The Masque of VS Naipaul @ The NRI
I have waited nine years to see VS Naipaul. The last time he was in town, he was fresh from his Nobel win, and I was still star-struck from my introduction to his work in a postcolonial lit class. I bought tickets the day they went on sale. Unfortunately for me, Joe took ill (or so he claimed!) about half an hour before the talk, and I didn’t make it. Lucky for me, Naipaul is a prolific author much sought after on tour, so I did get to see him recently. My latest NRI piece reflects on the...
Read MoreMixed: Two Books on Multiracial Kids, Two Different Takes @ PopMatters
I have a new review up @PopMatters, about two recently stumbled across books on being mixed race that spoke to me as a parent and a biracial kid. Here’s the intro: My son is not biracial—not in the true sense of the word. He’s only a quarter Indian, just enough to have my dark eyes and hair, and hopefully some facility with Hindi. Chances are, he won’t marry an Indian, though it’s possible he’ll fall for someone half-Indian, or quarter Indian, as mixed race couples become...
Read MoreIs Hollywood Whitewashing The Hunger Games?
I have a new post up at PopMatters about the possible casting of Kickass star Chloe Moretz as Katniss. The post is generating quite a few comments–some agreeing, some disagreeing. It’s a pretty lively discussion, and the first time I’ve had some really negative feedback (some folks are suggesting I haven’t read the books). It’s easy to forget how passionate we can be our favorite reads, isn’t it? Wondering what the fuss is about? Here’s the...
Read MoreReading Kidlit: In Defense of Animal Fiction, part I
Animal stories are everywhere. Many classic tales are animal stories, from Aesop’s Fables through Charlotte’s Web. Yet there’s an idea in kids’ publishing, out there on blogs, in classes and speeches, that animal fiction is no longer marketable, and has gone the way of the cute little bunnies in Watership Down. Despite the naysaying, though, animal stories continue to show up in bookstores–Erin Hunter’s Seekers and Warriors, Kathy Appelt’s The Underneath, and Brian Jacques’...
Read MoreReading YA: 18 Literary Novels You’ll Love
If the term “literary” frightens you, you’re not alone. It’s something of a buzz word, and a confusing one at that. Literary YA, though, is a little different to literary adult fiction–generally speaking, it’s more accessible, and a great place to get started if you’re curious about lit fic, especially if you love language. These novels run the gamut from fantasy through contemporary, some light, some dark, some in between, each with a strong focus on character. Some are...
Read MoreWriting YA: If It’s Paranormal, It Needs A Villain, Right?
Over the weekend, I read Sarah Mlynowski’s Magic in Manhattan series. Although technically not on the lookout for more books–the stack by my bed is about four feet high–I’m a sucker for remainder shelves the way some people (okay, me) are suckers for lost puppies. Every book deserves a home, and books 1 & 3 looked so funky yet so lost and forlorn among old cookbooks and craft sets that I just had to bring them home. Here’s the Booklist blurb for Bras &...
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