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Live Chat with Laura Marx Fitzgerald, UNDER THE EGG

(04/23/2014)

  

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4:44	Nora - EarlyWord:  We will begin our live online chat with Laura Marx Fitzgerald, author of UNDER THE EGG in about 15 minutes Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord

4:45	Nora - EarlyWord:  Meanwhile, here’s the cover of the book… Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:45 Nora - EarlyWord

4:45	Nora - EarlyWord Under the Egg, Cover Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:45

4:46	Nora - EarlyWord:  And excerpts from the reviews… Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord

4:46

Nora - EarlyWord:  Betsy Bird, Fuse 8 (School Library Journal) Betsy selected UNDER THE EGG as a featured review (full review here -- http://bit.ly/1ia1Ngn “When they tell you that the book is “From the Mixed-Up Files meets Chasing Vermeer” I suggest you not believe them. Yes, there is a famous piece of art and yes there is a mystery, but the mystery in this book is so much stronger than any art-related children’s book mystery I’ve read before that everything else just pales in comparison .. Uniquely readable, entirely charming, and a pleasure from start to finish. Debuts this good are meant to be discovered.” Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:46 Nora - EarlyWord

4:47

Nora - EarlyWord:  Kirkus Reviews “This debut novel weaves art appreciation, restoration and dating techniques, and bits of history from the Renaissance and World War II into a fast-paced mystery. As the novel opens, 13-year-old Theodora Tenpenny explains her thrifty hobby of collecting trash from the city streets and turning it into useful objects. Then she recounts what happened merely three months ago: She found her adored grandfather, Jack, lying bloodied on a city street and heard his dying exhortation to "Look under the egg." Theodora, who has spent her life living with her emotionally incapacitated mother and her crusty, artistic, capable grandfather, knows she must follow this clue in order to become the family's next breadwinner. (Readers must suspend disbelief regarding social services in Manhattan.) Fortuitously, Theodora befriends Bodhi, also 13 but a member of a family of Hollywood celebrities. Theodora's knowledge of art history and Bodhi's skills in acting and in technology enable the girls to puzzle out the importance of Jack's final words.” Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord

4:48

Nora - EarlyWord:  Kirkus Reviews “This debut novel weaves art appreciation, restoration and dating techniques, and bits of history from the Renaissance and World War II into a fast-paced mystery. As the novel opens, 13-year-old Theodora Tenpenny explains her thrifty hobby of collecting trash from the city streets and turning it into useful objects. Then she recounts what happened merely three months ago: She found her adored grandfather, Jack, lying bloodied on a city street and heard his dying exhortation to "Look under the egg." Theodora, who has spent her life living with her emotionally incapacitated mother and her crusty, artistic, capable grandfather, knows she must follow this clue in order to become the family's next breadwinner. (Readers must suspend disbelief regarding social services in Manhattan.) Fortuitously, Theodora befriends Bodhi, also 13 but a member of a family of Hollywood celebrities. Theodora's knowledge of art history and Bodhi's skills in acting and in technology enable the girls to puzzle out the importance of Jack's final words.” Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:48 Nora - EarlyWord

4:48	[Comment From GuestGuest: ]  I just ordered it today! Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:48 Guest

4:49

Nora - EarlyWord:  Booklist -- Starred review “Smart and determined, down-to-earth and insightful, Theo makes an engaging narrator as she follows a winding trail of discovery. Along the way, Fitzgerald includes a good bit of art history, which becomes as interesting as the interplay between the two friends … Readers who loved E. L. Konigsburg's From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1967) and Blue Balliett's Chasing Vermeer (2004) won't want to put this one down.” Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:49 Nora - EarlyWord

4:50

Nora - EarlyWord:  And, Horn Book wrote about an aspect of the book that ties into a recent film -- Horn Book Magazine After delving into her grandfather's military past -- he was one of the famous Monuments Men — [Theo] realizes the mystery stretches all the way back to Nazi Germany and Hitler's fine-art plundering. Fitzgerald moves beyond the all-too-familiar conventions of the "X marks the spot" story line to offer a gripping mystery with high stakes and moving historical context… Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord

4:51	[Comment From GuestGuest: ]  I'm about 2/3 of the way through and really enjoying the story - can't wait to share it with tween readers. Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:51 Guest

4:56

Nora - EarlyWord:  Glad to see so many chat participants gathering. You can send your questions through at any time. They'll go into a queue, and we'll submit as many of them as we can to Laura before the end of the chat. Don’t worry about typos – and please forgive any that we commit! Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:56 Nora - EarlyWord

4:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  Laura has joined us -- welcome! Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord

4:59	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Hi! So glad to be here! Wednesday April 23, 2014 4:59 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  And Lisa is here, too1 Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord

5:00	lisa von drasek:  Are we ready to rock, Nora?! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:00 lisa von drasek

5:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  I see several others out there -- please say hi! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord

5:01	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Loved this book! What is the Guided Reading Level for this book? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:01 Deborah Baldwin

5:01	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I know Penguin has suggested 8-12yo, but I really wrote it with 10-14yo in mind. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:01 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:02	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  In terms of a "letter" level, I'm not sure. Maybe Lisa, our librarian can suggest? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:02 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:02	lisa von drasek:  Dewey: -Fic-; Int Lvl: 3-6; Rd Lvl: 4.9 Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:02 lisa von drasek

5:02	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Well, there ya go. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:02 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:03	[Comment From shighleyshighley: ]  Students really appreciate it when we can share insights from an author Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:03 shighley

5:03	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Thank you! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:03 Deborah Baldwin

5:03	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Wondering if this would be a good independent read for Third Graders for a mystery unit... or better for a read aloud. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:03 Deborah Baldwin

5:03	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  shighley, I love talking about the process behind the book, so ask anything that intrigues you! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:03 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:03	lisa von drasek:  Deborah, You know your class best. What have you been reading to them now? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:03 lisa von drasek

5:04	Nora - EarlyWord:  There's a great Resource Guide on Laura's site ... Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:04 Nora - EarlyWord

5:04	Nora - EarlyWord UNDER THE EGG Discussion Guide Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:04

5:04	[Comment From SarahSarah: ]  I think this will be a great title for book discussion! What type of research did you do to prepare to write the book? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:04 Sarah

5:04	Nora - EarlyWord:  UNDER THE EGG Resources Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:04 Nora - EarlyWord

5:04	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Just a plug that it's aligned with the Common Core. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:04 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:05	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I did tons of reading on every subject touched on in the book: Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:05 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:05	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  everything from art history to backyard chicken raising! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:05 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:05	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  I am excited to check out the Discussion Guide. What motivated you to write this book? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:05 Deborah Baldwin

5:05	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Sounds like maybe a Read Aloud for Third Graders. Thank you! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:05 Deborah Baldwin

5:05	lisa von drasek:  repeating Sarah's question What type of research did you do to prepare to write the book? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:05 lisa von drasek

5:05	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Two big helps: a book (and documentary) called The Rape of Europa Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:05 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:06	[Comment From Jenna GoodallJenna Goodall: ]  Hi Laura and everyone! Loved the book. My co-workers do, too! :) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:06 Jenna Goodall

5:06	[Comment From shighleyshighley: ]  What background knowledge do you think would be most helpful for the students? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:06 shighley

5:06	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  The documentary is even appropriate for kids. It's about the Nazi plundering of Europe, and has many moving firsthand testimonials. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:06 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:07	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  re: What motivated me to write the book . . . I'd wanted to write an art history mystery for a long time -- Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:07 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:07	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  kind of From the Mixed Up Files meets The Westing Game (my two favorite childhood books) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:07 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:07	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I was also thinking a lot about pioneer and Great Depression era living. This was post the 2008 stock market crash . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:07 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:08	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  which gave me the idea for the characters of Jack and Theo, who are living a kind of homesteading lifestyle in the middle of glittering Greenwich Village Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:08 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:08	[Comment From Jenna GoodallJenna Goodall: ]  Are you thrifty like Theo? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:08 Jenna Goodall

5:08	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I am! I am embarrassed to say how much of my wardrobe has been salvaged from the streets of Brooklyn . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:08 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:08	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  And now I regret telling you all that . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:08 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:08	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  In terms of what background a kid needs to read the book . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:08 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:09	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I would say none! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:09 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:09	[Comment From Noreen TrotskyNoreen Trotsky: ]  How long did it take you to write this book? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:09 Noreen Trotsky

5:09	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I wrote the book for complete novices to art history . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:09 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:09	Nora - EarlyWord:  But, you do offer great resources on your site ... Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:09 Nora - EarlyWord

5:09	Nora - EarlyWord Under the Egg, Resources Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:09

