Since we started the Halloween issue, way back in August (Yep, takes that long to birth a magazine. Weird, huh?) I have researched more about Frankenstein and Mary Shelley than I imagined possible.

Then I found this:

Frankenstein, A Cultural History is a new account of Frankenstein as a cultural concept. During my research I learned an awful lot about Mary Shelley's novel, but neglected to recognize what makes it is such a masterpiece. Of course! Frankenstein is everywhere! The western world is culturally obsessed with this icon. The book’s author, Susan Tyler Hitchcock, says it best:

"[Frankenstein is] in our bookstores, on our film and television screens, from morning cartoons to wee-hours rerun movies. He plays roles in advertising and political debate, he appears at public library story hours and on graduate-level reading lists. He is both a joke and a profound ethical dilemma."

The book examines step by step how Frankenstein has changed and evolved as a figure in our culture. She looks at how Dickens mentions “Frankenstein,” and explores the mid 19^th century meaning of the term. At the time, “Frankenstein” was a colloquialism for a misguided idea. How appropriate.

She also moves the comedic aspects of Frankenstein. She mentions Herman Munster, from the classic television show, The Munsters. Clearly, this popular version isn't the scary and tortured creature Mary Shelley intended.

Hitchcock does ultimately return to Mary Shelley's intent. But I am left thinking about the million embodiments of Frankenstein I've encountered in my life. It's Halloween, which is hands down my favorite day of the year, and I wonder how many Frankensteins I will pass tonight. An 8-year-old sugar-crazed one? Perhaps a tall, green, and handsome version? I hope to pass someone who has really tapped into the text, and resembles the saddened, burdened, and abandoned creature that Shelley originally cast out into the literary world, the creature that has transfixed readers for almost two centuries. Whatever Frankenstein I find (and I will find one), I will be satisfied to know that he is evidence of the lasting power literature has over culture.

Christopher Paolini's publishing company, Knopf Children's announced today that the third book in his Inheritance series will be released on September 23, 2008. So that gives you a little under 11 months to read Eragon and Eldest if you haven't already done so.

"I plotted out the Inheritance series as a trilogy nine years ago, when I was fifteen." Paolini told the press. "At that time, I never imagined I'd write all three books, much less that they would be published. When I finally delved into Book Three, it soon became obvious that the remainder of the story was far too big to fit in one volume. Having spent so long thinking about the series as a trilogy, it was difficult for me to realize that, in order to be true to my characters and to address all of the plot points and unanswered questions Eragon and Eldest raised, I needed to split the end of the series into two books."

I guess that means we can look forward to four complete novels in this famous Dragon series. What's that called? A quadology?

Well, it's the weekend. Are you going to see a new movie? Well, if you're like me, you're probably tired of all those seriously serious Oscar-bait movies out there right now. So what's an alternative? Try Dan in Real Life. Steve Carell, Dane Cook, what's not to like?

The movie is about a widowed father, Dan (Carell), with three daughters. During a family reunion, Dan meets the woman of his dreams at a book store. But when he gets to his parents' house, of course the woman is already there. And [cue the dramatic music] she's his brother's (Cook) girlfriend. Ooh, the plot thickens!

Now, this movie could have easily veered off into shtick. But if you were expecting something like Carell's break-out role (Ahh! Kelly Clarkson!), you will be disappointed. (By the way, that movie was rated R, so you should not have seen it anyway!) This is not a gross-out comedy. Dan in Real Life is surprisingly sweet, and it paints an earnest picture of family life.

Dan has flaws--besides for the whole falling for his brother's girlfriend thing, he's completely over-protective of his daughters--but he's human. (Or, maybe, he's human because he has flaws. Hmmm, did I just blow your mind?) We want him to get the girl, but we don't want him to hurt his brother. His family is our family, and we've all been there before. (Well, again, maybe not the falling for the brother's girlfriend part.)

The movie is not all hugs and bonding. There are pratfalls and crazy coincidences. There is Carell's trademark awkwardness (which he perfected on NBC's The Office). But behind it all, there is love.

So, go on now, see the movie. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll eat a lot of popcorn.

Oh, and you know I love all of you out there in the Word-osphere. So, yay, bonus for you all! Here is an interview with Dane Cook. Enjoy, and have a great weekend! (Oh, and go read a book or write something!)

