Teen Voices and The Poet X: Keep a Journal

A recent experience with a teen writer had me going back to The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I’d originally purchased and listened to The Poet X on audiobook–a powerful narration by the author herself, which I highly recommend. A … Continued

Change Genres, Buy Indie, Read Local.

I have three things on my mind concerning reading and writing, and they all begin with trying something new: change genres, buy indie, and read local.  Change Genres In the past few months, I’ve written a few pieces of flash … Continued

One Important Secret in ‘Far from the Tree’

Since I am on a YA fiction jag, I want to have a quick look at why National Book Award winning Far from the Tree by Robin Benway is so good. Happily, one important secret that makes this novel work … Continued

Hope in the Mail: Writing Advice for Young Writers

Wendelin Van Draanen, author of Hope in the Mail: Reflections on Writing and Life, wrote one of my favorite YA novels, The Running Dream. (I wrote a review of The Running Dream here. Check it out–and check out the book!) … Continued

Bunk, Hoaxes and Cultural Appropriation: Lessons for the Writer

When I realized the length of Kevin Young’s Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts and Fake News, I decided I’d listen to it on audiobook. I’d read a positive review of it in the LA Times and … Continued