5:09	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  and included the character of Bodhi as the sort of stand in for the reader. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:09 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:09	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  She is coming to the world of art as newly as any middle school reader would be. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:09 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:10	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  (Is newly a word?) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:10 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:10	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Oh yes, I LOADED my website with resources on EVERYTHING: Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:10 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:10	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Raphael, the Renaissance, researching your own relatives' holocaust or military records. Even a pickled beet recipe! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:10 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:11	lisa von drasek:  I was going to disagree with you about prior knowledge but actually the book inspired further research on my part.! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:11 lisa von drasek

5:11	[Comment From NJ School LibrarianNJ School Librarian: ]  Love the opening line – “It was the find of the century. Or so I thought at the time.” Did you have to work hard for that, or did it come easily? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:11 NJ School Librarian

5:11	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Noreen, I started noodling the idea for the book in 2009. Started writing in earnest in 2011, and sold it in 2012. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:11 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:11	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  What character from the story do you most identify with?...Why? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:11 Deborah Baldwin

5:11	[Comment From shighleyshighley: ]  Sure, as in newly-minted...? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:11 shighley

5:11	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  NJ School Librarian: That line came to me as soon as I had the idea for the book! . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:11 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:12	[Comment From NJ School LibrarianNJ School Librarian: ]  How hard was it to sell the book? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:12 NJ School Librarian

5:12	[Comment From SarahSarah: ]  Often first novels are a bit autobiographical. What else do you have in common with the characters? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:12 Sarah

5:12	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I wonder now if it was really the right fit, but I couldn't let it go! Glad to hear it resonated with you. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:12 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:12	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Opening line is a great hook! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:12 Deborah Baldwin

5:13	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Deborah: I am a lot like Jack, except I can't even hammer a nail. I guess I aspire to be like Jack. I have the same sense of independence . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:13 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:13	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  But like Theo, I need to be forced to connect to my community. Her journey was kind of written to remind myself to do the same. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:13 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:14

Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  And I had to do the same to write the book. So many pieces of the book are there b/c I started asking "What does an x-ray room look like? What happens if you walk into Sotheby's with a painting?" So many people gave me advice and information. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:14 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:14	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  NJ School Librarian: I was insanely lucky. I had three agent offers within a week of submitting, and sold the book a week after submitting to publishers. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:14 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:14	lisa von drasek:  I was thinking about how independent Theo is...how capable...Do you think that it is realist that a kid this age with a Mom barely grasping reality could hold the household together? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek

5:15	[Comment From MI LibrarianMI Librarian: ]  This may sound out of left field -- but, I’m always curious about dedications. Yours is to Eleanor – who is that? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:15 MI Librarian

5:15	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  The key to understanding Theo: Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:15 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:15	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  You have to remember that Theo was raised by a man who quit school early to support his mom and sister in the Depression. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:15 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:15	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  He had a job starting at the age of 8 Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:15 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:16	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  so Jack never thought it was too much to ask Theo at the age of 13 to run a household. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:16 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:16	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  A huge inspiration in this vein for Theo was Mattie Ross from True Grit. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:16 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:16	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  MI Librarian: Eleanor is my daughter! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:16 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:17	lisa von drasek:  have you pickled beets? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:17 lisa von drasek

5:17	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  (In an aside, Eleanor Roosevelt lived in a house with connecting doors in NYC, just like Theo.) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:17 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:17	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I have never pickled beets. I tried to make sauerkraut once that ended disastrously. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:17 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:17	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Unlike Theo, I love beets. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:17 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:17	[Comment From SarahSarah: ]  I noticed in your bio that you have two children. Does that mean you are working on another book to dedicate to the other child? What are you working on next? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:17 Sarah

5:18	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Who was your inspiration for Jack? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:18 Deborah Baldwin

5:18	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Yes, I'm working on another art history mystery. This one is about kids who solve an art heist (much like the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist of 1990), but uncover a much darker mystery behind the theft . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:18 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:18	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I will have to dedicate that to my son. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:18 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:19	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Jack was largely inspired by a brilliant but irascible professor I had named Jack Stillgoe. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:19 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:19	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Sorry, that should be John Stillgoe Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:19 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:19	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  http://www.people.fas.harva... Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:19 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:20	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  He taught and wrote about the American landscape -- by which meant everything we see around us . . . not just art. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:20 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:20	lisa von drasek:  you had mentioned the enormous amount of research that you had done to "get things right" in the book. Did you get it all on "google?" she asked knowing that wouldn't be possible. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:20 lisa von drasek

5:20	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  He would pick up catalogs and manhole covers and old Coke advertisements and have us "Look closer!" -- trying to decode what they were saying to us. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:20 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:20	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  I know people my age (40's) who grew up in Manhattan and are independent like Theo, but it seems kids growing up there now are not as much. Did you grow up in NYC? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:20 pwbalto

