Announcements

UTAH CHILDREN'S WRITERS AND ILLUSTRATORS

Announcement List--June 5, 2003


This month's author interview is with Chris Crowe.


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CONGRATULATIONS!

To Chris Crowe, whose book MISSISSIPPI TRIAL, 1955 was named to the Notable Books for a Global Society, 2003 list.

To Chris Crowe, whose book GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE received a boxed review in BOOKLIST, a starred review in School Library Journal, and will be a 2003 Junior Library Guild selection.


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NEW BOOKS

from Michael Tunnell, THE PRYDAIN COMPANION, a guide to Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, Henry Holt.

from Chris Crowe, GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE, Phyllis Fogelman Books.


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COMING SOON

June, 2003
from Anne Bowen, HOW DID YOU GROW SO BIG, SO SOON, a picture book, from Carolrhoda Books. (Barnes and Noble is displaying it on their kindergarten table.)

Fall, 2003
from Kimberley Heuston, DANTE'S DAUGHTER, a Young Adult novel, from Front Street.
from Ron Woods, the Dell Yearling paperback edition of THE HERO.

October, 2003
from Ron Woods, the large-print edition to THE HERO. Thorndike Press.

Spring, 2004
from Sharlee Glenn, KEEPING UP WITH ROO, a picture book, from Putnam.
from Dana Kessimakis Smith, A WILD COWBOY, a picture book, from Hyperion.

Summer, 2004
from Rick Walton, A VERY HAIRY SCARY STORY, a picture book, from Putnam.


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NEW SALES

Dana Kessimakis Smith, A BRAVE SPACEBOY, a picture book, to Hyperion.

Ann Cannon, LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL WITH PIRATE PETE AND PIRATE JOE, to Penguin.

Sherry Meidell is working on the illustrations for a new book for Boyds Mills Press by Mary Lou Carney THE GREAT GRAPE PROBLEM: THE STORY OF T. B. WELCH.


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REVIEWS

Gloria Skurzynski's and Alane Ferguson's MYSTERIES IN THE NATIONAL PARKS series was reviewed on the KidsPost page of the Sunday Washington Post on May 25th, with color illustrations.


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APPEARANCES AND EVENTS

June 9--Carol Williams will be presenting workshops at the Utah Home Education Association conference.

June 10 and 12--Sherry Meidell will be kicking off the summer reading program for the Davis County Libraries. She will be presenting a hands on art program to children June 10th at 3:00 p.m. at the North Branch Library, 562 South 1000 East, Clearfield; June 10th at 7:00 p.m. at the Central Branch Library, 155 North Wasatch, Layton; June 12th at 3:00 p.m. at the South Branch at 725 South Main, Bountiful; June 12th at 7:00 p.m. Headquarters Branch Library 38 South 100 East, Farmington.

June 19-25, 2003--American Library Association annual conference, Toronto, Canada.

June 21, 2003--Kim Williams-Justesen will be teaching a Life Long Learning class at the U of U called "Getting to Your Character's Emotional Core." It's a day-long workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $69 - it's a non-credit class, so anyone can sign up.

late June--Ron Woods will be visiting libraries in Idaho and Montana.

July 7-11, 2003--Fourth annual BYU Writing for Young Readers Workshop. 

During the five day workshop, participants will work with successful editors and authors on writing books and stories for readers ranging from pre school through high school. The conference includes morning workshop classes and afternoon lectures on the craft of writing. New this year are an afternoon only option, for those who want to focus on the business of writing, and an illustrators' workshop, which will involve development and criticism of visual art for children.

The workshop teachers have published a total of more than 200 books; they have also won multiple awards, including the Governor
General's Award for Children's Literature (the equivalent of our 
Newbery award), the American Library Association's list of Best 100 Books published in the last 20 years, Publishers Weekly's list of Best Books, Library of Congress list of Best Children's Books of the Year, and many others. The authors are A. E. Cannon, Candace Fleming, Tim Wynne Jones, Lael Littke, Claudia Mills, Rick Walton, Sally Warner, and Lisa Wheeler. 

Richard Hull, illustrator of several children's books (notably a pair of books by Judith Viorst) will conduct the workshop for illustrators. In addition, the conference faculty includes two editors Nancy Hinkel, Editor at Knopf Crown Books for Young Readers, a division of Random House Children's Books; and Judy O' Malley, Editorial Director for Houghton Mifflin Children's Books. Participants will also be instructed by a literary agent, Tracey Adams, of the McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency.

For more information, call BYU Conferences and
Workshops at (801) 378 2568 or check out the Workshop website at
http://ce.byu.edu/cw/writing/. Participants can earn BYU credit by enrolling in this workshop.

Register soon; enrollment is limited to the first 100 applicants.

July 18-19, 2003--BYU Books for Young Readers Symposium--Guests include Bethanne Anderson, Franny Billingsley, Susan Fletcher, Russell Freedman, David Small, Laurence Yep. For more information, go to http://www.ce.byu.eu/cw/childlit.

End of July--Carol Williams will be doing school visits in Nebraska.

August 9, 2003--DreamMakers 2003 Writers Conference, Elizabeth, Colorado. 