Word: Were you always the class clown growing up?
Dane Cook: The exact opposite actually. I was the shy, introverted kid in class, I was an observer. I knew I wanted to perform; at home I was comfortable [performing]. I was kind of a wallflower. I was so afraid of speaking in front of class. In high school I joined drama and creative writing. Slowly but surely I found my voice.

Word: How do you come up with your material? Is it based on real-life situations?
Cook: It's a mix--personal experience, things I've heard from friends. I'm interested in one thing--getting laughs. For example, for one bit, half happened to friends and half happened to me and I built a bit.

Word: Do you ever feel pressured to be funny? Do people come up to you and say, "Hey, you're a comedian, say something funny"?
Cook: You do get that. There's a time when you're "on." But then I go back into a chameleon state of observing. Some people are one all the time, but I don't feel that's necessary. My favorite comedians are more reserved. Johnny Carson--I used to love staying up with family. I didn't understand all of it, I just loved him. Loved Johnny, his persona. You need to find out about yourself--what's likable. Find the tones so that you're relatable.

Word: Do you ever get stage fright? If so, how do you overcome it?
Cook: No, I never had stage fright. The first time I was on stage I felt so comfortable. It was a bit of a character, a performance. I felt at home, and I couldn't wait to paint a verbal picture.

Word: Now that you've been in some major movies, do you think you're going to keep doing movies, or are you going to do more comedy tours?
Cook: I would like to mix it up and do both. The thing about touring is you might not get everywhere your fans are. I can hit a lot more people and a lot more places with film. Coming from a shy, quiet background, [performing] makes me feel so fulfilled.

Word: Do you like to have your jokes prepared in advance, or are you better at winging it?
Cook: It's a mix. As a performer, you want to evolve constantly. You need to be prepared. Education, preparation, you can't beat it. Being adaptable is important, too. You have to live. You have to be flexible. It goes back to jokes. I just want to make you laugh.

Word: I read that you were one of the first celebrities to use MySpace to get your name out, and you also used your own money to create a Web site. Why did you decide to do this? Would you consider your efforts a success?
Cook: I found as a comedian there is a lot of down time. You don't have auditions every day, and I needed to find my fans. I was sitting in front of my computer, and thought "Is there a way to have a dynamic Web site as a comedian?" I'd go into these places [such as Myspace] and said "Check this out!" It wasn't a job. I thought, "Wow, this is easy." I can find the pulse of America. I need to get better and more versatile. I still think of it as one person at a time, and it's still as exciting and glamorous. I still update it, do my message boards. I'm very hands on. Now I don't have as much time, which is frustrating, I'll admit it. I try to do podcasts and use whatever technology I can to get to the masses.

Word: Is there any topic that you wouldn't make a joke out of? Why?
Cook: No. I can't sit here and say I wouldn't go near this or that. Even dark edgy stuff can be a pinprick for someone. What I mean is, people will say you made it OK to talk about something and comedy has a way of making you open up. But not every comic can get away with everything. There might be a way to talk about things.

Word: What kind of encouragement did you get growing up?
Cook: My mom was the biggest fan of mine. She said, "Anything you do you'll be the best at." She would be so encouraging, yet she would be honest. She knew I had the ability to perform. Every step of the way, she said go for it. "Embrace that which defines you," that's what my mom said to me. My dad's encouragement was more of a tough love. He said, "Are you going to talk about it or show me?" He was as encouraging as my mom, but tough. My parents got separated [when I was] in junior high school, so I know what it's like to have one parent. Life goes by pretty darn quick, so you have to work hard on yourself. I felt like a nobody when I was growing up. Work hard on you.

Word: Do you ever read reviews about yourself? If so, what goes through your mind when you get a bad review? What about a good review?
Cook: Look, sometimes, you hit anyone on the right day … But I don't partake in negativity. I'll allow myself to go into the far reaches of my mind. I try to stay pretty positive and not listen to negative people. Cynical people will try to knock you. You have to know how the world works. I got this bad review once and it was like a cannon was shot in my stomach, so I too know how it feels to get a bad review. Everyone's got an opinion. You can't let it go to your heart or your head, even though sometimes it will. You got to keep walking. Get up and take a walk. Sitting and letting things fester is the worst.

Word: What other jobs have you had?
Cook: I was a dietary aid in a nursing home, clerk in a video game store, worked a plow … [I did] anything I could to do stand up comedy every night.

Word: What do you like doing in your spare time?
Cook: I'm pretty low maintenance. [I like] going to the movies. I'm a big gamer. In another life I'd be a designer. I'm interested in graphics, and I'm kind of a geek. I do the opposite of entertainment [in my spare time]. [I'm in] a relaxed state. But I did what I do. I've loved what I've done for 17 years.

