, thanks for inviting me to help spread the word about this amazing book.

Jean and I first bonded when we met through mutual bff Anne Bowen and realized we were both publishing a book involving death. This wasn't a huge deal for my young adult novel--death is actually trendy in YA these days. But for Jean?

I think you'll enjoy hearing about her experience publishing a picture book about the loss of a brother told from the perspective of the younger sister.

Emily: So, what exactly is a virtual tour?

Jean: I had no idea when I first heard the term. Basically it means different bloggers host daily stop-overs for a book. My tour which began November 1^st has included a radio interview, a link to how the artwork was created, and visits to grief sites, children’s book reviewer blogs, and now an award-winning author’s site. (We’re so proud of you, Emily!) I hosted the tour myself on November 3,^rd the anniversary of my son’s death.

Cool Note From Tillbury House That I Very Tech-Savvily Copy n' Pasted Into This Post:

Blog Comment Prizes

We will draw 7 lucky winners from all of those who leave comments on the participating tour posts (Nov.1-13) to win one of the following prizes:

- A copy of Always My Brother signed by author Jean Reagan (5 available)*
- A set of 10 winter notecards with art by illustrator Phyllis Pollema-Cahill (2 available)

* Winners are welcome to designate a grief center, school, or library to receive their signed copy in their place.
All winners will be announced after the tour. US/Canada addresses only, please.

Twitter Prize
Everyone that tweets about the tour using the hashtag #AlwaysTour from November 1-13 will be entered to win a set of three children's books from Tilbury House — your choice! Winners will be announced after the tour, US/Canada addresses only, please.

Sweet, eh? So comment away! And Twitter, my Tweet lovin' friends.

Emily: What prompted you to write this book?

Jean: The specific trigger was I noticed that my daughter’s grief over losing her sole sibling was discounted. Many well-meaning people kept asking her how I was doing. And, maybe her dad. But, rarely how she was doing.

Emily, you said you wrote THE WAY HE LIVED in part because you watched a friend’s grief be discounted, because she wasn’t in the inner circle. We seem to assign acceptable degrees of grief based on proximity to the loved one.

Ranking occurs with the type of loss as well. To me, all losses (death of a beloved pet, divorce, tragic setbacks, etc.) share a common emotional journey. Grief shouldn’t be a competition between severities of loss or proximity to loss, but rather a chance to connect with others and heal together.

Emily: Well said! I couldn't agree more. Now, we both write about a taboo subject matter: a child’s death. How has that played out for you?

Jean: Our family physician recently said that in our society, talking or writing about childhood death is even more taboo than sex. Wow! But, I think that’s true.

First, it was hard to find a publisher with the courage to take on this book. (Thank you, Tilbury House!)

Second, through research I learned there was a desperate need for a book like this, precisely because it was a taboo subject.

Third, promotion (I actually prefer the term, “outreach”) for ALWAYS MY BROTHER has been an emotional journey. Grief organizations and events have been very receptive. It’s heartwarming when someone says how helpful the book is, yet it’s bittersweet knowing the sadness behind the comment. I’m equally determined to appear at regular book events, too, even though amongst the “happy” books, my topic seems like a real downer. Getting my book into the hands of kids who need it keeps me committed no matter where I reach them.

Emily: You don’t explain the cause of death in your book. Why?

Jean: Our books share this fact, as well, don’t they?

I wanted the main focus of this book to be about healing. In a picture book, you only have fourteen spreads (double pages) to tell a story. Elaborating on the cause of death would have required one or two spreads, thereby forcing me to cut crucial parts of the healing story. So, it was a choice based on what I wanted as my primary focus.

Even though my teenage son died of a drug overdose, the John in my story was too young to die from drugs. So, it wasn’t that I was too embarrassed or ashamed to mention drug overdose as a cause of death. If you read our son John’s obituary, you’ll see that we clearly acknowledged it. John's Obituary My husband and I are proud of our son even though we are very, very sad he became trapped by a drug addiction that ultimately killed him.

I also hoped that by having an open-ended cause of death, my book would be helpful to grieving families regardless of their loved one’s cause of death.

And, ultimately in real life, the cause of death doesn’t alter the intensity of loss. All death is innocent, I believe. (With very, very few exceptions, of course.) Your open-ended resolution in HOW HE LIVED for me offered this same conclusion.

Emily: Jean, my soul-sister, once again you took the words right out of my mouth. This is exactly how I wanted to deal with the cause of death in my own book. Of course, I also wanted to leave it open-ended because of the religious beliefs of my characters. Religion doesn't play a role in your book. Why not?

Jean: I wanted my book to be universally approachable to families regardless of their religious traditions. My book leaves plenty of room for readers to embrace religion and spirituality, I believe. Families who find comfort through religion still need to cope with the day-to-day challenges of living with grief. That’s the focus I chose with this book. It would have deeply saddened me if my portraying a particular religious tradition had actively excluded a child who needs my book. As I said earlier, there are so few books about sibling loss.

Emily: What’s your next book project?

Jean: If I only had one book published this was the one I wanted, because it is dear to my heart. But, I recently signed a contract with Knopf for my second book, HOW TO BABYSIT A GRANDPA (June 2011). It’s wonderful to send a happy, silly book into the world as well.

I understand your next book takes place at Pitzer College (NOTE FROM EM-DAWG: Yep, much of BACK WHEN YOU WERE EASIER TO LOVE takes place at this esteemed institution). My husband taught there and my daughter will graduate from there this year. So, you and I will be overlapping again, Emily.

Emily: Yet another indication that we are soul-sisters! Thanks for joining us!

Jean: Us? Who's us? Aren't you just you?

(Okay, so Jean really didn't say this. She really said: Thanks for hosting me today).

You are very welcome, Jean.

To read more about the story behind ALWAYS MY BROTHER, visit www.jeanreagan.com. Thanks!

Vanity Card

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:29:01 GMT

I've only recently (through my growing obsession with TV's The Big Bang Theory) learned the definition of a "vanity card."

A vanity card are a few lines that blip onto the screen directly following theend of a television show, written by the show's creator. The only vanity cards I've ever read, or even seen, are by Chuck Lorre (of TBBT). These "cards" range from jokes to Chuck's random musings to...well, whatever he wants. Some of them are pretty hilarious (generally not the jokes).

I can see the appeal of a vanity card: the chance to write, in a public venue, whatever is on your mind. But it seems to lose a cetain cachet now, when everybody has the chance to write whatever they want to in a public forum.

