Antony John » Uncategorized

Piper is honored

Antony — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:41:22 +0000

(or honoured, if you happen to be reading this in England)

FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB has been nominated for the 2012-13 Gateway Award. Actual Live Teens get to vote on which book should win, which makes this award particularly meaningful.

DUMB was also selected as a 2011 Notable Book for Global Society. Here, the chair of the selection committee explains what the award means, and why it matters. It’s a very interesting and valuable insight.

And super blogger Audrey named DUMB her book of the month. Piper’s very grateful. And so, for that matter, am I!

A Happy Labor Day weekend to all.

WOW

Antony — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:15:30 +0000

This morning, the ALA (American Library Association) announced that Five Flavors of Dumb has won this year’s Schneider Family Book Award in the Teen Book category. The Award honors a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.

To be honest, I never imagined I’d be honored with a national award. Yes, I hoped it might happen one day, but the odds are against it. The standard of children’s literature is so outstandingly high that it’s a honor simply to be able to call myself a published author. But this . . . this is something else altogether.

I’ll no doubt write more about it in the future, but for now I just have to say thanks once again to all the people who gave up their time to talk to me about deafness, how it functions and what it means, even how it feels. Without you all, Piper would not have been half so rich a character.

And this is, indeed, Piper’s award. When the 8-person committee called me from San Diego yesterday afternoon to give me the wonderful news, they all regaled me with a chorus of “We love Piper.”

And to Ted Malawer who said “challenge yourself,” and Audrey who said “why don’t you write about music from the perspective of a Deaf person,” and Liz Waniewski who said “I love your idea, let’s make it rock,” all I can say is: Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m indebted to you all.

Cover THIS!

Antony — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 16:23:43 +0000

Awesome blogger Melissa Walker has the inside scoop on the cover for DUMB. It’s all the proof you need that I should stay out of any design decisions, and stick to writing instead!

Starred review for DUMB!

Antony — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:25:30 +0000

DUMB’s first official review is in (from mighty Kirkus, no less) and it’s a corker. In fact, it’s a starred review. Here’s what they have to say:

“Piper–gutsy, savvy and, yes, deaf–has signed her way into a gig that promises a big, necessary payoff: manager of Dumb, Seattle’s Battle of the Bands winners. Seething with resentment and feelings of inadequacy after her parents raid her college account to pay for her baby sister’s cochlear implants, Piper is determined to shape both Dumb’s future and her own. Piper’s struggles and growth as a manager–she is initially hampered by lack of both experience with intra-band politics and knowledge about music–enjoy realistic treatment, as do her nuanced relationships with family members and the super-talented and adorable Ed Chen. As Piper learns about Seattle’s rock heroes (Cobain and Hendrix), she sees both the band Dumb could be if they would choose rocking over fighting and the person she will become once she truly owns her deafness. Making Piper the manager of a rock band never feels like a cheap trick (pardon the pun) because Piper is not A Great Deaf Character but a great character who is deaf. Complex characterizations, authentic dialogue and realistic ups-and-downs give this title chart-topping potential.”

I’m so chuffed that I’ve been reduced to a babbling, incoherent mess. (Not that anyone has noticed, of course, because I’m normally a babbling, incoherent mess.) I’d always dreamed that one day I’d get a starred review, but frankly, the odds are against it. To be honored this way already is just wonderful. I feel very humbled.

Whew! Now back to work . . .

Kepler’s makes my day

Antony — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:44:32 +0000

For all the Brits reading this, Kepler’s is a legendary bookstore in the Bay Area of California. (That’s the region around San Francisco.) It’s a regular stop for touring authors, and everyone raves about it. Well, even though I can’t quite believe it . . . (drum roll, please) . . .

They’ve chosen FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB as their Staff Pick of the Week! It’s right there on their homepage, along with a picture of the cover.

The reviewer, Penelope B., says “This is one of the most heartfelt, hilarious books I’ve ever read.”

Whoa.

I [heart] authors

Antony — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:28:25 +0000

I love children’s authors. I mean, LOVE them. Meeting them not only inspires me, it reminds me that I am freakily fortunate to be doing what I’m doing.

I read a comment by Sherman Alexie about the difference between the children’s and adult’s book worlds (I can’t find the actual quote, of course, because I’m useless) and it was something like: people involved in children’s books are nicer. I’m sure his answer was way smarter and well-worded, but the sentiment was pretty clear. For all the debates raging in children’s lit today, the folks who produce books — from authors to agents to editors to publicists and marketers to booksellers — are a thoroughly lovely bunch. I’ve noticed the same thing with pediatricians. There’s something about working with (and for) kids and young adults that brings out the best in us, I guess.

Anyway, I was reminded of this a couple of times in the past week . . .

On Monday, I popped along to my local Left Bank Books to see Lauren Myracle. Apparently the rest of St. Louis didn’t get the memo about her appearance, because the group was, um . . . intimate, to say the least. But Lauren was awesome. She constantly asked questions. She gushed about writing and reading. She learned everyone’s names. (Yes, seriously.) And in the spirit of general craziness, she let ME do the reading for her, and proceeded to let ME sign her books.