Word: What advice would you give students who want to become comedians?
Cook: I walk a fine line when we speak of advice. There are always things you can say. Being truthful with yourself, starting now. I tell people first and foremost to carve your own path. You can emulate people. Observe people that you care about, and take their advice. Don't think so much about what people tell you you have to do.

In Issue 3 of READ Magazine, we printed a story called "The Little Fisherman" by Steven Frank. Recently, we received a narrative poem from Joyce Baio's 8th grade language arts class at Sacred Heart School in Rockaway, NJ. The students took it upon themselves to create a poem that is based on Steven Frank's story! Check it out. It rocks.

Reeling In The Magic
A narrative poem by Joyce Baio's 8th grade class

Ivan misses his magical mom while Mr. Espy mourns the loss of his beloved wife.
Eloise's trip to the afterlife has filled their world with loneliness and strife.
After the untimely death of this wonderful kind, loving mom,
Ivan's life, along with his Dad's, was no longer calm.
Ivan enters a contest where he has to catch a large fish,
But having a good relationship with his father is his only true wish!

On the morning of the contest, Ivan raced to the general store.
Loaded with sinkers and hooks, he knew he needed something more.
Suddenly, something caught his eye half-way down the Houdini aisle,
Ivan found an inflatable parachute that would easily lessen his personal trial.
When it came into view, he realized that is was a parafoil lift,
Little did he know that it was a mystical gift.

After discovering the kite, Ivan happily entered the contest.
He knew he couldn't use fancy magic or his father would protest.
Ivan's dad informed him that he was forbidden to cheat,
So he prepared to launch his parafoil kite which was a magnificent feat!
His wise old father said, "Do not use a magical trick."
Because he knew Ivan could be very crafty and slick.

Mr. Espy and Ivan eagerly cast anchor and float,
Towards the Oregon side on Eloise, their boat.
Ivan and his straightforward Dad sail the tide,
In a desperate attempt to find where the sturgeon hide.
Though fishing for salmon wouldn't bring as much pain,
They search for a sturgeon to bring them some fame.
But as they cast out the deadly kite hook,
They discover Mr. Crawler closely following. Oh, what a crook!

While father and son seek a sturgeon and stealthily stalk,
Dad and Ivan soon begin to have a little talk.
As he was fishing with the magical kite from his mom,
Both father and son soon feel an uneasy qualm.
While silently drifting near the Oregon coast,
They soon found the legendary fish they had wanted the most.
Ivan easily tossed out a line holding some bait,
While praying about his expected good fate.

As soon as Ivan felt a good strong bite,
He did his best to handle the amazing fight.
Mr. Espy, his father, had always admired,
His son's inventiveness and great desire.
Mr. Espy thought that he was oh, so wise,
But Ivan followed his instincts and pursued the great prize.
Father and son, on the tiny Eloise, made a great pair.
And somehow would always remember the fishing memory they'd share.

Mr. Espy and Ivan were on a small cozy boat,
Because of their weight it could barely float.
While Ivan pulled the huge fish onto the boat, it began to wiggle,
Then both father and son began to chuckle and giggle.
When they brought the huge fish back to the dock,
Everyone was amazed and in a complete state of shock!

Thus ends the magical tale of a father and boy,
Whose lives were missing laughter and joy.
After winning fairly his most coveted prize,
Little Ivan looked toward the heavenly skies.
And whispering a simple "Thank You" toward heaven above,
With eyes and heart brimming with eternal love.
For the wonderful, magical mother who wisely knew
That if one truly believed in magic any wish could come true!

The following book review was written by Miss Erin, Grade 11.

How many young adult fantasies have you read with a fairy as the protagonist? Stop and think a moment. Having some trouble, aren't you?

That's what makes Faeries of Dreamdark different from any other fairy story. The main character is a fairy. She's a young (in human years, that is), spirited lassie named Magpie Windwitch. The ensnaring and destruction of devils is her trade ... devils that clumsy humans are (unknowingly) setting free from captivity. When a dark, mysterious creature - that might not even be a devil - enters Dreamdark, Magpie and her crow friends really have cause for worry. And fear.

