Fresh From the Oven

In response to my last post about phases of being quieter online, two people (one on Blogger, one on LiveJournal) commented about feeling guilty when they withdraw from social media. The second time someone mentioned guilt, I decided I want to say more on this subject.

Why should anyone feel guilty for stepping back? I wondered. After all, blogs and Twitter feeds and Facebook pages are all optional; most of us are not paid to do them and make no promises about when we'll post. Nobody's going to die over whether we post or not. (OK, if you see a tornado coming and tweet about it, you might save someone's life. But that's an exception!)

But entering the online world is entering a community. Most of us interact with a core group regularly, as well as with whomever else clicks on by. We have a horror of being thought of as the writer who became "too good" for her old blog buddies once she signed a book contract. We hate the idea of losing touch with friends once we tie the knot or have a baby. We don't want to disappear when we change jobs.

We like our friends and don't want to lose touch with them.

There's also the fact that sometimes when people disappear, it's because they've had a crisis, and we know people may worry. I can think of one writer I used to see on LiveJournal. Our relationship was at the "acquaintance" level, and many people migrated from LJ to other platforms, so it wasn't until I heard of her untimely death (from another social-media site) that I remembered her and realized I hadn't heard anything about her in a long while. It made me wonder about all the other people I used to see online but don't anymore. I assumed most of them just got tired of blogging or moved over to Facebook, and I know some of them went back to school or got new jobs or simply got so swamped by book promotion that they stepped back from the blogosphere--but now I wonder. Are they okay? I may never know.

So in one sense, I understand the desire to explain our absences from social media. And I think it's a nice idea to say, "I'm going offline for a while" if that's what we're doing. But I don't think we owe anyone an explanation. I don't think we have to justify our absences. Although I've been disappointed when my favorite bloggers stopped posting, I don't believe they owed me anything. They put up a bunch of free content that I enjoyed; we had some fun interactions; how can I complain about that?

Most of all, I don't think social media should have to be a chore. I do think it's important for writers to have at least one place online where readers can find them if they want, one place that provides a bio and author photo and a list of their books. But that can be a single page and doesn't have to be updated too often. Beyond that, it's all icing on the cake. It's about having fun and connecting with people, and if we're not getting that fun and connection here, or if we simply need to focus attention elsewhere, it's natural to step away. The Social Media Police will not come after us. :-)

Dear Ms. Creech,

This is a thank you note mixed with a confession. Read on, and you’ll understand.

First, I have to say that I loved your talk at the New England SCBWI Conference and was thrilled to finally meet you in person.

So thank you for that. But that’s only part of the thank you.  Before I get to the rest, I have to do the confession part.

So…you know that poem you have on your website? The one that explains to teachers why you can’t accept any more invitations for school visits this year?  It starts like this:

My phone is ringing

and the fax is going
and sometimes I am sick

(I hope you are not sick!)
and my car needs fixing

and I have to go
to the grocery store
and do the laundry

and clean up messes
and I am supposed to be
writing a new book
which takes a lot of time
to think about and
to write all those little words…

 

(The rest of Sharon’s why-I-can’t-visit poem  is here,  for those of you who are not Sharon and don’t know how it goes.)

You might not remember this, but a whole bunch of years ago – maybe nine or ten – you got an email from a teacher begging you to requesting that you consider making an exception to your no-more-school-visits-this-year policy.  It was written as a poem, too, because she thought you might like that, and she figured it was worth a try.  She doesn’t have that exact poem any more, but it went something like this.

We know that you are busy

Answering your phone

And buying food

and doing laundry

and sneezing

(Bless you)

And writing books we adore..

But we love-love-love those books so much

And wondered if you might sneak away

To visit us anyway.

It would just be for a day,

And then you could go back

To your grocery-shopping

Laundry-doing, phone answering, sneezing life

(Bless you)

To write more magical stories

For us all to love.

 

That teacher figured it was a long shot. (She used to be a reporter and understood all about deadlines.) But your poem inspired her poem, just like that, and before she knew it, she’d gone and hit the send button.

