Around the Web: Bystander, The Kidlitosphere, and a Grand Conversation
Monday, November 30th, 2009 Posted in Around the Web, Bystander | 3 Comments »I confess: I sometimes have misgivings about the kidlitosphere. At times it feels like just another clique, and one dominated by women. I recognize that one woman's ceiling is another woman's floor; a "clique" could easily be described as a ...
Bystander: Chapter 2 (and some thoughts on adverbs)
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 Posted in Bystander, the writing process | 6 Comments »Click here in case you missed Chapter 1 a couple of weeks back -- that is, I mean, if you want to. And don't worry, there are 34 Chapters in the book; I'm not going to give away the entire ...
Bystander: Chapter 1
Monday, November 9th, 2009 Posted in Bystander | 1 Comment »1 [ketchup] THE FIRST TIME ERIC HAYES EVER SAW HIM, David Hallenback was running, if you could call it that, running in a halting, choppy-stepped, stumpy-legged shamble, slowing down to look back over his shoulder, stumbling forward, pausing to catch his breath, ...
A Quick Interview: Bystander and Bullying!
Thursday, November 5th, 2009 Posted in Bystander, Interviews & Appreciations | No Comments »I was recently interviewed by author Kurtis Scaletta (Mudville, Mamba Point) over at his impressive, long-running site -- 2 1/2 blog years and still kicking. That's like 112 in human years, folks. Most blogs come and go like fruit flies. If ...
How to Be Bully Smart — Yikes!
Thursday, November 5th, 2009 Posted in Bystander, Fun Clips | 1 Comment »This 1995 video offers helpful advice for victims of bullying . . . if they wish to receive the beating of their lives. [youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLKxv69GEVE] On a different note, I received some good news about Bystander. Based on a vote by independent booksellers ...
BYSTANDER: A Shout Out to Led Zeppelin’s “Communication Breakdown”
Thursday, October 29th, 2009 Posted in Bystander, Music, the writing process | 3 Comments »Eric Hayes, the main character in Bystander, plays guitar. He's also missing an absent father, who occasionally sends CDs in the mail. Here's a brief excerpt from Chapter 4, the first time that subplot is explored. To set up the ...
BYSTANDER: A 2009 Junior Library Guild Selection
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009 Posted in Bystander | 5 Comments »I received a curious package in the mail today, a padded envelope from the Junior Library Guild. It included a congratulatory letter from Jeanette Rivard, stating in part: In keeping with our goal of providing extraordinary reading experiences for children, Bystander ...
“So How’s the New Book Going?”
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 Posted in Bystander, Greatest Hits, the writing process | 8 Comments »Today, I got asked this question three times before ten o'clock: "So how's the new book going?" It's a well-intentioned question, and it comes from friends. I don't know how to answer, in part because I don't know the answer. It's ...
When I Stood By and Did Nothing
Monday, September 28th, 2009 Posted in Bystander, Greatest Hits | 8 Comments »As I write this, my bully-themed novel, Bystander, is due out in stores tomorrow, the 29th. There seems no better time to share John's story . . . During my work on the book, I naturally reflected on my own experiences ...
Checkers, President Nixon’s Dog . . . in BYSTANDER
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 Posted in Bystander, the writing process | 1 Comment »My new book, Bystander, hits the shelves on Tuesday, September 29th, 2009. And that's a strange thing for an author, because it's an anticipated date but also anti-climactic. A smile followed by a shrug: Okay, so? What now? Allow me to ...