I was starting to feel bad about not blogging for a couple of weeks, but that's when it hit me: This blog IS a vanity card. All I do is post about stuff that happens to me, or stuff that I think is important, or things I've read that I think are interesting. It all revolves around me. So why should I think people will miss it?

Then author and friend Jean Reagan asked if I'd host her on my blog this week. Her recently-released picture book, ALWAYS MY BROTHER, is currently on a virtual tour around the blogosphere, and on Thursday I'll be one of her last stops.

Suddenly my blog becomes about more than my own vanity, and about bigger issues, like getting the word out about ALWAYS MY BROTHER.

I want to save all the stuff I really have to say about the book for the interview on Thursday, but I want to start getting the word out now. This book deals with loss and the grieving process for a young audience. It's an issue that's important to me as an author, as well as ALWAYS MY BROTHER being a great book.

Please check back regularly this week to read my random bits of vanity. And check in on Thursday to read about something truly important--and not just to me.

Team Us For The Win!

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:49:37 GMT

Last night was the Utah Book Awards Ceremony! Thanks to all those who were there.

Here are Sara and I, anxiously awaiting the results:

Oh, fail, fail, FAIL! Not only is this the wrong picture, I STILL have no idea how to rotate it correctly. I kind of blame this fail on Dan, because I've learned to no longer take vertical pictures so I don't have to rotate them. I did not give him the memo.

Anyway, in case anyone cares, this is me prior to the awards, opening a belated b-day gift from my bff Sara B. She gave me a swank wallet/purse, similar to hers, the one I compliment each time I see it. Now I can finally retire the little wallet-ish thing with the broken zipper I got in Mexico. I will no longer irritate people in line behind me at Old Navy when I can't get out my drivers license. And I will look so stylish no longer doing it!

Meanwhile:

Here is the one I wanted all along! And we're waiting. During this time I whisper to Sara Z., "I hope you've got a speech ready."

The winners in the two categories prior to us had both prepared acceptance speeches. Sara and I did not know there would be acceptance speeches. In our defense, when Sara was nominated for this award last year (for her amazing Story of a Girl) and we attended the ceremony, nobody gave an acceptance speech. So we thought it'd be more of the same.

Luckily, I knew Sara would be winning this year so I needn't come up with a speech on the fly.

Then they announce the winner:

This is when it becomes evident that I had not prepared a speech. But short speeches are my favorite kind anyway, so it worked.

I attribute my success last night to the "Christmas Dinner" shirt I was wearing. Last winter, Sara Z. and I were shopping together instead of writing for some reason. I don't remember why, because usually we write, I promise! But this was possibly more fun. We tried on clothes that were entirely too fancy for people who spend their days hunched over a keyboard, by themselves, lost in a world that is not-quite reality. So when I tried on this shirt and realized I had nowhere to wear it, Sara said, "You should wear that to Christmas dinner!" So I looked at Sara's shirt and said, "You should wear that to Christmas dinner!"

My Christmas dinner is consistently a dress-down affair. I believe Sara's is similar.

We both bought the shirts anyway.

Last night the shirt smelled of victory and the person who inspired me to buy it: Sara Zarr, the best friend a girl could have.

Then, the reception. The food was a step WAY up from last year, which I appreciated, as I hadn't had time to eat dinner that night and my boxed-up food was sitting in Sara B.'s car.

Me, Sara Z, and my Pop. He hates to have his picture taken, but agreed to it because this was a special night.

Then, the after party! Because I was still hungry, and besides, we needed more quality time. So the Clique, minus Kim, who had to prep for her trip to Disneyland, and Sara Z., who thought we were nuts for needing dinner at 9 p.m, went to Gourmandise/ies. No one judged me for having two dinners, because they are non-judgmental like that.

Except for afterwards, when I convinced Brodi to walk barefoot instead of in her death-heels. Then I was judged galore by Bree. But I don't blame her for that. I mean, telling someone to walk barefoot in downtown SLC is not particularly good advice. But if you ask me, it makes more sense than heels.

Happy Almost Halloween!

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:58:48 GMT

Daniel and I made jack o' lanterns tonight.

His is the one with the creepy-cool face. Mine is the one that looks like Pac-Man. Except it is actually a moon and some menacing clouds.

This month has brought celebrations galore (including, of course, the Utah Literary Awards!). I love October.

Happy Almost Halloween!

Pictures of Me And My New Real-Life BFF

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:42:17 GMT

Holly Cupala, soon-to-debut author at the forefront of everything YA, has chosen today to spotlight The Way He Lived on her blog! The column is called Book Cooks, and features recipes from great YA novels/authors. Check out my recipe here (hint: during the 2002 Olympics, images of this food graced many a collectible pin).

Some might have noticed from yesterday's clandestine video that this birthday I was the proud recipient of the American Girl Samantha doll. I have dreamed about owning Samantha since I was nine years old and first discovered the American Girls series.

Now, I am not so much a history buff and I am not so much a doll buff, but I loved the American Girl books. This was back in the day when there were only three doll/book setups, and American Girl wasn't the thriving enterprise it is now. Samantha, the lively orphan from Victorian days, was my favorite, and I vowed to make her my own. However, at that time she was $ 75--pricey enough to make her out of reach.

As recently as 2006, Samantha was still a dream:

And now:

In Which An Extraordinary Video Makes An Appearance And Reo Is Mentioned

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:55:00 GMT

Last week was an awesome week for me, and as this week promises just as many rollickin' good times, I am going to blog each day to keep up.

Only 3 Days until Utah Literary Awards shindig with Sara Zarr and a whole bunch of other cool peeps. You don't want to miss it this Thursday night, 7:00, at the downtown SLC Library. Good times a plenty. I guarantee it.

In addition to my birthday, my family had other reasons to celebrate last week. First, my brother Ethan got engaged to one of the coolest girls on the planet (welcome to the family, Cami!). She's majoring in some sort of athletic-teaching and has promised to help me learn how to use my treadmill without falling over and getting black-rubber-burn-marks on my hands. Okay, so she hasn't promised that yet, but I know she will. She's chill like that.

Then my brother Andy got called to serve an LDS mission in Des Moines, Iowa. He'll be gone for two years, which is kind of a bummer, but he'll be serving people in all sorts of ways so it's for the greater good. I am SO happy for him. Andy, you are my hero!

Then it was the one-year birthday of my nephew, Holden. My sister Juliana and brother-in-law Reo threw the most happening bash EVAH. Happy B-Day, Holden. You are way more fun now than you were this time last year.