5:20	[Comment From SarahSarah: ]  Your website is lovely and easy to navigate for teachers and librarians. Thanks for providing so many resources! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:20 Sarah

5:21	[Comment From shighleyshighley: ]  Will this chat be archived in some way so that I can remember all of these great insights to share with students? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:21 shighley

Nora - EarlyWord:  Thanks for asking! The chat will be archived on the site -- http://penguinyrauthors.ear... -- it will be up right after we finish. You can find the previous two chat there as well.   Nora - EarlyWord

5:21	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I did get a lot on Google. Google is great for people like me who love wearing pajamas on the couch. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:21 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:21	Nora - EarlyWord:  You must have also spent a lot of time at the Metropolitan Museum... Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:21 Nora - EarlyWord

5:21	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I also went to places like the Met's library, the Center for Jewish History, spent LOTS of time at the NYPL and Brooklyn Public Library. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:21 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:21	Nora - EarlyWord Metropolitan Museum of Art Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:21

5:22	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Did the book Monuments Men influence you at all? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:22 Deborah Baldwin

5:22	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Sarah, I'm glad you like the website! Thanks! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:22 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:22	[Comment From MI LibrarianMI Librarian: ]  The book came out last month -- any interesting reactions? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:22 MI Librarian

5:22	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  pwbalto, I grew up in small college towns. . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:22 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:22	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  But I had the same experience: walking to school by myself, riding bikes while my parents had no idea where I was as a kid. I think so many of us grew up that way and miss that for our own kids. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:22 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:23	lisa von drasek:  did you have a favorite librarian growing up? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:23 lisa von drasek

5:23	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Deborah: I used the MOnuments Men book as a key part of my research and was stunned to discover that George Clooney was making it into a movie! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:23 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:23	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  The bigger museums have terrific collections databases on their sites. You have to look sometimes, they can be hard to find. - :paula Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:23 pwbalto

5:23	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  It was fun to see everything come to life on the big screen. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:23 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:23	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  pwbalto: I agree entirely, and I use those databases a lot. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:23 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:24	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Ah yes, I had a favorite librarian: Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:24 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:24	[Comment From Jenna GoodallJenna Goodall: ]  I loved the librarian in this book! Yay for breaking stereotypes. :) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:24 Jenna Goodall

5:24	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Mrs. Jeffers at the Norman OK library. I especially loved her b/c she nominated me to go to Okalhoma City and help present the Sequoia Award to Bill Wallace for A Dog Called Kitty. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:24 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:25	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  As you can tell, like Theo, I was a library frequent flyer even then. :-) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:25 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:26	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Jenna: I used to live in Williamsburg Bklyn where there were so many hipster MLIS types! Living there, Eddie seemed more like a librarian stereotype than the cardigan-wearing bespectacled octogenarian! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:26 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:26	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Proud library moment: Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:26 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:26	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I got a notice from the Brooklyn Public Library recently honoring me as a "Power User" = I've checked out more than 1000 books. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:26 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:27	lisa von drasek:  Instead of the classic children's book trope of getting rid of all the grown ups, you have populated the book with idiosyncratic adults. can you talk about that? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:27 lisa von drasek

5:27	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  How do you think all of that reading influences your writing? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:27 Deborah Baldwin

5:28	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  The one quibble I've seen from other librarians is the stain on the street at the beginning of the book. Was that a big decision on your part to put that in? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:28 pwbalto

5:28	[Comment From NJ School LibrarianNJ School Librarian: ]  Will your next book deal with Renaissance art, too? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:28 NJ School Librarian

5:28	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  *stealing Power User idea* Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:28 pwbalto

5:28	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Wow, so many questions! Hang on! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:28 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:29	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Idiosyncratic adults is what I love about living in NYC! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:29 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:29	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  That's the true diversity of the city. And I love how they come together and mix it up here. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:29 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:30	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I did have to engineer a way for Theo and Bodhi to wander the streets w/o parents herding them into cello lessons, and their backgrounds permitted that. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:30 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:30	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I also wanted kids to know how many adults are out there who can help them scaffold unique learning experiences for them, if that doesn't sound too wonky. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:30 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:31	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Deborah: Simply put, I am not that creative or original. I can't come up with ideas staring at a blank screen . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:31 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:31	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I get all my ideas from reading, and then find ways to twine them together into a story. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:31 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:31	[Comment From SarahSarah: ]  You mentioned some classic mysteries that inspired you. Were you inspired by any modern stories? Maybe because of the common NYC setting, I was reminded of When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead as I was reading. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:31 Sarah