We’re talking about a New York Times bestselling author here, the one who wrote TTYL and RHYMES WITH WITCHES. How many bestselling authors of adult lit are that fun and, well . . . crazy? This wasn’t a book signing — it was a party where we all got presents. Lauren showed us that it’s okay to go to book events and just BE SILLY. What’s not to like?

Here we are with two of her (younger) fans, and with me signing THIRTEEN PLUS ONE (which I suspect will never happen again):

And that’s not all . . .

Last Thursday I visited Pudd’nHead Books in nearby Webster Groves, MO, for an event with James Dashner, uber-talented author of THE MAZE RUNNER and THE 13TH REALITY series. We shared stories, talked shop, and laughed about flying transcontinental with kids. He’s thoroughly lovely, engaging, and completely unassuming. And like Lauren, so openly grateful to be writing books for a living.

Now I just need to get them to come back to St. Louis again soon . . .

A lovely link . . .

Antony — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:23:02 +0000

Those of you who’ve read the blurb for FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB might know that it’s narrated by a deaf high school senior named Piper, who aspires to attend Gallaudet University, an excellent liberal arts college in Washington, DC. (Gallaudet is the finest college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the world.) Well, it just so happens that if Piper ever makes it, one of her instructors will be Professor Sharon Pajka, who writes a blog called “Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature.”

And guess what: Sharon’s blogging about Piper . . . already!

I’m been an avid reader of Sharon’s blog ever since I started working on DUMB. One of things I hear a lot is: “Oh, good, you’re writing a book with a deaf character. There aren’t many of those.” But actually, that’s not true at all, something Sharon’s blog makes abundantly clear. Sure, not all the deaf characters she writes about actually NARRATE the book, but there are plenty of really great books out there that feature a deaf character prominently.

And to prove my point, here are two books that everyone should check out (yes, right now!):

THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN by Josh Berk (Knopf, 2010) tells the hilarious story of Will Halpin, an overweight deaf teen who spends his first year at a mainstream high school looking for love, failing Algebra, unraveling the school’s social scene, trying to get invited to the greatest party ever … and, oh yeah, solving a murder. Seriously, folks, this book is riotously funny, and you’ll read it in a single sitting. Trust me.

MY MOST EXCELLENT YEAR by Steve Kluger (Dial, 2008). The subtitle is “A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park.” It is all those things, and so much more. This is a simply beautiful book. I dream of being able to write like Steve Kluger.

Shiny, Happy Galleys

Antony — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:23:22 +0000

See all these galleys for FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB? They arrived today, and they’re mine, all mine. And yes, they’re absolutely as lovely as they look.

Aside from the fact that the cover is just about the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen (and deserves its own blog post), the whole design is simply perfect. I can’t help feeling that everyone at Dial Press totally got what this book is about. Just awesome.

Of course, galleys aren’t made for the author. I already have a fairly good idea of all the stuff in there, you know? So I’ll be hand-delivering them to librarians, booksellers, etc over the coming days. And I’ll even try to keep one as a prize for someone . . . so watch this space.

Now I have to go pick them up before my kids start drawing on them.

Auntie Heather the Bestseller

Antony — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:09:57 +0000

Writing may be solitary work, but the YA community is fantastic. One of the coolest things about being a writer is meeting other authors and watching their progress. Seriously, when you only get to publish one book a year (and that’s being generous) it’s important to have something to cheer for in the meantime.

Well, get the pom-poms out, because St. Louis’ own Heather Brewer has hit The New York Times Bestseller List with her latest novel, ELEVENTH GRADE BURNS, featuring everyone’s favorite teen vampire, Vladimir Tod. She debuted at #5 two weeks ago, and is still in there at #6 this week. It’s an awesome achievement, and I’m so chuffed for her I can barely see straight.

Here’s to another 50 weeks on the list, Auntie H!

Barista Love

Antony — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:38:55 +0000

I’m one of those authors who works in coffee shops. You know . . . the ones who sit at the dark and dusty tables at the back, plugged into a laptop, hoping nobody notices they’ve been there FOUR HOURS ALREADY. But coffee shops are great places to work, I find. It feels like a treat, and there’s no one to interrupt me (as long as I switch off the wifi). I forget who it was, but an author once wrote that working in coffee shops was his way of making a solitary activity feel social in some way.

I totally agree.

Unfortunately, though, the blissful routine of writing occasionally gets interrupted. Today is just such a moment. My barista for the past year, Robin, is leaving to move to Los Angeles. Now, this may not seem like a big deal, but one of the lovely things about being a coffee shop regular is the way folks always spare a moment to chat, and ask how the writing is coming. It’s really cool to know that someone is interested in what you do.

Robin will make it into the acknowledgments for FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB, of course. And she’s promised to pop along if I have a signing in L.A., but it’ll be strange not to see her around anymore.

Safe travels, Robin. And thanks for the coffee!