For some reason, this book strongly reminded me of the Redwall series. It had the same feel to it as those stories. It took me a little while to get into the book, but once I did I became totally immersed. From the halfway point to the end in particular, I had a hard time setting the book down ... it was so exciting and good! Faeries of Dreamdark is humorous and thoughtful, and it has a unique kind of magical style to it. From its funny parts to its sad parts, it's obvious that Laini Taylor is quite the powerful storyteller. Despite the slowish beginning, I would highly recommend this book. I had loads of fun with it. Bring on the sequel!

It's that time of year again! No, not when you should start getting your Halloween costume before all the good ones are sold out and you're stuck being the guy with the funny nose and mustache attached to your glasses ... again. (Although, yeah, you probably should start getting your Halloween costume before all the good ones are sold out.) It's Teen Read Week!

Every year, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA--like salsa, just not as yummy) urges teens to, well, read. This year, YALSA's theme is LOL @ the Library.

I know I love to LOL, especially when I'm reading. Don't you? Sure you do. And what better place to do it than the library. (As long as you're not laughing too loudly--it is a library after all, and you don't want to be shushed!)

Not that you guys need an excuse to read, because I know you are all constantly reading and writing. But it's kind of nice to have an official reason to saddle up to a good book in the library. So, what are some of your favorite humorous books?

Well anyway, if you'd like to participate in the official Teen Read Week, you better hurry off to the library because it runs from October 14-20. (I know, I know. Bad WORD bloggers! We should have told you sooner. Sorry, we were just so excited about our awesome 1,000 word writers that we just plum forgot.) But there's always time for reading!

Are you still waiting around? Get yourself to the library and read!

Many thanks to the students of Ms. Runyan's 8th grade class from Atlantic Middle School in Iowa. They sent in their very fabulous and creative poems based on the following picture. Writing magazine published the photo as part of its September 1,000 Words feature. Great job!

Nothing Left
Touching the sun,
Feeling like you're controlling the world,
But it's all backwards.
Black is white,
White is black.
Nothing seems the same.
You’ll never feel the same,
You won't feel like anything is working.
Nothing works,
But yet it all works,
And you just don't know it yet.

--Derek Von Seggern

What?
God,
Is that you?
Is that the star the angels sent down?
Are you sending a message?
Why are you playing with my mind?
Is this a sign?
God, who are you trying to attract?
Am I messed up?
Am I just crazy?
Is this the end of the world?
Whom am I kidding?
I’m just a teenager from earth
Without a darn clue.

--Anthony Robinson

Phenomena
The eclipse so high,
Just hanging in the sky.
Trying to capture its strength,
For as long as its length.
Changing the world,
If only for a moment.
Making white look like black,
But in minutes its back.
Taking your hand from the sky,
As the world passes by
When you came inside
The outside world died.
You get back to your job,
As your heart starts to throb.
The phenomenon was forgotten.

—Paige Kennon

The Black Diamond
The white hand glows bright.
The black diamond burns all night.
They join day and night.

--Malachi Wickman

 

The Dark World
There was a young lad,
Who indeed was very sad.
The world was so dark and cruel,
And that my friend is not cool.
The boy wanted some color back,
In the town that was certainly whack.
After many years,
And many tears,
The color was back,
And that ...
Is that.

--Sara Forster

Seeking the Darkness
Looking up at the evening sky,
I thought I saw it way up high.
The darkness swallowing up the sun,
As though the light had been shunned.
It was frightening there at first,
But soon I had such an insatiable thirst!
The thirst for darkness, to disappear,
Away from the light, there was nothing to fear.
I wondered vaguely, maybe if,
I could reach there, up there,
To make it shift.
So that I wouldn't be so tempted to feel,
That black darkness touch,
That shrouds like a veil.
So engrossed in my thoughts was I,
I did not take heed of those clouds in the sky,
They poured their black raindrops in their wake,
So that the ground below me seemed of a lake.
But this lake was dark, fearsome and swift,
But I soon felt that it was a gift.
I wanted to jump, to fall through the dark,
To reach the inner depths of the black water’s heart.
I must step back, away I must race!
But of course, the darkness held me in place.
Against such beauty, all reasoning is gone,
My twilight kingdom, I've waited so long.
You held out your arms to welcome me,
Here I must stay, I could never leave.
And when I reached for that cold embrace,
I felt the darkness enveloping my face.
My eyes and hair turned midnight black,
My skin so cold not a diamond could crack.
Quite suddenly the sky shone a white light,
Bright as the gods, to banish the night.
Angelic figures descended the skies.
The heavenly fighters shining up high.
A battle cry tore from my lips,
I drew the sword that hung at my hips.
I leaped in the air to fight my light foes.
We fought for an eternity,
Despite my everlasting woes.
At last the sky was black and cold,
I was left standing in battle throes.
I smirked heavily when the twilight,
As brave as it be,
Looked as one surprised might,
And welcomed me.
But forever deep down,
In my sorrowful heart,
I knew that light wore a crown,
Just like the dark.
And evermore, even after the world's ended.
Light and darkness shall always be contended.
But I would fight,
I would not take flight.
Just like those of you,

Who battle for light.