Speaking of my bomb brother-in-law, Reo was the lucky recipient of a Bag o' Crap from woot.com. Only a privileged few ever get to buy these rare gems. Included in his bag was a bunch of stuff from which the bag derives its name. One such item was a flip video camera that didn't record sound.

I've coveted the flip video camera ever since I saw Sara Zarr's. Not because I'd actually be able to use one. No way. I just love how it looks like a regular camera. Whenever Sara uses hers I forget it's a video camera and don't know I'm being recorded (see me saying incriminating things here. I figure, if I fall for it every time, so will others, and I can gather clandestine footage.

Daniel, techie wizard, took the non-functional flip camera and fixed it. Then, the next night while I was opening B-Day presents with the fam, he recorded me. I, of course, quickly forgot it was a video camera. When will I learn??? Anyway, he proceeded to make me this quality video, which I love. And at a mere 58 seconds, I hope you'll love it, too.

Post-Birthday-Post

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:48:20 GMT

This title kind of reminds me of Morse code which I always wanted to learn. Obviously, though, this entry has nothing to do with Morse code and everything to do with my birthday on Wednesday.

My husband, who has been downloading old-timey radio dramas to his iPod lately, wanted me to call my birthday post:

"In Which Sherman Alexie Makes an Appearance and Bree Nearly Impales Valynne With a Fork."

But I thought that title, while accurate, didn't focus enough on me. Because, seriously. It was my birthday!

My 29th birthday began by Daniel and I playing "Birthday" on Beatles Rock Band:

This picture is not of me playing Beatles Rock Band on my birthday morn, but it IS of me playing Beatles Rock Band, and my expression is similar every time I play (AKA my Rock Star Look). Also, Daniel is in the picture but you can't see his face, so that is probably good for privacy issues.

After that, I spent some quality time with my friends at B&N, answering email and composing the following list:

THINGS TO DO BEFORE I TURN 30:

~meet author M.E Kerr (I've wanted to do this since I was sixteen)

~see Barry Manilow (I've ALWAYS wanted to do this)

~write another book

~gain a working knowledge of very basic technology

~become an uber-blogger

~get rid of the recently discovered mouse-family living in my unfinished basement (finish my basement to avoid another mouse-family moving in).

~figure out where I put these lists of things to do that I never end up looking at again.

Luckily now I can't lose this list because it's on the computer, and the computer keeps everything easily accessible, right?

That night I went to see the famous Sherman Alexie speak at my favorite bookstore, the King's English. I expected a crowd, but the place was packed. It was insane. But that only helped matters when Sherman Alexie got everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" to me (for a very special birthday gift to me, Sara Zarr had tipped him off. Thank you, Sara!)

Here we all are, chilling with him:

Brodi, Bree and I are wearing our T-shirts, which Sherman Alexie remembered, and even recalled our names!

Then, off to the Dodo, our new local haunt mainly because it's the only place open late enough for us.

See my delighted expression? That's because I had the best. Birthday. Ever.

I Am (Almost) Banned!

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:22:34 GMT

Okay, so it's not actually me personally that's almost banned. Sometimes I have a hard time separating myself from my book.

It's actually THE WAY HE LIVED that's being challenged in Lake County, Florida. And with this being Banned Books Week and everything, the timing couldn't be better! Or make me happier. Not that I'm happy people want to ban books, which is bad, bad, bad. But when these elusive "people" succeed, others are like, hey, you can't tell me what I can't read! and they go on and read it anyway. Making us as a society stronger as we prove that indeed we ARE capable of thinking for ourselves. And now THE WAY HE LIVED is one of those books making people think!

I should mention that I'm in very good company--seriously, I'm such a fangirl that I get a thrill even from being on the same list as these people. We're talking Holly Black, John Green, Maureen Johnson and a bunch of others, including author of the ever-controversial Gossip Girls series. I mean, to be on a list with the likes of Gossip Girl...it's just surreal.

You know you love me!

xoxo

The Past: Or, Why I Have So Many Issues

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:19:25 GMT

oday I have been going through boxes upon boxes of what I've always referred to as memorabilia but is, in actual fact, better referred to as accumulated random stuff. And "random stuff" could probably be replaced with a word that would make this post PG, or one that would make it PG-13. Anyway, it is a long, arduous process and now this stuff is scattered about my office floor, which I hate. So I must take a break to clear my mind from the clutter-demons that haunt me, along with the ghosts of the past.

It all started last month when I was searching for a picture from this very past of which I speak. The sheer number of possibilities as to where this picture might be led to the decision to consolidate "memorabilia." Plus, I wanted to find some of my childhood writing samples to share when I visit schools. Hence, today's project.

Items I've unearthed so far:

--A mint-condition Madame Alexander doll circa 1992. I call her my "retirement doll" because I've never even taken her out of the box, to preserve value. I estimate that if I retire in approximately 85 years the doll should provide me enough income for a taxi ride to stand in line for government cheese.

--The Rowland Hall-St. Mark's Lower School Student-Parent Handbook for the 1990-1991 school year. No, I never attended this school. Yes, I dreamed of it. Enough, apparently, to request a student manual and then keep it for nigh unto twenty years.

--A program for the Salon Selectives Back to School Style Fashion Event. Unfortunately, exactly which back to school year this fashion event took place is unstated. I'm guessing about 1993, thanks to descriptions like these:

ACTIVE WEAR

Enuf eggplant pull-on short, Enuf puff logo T

DENIM AND WHITE

Zena over-dyed jeans, white spandex bodysuit

CLASSIC BACK TO SCHOOL

Violet plaid short, white shirt with plaid details, crocheted beret

THE GYPSY LOOK

Tiered chiffon skirt, velvet bolero

and, of course:

HOMECOMING PREVIEW

Red stretch lace cold shoulder dress

I should mention that most of the stores sponsoring the Fashion Event no longer exist, which of course is also the sad fate of "Like you just stepped out of a (Salon)" Selectives. RIP.

Through all of this "memorabilia", all of this hopeless dreaming for schools I would never attend, clothes I would never wear and a retirement that makes even today's 401 k look promising, one thing has emerged: a constant love for writing. A passion so consistent and deep it would get me through anything.

So here it is, and here I am, working away at a dream that's seen me through everything. And in just a few weeks I will be able to celebrate as a Utah Book Award finalist at the Utah Literary Awards Ceremony where THE WAY HE LIVED will go tete-a-tete with the phenomenal SWEETHEARTS by the equally phenomenal Sara Zarr.

