The Inkblotter at The King’s English

I just found out (how did I only just find this out!!!) that you can listen to the hilarious, belly-ache producing Children’s Breakfast from BEA with Jon Scieszka, Eoin Colfer, Sherman Alexie, Neil Gaiman, and Judy Blume online.

Not only can you listen to that (though I highly recommend you do that first, even though it is an hour, because it will be one of the funniest and most author-tastic hours of your life), you can listen to tons of other panels as well. If you don’t get to go to these things, this is your chance to get the inside buzz; if you do go to these things, this is your chance to catch up on all the panels you missed.

Ann Cannon at The King's English Bookshop

So TKE hosted an event for my new young adult novel, The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love, and seriously I felt like a debutante at my own debutante bowl, except that I’m 52. And also I wasn’t wearing a corsage.

Anyway, it was a GREAT evening (thanks, Jenn!) with all kinds of amazing and personal touches–from the dragonflies on the banner to the icy cold cans of Dr. Pepper to the readers’ theater (the kids were amazing!) to Anne Holman’s sweet and funny introduction.  Plus there were actual people in attendance. PEOPLE!  No kidding. I’ve had events in the past for other books where nobody came.  So thank you, everybody, for being there.

Sometimes readers ask which of my books I like the best.  It’s a hard question to answer because your books are like your children:  you love them all equally but some days (truth be told) you like the kid who cleans up his bedroom without being asked better than you like the kid who just totaled your new car.   I will say this, though.  I never ever had more fun writing a book than I did writing Loser.  I think that’s because I wrote about things I love: summer nights in Salt Lake City, my Avenues neighborhood, the moon (and Goodnight Moon, too!), sweet and silly teenage boys, overly affectionate cats, old movies, party food, flowers, romance.  I call Loser my happiness book, and while I don’t know if it’s the best book I’ve ever written, it certainly holds the distinction of being closest to my heart.

KCPW was at our event with Stephen Trimble, last Friday at the downtown Library, for his new book Bargaining for Eden. In case you couldn’t make it (or couldn’t find a seat, considering that by 7:20 p.m. it was standing room only), you can download their podcast here!

Now that Loose Girl has hit our shelves, we asked author Kerry Cohen if she’d do a follow-up interview with us, since the first one was so great. Thanks, Kerry!

TKE: Last time we talked, you gave us the lowdown on the vocabulary of Loose Girl. Can you give us some new vocab that reflects your current life?

KC: PDD-NOS: Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified. This is the diagnosis my son received a few years ago. It means he has some, but not enough, symptoms that would qualify him for an autism diagnosis. Yet it also puts him on the autistic spectrum. It also means, “We don’t really know,” and is therefore a pretty useless diagnosis. Those six letters have changed everything about who I am and what I live for. Mostly, I’ve learned what it means to have special needs, and I’ve come to know that my own special needs are much bigger than his.

Intimacy: Loose Girl is about how I came to stop not having intimacy. Since I’ve been married, I’ve been forced to learn how to have intimacy. This learning has been at a crawl’s pace for me. I’m really, really bad at intimacy. I mean crippled bad. I believe we tend to make lots of assumptions about what intimacy is, what it should look like, etc. I’m fascinated by this, and have spent lots of time just considering the concept. I tend to believe that our cultural narrative about intimacy is probably off-base and immensely unhelpful - maybe even harmful - for most people.

TKE: Are there any benefits to having been a Loose Girl — is there something (or some things) that you are glad you went through?

KC: Oh, sure. I like how my past set me in the direction I eventually went, to become a writer and therapist. I love that I gained the perspective I did, and that I was able to write a book that has been meaningful beyond my own self.

TKE: Who/what are your favorite authors/books, and why?

KC: I hate that question! Not because it’s a bad one, but because I can never narrow down my answer, and later, long after I’ve already answered I inevitably think of three names or books I should have said. But… here are the few that come to mind right now. Some favorite authors: Lauren Slater and Gretel Ehrlich. Some favorite books: The Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy and The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. The reasons: Slater and Ehrlich are the two nonfiction writers who made me want to write nonfiction. Both see their worlds through intensely unique perspectives. Ehrich, in particular, sees herself more clearly by examining the natural world around her with stunning, accurate prose. Grealy’s book, in my opinion, is one of the best memoirs ever written. She is a master at making her self matter to the larger world. She took something already interesting, if topical–childhood cancer–and expanded the issue to encase female beauty and feelings of self-worth, issues we could all relate to. And she did it with beautiful prose and a tremendous ability with storytelling. Cisneros’ book, which is fiction, holds my favorite narrative voice. No one has ever repeated as well what she has done here. Her chapters are short, quiet, and minimal, and yet they explode with the many complicated experiences of being young, female, poor, and of color.

How cool are our local authors? This cool! (Thanks, Shannon!)

Writing for Charity

This summer have unfettered access to professional children’s authors, all in the name of charity! Saturday, July 19 several local authors will host a Writing for Charity event in Salt Lake City, with all profits going to The Wheelchair Project. Come hear writers talk about their process, how to write for a young audience, storytelling tips, and the ins and outs of the publishing business. In addition, have your picture book text or first page of your novel (the most important page!) workshopped by professionals.

When: Saturday, July 19, 9 am to 1 pm
Where: Salt Lake Main Library, 200 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
Cost: $45 (should be tax deductible!)
Event breakdown: 9:00 am — Registration
9:15 - 10:15 am — Panel discussion in the auditorium
10:30 - 11:15 — Break out discussions in topic groups
11:30 - 1:00 — Small group workshops

Authors and publishing professionals include Brandon Mull, Shannon Hale, Mette Ivie Harrison, Ann Cannon, Kristyn Crow, Becky Hickox, Kimberley Heuston, Anne Bowen, Aprilynne Pike, Laura and Tracy Hickman, Ann Dee Ellis, Mike Knudson, Sydney Husseman, Chris Schoebinger (editor), Amy Jameson (agent), and Wendy Toliver.

Space is limited, first come first serve. To reserve your spot, mail in the $45 registration fee.
Mailing address: 1176 E 2620 N, Provo, UT 84604-4132
Make checks to: “LDS Philanthropies” (the organization that runs The Wheelchair Project) and write “Wheelchair” in the memo line.
Also include: Your name, age, phone number, and area of interest–picture book writing, fantasy novel, or realistic fiction novel.

On the day of the event, bring 15 copies of the first page of your novel or picture book text (maximum word count: 300 words) for some hands on workshopping. If you don’t have a first page to workshop, don’t let that stop you!

100% of the proceeds go to The Wheelchair Project, a wonderful charity that donates new wheelchairs to people in third world countries, many of whom have never had one. A wheelchair can completely change the life of a disabled person, offering mobility, increased independence, and a chance to go to school or find employment. Because this charity is administered by volunteers with LDS Philanthropy, there is no overhead and every penny donated goes directly to purchasing wheelchairs. This is not a religious charity–the wheelchairs go to the needy regardless of their faith. Thank you for supporting this extraordinary cause!