5:31	[Comment From Bklyn’erBklyn’er: ]  You live in Brooklyn -- are you able to give your kids a sense of independence, or are you forced to "helicopter"? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:31 Bklyn’er

5:32	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  pwbalto: I dunno. There's something about all those mysterious stains on the street that suggest stories of their own. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:32 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:32	[Comment From DaisyDaisy: ]  We're librarians! We LOVE wonky! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:32 Daisy

5:32	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  It didn't bother me, but apparently it bothers some. Sorry for that! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:32 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:32	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  NJ School Librarian: The next book will encompass paintings from across periods and genres. . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:32 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:32	lisa von drasek:  anybody out there doing Mock Newberys? Under the Egg lends itself to rich discussions. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:32 lisa von drasek

5:33	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  I'm thinking your "power" status is helpful for readers who dream of and work toward being a writer as well. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:33 Deborah Baldwin

5:33	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  They will be real paintings (that are actually in other museums around the world) -- as opposed to the fictional painting in EGG. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:33 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:33	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  Not me, and not kids, but I wondered if it was a deliberate choice, to go ahead and be like, "reminders of death are all around us". Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:33 pwbalto

5:34	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Sarah: Yes! I was very out of touch with kid lit when I started writing EGG . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:34 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:34	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  And someone recommended WHEN YOU REACH ME. It was a big influence. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:34 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:34	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Bklyn'er: My kids are young, so it's hard to give total freedom, but . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:34 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:35	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I'll do things like let them ride their scooters to the end of the block and wait on the corner for me to catch up . .. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:35 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:35	lisa von drasek:  We haven't talked at all about Theo's economic situation as a driving force in the novel. Thoughts from the gallery? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:35 lisa von drasek

5:35	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  And so many times, an adult will stop and say, "whose children are these?!?!" as if they've been abandoned. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:35 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:35	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  And then I think about my father in law who grew up in Irish part of Queens, and was sent at age 5 to the pub with a bucket to bring home beer every day. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:35 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:35	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Different times. :-) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:35 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:36	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  @lisa - I LOVE the idea of an impoverished family living sub rosa in the Village. Wishful thinking on yr part Laura? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:36 pwbalto

5:37	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  pwbalto: I don't know if I was that profound when I was writing it. :-) Maybe it's just being a New Yorker and seeing so many things happen so quickly on the streets . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:37 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:37	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  pwbalto: Yes, somewhat! . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:37 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:37	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  I think Theo's economic situation is not so far from some kids today. Offers good perspective exploration and discussion opener. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:37 Deborah Baldwin

5:37	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  . . . The New Yorker in me refuses to feel sorry for Theo being left with a whole townhouse to manage . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:37 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:38	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I always felt: "The Tenpenny's own their real estate outright! That's the NYC dream!" Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:38 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:38	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  But seriously . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:38 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:38	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  The fact that the Tenpenny's owned their house really does divide Theo from the many truly impoverished children in NYC. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:38 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:39	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  And that's what gave Jack his independence. No matter what, he had a roof over his head. He just had to keep it there. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:39 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:40	lisa von drasek:  If I was going to pick a director for the film it would be Wes Andersen. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:40 lisa von drasek

5:40	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  It's wild to have this kind of pioneer lifestyle smack dab in the middle of the city. Makes it kind of a May Amelia novel and Harriet the Spy rolled together. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:40 pwbalto

5:40	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Lisa: Yes, I can see that. It's the quirky shabby WASP lifestyle. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:40 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:41	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  pwbalto: I live in Brooklyn on the 6th floor with a balcony . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:41 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:41	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  and my balcony overlooks our neighbor's yard filled with chickens and a kitchen garden. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:41 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:41	[Comment From Bklyn’erBklyn’er: ]  That "pioneer life style in the city" is similar to the spirit of Williamsburg. All those pickle makers! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:41 Bklyn’er

5:41	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  This urban homesteading thing is really taking off! But Jack started it out of necessity of course. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:41 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:42	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Bklyn'er: Oh yes. All of this was coming together when I was writing. . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:42 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:42	lisa von drasek:  oh yes, I really miss the Farmacy in Carroll Gardens with its Brooklyn made goodies. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:42 lisa von drasek

5:42	[Comment From Bklyn’erBklyn’er: ]  Gotta admit, I dream of having a supply of fresh eggs. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:42 Bklyn’er