Your schedule was too busy to visit.  (She figured it would be.) But you made time to write back. You told her you loved her poem, that it made you smile.

And that made her whole teacher-day.

That teacher was me.

And that explains why I had to sit down when you tweeted this picture last week, saying you found your book in good company at the bookstore.  There’s your book on the left, and beside it, Grace Lin’s book, and then mine. Roald Dahl and Karen Cushman are there, too, just for good measure.

 

Thanks for making my day.   Again.

.

Yesterday was the perfect day to smell lilacs and pass under the white blooms of dogwoods on my way to the Smith College Greenhouse. The museum area is currently devoted to a show called From Petals to Paper: Poetic Inspiration from Flowers. Poems printed on placards and arranged according to flower types were selected by Liliana Farrel and Janna Scott, class of ’13, who were inspired by Annie Boutelle’s poetry workshop. Walls featured irises, tulips, and other spring flowers. The section on daffodils offered Wordsworth wandering lonely as a cloud, along with Robert Herrick, Amy Lowell, and Alicia Ostriker giving the flowers a political context. Poets including Li-Young, Mary Oliver, and Louise Gluck show flowers as solace, taunting, sensuous, exuberant, or demure.


A small room was devoted to Smith alum, Sylvia Plath. We see a draft of Among the Narcissi filled with cross-outs and new words, with still more lines and notes from an editor at The New Yorker, then we see it published in the magazine.


David Trinidad had given us a brief introduction to both Sylvia Plath and tulips in his amusing and profound poem The Red Parade. Here we find Sylvia Plath’s Tulips on the wall and can also listen to a recording on a television. The poem tells of a red gift in a stark hospital room at a time when the narrator felt as if of nurses were claiming her clothes, the anesthetist her history, and the surgeons her body, so that I believed the line near the end: “Tulips should be behind bars like dangerous animals.” I like the poem, but am glad I’m a person who can receive tulips and simply say “Thank you, what a gorgeous color!” The recording was made in 1961, two years before Plath would die by her own hand at age thirty, leaving two children.


This heart-tugging show is open until the first weekend of September.

1. The Volunteer Tea was this morning at school. It's always a pleasant chance to catch up with other parents (who I see often, anyway, as we're always at school together volunteering, heh). Our principal also gave me a special gift -- she's a lovely person, and I'm really thrilled that she's come to our school. :)

2. This weekend is crazy-busy...but it should be the last one this bad for a while (maybe until August, when school stuff begins again). We have (including tonight) 6 'events' going on this weekend -- ack!

3. My work is mostly over for the next two weeks -- yay! I've been thinking about various issues with my revision, so I'm hoping I'll actually have time to work through them (on paper). The challenge comes because DH also works from home part of the time, and I have a hard time writing when he's in the office too (he talks to his computer while he works -- and sometimes that talking turns to muttered curses -- plus, he listens to heavy metal, which isn't my favorite). I have a laptop, though, so I'm thinking I need to take that somewhere and work that way...plus, then I'd feel less confined. That might be the ticket (though I love our home office when DH isn't around, heh).

4. One of our 'events' this weekend is the final game for D's flag football. I'm relieved it's over, though I do think it was a mostly good experience for D. But a couple of the boys on his team are so unathletic that it's almost painful to watch them out there. I'm helping the coach with their certificates, and we're struggling to come up with a positive, sporty term for one of those, especially -- what do you say about someone who truly has no athletic ability?? I want to use the word 'heartfelt,' but the coach really wants something related to sports... Of course, D is getting the award for 'Best All-Around Player,' so he'll be happy. :)

5. Both my kiddos have colds right now. I think D's came from his allergies (which flared up again as soon as the snow melted). Poor E, though, has one of those annoying coughs that won't stop. She *hates* being sick (doesn't everyone?), and she spends her time sighing dramatically (which is kind of funny) when she's not coughing.

Well, I need to get busy with stuff -- happy Friday! Anything fun planned for your weekend?

Which should tell you something.

