My essay is in the New York Times Book Review!
I’m really excited about this essay. I had a great time doing all the interviews—I interviewed over 25 authors, librarians, publishers, editors, and booksellers about the current state of YA literature, and the fine line between YA and adult lit, and I learned so much about the YA genre and the publishing industry. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be posting excerpts of the interviews that couldn’t be included in the essay (it’s only 1400 words, so many of the great quotes got cut.) So check back if you want to hear more from Mark Haddon, Markus Zusak, Justine Larbalestier, and others on this subject.
One funny thing about these interviews: in Brooklyn, we lived in a small apartment where the only door was the bathroom door. Since it was the only room that had any privacy and quiet, I did most of the interviews for this essay in the bathroom, on the phone. (My sister told her friends that I did the interviews in the bathroom, and they thought she meant in person. “Your sister interviewed Sherman Alexie and James Patterson in her bathroom?” one friend asked.)
Um, no. Though I kind of like the idea of sitting in my bathtub, interviewing Sherman Alexie. Or maybe he would be the one in the bathtub? Either way, it’s a nice thing to imagine. (Though perhaps not exactly complying with proper journalistic ethics.)
Now that we’re in Austin, I have my own office, and I don’t have to conduct interviews in the bathroom. We have a really nice bathtub though, so maybe I’ll call some writer up and interview them there, for old time’s sake.