--Mistery Fleagle

Being October, there's really only one thing worth talking about, and that is postseason baseball. However, being that the Yankees choked for like the third year in a row, I really don't have much to say. Grr.

The Red Sox are currently tied in the bottom of the 9th against the Indians in Game 2 of the American League Championship series. I say, Grr again, sir. The only reason for me to watch is with a hope that they do not make it to the World Series. But I digress...

The point of this bloggy (or at least the point we try to make) has not a whole lot to do with sports and everything to do with reading; which is why, at this late hour I am reminded of last night's game, and of Mr. Stephen King.

King was at the game last night. He's a die hard Boston Red Sox fan. But for some odd reason, he wasn't paying much attention to the action on the field. During the 4th inning, his team had the bases loaded. Everyone at Fenway was on their feet cheering, thumping, eager for a hit. Everyone, that is, save for King. You see, King was reading. That, my friends, is devotion to the written word.

The odd moment was captured by the video cameras and a broadcaster subsequently, went into the stands and interviewed King. It turns out that he was reading a book called The Ghost, by Robert Harris. The book isn't even out yet. However, King was devouring it while the Red Sox continued to plow their way toward a win (Boston took Game 1 by a score of 10-3, Grr).

What does all this mean? Is it any wonder King likes to read? Come on. Be serious. Anyone who has woven 5 sentences together to tell a story knows that the more you read, the better your writing becomes. And the Master of Horror probably knows it better than anyone.

There has been some talk already about King's devotion to the Red Sox (or lack thereof). I don't put much stock in it. The man is obviously a huge fan. But he's also a bibliophile. He's addicted to words as much as he is to baseball. Personally, I think it's cool that he can marry his two passions. Granted, the whole scene could have just been a setup to promote Harris's book. So what? When's the last time you saw a television advertisement for a book anyway? Think about it...

Anyway, it's 1:00 a.m. and the Sox and Indians are still tied in Game 2 (11th inning). I think I'll sign off now before the inevitable game-winning, clutch homer by Papi. Sigh. Does that guy ever not save the day? Harrumph. Maybe I'll just go read something.

Word.

Dim the lights and cue the dramatic music.

Tonight ... on The Great Book Publishing Challenge ... we'll decide which novel will be published. Will it be the romance? The mystery? The western? Your votes decide. So, who will be ... the next great American novelist?

Does this sound like a reality show you'd watch? It might sound silly, but some publishers are running American Idol-style competitions to publish books. An article on NPR talked about how a social networking site ran this competition, and it actually found very talented people to get published.

I think it's great that people are getting excited about writing. And this is definitely a way to get your foot in the door of the publishing world.

But I wonder what the "audition" round would be. Instead of wannabe singers screeching "Unchained Melody," would it be wannabe writers sitting in front of a computer, staring at a blank screen? Would it be a video clip of a person stuffing his manuscript into an envelope and getting a paper cut? (Ouch!)

Would you enter a contest like this? You know what, I think I would. Of all the reality shows out there, this seems like it would be the one with the least amount of humiliation. No eating pigs' brains, no vying for the love of a washed-up 80's singer, no singing. And the chance to become a published author. Sounds pretty good to me.

If you entered this contest, what would you submit? A poem? A short story? Your biography? Hey ... wait a minute. No need to even enter a contest. [Shameless plug alert] You can be published on this very blog! Yay! Go on and e-mail your masterpiece to word@weeklyreader.com.

Jessica, out!

Spotlight fades to black as credits scroll over the screen.

OK so yes, I've been slacking. If you're an avid reader of the bloggy, then I apologize. Sorry Deb. Ha!

Anywho, to quickly recap, the National Book Festival was held last Saturday, September 29 on the National Mall in our nation's capitol. And it was cool.