My house eats things. It's the ONLY explanation. I mean, how can my earbuds have disappeared when I never take them out of the room? I'd have Eli's stomach X-rayed if I suspected him, but he by far prefers money and paper napkins.

Oh, and I'd sure  like to know what happened to my iPod connector.

And my brown Birkie sandals.

My favorite hoody.

A bottle of onion flakes.

My union contract.

Eli's new rabies tag.

A box of Keurig coffee I was going to take to work.

My brain?

By Cynthia Leitich Smith
for Cynsations

Divya Srinivasan on Octopus Alone: an interview by Chris Barton from Bartography. Peek: "'Loner' seems such a negative word, and so definitive. I liked showing a character who loves her home, but realizes she needs some space, and who then ends up finding a place that feels all her own, like a precious secret."

Finding the Perfect First Sentence by Jessica Brody from Adventures in YA & Children's Publishing. Peek: "Sometimes, as a writer, all you get is one page, one paragraph or even one sentence to hook a reader. So it’s crucial to pick the right opening."

Physical Attributes Entry: Butts from The Bookshelf Muse. Peek: "Physical description of a character can be difficult to convey—too much will slow the pace or feel 'list-like', while too little will not allow readers to form a clear mental image."

Saying "No" to an Editor by Darcy Pattison from Fiction Notes. Peek: "You can refuse a contract for any number of reasons. Money, vision for the published manuscript, an unkind word. You never have to sign a contract."

Where Are All the Black Boys? by Varian Johnson from They Call Me Mr. V. Pek: "Either people will think it's not relevant to them because it features a black boy. Or they won't buy it because they'll think it's about slavery or racism. Or people won't buy it because it's not true Black History Month material." Note: don't miss the continuing conversation in the comments. See also 2013 Middle Grade Black Boys: Seriously People? and Judging Covers by Andrea Davis Pinkey.

Will Konigsberg's "influential" choice

Author Insight: Books with Influence from Wastepaper Prose. Peek: "What do you feel is the most widely influential book you’ve read in the last few years?"

An Ongoing Discussion, an Ongoing Question by Charlesbridge editor Julie Ham for CBC Diversity. Peek: "Can authors or illustrators write about or illustrate cultures and races different from their own?" See also Diversity in the Caldecott Winners & Honors (Or Lack Thereof) from Children's Literature Network.

What If? A Method for Developing Ideas by Elizabeth S. Craig from Mystery Writing is Murder. Peek: "You can brainstorm this way. You can even outline this way. You can get yourself out of plot holes this way."

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in Children's Literature from Colorín Colorado. Peek: "...celebrates family traditions and the rich diversity of Asian and Pacific Americans with books, activities, and a variety of resources and ideas for ELL (English language learners) educators."

Genre Bending/Blending by Brian Yansky from Brian's Blog. Peek: "There's something inherently rebellious about writing fiction. And there are writers who find themselves, even if they begin writing in a certain genre they love to read, wandering."

Guest Editor Danny Fingeroth on Submitting Graphic Novels from DearEditor.com. Peek: "...having pages of the story drawn and lettered to include with the proposal is generally a good idea, although there is the chance that some editors may not like the look of the art, and so may reject the story even if they like the writing, and even if you make it clear you would be willing to work with another artist."

Cynsational Giveaways

• Ball by Mary Sullivan (PB)


• Nothing But Blue; Me, Penelope & Country Girl, City Girl by Lisa Jahn-Clough (YA)(3 books!)

The winner of Feral Nights by Cynthia Leitich Smith was Amanda in London, and the winner of Eternal: Zachary's Story by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Ming Doyle, was Brandon in Florida.

See also Interview with Joy Preble & Giveaway of The Sweet Dead Life from Cari's Book Blog.

This Week at Cynsations

• Sharron L. McElmeel on Creating an Author/Illustrator Website with Teacher-Librarian Appeal


• New Voice Tamera Will Wissinger on Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse


• Shirley Reva Vernick on Defining Success


• New Voice Kit Grindstaff on The Flame in the Mist

More Personally

Here's a peek at my comings-and-goings last week in the Austin children's-YA lit scene.