It will be held at the Salt Lake City Public Library on October 22 at 7:00. If you'd like to attend such an event (with your respective TEAM SARA or TEAM EMILY t-shirt, of course) you are all invited! Since we're trying to get a head count, let me know (via email, the comment section, whatev) if you're interested.

P.S The t-shirt is not required. Wearing a top of some sort, however, would be appreciated.

Fashionable, Girly And An Awesome Friend

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:42:46 GMT

Those of you who know me know I love a bargain. In fact, some have even asked me to share my most humorous money-saving strategies/stories here. And I will. But after I tell everyone about my latest find: a year's worth (that's THIRTEEN issues) of Seventeen magazine for only ten bucks!

I kid you not. For less than a dollar a month, you can keep up-to-date with the life of Selena Gomez, steal Beyonce's look, AND pick the perfect snack. Also, if you're like me, the bill will be addressed to your parents (because, you know, what adult would want a subscription to Seventeen?). Maybe unlike me, you will tell your parents to foot the bill, making the cost to you a whopping zero dollars! Now that's a deal.

Now the October issue is here, because that's how magazines work: reading them makes living in the current month null and void. Which is cool, because according to Seventeen, my birthday is right around the corner. Wahoo! Again according to the source, as a Libra girl I am fashionable, girly, and an awesome friend.

Proof positive:

FASHIONABLE

Over the weekend I was a panelist at an SCBWI Southern Idaho conference and met TONS of cool people. Most of them lived in southern Idaho, and you might be tempted to think they were the ones who displayed a lacking in the fashion department. Do not be fooled by stereotypes, my wise friends.

In this picture I'm standing next to Brian Farrey, the publicist-turned-editor at my publisher, flux! As you can see, Brian has no problemo showing off his classy flux tee (he refused to give me one, btw. If you, too think this is an outrage, I'm sure Brian would appreciate hearing from you). Please note coordinating sports coat.

With friends like these, how can I NOT be fashionable?

GIRLY

Okay, so I couldn't figure out how to rotate this photo, but that's girly, right? To be incompetent? What? No it isn't because that's a stereotype? I fail at being girly.

Proof positive:

I had no idea why this woman was walking down the streets of downtown Boise holding an inflatable objet d'art until her friend yelled "She's getting married tomorrow!" To which I said, "Congratulations. Why is she carrying an inflatable objet d'art down the streets of downtown Boise?" Then, others had to point out to me that this was actually not an objet d'art, but instead a blow-up man (which I still find hard to believe, frankly, especially upon viewing the picture a second time). Also what had to be pointed out to me: why someone would carry a blow-up man down the streets of downtown Boise simply because she is getting married the next day (frankly, still a mystery).

Which brings me to:

AN AWESOME FRIEND

To some, my complete lack of savvy is endearing, or at the very least, amusing. To those people I say, I hope I am an awesome friend. Otherwise, I don't think I make an awesome friend--I just happen to make awesome friends.

Proof positive:

Friends old and new: Sydney Salter, Valynne, Neysa Jensen, and David Ward. Not pictured are a bunch of other peeps I'm honored to call my peeps!

Ah, astrology. About me you are never wrong.

P.S Shout-out to Brodi, who unlike me is celebrating a birthday in the REAL month this Friday.

A Post I Wrote On Friday

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:53:34 GMT

I'm sitting here at the Salt Lake City public library, or, as I have come to know it over these past months, my second home. Seriously, today is the third time I've been here this week.

Technically, this isn't my library. There are others closer to my house. But the creepy thing about the library closest to my house? It’s the same library I went to as a teen. Even more pathetic, the YA section is still basically the same as it was ten years ago. Sweet Valley High, anyone? Anyone?

I just finished a scene for the revision of my new novel (coming out from the lovely and mega-talented Julie-Strauss Gabel of Dutton Childrens Books.) Now I'm spent, though, and it’s… hmm, 11:28 a.m. Which does not exactly bode well for my productivity the rest of the day. Luckily, who am I sitting next to but BFF Sara Zarr, who suggested I write a blog post with my newfound free time. Brilliant! But then, what else would you expect from her?

Now, I try to keep the bragging on this blog down to a minimum, really I do. Yes, I'm friends with Sara Zarr, but is it really polite to continually make reference to it? No, it is not, but today I will anyway because Sara gave me one of her author copies of Once Was Lost this morning! And it is beautiful. The cover is that great matte-with spot-gloss combo and I dig the whole color scheme. Plus, Sara’s shirt matches her cover! I’d love to post a photo of the two of them together, but alas, no camera. And I refuse to jump into 2005 and get a camera phone, mainly because I tend to break things or otherwise maim them.

DANG IT! This was supposed to be a picture of SARA! From my picture archives, of which there are many of Sara, one that was perfect for this post! Instead there's a picture of me serenading a stuffed giraffe. I look like an idiot. Why do I even have this picture? Blah. This is not my day. (Author's Note: The day that is not my day is today, Tuesday. Friday was a perfectly lovely day).

Speaking of both my famous friends and my uncanny ability to maim (particularly myself), I am honored to be directly mentioned in three of Bree Despain’s highlights from the SCBWI LA conference. Go read about it, because I'll never get around to typing the whole story and it's actually pretty funny. FYI, This post is not typewritten, because after a brief and very sad period in which my ink cartridge ran out, Wonder-Pen is back! And better than ever!

Anyway, I am pleased, proud, and still a little shocked to say that my friend Bree is going to be the Next Big Thing in YA literature. I'm not shocked that Bree’s debut, The Dark Divine, is already getting so much buzz--Bree’s a fantastic writer who can plot like no other. But I'm still in awe that I've known her since the beginning, back when we were both just punk kids eating Cup o' Noodles at BYU. Yay, Bree!

(Author's Note: This is where I was going to insert a picture of Bree, but after the last fiasco I'm just not feeling it. So adieu).

Why I've Never Wanted To Be A Dog; The Summer of Chocolate And Writing

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 04:42:43 GMT

Apart from the obvious ( I'm allergic to dogs, thus would be allergic to myself), myriad other parts of being a dog don't appeal to me. The lack of privacy when relieving oneself. The ticks. The assumption that since I am man's best friend, I must therefore be every man's best friend (Pure ridiculous. How can you be best friends with all mankind?)

Of course, the worst part of being a dog is the lack of chocolate. Or so I thought until reading this. A dog who loves chocolate lives to be twenty-one. Coincidence? I think not.

On Friday night I attended a picnic thrown as an alternative to the high school reunion. Of course, it wasn't an alternative to my high school reunion, but no matter. I went anyway. I saw a classmate from junior high who I'd recently friended on facebook and met her children. "So what's up with you?" she asked. "All I see you post on facebook is writing stuff."