All proceeds from this conference go to the Elizabeth High School music program.

"Our 2003 conference promises to be as amazing as its predecessor. Tom Colgan, (adult editor from PenguinPutnam) will share what it is he is looking for in writer's work a real treat, since he edits for Tom Clancy! Sue Henry, an adult mystery writer, will fly in from Alaska as a keynote speaker. For an additional fund raiser (every penny raised goes to Elizabeth High School's music program) she is willing to provide an autographed set of her books as well as a basket of hand picked Alaskan treats. Last month she phoned me up with an even better idea she generously offered to make the winner of a silent auction into a character in her next book, a gift sure to produce even more funds for our marching band.

Editor Stephen Fraser from HarperCollins will speak and offer manuscript evaluations, as will Renon Hulet, editor in chief of a new magazine with an initial run of one million. Suzanne Patrick Fonda (editor from National Geographic Children's Books) will present this year, as will Marsha Marshall (editor from Lerner Books). 

Other presenters include authors Gloria Skurzynski (co author and winner of the American Institute of Physics Award among many others), award winning young adult writer Carol Lynch William, award winning picture book author Rick Walton, Alane Ferguson, and Donna Freedman, a freelance writer who has won two first place prizes from the Society of Professional Journalists and has reviewed books for The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Times and Children's Literature web site. 

Edite Kroll, a successful East Coast agent, has agreed to speak on the writing process as well. You can see we have quite a line up!

Information about DreamMakers can be found at www.cardinalpride.com and then by clicking on the DreamMaker icon. Those wishing to attend can even sign up on line!"


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AUTHOR INTERVIEW--CHRIS CROWE

Chris Crowe teaches English at BYU. He's been married to his wonderful wife, Elizabeth, for almost 30 years, and two of their four children are still teenagers. His most recent book is GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER: THE TRUE STORY OF THE EMMETT TILL CASE. His novel, MISSISSIPPI TRIAL, 1955, was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and won the 2003 International Reading Association's Children's Book Award in Young Adult Fiction.


1. Why did you decided to become a writer?

My real inspiration has been my two mentors, Rick Walton and Carol Lynch Williams. These two authors live fabulously Rich and Famous lives, wallowing daily in riches and fame. I've always wanted to be like them, at least, the rich and famous part. Unfortunately, I've not seen any glimpse of richness or famousness in my own life, so maybe I'll give up.

In addition to my lust for power, wealth, and fame, and my deep envy of Rick and Carol, I've always loved words, stories, and books; that's why I became an English teacher. As a writer, even if I don't get to wallow in wealth and notoriety, I do get to wallow in words, stories, and books.


2. Who is your favorite character that you have written?

I have three: one is Carrie Jo, a tough basketball player in a short story I published a few years ago. The other two are Ralph and Ronnie Remington, two slightly addled brothers in Mississippi Trial, 1955. I had lots of fun with these two loopy guys. Everytime they showed up in a scene, the writing just took off by itself.


3. If you could change one thing about being a writer, what would it be?

The typing. I never really learned how to type, so I use a modified hunt and peck method, poking at the keyboard with four fingers instead of 10. And I make lots of typos.


4. Do you remember the first piece of fiction you wrote?

No. I've been writing fiction for too long. My first published piece of fiction was "Watching Big Brother." It appeared in The New Era back in 1988.


5. Who are your favorite authors?

Well, Carol and Rick, of course. I've always loved Mildred D. Taylor's books and everything Katherine Paterson has written. Those two just never seem to get a word or a detail wrong.


6. Do you have any specific goals as a writer?

My goal is to write books that are worth reading, books that teenagers will be glad they read.


7. What was your favorite book as a child?

I had too many to list here. Most of Dr. Seuss' books, Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel, Danny and the Dinosaur. When I was older, I loved books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne.


8. What are you working on now?

I've got two projects: the first is COVERING ALL THE BASES: YOUNG ADULT SPORTS LITERATURE. It's a book for teachers and librarians and for interested kids. The other project is a young adult novel, LIFE W/O LIPS. It's a funny (I hope) novel about a high school kid who's incredibly unlucky at love.


9. Do you ever write about Utah?

No, at least not yet.


10. What is the hardest thing about being a writer?

Besides the typing? For me it's the discipline of sitting down and writing. I've got so many other demands on me that it's often hard to push writing to the front. Writing is hard work, so it's easy to find lots of other things to take its place.


11. What's the easiest thing about being a writer?

Talking about my books.


12. What good advice do you have for people who want to be writers? 

Don't believe the compliments of family and close friends who respond to your writing drafts. While it's nice to hear good things about a manuscript, if you really want to make your writing better, you need to hear what's not working, what needs clarification, what needs polish. Related to that, a bit of advice I learned from John Ritter: 'Don't let an editor be the first person to see your writing.' Editors don't have time to fix your writing flaws. You should send your very best work to an editor.

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Are you, or do you know an author or illustrator of books for young readers? Are you sponsoring a children's literature related event? Is there something else related to this list that we should announce? Send announcements to rick@rickwalton.com.

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