Tag: classics

Let it Burns

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A lot of times, people see my red hair and guess that I’m Irish. In truth, the red hair comes from my 1/16th Scottish side–not much, obviously, but it’s a good excuse to swell with Scottish pride. And so of course I need to mention that today is the birthday of Scottish poet Robert Burns. Happy Birthday, Robert! In Scotland, this means celebrating Burns Night and taking part in the Burns Supper. (Any dinner where you pipe in the meal gets my support.) I’ll be packing for SCBWI tonight, so I don’t think I’ll be having any haggis, but I can share my favorite Burns poem.

My Luve is like a Red Red Rose

O my Luve’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve’s like the melodie,
That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry , my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare-thee-weel, my only Luve !
And fare-thee-weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ ’twere ten thousand mile!

(poem via BBC)

Are You There, God?

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An interesting quote from this interview with Judy Blume:

“With Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, I thought I was writing about organized religion, yet the book has become famous for dealing with puberty. Hardly anyone ever mentions religion or Margaret’s very personal relationship with God.”

I know that if you ask almost anyone what Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is about, they’d say a girl getting her period, but I actually really enjoy Margaret’s struggle with organized religion throughout. It feels very natural, and I like that Margaret is always reaching out for something greater in the universe, even if she can’t call herself Jewish or Christian exactly.

Make sure to check out the whole interview!

Did We Wrinkle Fifty Years?

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When I first read A Wrinkle in Time in fifth or sixth grade, I assumed that it had been published fairly recently. I found out that I was wrong, but it stills stuns me that the novel is as old as it is. A reminder: this is A Wrinkle in Time’s fiftieth anniversary. Yeah. Not fifth. 5-0.

To celebrate, Macmillan is releasing a new hardcover edition with the original cover. Also, Symphony Space is hosting an anniversary party/reading on February 11th. The details:

“Writers and actors, including award-winning novelist Rebecca Stead (When You Reach Me), R.L. Stine (Goosebumps, Fear Street), Katherine Patterson (Bridge to Terabithia) and Lois Lowry (The Giver) celebrate the Newbery Medal-winning classic. The discussion will be moderated by NYPL Children’s Librarian and Fuse #8 blogger Betsy Bird. The event will also include a special introduction by children’s book historian Leonard Marcus.  Excerpts from the book with be performed by Jane Curtin (3rd Rock from the Sun) and others.”

Really, really, really wishing I could be in New York that weekend. Instead, I’ll just have to host my own reading in my apartment, in which I read aloud to my husband, myself, and possibly our neighbors (depending on how loud I can get).

(image: Macmillan)

The Living Tree

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Confession: When I was little, The Giving Tree really upset me. The poor tree! The stupid boy! (Okay, so I’m still upset.) Even so, this animated version by Shel Silverstein is lovely in its simplicity. Plus it’s narrated by Silverstein as well.

Even though I still want to punch the boy, it is really cool to see such a classic children’s book come to life.

Religion in Wrinkles

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Austin Allen looks at how Madeleine L’Engle combines fantasy and religion in her potentially most famous work, A Wrinkle in Time:

“I think she’s being careful, ducking accusations of parochialism, and leaving everything up to the reader’s interpretation. But I also think the variety of her idols suggests a restless imagination, one that was more confined than inspired by doctrinaire Christianity. Her impulse toward sermonizing wrestles with her impulse toward a vision that is—like her extraterrestrials and shimmering presences—unclassifiable.”

This is one reason that I like L’Engle’s work in general. She acknowledges a greater purpose in the general and, even as she tends toward the Christian, suggests that whatever the universe is, it’s beyond our current power of comprehension. But that doesn’t mean we should strive to reach out toward it.

Friday Fifteen

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I’m back with the second edition of Friday Fifteen, in which I review fifteen books in fifteen words or less.

1. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Good, but mostly I remember the puppy.

2. A Sick Day For Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead
One of the cutest, coziest books ever, with lovely art.

3. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Read it obsessively for a while, then found it lacking.

4. The Giver by Lois Lowry
The first book I can remember really making me think. A forever favorite.

5. On Beauty by Zadie Smith
Felt more like a collection of ideas than actual characters or plot.

6. Kate’s Camp-Out (Sleepover Friends #6) by Susan Saunders
90s tween series about sleepovers. I think this one was a kind of ghost story?

7. The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole
This book taught me about mass vs. weight. Miss Frizzle’s class meets the universe.

8. Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
The novelization of the history of philosophy. Awesome, but the end got really weird.

9. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The second book to make me cry. More sadness about puppies.

10. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
The first in a series. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle helps parents manage their obnoxious kids, hilarity ensues.

11. The Ghost in the Attic (Haunting with Louisa #1) by Emily Cates
Non-scary ghost tale with a historical fiction twist. The only one I read in the series.

12. The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes by Ted Allen
Impressed my family with Allen’s recipes. Not too hard, but not too basic either.

13. Jacob I Have Loved by Katherine Paterson
Read this a lot, but I wanted to shake Louise and punch Caroline. Patterns understands isolation.

14. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Chilling and captivating. I liked this way better than Capote’s short fiction.

15. The Best American Travel Writing 2006 by Tim Cahill and Jason Wilson
First foray into travel writing. Now terrified to sail alone (not that I planned to).

I didn’t get to finish The Fault in Our Stars for the Friday Fifteen, but I might end up giving that a full review instead. Or I’ll save it for next week. Either way, feel free to share your own fifteen-word reviews in the comments.

Manor House Mashup

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One of my current favorite TV shows is Downton Abbey. It’s full of drama, awesome costumes, and plenty of snark. Brilliant! Unlike so many Masterpiece shows, it’s not based on a classic novel. But Book Riot has taken care of that with their literary casting.

My favorites: The Earl of Grantham as Henry Dashwood and The Dowager Countess as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. But I disagree with Lady Edith as Fanny Price (Fanny is not so ineptly evil!) and Lady Sybil as Marianne Dashwood (Sybil seems like a combination of Marianne and Eleanor, actually).

Check out the whole list for your daily dose of British fandom.

Let’s Begin

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It’s hard to pinpoint the hardest part about writing a novel, but trying to craft the perfect first line is certainly up there. The first line can grab a reader; it can guide a reader into the novel; it can present tone and voice immediately. And for writers who are querying agents/editors, the first line can be the make-or-break moment for the manuscript.

At Fiction Notes, Darcy Pattison has put together an extensive list of great first lines, broken up by style and type. My favorite tends to be the “Set up.” Examples are from Catcher in the Rye, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, and The Great Gatsby. Not bad company!

How do you start your novels, and which are your favorite opening lines?

(via NESCBWI Kidlit Reblogger)