Author Interview: Laurie Halse Anderson

Laurie Halse Anderson, writer of books Speak, Catalyst, Wintergirls and others has been so kind as to answer a few of my questions both for me and for you! Hope you enjoy!




Laurie Halse Anderson Interview


Question #1

Speak was your first novel and adressed two very important issues in teenagers and adults a like, rape and depression. How do you feel knowing that this book is used to teach students today about these problems?

I am humbled that something I created is being used in schools around the country.


Question #2
How did you come up with the characters Melinda and Kate? Do you put a little of you or people you know into them?

All of my characters appear to me in my head. I have a very vivid imagination, always have. Melinda appeared to me in a dream so vividly that I had to listen to her story. I suppose I could find things in each of my characters that remind me of people I know, but we all can.


Question #3
Has anyone ever came up to you and told you about how one of your novels changed their lives? If so, how did you feel about that?

I meet people on tour, at book signings, at conventions who tell me how reading one of my novels has helped them in some way. I receive lots of emails from readers who have been touched by my work. I am humbled that something I did had a positive impact upon someone's life, then I am very stoked. Although, it saddens me that our teens are going through such tough times and dealing with some really nasty issues, I find hope in their reaching out to me to express their thoughts and feelings about my novel.


Question #1
How do you get into the mood of writing? Do you have any rituals or favorite places to go?

 My husband has created a wonderful writing cottage for me to escape to in order to write. It is almost done, and I have spent a little bit of time there all alone. The vibes were GREAT!!!!



Question #5
How hard was it to break into the writing industry? Did you have a lot of trouble or did it come fairly easy?

I don't feel as though it was easy. I received hundreds of rejection letters and did hundreds of revisions to my work. I knew what I enjoyed doing, I had a plan, and I went for it. If I was not a published author by a certain, realistic, date, then I was going to go to nursing school to support my daughters. I do feel that it was all worth it!


Question #6
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Turn off the computer, TV, PS2, whatever, and just write. Pen to paper. Be ready to rewrite! Make a plan, adjust when necessary, but stay focused.


Question #7
What do you like to do in your spare time? How has that changed from when you were a teenager to now?

 I love to garden, read and hang with my family. When I was a teen, I really just liked to read!


Question #8
Can you tell the readers something about yourself that not too many people know?

i love spicy food!

Catalyst

Catalyst

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rating: So so

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 231

Synopsis

Meet Kate Malone- straight A science and math geek, minister's daughter, ace long distant runner, new girlfriend (to Mitchell "Early Decision Harvard" Pangborn), unwilling family caretaker, and emotional avoidance champion. Kate manages her life by organizing it, as logically as the periodic table. She can handle it all- or so she thinks. Then, things happen like a string of chemical reactions: first, The Malones' neighbors get burned out of their own home and move in. Kate has to share a room with her nemesis, Keri Litch, and Teri's little brother. The days are ticking by and she's still waiting to hear from the only college she's applied to-MIT. Kate feels that her life is spinning out of control- and then, something occurs that truly blows it all apart.

Review

So we all know about Laurie Halse Anderson and her amazing novel Speak. But what about Catalyst? Is this book as good as her debut novel. I'm a reviewer here and my job is to tell you what books are and are not worth your time, so I'll be honest- No. No this book is not anything like speak. I think the main problem of this story is that the main character is actually TOO perfect. I gave this book a "So So" rating because, quite frankly, I didn't have much interest in it. But as a reviewer, i try to find at least some good in each book i read so here it is- the relationship between Kate and Teri is the best part of the book. One girl, smart and driven and another girl, bitter and an outcast. Yet, somehow they found this wonderful middle where they can both hate each other and help each other. Tragedy strikes down hard on Teri in this novel and Kate finds way's to comfort her but Kate also has her own problems, which Teri unsuspectedly walks her through. It's basically a book urging people out there that perfection is non-exsistance and once we figure that out we'll be more content with life and be closer to happiness. Catalyst is definitly not Speak but i think because of the author and the little lesson you get, you should definitly give it some time out of your day. It is a quick read.

48HBC:Speak

Speak

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rating: Incredible

Difficulty:Easy

Pages: 198

Book 1- 48 Hour Book Challenge!

Synopsis

(from inside flap)

Melinda Sordino busted an end of the summer party by calling the cops, so her old friends won't talk to her, and the people she doesn't know hate her from a distance. It's no use explaining to her parents; they've never known what her life is really like. The safest place for Melinda to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's somethings she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that is she admitted it and let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have no choice. Melinda would have to speak the truth.

Review

So this is the first book i've read for the Mother Reader 48 hour book challenge. I read this book straight through from 8:15 to 11:20! It was pretty intense to say the least- poor Melinda is hated and ridiculed all because she called the cops at a end of the summer party. Laurie Halse Anderson couldn't have gotten the dialogue of modern day teenagers any better, the way she writes makes you feel as if you are right there with Melinda, sharing her pain. I think IT (Andy Evans) is one of the most terrifying characters in novel history, even though he only makes a few appearences in the book, he is a major contibution to Melinda's overwhelming fear of remembering that night.This book is often taught in schools around the U.S. as guidelines and warnings against rape and depression, something that is a really underground problem in today's society. This is a great book and you will find all the charaters and especially Melinda very close to home! If you anywhere between 13 and 18 this is a must have book!