At the YAB Fest reception with Jessica Lee Anderson, P.J. Hoover & Danny Woodfill of The Book Spot in Round Rock.

Julie Dinkel Woodfill of The Book Spot & author-editor Madeline Smoot

Author E. Kristin Anderson & librarian Jen Bigheart

Authors Cory Putnam Oakes & Krissi Dallas

Jen & author Lindsey Scheibe

Authors Lindsey Lane & Shana Burg at the Austin SCBWI monthly meeting

With authors Susie Kralovansky & Bethany Hegedus

Author-speaker Lynne Kelly

As for this weekend, Joy Preble will speak and sign The Sweet Dead Life at 3 p.m. May 18 and Lindsey Scheibe will speak and sign Riptide at 2 p.m. May 19 at BookPeople in Austin.

See also Cynthia Leitich Smith on Eric Gransworth's If I Ever Get Out of Here (Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic) from Debbie Reese at American Indians in Children's Literature.

Personal Links

• Krissa Hillman Created Cupcakes for Literacy


• Tarot for Writers


• Carol Lynch Williams & WIFYR


• Blog Tour: Sirens in the Time of Gatsby (featuring Janet S. Fox)


• Launching a Book with a Tea Party by Catherine Stier


• What's the Point? Five Writers Offer Lifelines for MFA Despair


• Astronauts Set to See "Star Trek Into Darkness" in Space

Cynsational Events

YA lit readers! Join Cynthia Leitich Smith at 6:30 p.m. May 25 at Round Rock Public Library.

Join Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith at 11 a.m. June 11 at Lampasas (TX) Public Library.

Join authors Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, Nancy Werlin and ICM Partners literary agent Tina Wexler at a Whole Novel Workshop from Aug. 4 to Aug. 10, sponsored by the Highlights Foundation. Peek: "Our aim is to focus on a specific work in progress, moving a novel to the next level in preparation for submission to agents or publishers. Focused attention in an intimate setting makes this mentorship program one that guarantees significant progress." Special guests: Curtis Brown agent Sarah LaPolla, authors Bethany Hegedus and Amy Rose Capetta.

This was a "conversation" written by my son, Flannery, before his sophomore year in high school to a friend he'd lost suddenly. Please send light and love to my sweet son who is not well.

Love

Kerry

CONVERSATION

By Flannery Lunsford

Mrflanman: Gladys?

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: Please, can you answer?

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: I’m sorry.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: I can’t even try to relate what I’m feeling into words.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: But then thinking of your family, your friends, Oh God, I’m sorry.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: Come on, I know you're not available. I want tell you that you brightened the room when you were there, I'm not just saying that, please don’t laugh at that, and when I go to your funeral, I'll bet they'll say the same thing. You were too good for this place, I'll bet they'll say that too. This message is a bundle of cliches, but I have to say it. I know you're happy. Oh Gladys, you were the kindest person I've met at Marshall, I love you for being that, for embodying the good things in this world.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: Isn't it ironic that I found your screen-name after you left this place. I found it amongst the posts for Mr. O’Connell's class.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: Alright, if you won’t talk, I will, ok? I remember when I first met you, you had transferred from Belmont, and you thought that Belmont had a better gym, but that Marshall was a way better school. I remember when you brought that Period book, a collection of stories about women and their periods, to school, and I thought it was the lamest book ever to grace this earth, and I refused to believe whatever you said about it. We argued until you refused to speak to me, because my argument was so pointless. Then when you presented that book for Mr. O’Connell’s class, I was there in the back, groggy from the number of hazy presentations that had preceded yours, and then you started talking. And as I watched, everyone became interested, you always made people smile, happy, speaking eloquently, quickly, a stage presence that no one else was close to having in that class. You dissected any possible argument I could have had with the book in the first place, and as you casually mentioned with a glance in my direction that “some people just can’t understand and refused to…” I knew that you had won.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: Mr. O’Connell’s class, we did a lot of projects together, in the end, that disputed Antony and Cleopatra cell project didn’t even count, but you still got an A.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: I’ll just keep talking then. I remember when you told me that you liked Dylan, and you told me not to tell anyone, the sadness in your face behind a strained smile, and your braces, as he described your friend and him together, and how you told him to go for it, and I could feel your pain, even though he still flirted with you. I could see you think, frustrated that you hadn’t tried to see him before, the lost opportunities.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: I wanted to let you know about Nick, because I remember you asking me how he was doing. He’s better now, the disease, juvenile dermatamiositis, is in remission, and he’s getting stronger. He’s on anti-inflammatory steroids, so he’s getting all these weird side effects like swelling in his face and stomach, but I think he’ll be okay. I forgot to tell you that he asked about you a while ago, and wanted me to say hey to you.

