June 10, 2011 Next month aspiring young writers will come from across the state—and beyond—to explore their creativity and hone their passion for writing at the thirteenth annual Tennessee Young Writers Workshop. TYWW, held on the campus of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, is a week-long residential workshop for students in grades seven through twelve. The faculty, all established writers in their own right, foster creative and literary skills through exposure to real-life professional situations, effective writing exercises, and open discussions. Students also gain a network of peer support that offers encouragement and often persists long after the workshop is over. “Children Playing with My Skeleton” was written at last year’s conference by Lauren Moore, a twelfth grader at Cary Academy in Cary, North Carolina. Lauren has attended the TYWW since 2009. Applications for this year’s workshop are due June 27. Click here to learn more. You can also support young writers with the gift of a full or partial scholarship; click here for details.
Read moreChildren & YA
Garden Secrets
On the sesquicentennial of The Secret Garden, Michael Sims considers the surprising connections between his own Crossville boyhood and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s masterpiece
June 6, 2011 It was the wheelchair scene that got me. I had been identifying more than I realized with the adventures of sad little Mary, who lost her parents to a cholera outbreak in India and who finds herself reluctantly lodged at a relative’s country estate in chilly England. Her only companions are the privileged brat Colin, who turns out not to be crippled, and homespun Dickon, who almost speaks the language of his wild-animal pets. In retrospect I find it easy to see that each child spoke to a different aspect of my own childhood experience and yearnings. But I didn’t think of that at the time. When Colin rose from the wheelchair, healed by the other children’s innocent affection and his own determination—in short, cured by the secret walled garden where it was safe to be a child—I was astonished to find myself crying.
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A Story of Love and Magic
Award-winning children’s author Kate DiCamillo talks with Chapter 16 about her newest novel
May 13, 2011 In The Magician’s Elephant, the 2009 novel from award-winning children’s novelist Kate DiCamillo, an orphan named Peter Duchene cannot shake the suspicion that his younger sister, who died in infancy, is out there somewhere, still alive. After a fortuneteller tells Peter that his sister does indeed live, and that an elephant will help him locate her, the boy begins to follow his doubts and hopes. Finally out in paperback, the tale that unfolds is a genuine pleasure for all ages, imbued with plentiful allegorical potential and dashes of humor, and is sure to inspire discussions about truth, honesty, and belief. Kate DiCamillo will discuss the book at DK Booksellers in Memphis on May 13 at 6 p.m.
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Once Upon a Time in South Beach
In Cloaked Alex Flinn puts a modern spin on some timeless tales
May 2, 2011 Cloaked, Alex Flinn’s latest recipe for fairy-tale mashup, calls for a ditsy princess and an enchanted prince, a hapless shoe repairman and a level-headed waitress, a handful of talking animals, at least one witch, and two very stupid giants. Add a heaping tablespoon of magic, mix well, and bake in the Florida heat until all is “uncloaked.” Alex Flinn will read from and discuss Cloaked at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Brentwood on May 5 at 6:30 p.m.
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Carrie, Before Blahniks
Candace Bushnell’s latest novel is the sequel to the prequel to Sex and the City
April 28, 2011 New York magazine once called Candace Bushnell “the patron saint of high-end power girls, the woman who got the ball rolling on the who-needs-a-husband-when-you-have-a-doorman mentality.” In her new YA novel, Summer and the City, Bushnell tells the backstory of Carrie and friends, before they swear fealty to fashion, friendship, and social climbing. Today Bushnell talks with Chapter 16 prior to her appearances in Memphis on April 29 at 7 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Booksellers.
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Baseball Through the Looking Glass
Alan Gratz talks with Chapter 16 about Fantasy Baseball, his latest novel for children
April 26, 2011 A breathtakingly diverse assortment of characters culled from fairy tales, nursery rhymes, mythology, folktales, children’s literature, and even Manga inhabits Fantasy Baseball by Knoxville children’s author Alan Gratz. It’s a fast-paced adventure, a thrilling come-from-behind sports story, an artistic tour de force, and a heck of a fun read.
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