To which I replied, "Uh, yeah. What else is there?" But only in my head. Because in a well-rounded life there's more. In my life, which is decidedly not well-rounded, there are only two things: writing and chocolate.

So I bring you this:

2009: The Summer of Writing And Chocolate

June 11-- Delicious brownie sundae at the TGI Fridays in Provo, UT, enjoyed after a hard day's work at the BYU conference (photo courtesy of Sara Bolton and her iPhone). Even Edward Necarsulmer IV couldn't resist a bite!

Ten stars out of ten.

August 10--Cupcake from the bakery at the swank LA mall near the hotel where we stayed and played at the SCBWI conference.

Same cupcake after it had been "warmed up" as per the counter guy's recommendation.

Perfect ten for presentation pre-warm-up; four-point-five afterward. Taste? Out of this world!

August 22--Chocolate cake batter ice cream with brownie mix-in from Cold Stone Creamery after a night living it up with Utah book bloggers (and some authors, too). This flavor combination is a nouveau classic!

Maximum stars.

August 29--Tres Leches Cake from the Sonoma Grill in Ogden, UT, where some of us refueled after an exhausting yet exhilirating day at the Writing for Charity event at the Treehouse Museum.

In fact, here we all are at that magical event:

Don't we look hott!? Yep, all this was donated to help kids in Ogden schools get books (there was money donated, too, not just our extreme hottness. That, of course, is priceless).

All in all, I deem the Summer Of Writing And Chocolate a success! How would you synopsize YOUR summer?

Inappropriate

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:06:16 GMT

For those of you who don't know (and why would you?), when my book THE WAY HE LIVED debuted, a random blogger/book reviewer deemed its subject matter "inappropriate." I say random book reviewer because I no longer even remember who it was, it was of such little consequence. But still, inappropriate? That hurts.

Or at least it did, until my friends shared their stories of woe. Brodi's book, with its kick-A heroine and alien attacks, was called both vulgar and violent--by family members, no less (I'm sure they meant it in a good way). And Bree's upcoming THE DARK DIVINE (Egmont, December of this year!) was called blasphemous by a fellow writer (not me--I swear!) (I swear all the time. That's why I, too, am blasphemous. And inappropriate. *&%#).

Anyway, we decided that we'd print up shirts and own up to our stigmas, loud and proud. So we did, and wore them to the SCBWI LA conference.

Little did I know that keynote speaker Sherman Alexie, when given one word in which to encapsulate his very being, chose "inappropriate"!

Imagine me with a speech bubble: "Being inappropriate sure isn't lonely anymore!"

The conference was one memorable, inappropriate event after another. I helped Brodi procure antibiotics for her crazy-painful ear infection, attempting to use my own insurance at one point. Note: This is illegal. Also, if you plan to do something illegal, do not announce it to the guy at Walgreens and then ask him to take your picture.

I met Little, Brown editor Jennifer Hunt and asked her if she was giving away any ARCs of BFF Sara Zarr's ONCE WAS LOST, and if I could somehow rig it so I got one. She said yes, that I could go buy one in October like everybody else, fool! J/k, though, because although that's the response I deserved, she instead was much nicer to me. If it's the last thing I do, I WILL procure an ARC of that book! (Procure seems to be a theme in this inappropriate post. hmm).

Me with Jennifer Hunt. She's even better-looking in person! Would it be inappropriate for me to email and ask her if she ever made a "How to be Hot" list? If so, I'll wear this shirt while writing it.

More updates in my next post on Monday! Have a great weekend!

In Which I Am Yet Again Mistaken For Someone Cool

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 01:38:33 GMT

I'm leaving for LA early tomorrow morning. I'm talking earlier-than-I've-been-up-since-my-stint-teaching-high-school-debate early. But since the conference itself starts tomorrow morning, leaving early is a must. In preparing for this trip, I couldn't help but remember the last time I went to a national SCBWI conference which was, by and large, a fiasco.

The year was 2006. I was going to the SCBWI New York conference with Carries Jones. This was prior to Carrie becoming the world-renowned author she is today. In fact, it Was during this conference that she received the call that started everything. Although she wasn't at the conference at the time. But I'm getting ahead of myself. In February 2006, Carrie and I were Vermont College students who planned to be NYC SCBWI roomies (technically, she was rooming with her husband, while I'd be rooming next door, with her daughter).

I made the rookie mistake of flying into JFK, and then of prepaying for a super-shuttle, where I sat next to some old guy from "So-Cal" who obviously thought he was a Big Deal. As the shuttle waded through traffic thick as water, I kept daring myself to ask this guy why, if he was Mr. swank, he was riding in a super-shuttle.

I never did.

Once I arrived at the hotel and was checking in, I found out that because of a family emergency, Carrie et. al would not be coming to the conference (fear not; Carrie's family was fine after some TLC). This left me on my own, which was cool, except I hadn't planned to be on my own. I took the elevator up to my room, catching sight of my stringy-haired, red-eyed, all-together-rumpled appearance in the highly-polished doors. I stood next to women wearing SCBWI nametags, smiled at them, and pressed the button for my floor. They just stared.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi," one said, still staring.

"I'm exhausted," I offered by way of pleasantries. "You?"

The other one nodded. "You'd better rest up," she said. "Aren't you presenting tomorrow?"

"Um, no, "I said. "I'm just, you know, attending."

The next day, as I wandered through the hotel ballroom searching for someone I knew, a woman I did not know ran up and hugged me. "Emily!" she said. "So nice to finally meet you!" She spoke rapidly and without pause, while I struggled to figure out who she was. Finally she said: "Wait. I don't think you're the Emily I'm looking for."

"No," I said apologetically. "I don't think so."

Apparently I look similar to another, higher-up Emily, who I was mistaken for the duration of the conference.

It would have been better if Carrie were there.

Will anyone reading this be in attendance? Let me know!

I didn't take any photos at the conference, but here's me at American Girl Place, which I toured at my leisure since I had no hommies along to cramp my style. I'm standing next to Samantha, my favorite (now retired) American Girl. Aren't we cute?

Oh, Samantha, what could have been had I the riches to afford you and your swank Victorian accessories...

A Glimpse Into My Personal Style

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 02:48:38 GMT

decided to write this blog post with wonder-Pen, to see how well it translates into WordPress. So far, it's worked really well in Microsoft Word... it just capitalizes k's and w's in the middle of my sentences. I'm working on making my lowercase w's more loopy, and we'll see how that goes. I have no idea how to fix my k's--I guess I'll simply have to stop using them.