User smileegurlpnay is not available

Mrflanman: I remember when you asked me if I liked a particular girl, even though you already knew, your clever remarks, despite the fact that I never had said anything about her. And your dancing, you could dance. I remember doing the sound for the Dance fiasco where you waited ten minutes for the music cue, while I fumbled, helpless in the audience. But you still pulled it off, always. I remember you said you wanted to be a teacher, you are still the only other teenager who has ever said that to me. I said, you could help my dad anytime. You wanted to teach third grade. I remember when you commented on my sister’s pants when I wore them at Battle of the Bands, because you had the same jeans, Plugg Jeans, with a butterfly on its leather emblem. I can’t believe we wore the same jeans.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: You know, we weren’t really great friends, but we talked, and you always were the most open, sweet person to talk to. And I’m still talking to you, but I don’t know what to say now.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: Come on, I’m waiting for a quick comeback, a laugh, you were so good at that. I’ve taken things for granted, all that time in Mr. Jeffries class, waving to you in Mr. Duncan’s class as I left Mr. Wong’s. I’d always pass by, and you’d be there in your desk, listening to Mr. Duncan drone on about Stoichiometry. But then I walk by, and the desk is empty, the teacher’s still talking, the students still aren’t listening, as you’ve slipped away.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: I remember my dad coming in and asking me if I knew you. I first thought that you had called, that would have been cool, Gladys calling me? But then he said that you were in a car accident. I didn’t really know what to say, I called Dylan, he seemed empty, like an old wind up toy, that’s been wound up too many times, and just falls over. I haven’t been able to sleep. This is selfish now, but I had to write this, because Gladys’ don’t come around too often, and I guess you have to embrace them while you can, or they’ll slip away to a better place.

User smileegurlpnay is not available.

Mrflanman: Ok, goodnight Gladys.

Mrflanman has signed off at 2:16:43 AM.

Look for my story, Gravy and Mashed, in the YA performing arts anthology Starry Eyed, this Fall!

These three kittens go up for adoption today.

1. The animal shelter where I volunteer has a bake and plant sale tomorrow, so I'm baking this morning. We have a group of kittens going up for adoption this morning, too. Three litters of kittens were found in a plastic tote and brought to us a week ago. The story was on all our local TV stations, and lots of people have inquired about the cats and kittens. So when I drop off my donations to the sale, I think it will be a busy place!

2. I'm off to South Carolina on Monday for several days of school visits. I'm bringing the South Carolina Picture Book Award medal for Hot Rod Hamster with me to show the kids.

3.  It's exciting to see my garden coming to life again. The rhubarb looks very happy where I planted it. :-)

4.  My critique partners and I have rented a cottage on a lake for 5 days in June to do some writing. I'm looking forward to getting back to writing. I have revisions on an early reader and a chapter book to do, and I assume I'll see First Pass pages for Half a Chance soon. I also want to draft a new middle-grade novel this summer. I have no idea yet what that novel will be about, but I'm anxious to find out.

5.  Maine has officially flipped the switch from mud season to GORGEOUS. Everything is really beautiful now.  Here are two of my local public libraries.


Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick, Maine. Photo by my husband, John


Patten Free Library, Bath, Maine. Photo by my husband, John