Terry Pratchett is a very funny speaker. He's an author of science fiction and fantasy novels and is probably most famous for his Discworld series. Admittedly, I have never read him. Sad, I know. But after hearing him speak and guffawing (that's right, guffawing... look it up) over almost everything he shared with us, I would be out of my mind not to pick him up soon. Here, allow me to share a few of Mr. Pratchett's anecdotes from the day...

"People come up to me all the time and say, 'You know Mr. Pratchett, your books mean so much to me. They get me through bad times.' Well, they get me through bad times, too!" - Pratchett on surviving trials of life through the power of writing.

"Adult books give you money. Children's books give you prestige." - Pratchett on balancing a writer's soul against balancing his checkbook.

"This Book Festival has all sorts of writers that come up here with their note cards and share with you their ideas... They're all very smart writers! Whereas I just sit there in front of a keyboard until my eyes bleed." - Pratchett on his own personal writing pains.

"The way to describe a character in your writing is through mannerisms... not dialogue and not by writing pages and pages of description. Character back stories tend to occur on their own accord. For me, I think about my characters long and hard for a very long time and eventually, they just come out." - Pratchett on intimate relationships with one's characters.

When the Q&A portion came around, one fan asked him if he had any sort of writing process. Pratchett answered, "Yes. I absolutely must have oxygen." The audience laughed, of course, and then he got serious. "No, but you write when you can," he said. "You write against a wall or in a phone booth if you have to. Wherever and whenever you can. ... Although I do have one daily ritual I should tell you about. When I first sit down to write, I feel overwhelming panic. But it eventually goes away."

The National Book Festival was full of such words of wisdom and laughter. Readers got their fill of their favorite authors, live and in-person (isn't that the same thing?). To learn more about the many great writers and artists that were in attendance, check out the web site. Or better yet... see you there next year.

As I mentioned previously, I attended the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. this past Saturday. Authors were everywhere and it was all I could do to keep a professional air about me.

First up was Patricia MacLachlan. Ms. MacLachlan is the author of the 1986 Newbery Medal winning novel, Sarah Plain and Tall. Have you read it? Because I am very sorry to say that I have not. Could you please tell me how great it is without ruining the plot for me? Email your thoughts on the book to word@weeklyreader.com. Or just leave a comment below.

Anywho, Ms. MacLachlan stepped up to the microphone and started to tell us about the time she received a letter from an 8 year old boy. It read:

Dear Ms. MacLachlan,
   Thank you for writing Sarah, Plain and Tall. It is the second best book ever!"

"Sadly, I never found out what the first best book ever was." She told her laughing audience.

"As a child," she went on, "I would invent imaginary friends and characters for myself. ... I see there are a lot of children here today and I just want to tell you that you are living the lives right now that you will write about later on in life."

Ms. MacLachlan seemed very relaxed throughout her talk. She told us about how she sometimes finds it really really hard to write. In fact, sometimes she hates writing! "I don't always know how to write plot," she said. "What is plot? Seriously. What is it? Plot is hard!"

Admitting you don't know where a story comes from is the first step to recovery, I suppose. The second step, in this author's mind, is keeping her ears open.

"One evening, I was eating dinner with my family and my daughter wouldn't touch her food. I asked her why and she said, 'Because the broccoli is moving on my plate.'" Awww. How cute is that? Good enough to write a short story about. Yeehaw! Inspiration, thy name is child.

"Life is mysterious. You never know what's going to happen." Ms. MacLachlan wrote her latest book, Edward's Eyes, for her mother, who has Alzheimer's disease. In it, she included a great many characters from her mother's life (friends, loved ones, etc.) in order to help her remember. What a story, huh? I want to read it just for that truth.

When the Q&A portion came around, Ms. MacLachlan was asked by one of her youngest fans, "How do you stay focused as a writer?" She replied, "Well, it takes me a long time just thinking about a book. Sometimes I think about a book for a year or more before I even begin writing it. Oh, and I play a lot of computer solitaire."

Still more to come from the 2007 National Book Festival.

Stay tuned...

Before you get started reading this entry, you should click here to read a general overview of the YPulse Tween Mashup.

Both Deavon and Seth commented on Tuesday's blog entry. Neither of them quite understood what the word "tween" means. Sorry guys, my fault for not being clear. A tween is basically a young person that falls between the age of 10 and 13. It can be quite a confusing time in life. Tweens aren't kids anymore but they aren't quite teenagers either. They want to be soooo bad though. And in an effort to grow up too fast, tweens sometimes start acting older than their age even though they might not really know the mistakes they are making as they make them. It's OK to make mistakes. Everyone does. That's how you learn. Just don't run the race so fast! You'll miss all the good stuff.