Thank you all for the comments on my last post. I promise it Was not just a desperate plea for compliments. But hey, I won't turn them down. You see, I place my self worth in the hands of others. Very healthy.

For anyone wondering about my second reason for becoming hot, this is it. Recently I've developed interest in working as a "background actor" (i.e "extra") in a television show. Don't ask me why. Anyway, this dream seemed likely to go unfulfilled, until the other day, when it occurred to me that I'd soon be in Los Angeles, where stars are born!

In a couple of weeks, I'm going to the SCBWI LA conference, an annual event for Writers to hear famous authors speak, meet agents and editors, and most importantly, mingle with each other. When exactly I'd have time to be an extra during this jam-packed event is beside the point.

I found out that the only show (auditioning extras) filming anywhere close to my hotel was the ABC Family series Greek. I've never actually seen this program, but judging from the posting I read, it appears to be an in-depth look at the often misunderstood World of college sororities and fraternities.

To be an extra on Greek one must be between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four (which technically already put me out of the running, but since I'm mistaken for a teen all the time I was willing to keep reading). Also, one must be hot. I am not substituting my own word here, it read: ''Between 18-24, hot," on the notice. Also, to audition, you needed to show up to get your picture taken wearing "hot, trendy clothes." Again with the hot!

By now I realized that even if I was to become hot and acquire a hot wardrobe by August 7, there was no way I could devote the time to this endeavor that it so obviously required. I mean, I could, but then I'd miss the conference. And if, by chance, anyone missed me, and asked my friends, "Hey, where's that one girl in your clique?," I'd have to put my peeps in the awkward position of saying: "She's trying to become hot enough to stand in the background of a make-believe frat party."

And friends don't make friends say that. Ever.

Me, in my idea of hot, trendy clothes.

Hot

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:25:49 GMT

Advance word of warning: The computer has once again gotten into the setting where I can only see thumbnails of the photos, really small ones. I can't guarantee that all the photos I post will actually be the ones I want to post, but hey, it's all part of the adventure, eh?

This picture is in fact the one I wanted to post. It's The Clique, aka my writing/critique group, on our first-annual-with-potential-to-become-semi-annual Retreat to Brodi Ashton's Bomb Condo in Midway. Thank you, Brodi! You are the hostess with the mostest! Follow up: If anyone clicks on Brodi's link and reads about the things she learned at our retreat, please know that I didn't incessantly talk about nipples. Only two or three times. And always with good reason. Also, what's wrong with making a to-do list of How to Become Hot?

Here are some photos my friends took during my first stab at becoming hot:

Okay. I just realized these are not the best pictures to post at a time when I can't preview them first. Picture #1 is pretty good though, right? But if you've never met me, picture #2 is more what I look like on a daily basis. Thanks to Bree Despain, who curled my hair and did her best to help me smile "normal," and Valynne for doing my make-up and saying: "Never do that again," when I tried to smile without any teeth showing.

Why the obsession with becoming hot?

I have decided that the better looking you are, the better you are treated. This is probably obvious to most people, but I am so far from being like most people, this didn't even occur to me until recently. See, the other day I FINALLY got new contacts after almost a year of wearing only glasses. My last doctor prescribed soft lenses (I've always worn hard in the past) and they were fine, except they'd rotate everytime I blinked, and when they rotated I couldn't see. I tried to stop blinking, but that was a no-go, as I am not superhuman. So anyway, this new doctor prescribed me soft lenses that don't rotate in my eye, producing the desired outcome: sight. Even when I blinked. Alas, my bad hand can't help me open my eyes wide enough to put in soft contacts, so after all of this, I'm going back to hard ones.

But I digress. My point is, whenever I was wearing my contacts, people were nice. The construction men building houses in my neighborhood waved at me. People said hi to me at Target, even if they didn't know me, or weren't kids, who don't count because they always say hi. Random strangers smiled at me, like we were tight.

The next day bad hand was super-shakes, so I couldn't put in my right contact and had to wear glasses. Fewer people smiled at me. No random people said hi. When I drove past the construction workers, they just scowled at me (reason for that is still unknown).

Anyway, I decided that by becoming hot, I will slowly become friends with all the people of North America, one person at a time. Then, by the time my next book comes out in January 2011 (mark your calendars!) everyone will be my friend and thus buy my book. So really, this is a marketing campaign.

There is a second reason but this post is already too long so I'll have to mention it some other time.

Wonder Pen

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:11:20 GMT

On Monday, when I promised to blog more regularly, it was because I knew that very soon, I'd be spending a lot less time typing and a lot more time writing with this new pen, leaving me time for two posts a week, no problem.
What exactly is so amazing about this pen? What isn't amazing about this pen! I simplt turn it on (yes, you can turn the pen on, and it even has a small screen on the side. Seriously, check it out. You turn it on, start writing on this special paper (which looks just like regular lined paper except for the teeny-tiny dots on it), and then later, you can hook the pen up to your computer. Then the pen will show everything you've written with the pen on your computer screen! Then, it will convert what you've written into typeface!

I've had a chance to try this out after two mega-writing days this week, and I'm in awe. The pen reads my writing easily, and converts it to Microsoft Word with little problem (sometimes it Captializes random Words for some Reason, but I can tortally live with that).

The whole thing is unbelievable, like learning that chocolate chip cookies are actually health food or something.

Writing News Galore (And My New Sandals)

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:54:05 GMT

My blog has been a little light on the writing news lately. I mean, let's face it, the blog's been light on everything in general, ever since I started it. Which is why I make a pledge: I will be posting twice a week, every week, from now on! Feel free to ooh and ahh. Seriously. Ooh and ahh. Humor me here. Why can I make this blogging guarantee? One reason will be revealed on Thursday, in my next post. One reason is that I love you guys!

Also, I joined Twitter so I could be cool. No, J/k, that's not the reason. I'll never be cool. I was actually just missing out on crucial, crucial information, like what my next-door-neighbor had for dinner and whether or not my friends were pleased with the most recent So You Think You Can Dance? outcome.

Yes. The time had come. So follow me on twitter @emilywingsmith. It'll be fun!

And while I was learning how to do stuff, I figured out how to post my blog to livejournal. I probably don't have any lj friends left since I've been such a deadbeat, but it's a risk I''m willing to take.

