 If you're a regular podcast listener, you may have already read Josh Galarza's, The Great Cool Ranch Dorito in the Sky, or A.S. King's, Pick the Lock, which both rocked my world for different reasons. But if you haven't read those novels because you skew toward middle grade, then be sure to pick up one of Jen Ferguson's three YA novels, The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, or Those Pink Mountain Nights, or A Constellation of Minor Bears. Better yet, read all three. Not only is each novel engaging, but you can learn something different from a craft standpoint from each book. In this episode, Jen Ferguson talks about opportunities to sharpen our work, why characters mirror one another in dialogue, and why we need different books for different readers. She recommends the following YA books: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, which is an Asian inspired fantasy which has a Studio Ghibli feel. All of Edward Underhill's YA novels. During the episode, Jen talks about Always the Almost which is a ROM drama with a musician, trans boy in it, who wants to squish his rival in the piano competition. She's a big fan of all his novels because they're caring, funny, and feature snarky, trans boys. Jen has a writer crush on Leah Johnson, who writes middle grade and young adult novels. Plus, she owns Loudmouth Books, an independent bookstore in Indianapolis. Darcie Little Badger writes queer Native fantasy that's a ton of fun. To read the interview, click here. To listen to the interview, click below. No matter which you choose, grab your drink of choice along with your favorite notebook and writing implement and get ready for a delightful hour of discussing writer's craft.
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 "I have a new relationship with failure because of play."-Sarah Aronson Sarah's statement really struck this morning as I was editing this episode's transcript. One of the ways Sarah plays while writing is to side-write. In fact, she starts her writing process each morning with side-writing. After I finished editing the transcript, cooking breakfast and cleaning up, a voice came to me and I began to side-write. It was so much fun, and I for one, need more fun in my life. Besides playing and side-writing, Sarah also talks about the importance of embracing conversations, challenges, and community. Sarah recommends the following books: Young Adult: For Lamb by Lesa-Cline Ransome Sarah said she doesn't know why this book didn't win every award out there because it's one of the best books she's ever read and it made her cry so many times. Middle Grade: Erin Entrada Kelly's The First State of Being is a book about a girl, a young boy, and time travel. Sarah wouldn't say anymore because she hates spoilers. Picture Books: Joyful Song: A Naming Story written by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Susan Gal because the writing and artwork are gorgeous. Touch the Sky written by Stephanie Lucianovic and illustrated by Chris Park because this statement glimmers, "It feels hard until you get it, and then it's not." The Book of Mistakes by Corinna Luyken because mistakes happen. What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Ekua Holmes because it's fabulous and it was the mentor text for Sarah's latest biography, Abzuglutely! Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug. Have fun listening to the episode!  In this episode, Jen Malia and I talk about the importance of celebrating neurodiversity, identifying your audience, and writing on location. Jen's three-dimensional characters made me feel as if I was interacting with them in person, and the fact that she writes on location made me feel as though I was at the natural history museum, too. The Infinity Rainbow Club chapter books should be in every classroom because they feature neurodiverse characters excelling in engaging activities. Jen also recommends the following books that are either written by neurodiverse authors and/or feature neurodiverse characters: Picture books: Steve Asbell's Flap Your Hands and Kaz Windness's Bitsy Bat series. Middle grade: Elana K. Arnold's BAT series, Alyson Gerber's Focused, and Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos. Young adult: Halli Gomez's List of 10. For developing the craft of writing, Jen recommends the following books: Cheryl Klein's The Magic Words and Ann Whitford Paul's Writing Picture Books. Click here to read the transcript or click below to listen to the episode. Happy reading, writing, and listening!  When I committed to publishing a transcript for each one-on-one interview, I had no idea how much I would learn in the process. For me, seeing information in print, in addition to hearing it, is extremely helpful. Amy Sarig King and I talk a lot about ACEs, adverse childhood experiences. One of the traumas we discuss is counter-parenting, which is when one parent deliberately undermines the other parent's rules, discipline methods, or parenting choices. Amy's fabulous new novel, Pick the Lock, is a surreal exploration of counter-parenting and other types of abuse, which happen frequently in a patriarchy. If you have experienced counter-parenting, I hope this episode and Amy's newest novel are as validating and healing for you as they were for me. It's incredible how freeing it is when someone names your trauma. In addition to talking about ACEs, we talk about the importance of honesty and expression. Amy recommends the following books: Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. This book won the Printz Award in 2021, and it has been named twice in a row on the show now. I admit that I started this book and never finished it. But after two interviewees calling it out back-to-back, I'll have to add it to my commuting queue. Amy also recommends Nayeri's, The Many Assassinations of Samir, Seller of Dreams. She says Nayeri can do no wrong. Now, that's a recommendation. Man o' War by Cory McCarthy because it talks beautifully about the journey of trans kids. All three of Michael Leali's realistic fiction middle grade novels: The Civil War of Amos Abernathy, Matteo, and The Truth About Triangles. Skylar Shremp's Three Strike Summer. It's a historical fiction novel set in the 1930's, and Amy says it's "Told in a voice so real that it reeks of filched peaches, this book is a home run." Lastly, Amy and I talked about M.T. Anderson's Elf Dog and Owl Head, which was an absolute magical read for me and possibly my favorite book of 2023. Without further ado, let's Pick the Lock on this interview.  You just heard from Andrew Hacket. Today’s panel discussion also features Ernesto Cisneros, Marcie Flinchum Atkins, Lisa Stringfellow, and Tina Athaide. In addition to their wonderful voices, authors Cindy Jenson-Elliott, Valerie Bolling, and Jody Little also contributed to this heartfelt discussion. The panelists talk about creating safe spaces where mistakes are welcome, writing for authentic audiences, and sharing their writing process with students.  I had a blast chatting with Ryan Bani Tahmaseb. We celebrated his debut picture book, Rostam’s Picture-Day Pusteen, and talked about collaborating, connecting with family, and leading with curiosity. Before I tell you about Ryan's recommendations, I want to tell you that Ryan shares a heartwarming moment in this episode that will make your day. Don't miss it! Ryan recommends these five titles: Picture Books: My Strange Shrinking Parents by Zeno Sworder We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang Middle Grade The Remarkable Rescue at Milkweed Meadow by Elaine Dimopoulis Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri Young Adult Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin Click here for the transcript or listen to the episode below. |
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December 2024
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