GOOD STUFF GOOD STUFF GOOD STUFF!

Heh. Nice transition. As if.

I learned about quite a few things at the YPulse Tween Mashup last Friday. First and foremost was that I never really knew the extent to how drastically times have changed. When I was a tween... well first of all, the word "tween" didn't exist when I was a tween but whatever. As I was saying, when I was a tween, my friends and I certainly had our distractions, our games, our fun. But we never could have fathomed all the myspaces and youtubes and AIMs of the future. When I was a tween, I had this clunky Garfield phone in my room. Looking at the picture now makes me both nostalgic and, admittedly, a little angry actually. You see, the handset there in Garfield's back? Well, when you pick it up and put it to your ear, there's this big button that sits there next to your mouth. All you have to do is breathe on it just a little too forcefully and Garfield hangs up on you. End of conversation. Sorry friend. Call back later when the Internet comes to town.

Well we all know that the internet (or internerd as I like to call it) is here to stay now. Everyone is so wired these days! It's almost impossible to remember a time when "www" simply meant... well it didn't mean anything. I'm losing track here. Why don't I just chill out and tell you about Kiki.

Nope, not even trying for transitions anymore.

I learned about Kiki magazine at (where else?) the YPulse Tween Mashup. Kiki is the magazine "for girls with style and substance". If you're a tween or early teen girl, you want this magazine. It's full of wise fashion sensibility, tips for better health, book reviews, and even nifty projects you can take on yourself!

You know, there's a lot of magazines and websites and clothing stores and music and media and T.V. and celebrities and all sorts of nonsense telling you who you should be. The masses and the advertisers shout, "Britney is cool! Be like Britney!" And lots of people do exactly what they are told. But Kiki is one of the few entities that doesn't tell you who you should be. Kiki asks you who you want to be. And then they try to tailor their pages to suit your needs. I had a chance to meet Jaime, Kiki's founder and editor at the Mashup. She's a very nice woman with two tween daughters herself. She started the magazine with their, and your, best interests in mind. To learn more about Kiki, or ask Jaime a question, click here.

And while we're on the subject of being a girl, something I'm sure I know nothing about, you can also check out Beinggirl.com. It's a website "for girls, by girls" that answers all your questions about, well, anything girl related, and that includes slumber parties! Click the image to the left to read more. (How do they get it to blink? Wild.)

In Beinggirl's own words, "Girls have fun. Girls have opinions. Girls have a lot of questions about stuff like PMS, dating, their bodies and even serious subjects like addiction and abuse – just about anything you can think of that has to do with being a girl."

Don't look at me. I'm just here to give you literary news. But definitely check out Beinggirl.com if you seek answers.

Let's see, what else is in the news?

Just stop it. Your transition ship has sailed long ago...

Well that's just fine and dandy cuz I think it's getting a little too tired in here to write anymore now anyway. But we'll be back soon, from the front lines of the YPulse Tween Mashup... or not... At any rate, I have a funny feeling that WORD's gonna be in DC again tomorrow though.

Stay tuned...

I think that Sarah Moffet said it best in a comment here:

This weekend I visited the Twilight Zone. It was supposed to be the National Book Festival, but I must have made a wrong turn off Constitution Avenue. Instead of stumbling onto a somber, sparsely attended book fair, I found the Mall overtaken by the masses, who were beaten back from overrunning authors by platoons of Junior League members. Even more terrifying were the forty-people-deep lines for the vegetarian vendors (and believe me, half the people in those lines were not vegetarians), rivaled only by the wait to purchase books in the sales tents. People, everywhere, were carrying armfuls, bags, and strollers of books.

America reads. Who knew?

Yes folks, Sarah is talking about the National Book Festival. It's that one, special time of year when writers travel from all corners of the world and all walks of life to converge under large, outdoor tents with the sole purpose of speaking to their captivated audiences about the power of the written word. Well, and to promote their latest works, too. Let's be honest. :)

The 7th annual National Book Festival took place in Washington, DC this past Saturday. It was brought to you by first lady of these United States, Laura Bush, the Library of Congress, and Dr. Billington, the Librarian of Congress. Don't tell me you've never heard of the Library of Congress? Well, they're only just the BIGGEST library in the country! Here to preserve information and help promote literacy throughout our great nation, the Library of Congress is akin to... well... the mother ship of all Dewey's Decimals. But don't just take my word for it, here's what they have to say about themselves on their website:

"The Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations."