In my writing world, two good things happened this week. First, I found out I'm a finalist for the 2008 Utah Book Award (Young Adult Division) from Utah Center for the Book. Great news, because I had no idea I was nominated for the award. While the letter I received notified me that there is one other finalist, it didn't say who that finalist is. I really wish I knew... so if it's you, email me! Otherwise I won't find out until the awards ceremony on October 22.

Another good thing: I got official word about the Second Annual Writing for Charity Event! Do you like to write? Do you like to write for young readers? Do you want to meet a bunch of famous authors who live right here in Utah? Do you know me personally and think, "If she can do this, it must be pretty easy?" Then pay a mere $50 ($45 before August 21st) and register for...

(from the website)

The Writing for Charity Event, a workshop for aspiring children’s book writers (age 13 and up only), will provide participants with professional advice and the opportunity to have their work evaluated by one of the event’s participating authors. The event includes the opportunity to purchase books and have books signed. Participants can also purchase drawing tickets for great prizes, including signed books and a book bag signed by all of the participating authors (Note from Em-Dawg: this includes me and about 20 other local authors. Yep, 20!)

All proceeds from the event will benefit the non-profit Treehouse Children’s Museum and its award-winning Family Literacy Programs. Writers of children’s picture books should bring a full manuscript (fewer than 1,000 words), and chapter book authors should bring the book’s first page for the critique. Participants are not required to bring work sample for the critique session.

Saturday, August 29 10AM - 2PM at the Children's Treehouse Museum in Ogden

Check out all the info here:

http://www.treehousemuseum.org/events_and_calendar.php

Speaking of my new sandals...

Two summers ago I bought the PERFECT sandals. They had a strap across the heel, which is a must for me--otherwise I walk right out of the shoe (no$2 Old Navy flip-flops for me). They were flats--no high-heel to trip on. They had Velcro closures. They were white with a tiny flower on the toe. They were from the girls' shoe section at Target.

Daniel forbid me from ever again buying shoes from the kids' section. But finding shoes that meet my shoe-qualifications is tough. Enter Lisa, my awesome shopping-buddy and BFF. She's infinitely patient while I try stuff on, and once told me: "Friends don't let friends buy those shoes."

Today we went to Nordstrom for their semi-annual sale and came out with some GREAT shoes. I may be $70 poorer, but look what I have:

Success!

Adventures in Yurting

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:49:11 GMT

Perhaps because I was feeling all outdoorsy and nature-girl from my stint with camping, I was gung-ho when my sister and brother-in-law suggested we go on a yurt adventure to Manti, Utah. Julie and Reo went to Snow College, mere minutes from the yurt, and I was more than pumped to visit their old stomping grounds-- plus hang out with their son Holden, the most adorable baby ever. Besides, we needed a break from our tired Rock Band routine.

I should have taken it as a bad sign that Holden cried for nearly the entire journey to said yurt, but I chalked it up to his being an infant. Also I should have taken it as a bad sign that we got checked into our campsite by a nine-year-old boy, but I chalked that up to bad parenting (which I've experienced first-hand as of late).

I can't remember the first time I knew I wanted to stay in a yurt. It wasn't very long ago, and I was surfing the web for some reason (Or maybe no reason at all, which I sometimes do) and I saw a picture of a yurt. Obviously, it was not this particular yurt.

Anyway, since that moment I've been digging yurts and their whole architectural style, which is like a tepee, but not. Note from the picture above that the top of a yurt is flat, not cone-shaped as a tepee. This yurt boasted a skylight at the top, perfect for stargazing. Usually stargazing makes me too dizzy to be enjoyable, since I can't tilt my head back and look up at the same time. If I was lying on my bed, though? I could totally handle it.

Unfortunately, this was my bed:

Now, I wasn't expecting five-star accommodations or anything, but I was expecting something better than this broken-down futon, which actually looks much cleaner in the photo than it did in real life. Just take my word for it.

Julie and Reo's bed, however, had a whole different vibe (think The Princess and the Pea):

If these things alone had been the yurt's only shortcomings, no big. I can handle odd, unsanitary furniture (I've lived in a college dorm, after all).

Alas, we had booked the yurt for the same weekend a family reunion had booked all the camping spaces around the yurt. And by around, I mean that one tent was pitched so close to our deck that using our grill would have set said tent on fire. Things I tripped on/almost tripped on while walking to the yurt:

--one inflatable pool with waterslide

--two pack-n-plays (neither of them for Holden)

--three camp chairs

The members of the family reunion wore matching shirts. Also, they stared at us. Whenever we were outside. So we did not spend a lot of time at the yurt on our yurt adventure.

Which didn't turn out to be all bad. We ate good burgers, toured the desereted Snow College campus, and even went to Wal-Mart (where we bought sheets for our bed, because a sleeping bag was just not enough). Plus, we ate at yet another One Man Band Diner.

Oh, and you could see exactly zero stars from the yurt's skylight.

Animoto.com

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:34:36 GMT

Check out my new trailer for THE WAY HE LIVED!

A DAWSON GIRL

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 05:03:55 GMT

It’s that time again: The fourth season of Dawson’s Creek is on TBS.

It’s always been my favorite season of Dawson’s Creek. For me, that year was the show’s Golden Age.

Everything came together that year—the writing was quick, the soundtrack was awesome, the characters were at their best-looking. Not to mention the gorgeous shots of Wilmington, North Carolina (aka Capeside, Mass.). Yes, the Creek was at its finest, then.

I once read an essay by the all-around-writer-extraordinaire Anna Quidlen, in which she referred to herself as “a Paul Girl.” She was one of those early-1960’s tweens whose favorite Beatle was Paul McCartney, and the decision defined her.

The girls who first gravitated toward Avril Lavigne? In 1964, they would have been John girls. Girls who would today be considered emo went for George. The Ringo girls? Well, you can’t put a label on the Ringo girls—at least I can’t. But Paul girls? In Quindlen’s words: “Paul got the little ladies…He was for girls who were traditional, predictable, who played by the rules.”

By the time my adolescence rolled around, the Beatles were cool, but vintage. We had ways of defining ourselves, sure, but not by identifying with men now older than our parents. Enter Dawson’s Creek.

Dawson’s fans went one of two ways: pro-Dawson or pro-Pacey. There was no middle ground. You either wanted the beautiful, sharp-tongued Joey Potter to end up with soul-mate-and-best-friend-forever Dawson, or charming-and-classic-screw-up Pacey. (Please note: Nobody wanted her to end up with Tom Cruise).

I was a Dawson girl.

