Visiting Authors 2017-2018
Authors 2016-2017 Authors 2015-2016 Authors 2014-2015 Authors 2013-2014 Authors 2011-2012 Authors 2010-2011 Authors Pre-2011
Patricia Forde (virtual visit)
February 28, 2018
Patricia Forde lives in Galway, Ireland and wrote, The List. She talked with the members of the middle school book group, BRiMS, about her writing and her book. The List is a dystopian fantasy in which the citizens of Ark can only use 500 words in conversation. Forde talked to an expert to find out the minimum number of words humans needed to communicate. In this list of words, there are no abstract words like love or hope. She got the inspiration for this from her own language, Irish, which she sees is disappearing from use. In the world of her novel, the environment is in a very untenable position after the "melting" not unlike current conditions with global warming. Her hero, Letta, has red hair. Forde is also a redhead, but she knows that the redhead gene is dying out and wanted to use her protagonist's hair as a metaphor. Forde was open to all the great questions that the members asked her. She also mentioned some of the books that she has read and loved; BRiMS members shared some books that they loved which Forde had not yet read. These students will be anxiously awaiting the sequel to be published. Read more about this visit on the librarian's blog.
Cori McCarthy (virtual visit)
January 22, 2018
Cori McCarthy, author of You Were Here, began her talk by giving the members of Bookmarked a short bio. She knew that she always wanted to be a writer, but when she went to college, she was told that writers don't get paid. She ignored the advice and enrolled in a graduate program for writing for the screen after she earned her B. A. . Unfortunately, McCarthy hated that. It was her stint in Americorps helping kindergarten students learn to read that got her fired up to write for kids. She explained how valuable Americorps was for her because she received health insurance and was able to get some of her school loans paid off. This was great information for the high school students to think about for their future lives. The writing program she attended after Americorps prepared her for what she writes today. Though the students were encouraged to read her novel set in contemporary times, it was her earlier books in other genres that seemed the most intriguing to them. You can read more about this visit on the librarian's blog. We thank Sourcebooks for making this visit possible.
Jodi Lynn Anderson(virtual visit)
January 10, 2018
Bookmarked Jr. Edition members were treated to a virtual author visit by the author of Midnight at the Electric. During the event we found out that when Anderson graduated from college she went into publishing. This stint gave her a chance to hone her skills as a writer. Most importantly she learned about structure and economy. It took her awhile to get the courage to write on her own, but when she did, she decided to write books for young people. During her first forays into writing, she produced works to be entertaining. Now that she is a seasoned writer, she tries to take risks with her books and her books are more personal now, too. When she plans out her works, she has pictures in her head that evoke an atmosphere that she hopes her readers will get when they read her books. However, she has a love for spare writing so she doesn't dwell on description. Midnight at the Electric is a great example of spare writing that definitely evokes a mood. If you read it, you won't be disappointed. You can read more about this visit on the librarian's blog here.
Nancy Cavanaugh
September 25, 2017
All the sixth and seventh graders gathered in the common area to hear what Nancy Cavanaugh had to say about her newest book, Elsie Mae has something to say. This book is an historical fiction story that takes place in 1933 in Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp. The students learned about Cavanaugh's inspiration for the book which was a television documentary about alligators in the swamp. She explained that not only did she research for the book, but she also needed some first hand experience. She visited the swamp many years ago and shared photos from this trip with the students. Long ago she wrote a story on bloodhounds for a magazine. It was the knowledge that she gained for this article that helped her with Huck the bloodhound that Elsie Mae is given in the book. It was Cavanaugh's description of her early career as an author that most astounded the students. She was a teacher and librarian and started writing on the side. She has 18 years of rejection letters before publishing her first book in 2011. Her perseverance made a huge impression on her audience along with her motto, slow and steady finishes the race. She fully understands that we can't all win, but we can all finish. We want to thank Octavia Books and Source Books for making this visit possible. You can read more about Cavanaugh on the librarian's blog.