Boo yah! Word. And so forth... At any rate, they're a really big deal.

This was WORD's second year in attendance and let me tell you, we were thrilled. To be able to sit on the outskirts of a book and listen to the person responsible for it is something no silly blog entry can relate to you. Who's your favorite author? Have you ever seen him/her in person? No? Oh, you simply must! Keep your eyes open for when they're coming to your town. Most authors have websites these days. You can track them down like the hungry bibliophile that you are. Just... be careful of psychotic tendencies. Please.

At any rate, WORD was there. It was a gorgeous late September day and the authors were in bloom. Mystery writers, biographers, fantasy word smiths, illustrators, poets, historians, young adult novelists, and plot maestros of all genres got up on stage, one by one, and spread their good words out to us--to all of us eager readers, who would love for nothing more than a good book to curl up with (and maybe a wasted cliche to spot every once in awhile just to say, "Hey! I got my eye on you... writer!").

You see, writers in general are an unpredictable brood. You never know when a writer is going to say something profound... or flake out. Public speaking is not always a writer's forte. But in this case, you're not going to show up to the National Book Festival and give a half-hearted shpeel like, "Well, duh, I dunno why I write books. I guess it's because I like... you know... like to uhhh, write... or something."

Oh no no no. These heavy hitters are the real deal. And later this week, you will see for yourself what I mean.

Stay tuned...

In the meantime though, you can check out last year's coverage of the 2006 National Book Festival by clicking here and/or here.

OR!!! ...

You can check out the National Book Festival Young Readers' Online Toolkit! Yah! Totally! Do that! Do that right now by clicking here!  

This past Friday I was in New York. The city. Ask me if the brights are light. Go on? ... Well they are.

The YPulse Tween Mashup was held at the Jacob Javits Center. If you've never been there, it's this big, long building that houses, among many other things, the Book Expo America.

YPulse is this whole other web site out there in www land. It's also a finger on a pulse (the name is not accidental). It is dedicated to understanding what makes tweens tick. Cuz as it turns out... you're quite an interesting bunch. :)

Hosted by Anastasia Goodstein (YPulse's puppet-master and author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online), the event was a mix of old school practices and the wave of the future. There's a whole lot of both out there. You probably don't remember this, but there was a time long ago when there were no computers. There were no cell phones or emails. No iPods or earmuffs. Nah, I'm just kidding. The world has always had earmuffs.

Here's a question for you: Which do you prefer?
a) texting your friends
b) emailing your friends
c) talking on your cell
d) writing a letter in longhand scripture using a quill and ink before having to walk all around the house searching everywhere for an envelope and a stamp and then having to, after all that work, walk to the mail box or the post office and mail the thing

No! It's a serious question! Leave a comment below. Tell us a, b, c, or d... and tell us why.

But that's what the Mashup was all about. It was a bunch of old folks sitting around in a room, scratching their heads and saying, "Um. Does anyone understand tweens? ... Hello? ... lil' help?"

So have you ever heard the word "tween" before? Maybe sometime 'tween lunch and dinner? Well, it's nothing to be afraid of. It's not a label or a brand name. It's just a way of classifying. Like Gen X or horseshoe burns on a bull's... no, I kid. Here's what the Urban Dictionary has to say about it:

Tween: A word that is used by marketers to describe youths between the ages of 10-13. Although some believe that tweens are actually between the ages of 10-15. Despite the fact that tweens have always existed, marketers continue to lay claim to discovering them. ... No one discovered the tweens.

Ha! Right on. Embrace your 'tween-dom while you have it, friends.

So as a tween, what are your favorite web sites? Keep in mind, this is not a ploy. If you say, "WORD", you will not get a free tee shirt (although we will be flattered). Just curious is all. Tell you what though, if you write up just a few paragraphs about your favorite web site, we just might post your writing here. Put "favorite web site" in the subject line of an email and send it to word@weeklyreader.com. Make sure and tell us why you love it!

YPulse: It's a neat thing. In this day and age, we're all wired. The old and the young alike. We might as well have some dialogue about this cyberspace place... right?

What's up?

Later this week: More from the YPulse Tween Mashup...

Coming this week to a bloggy near you...

Coverage of the YPulse Tween Mashup in New York City

AND

Coverage of the National Book Festival in Washington, DC

Stay tuned...