After all, the series was called Dawson’s Creek for a reason. Besides that, though, it was obvious that Joey and Dawson belonged together. They’d been together from the beginning, and Pacey? He just wanted her once Dawson decided he wanted her, too. Pacey was every worst trait rolled into one. He wanted what he couldn’t have. He got it and treated it like trash. His communication style was sub-par, if not downright caveman. And he messed up. Not once, but all the time.

Joey’s with Pacey in the fourth season, which may be why the Dawson girl in me loves it so much. We Dawson girls watch patiently as Joey and Pacey lie to each other, fight with each other, and generally self-destruct. We know at the end of the day Dawson will be there, window and arms wide open. So what if the chemistry between Pacey and Joey is undeniable?

I watch this generation of girls take sides, too—we have Edward girls, we have Jacob girls (though to be fair, I have never actually met a teenage Jacob girl). I myself am neither an Edward nor a Jacob girl, and maybe my lack of taking sides defines me, as well. I haven’t read Breaking Dawn, either, so I don’t know how it all ends up.

My hope is that it turns out better than it did for Dawson.

Oops: Betsy Tacy

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:52:18 GMT

Thank you to reviewer, blogger, and all-around book brainiac Little Willow for alerting me to this issue and getting me the permission to repost this piece from Lorie Ann Grover (I wanted to the same thing with Little Willow’s name that she did with Lori Anne’s—you know, where you click on it and it links to her website? But I am an idiot, and I don’t know how.)
Anyway, as a huge Betsy-Tacy fan, I had to spread the word:
We will make it our aim at readergirlz to draw your attention to books that are sadly going out of print (OOP). If we all rant and copy and repost the blogs as we are able, maybe we'll tug the ears of the publishers. When Nancy informed us that the Betsy-Tacy series was going out of print, you should have heard the divas groan! I'm sad to say, we have our first OOPS! entry.

In 1940 Maud Hart Lovelace published her first novel Betsy-Tacy of the future series. The original works were illustrated brilliantly by Lois Lenski.

At the start, we meet five-year-old Betsy and her new friend, Tacy. Set in Deep Valley, Minnesota (Mankato, Minnesota, the author's town) in 1898, the girls' adventures abound. From everyday life to extraordinary fantasy, the duo is inseparable. Whether going to school for the first time or riding a feather above their homes, the girls discover the world.

Rereading Betsy-Tacy, I was struck by the history contained in the thin volume. I found American cultural history our girls should be exposed to today. What's a hitching block, or a pussy hood, and how do starched petticoats button to muslin underwaists? At the same time universal timeless themes are touched upon that our girls will still connect to personally. Shyness, siblings, imaginations, and death are a few of the concepts explored.

The entire series follows the girls as they mature. The first four titles focus on the girls from ages 5 to 10. Heaven to Betsy takes the characters to high school. Each work shows the characters age about a year until marriage in Betsy's Wedding.

Betsy-Tacy (1940)
Betsy-Tacy and Tib (1941)
Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill (1942)
Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown (1943)
Heaven to Betsy (1945)
Betsy in Spite of Herself (1946)
Betsy Was a Junior (1947)
Betsy and Joe (1948)
Betsy and the Great World (1952)
Betsy's Wedding (1955)

More from Lorie Ann: I was so happy to discover the Betsy-Tacy Society. Here's an excerpt from their homepage:

The Betsy-Tacy Society was founded in 1990 by a group of 12 Mankato-area admirers of Maud Hart Lovelace's life and writing; it now numbers more than 1500 members. The goals of the BTS are:

* To promote and maintain the availability of Mrs. Lovelace's work;
* To advocate for the reissue of any titles not currently in print;
* To preserve existing landmarks and sites associated with the real people and places portrayed in the Betsy-Tacy books; and
* To sustain interest in the lifestyle of the period, with special emphasis on family and women's history.

Let's speak up to keep Maud's dream alive. As she begins Betsy~Tacy:

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,
The earth, and every common sight,
To me did seem
Apparell'd in celestial light,
The glory and the freshness of a dream...
- William Wordsworth

Give a shout out to the Betsy-Tacy series through the kidlitosphere.

HarperCollins, don't make this collection of true American girls go OOPS!

- Lorie Ann Grover, rgz diva/author

Notes from Little Willow:

I too enjoyed the Betsy-Tacy books. As a child, I checked them out from the public library. I remember learning that the author had based all of the characters on her own friends and family members and thinking, "That's like Little House!" Now, as an adult, I continue to recommend both series to young readers.

I love it when young writers ask me, "Is it okay to write stories that are kind of like what really happened to me?" "By all means," I reply, and we talk about books inspired by real lives.

The Betsy-Tacy books are classics. They represent and depict the society and the writing style of the times. They also value friendship and show the characters grow up. I have used this series as a kind of stepping-stone to the Anne of Green Gables series, which I adore. I also give it to All-of-a-Kind-Family fans, and vice-versa.

I hope that Betsy-Tacy comes back into print so that their stories may live on as they deserve.

My Two Dads

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:15:12 GMT

Did you ever see that ‘80’s sitcom about the girl raised by two single men, each of whom might be her biological father? I was pretty young when the show was on, so I don’t think I was ever clear on the logistics of their living arrangement, or how/why each man was so certain the girl was his daughter. BUT I do remember the three of them lived in the same apartment building as the judge who worked on their “case.” I also remember the two dads were complete opposites: One was this very attractive, too-young looking artist type, and the other was a total Wall-Street. Between the two of them, she got the best of both worlds (like Hannah Montana, except less annoying).

As I’ve been thinking about Father’s Day this week, I’m realizing how much I’m like that girl on My Two Dads (minus the eighties-tastic hair and boyfriend whose voice hadn’t changed). Between my father and my father-in-law I feel like I have everything “normal” and everything “abnormal” in a father-daughter relationship.

One of my dads helped tile my bathroom floor. One helps me figure out insurance statements. One of my dads wears Hawaiian shirts. One wears the old suit/tie combo. One of my dads can see—courtesy of Lasix—the other is blind in one eye. One of my dads sees a doctor, one sees a medical intuitive. Which dad is which might surprise you.

Once I said to my husband: “When you put them together, our father equal one perfect dad.” But I think I had it wrong. My dads are close enough to perfect on their own.

Happy Father’s Day Week, everybody!

Pictures a Go-Go

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:22:34 GMT

So, I haven’t yet figured out how to add a picture to my livejournal, but I have posted a great picture on emilywingsmith.com. If you enjoy hilarious marquees, check it out.

In other picture-related news, some of you asked why there weren’t any pictures of me on my site. The answer? Because I didn’t know how to post them. Now, here they are, under the “About” section. Enjoy!