1. A little backstory… I got the idea for this essay after I went to a small publishing conference for independent bookstores and local authors hosted at BookPeople here in Austin, TX. While hanging out with the staff afterward, we somehow got on the subject of shoplifted books. Steve, the owner, told me that the… Read more »
Sherman Alexie
“I Hate YA Novels”
“I hate YA novels; they bore me,” says Caitlin Flanagan in The Atlantic.* Flanagan loves her Bill O’Reillyesque hyperbole, whether she’s writing about teens doling out blow jobs like factory girls, irritating women angsting over how to treat “the help”, or hating Hillary. When I read Flanagan’s work I always get the sense that she’s… Read more »
The Brian Lehrer Show, and Must-Read YA Titles
That was a lot of fun being on the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC this morning! The segment is online here. One commenter asked me to recommend YA titles that would give an adult a sense of the richness of the genre. Here are a few of my favorite YA titles that I think have… Read more »
New York Times Book Review Essay
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… Read more »