Archives
I'm so stoked to be able to announce that my mate
Diana Peterfreund has just gotten herself a new two-book deal and it's for young adult books. That's right! Diana is now one of us!
From the Publisher's Marketplace Announcement:
Children's:
Young Adult
Author of SECRET SOCIETY GIR Diana Peterfreund's RAMPANT, about killer uni***ns that can only be defeated by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great, and the teenage huntress whose birthright is seriously messing up her social life, to Kristin Daly at Harper Children's, in a good deal, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency (NA).
Film: Matt Snyder at CAA.
I ...
Posted by Justine at 8:37, May 31st, 2007 under New York City/USA, Praising, Reading |
Someone just told me jetlag is all in the mind. This made me cranky because I have jetlag right now.
My head feels strange, almost hollow. The world is several metres away on the other side of some (slightly) warped plexiglass. Sound is taking several seconds too long to get to me. When people ask me questions I have to figure out first if they're speaking English, then if they are, what they're saying, by which time they're staring at me as if I am a moron. Smiling or nodding does not dissipate the moron effect. When I have jetlag I suspect I am a moron.
What does "all in the mind" mean anyway?
A boss I once had told me that ...
Posted by Justine at 10:54, May 30th, 2007 under Ranting, Whingeing |
Posted by Justine at 1:09, May 28th, 2007 under Cons & Other Gatherings, Sydney/Australia, Writing life, Young Adult literature |
So much has happened over the past few days I don't know where to begin and frankly I'm too knackered right now to go into any detail. The
Reading Matters conference was amazing. Lili and Mike did the most incredible job bringing together writers, publishers and librarians from all over. My head is still buzzing with it all.
There were several incredible moments of the conference. The three I can't stop thinking about are David Levithan's call to arms to Australian publishers and librarians to do more to support and produce young adult literature about, for, and by gays and lesbians; Margo Lanagan's fascinating thoughts about what you can and can't write about in our genre illustrated by examples from ...
Posted by Justine at 1:49, May 27th, 2007 under Cons & Other Gatherings, Sydney/Australia, Travelling, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 1:09, May 23rd, 2007 under Cons & Other Gatherings, Sydney/Australia, Whingeing, Young Adult literature |
Because that's how much it's costing me to be online.
I may need to do hotel-hatred management classes fairly soon.
In short:
Adelaide still gorgeous, still full of churches.
The wedding was awesome. I'm a sucker for weddings at the best of times. But this was more excellent than most. The bride's speech rocked.
Despite the insane hotel gouging not allowing me to function in the 21st century, I'm more relaxed and happy than I've been in ages. Amazing how wonderful not working (and possibly not going online) and getting to hang out with my friends without feeling guilty is. More please!
Melbourne next. Where there will be much work and fun at Reading Matters. I'd link but that would lose me my second and third ...
Posted by Justine at 18:13, May 20th, 2007 under Bloggery, Cons & Other Gatherings, Excuses, Frippery, Praising, Sydney/Australia, Whingeing |
Am in the pretty churchy city of Adelaide for a wedding. What larks. I love weddings! And these two crazy kids are great together. But internet access is not so much limited as BLOODY EXPENSIVE. Stupid gouging hotels! Colour me outraged.
So quickly: "gaol" is an another spelling of that place where people are locked up which is usually spelled "jail". It ain't slang. It used to be the only way the word was spelled but is on its way out. I cling to it out of love and perversity.
And thanks again for all the congrats on the Norton win. I can't believe I'm still getting them! Yay! And an even bigger yay for the impact it's had on ...
Posted by Justine at 6:04, May 18th, 2007 under Ranting, Sydney/Australia, Travelling, Vainglory, Whingeing, Words & Language |
I forgot to mention that Marcus Zusak was blogging on
insideadog (I accidentally typed insideadag---Lili, I think we need a name change! Inside-a-dag is a much more accurate name for the writer-in-residence blog!) last month. Oops. You can still go over and read the archive.
This month it's the fabulous Simmone Howell, whose debut novel, Notes from the Teenage Underground I gobbled up
some time ago. Wonderful! You should
all go over and say hi.
I've also been asked by a couple of folks to blog about the Paris-Hilton-in-gaol thing. I have no idea why anyone would want my opinion on that. I try as much as possible not to think about the Paris Hiltons of the world when ...
Posted by Justine at 2:23, May 15th, 2007 under Bloggery, Praising, Ranting, Sydney/Australia, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 2:22, May 14th, 2007 under Frippery, Reading, Vainglory, Young Adult literature |
I appear to have won an Andre Norton Award for the first book in the Magic or Madness trilogy. Someone pinch me!
This is super amazing because:
The
books on the shortlist with Magic or Madness are absolutely fantastic.
It means I'm in the very tiny club of Norton Award winners with the brilliant Holly Black who won the inaugural award last year for Valiant.
I've won an award named in honour of one of the
most important writers of young adult fantasy books. How cool is that?
Now when I'm described as an award-winning author it's true!
Here's the speech that Eloise Flood who published and edited the trilogy (as well as Scott's Peeps and Maureen's Devilish, which ...
Posted by Justine at 2:20, May 13th, 2007 under Magic or Madness trilogy, Scott's books, Vainglory, Young Adult literature |
10. It upsets the
writers what wrote the books.
9. It upsets the readers what want to read the books.
8. It makes the books cry and
books are very sensitive.
7. If you really want people not to read a book, banning it will have the opposite effect.
6. If the content of a book offends you there are more effective ways to deal with your offendedness. Like, you know, engaging with it. Maureen Dowd's columns frequently drive me spare, but I don't try to get them banned,
I argue against them.
5. Besides banning books does not make them go away. Just ask
Chris Crutcher.
4. Banning books might make you feel ...
Posted by Justine at 23:21, May 10th, 2007 under Bloggery, Book challenges, New York City/USA, Ranting, Reading, State of the World, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 10:49, May 9th, 2007 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Ideas |
Tired, overstimulated, happy. I have lots of news but none that I can share. Mostly because I'm too tired to type straight.
Has anyone read any of Somerset Maugham's writings on writing? You should. I loves him. (More coherent thoughts on it when I get my brain back.)
Also what's the consensus on Cormac McCarthy's The Road? I read it on a plane. Started off hating it, warmed to it, got teary, but am now completely unsure what I think of it. I found it kind of slight oddly enough. But I may change my mind. Maybe I'm having hype allergy?
I do know what I thought of Sergey Lukyanenko's Day Watch sequel to Night Watch. Loved it. More please! For ...
Posted by Justine at 20:33, May 8th, 2007 under Reading, Travelling, Viewing, Young Adult literature |
Posted by Justine at 6:01, May 2nd, 2007 under Bloggery, Book challenges, New York City/USA, State of the World, Travelling |