5:42	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  I had 3' of sidewalk in Park Slope and I grew enough peppers to make hot sauce every year! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:42 pwbalto

5:42	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  And I think the crash of 2009 drove people to that even more. There was (still is?) a greater interest in self-sustainability, in the independence that comes from doing things yourself. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:42 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:43	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  (That said, I am the world's most hopeless homestead. Can't even put up shelves.) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:43 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:43	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Farmacy!!!! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:43 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:43	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I thought of having my book launch there, but did a bookstore instead. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:43 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:43	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  FYI: Farmacy is a fantastic, old fashioned soda counter that is also ridiculously local/organic/sustainable/etc. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:43 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:44	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  They make their own organic artisanal marischino cherries. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:44 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:44	lisa von drasek:  http://brooklynfarmacy.blog... Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:44 lisa von drasek

5:44	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  Pit bulls ate my chickens here in Baltimore, I'll never do it again. Sorry for going OT Lisa! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:44 pwbalto

5:44	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Yikes! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:44 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:45	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I had a baby hawk land on our balcony once. Even the city is still the wild sometimes. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:45 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:45	Nora - EarlyWord:  Went to the site and discovered Farmacy has a book coming ... Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:45 Nora - EarlyWord

5:45	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Ooooooh, now I can make my own mararschino cherries! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:45 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:45	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  (Please note: I will never make my own maraschino cherries.) Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:45 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:45	lisa von drasek:  I think we all drifted a bit. Back to the book and Laura. I love reading first novels. I feel an ownership and discovery of an author. Laura, will you be doing any in person class visits? Do you Skype? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:45 lisa von drasek

Nora - EarlyWord:  Thanks for getting us back on track -- sorry for adding to the distraction with that cover image!   Nora - EarlyWord

5:45	Nora - EarlyWord Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:45

5:46	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  We have all the rural predators and the urban ones too. :( Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:46 pwbalto

5:46	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  YES! I love doing class/school visits, and I'm scheduling them now Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:46 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:46	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Skype as well Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:46 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:46	lisa von drasek:  how would a librarian set up a visit from you? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:46 lisa von drasek

5:47	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I'm excited to announce that I'm building some exciting presentations that talk about art history discoveries that inspired the book . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:47 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:47	[Comment From pwbaltopwbalto: ]  Yes Laura will you be at BEA. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:47 pwbalto

5:47	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  with lots and lots of great visuals . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:47 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:47	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Also bilding a presentation called Under the Egg: Fact vs. Fiction . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:47 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:47	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Will you be making it out to the Pacific Northwest? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:47 Deborah Baldwin

5:48	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  . . . that talks about what parts of the book were rooted in research, in stranger-than-fiction true stories, and what parts I fictionalized Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:48 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:48	lisa von drasek:  In your research for the book, what was the most surprising thing that you learned? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:48 lisa von drasek

5:48	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  With the wonders of technology, I should be able to share these presentations even via Skype Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:48 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:49	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  To set up a visit, you can contact me directly via the Contact page on my website: Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:49 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:49	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  LauraMarxFitzgerald.com Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:49 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:49	lisa von drasek:  was there anything cool that you found out but you edited out for length or that it didn't further the story? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:49 lisa von drasek

5:49	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Or contact Penguin's Young Reader's speakers division, and they will contact me as a go between Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:49 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:49	[Comment From MI LibrarianMI Librarian: ]  Did your own kids influence the characters of Theo and Bodhi and if so, how" Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:49 MI Librarian

5:49	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Deborah: I would love to make it to the PNW! My parents spend every summer in Vancouver, so it wouldn't be hard to persuade me to join them. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:49 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:50	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Hmmm, Lisa, interesting questions . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:50 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:50	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Well, I don't know if this was cool . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:50 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:50	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  But in the original end of the story, Theo eats Artemisia the chicken for Thanksgiving dinner! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:50 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:51	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  My vegetarian editor was horrified Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:51 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:51	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  And begged me to spare her Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:51 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:51	lisa von drasek:  thank your editor for me, please Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:51 lisa von drasek

5:51	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  So I relented. But really, I felt that Theo was a practical farm girl at heart and would not hesitate to put a fat hen on the table for dinner. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:51 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:51	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  lol, Lisa. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:51 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:52	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Yes, it was probably the right call! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:52 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:52	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  To be honest, my kids are NOTHING like Theo or Bodhi Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:52 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:52	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Bodhi was actually inspired by my college roommate. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:52 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:52	lisa von drasek:  to the gallery... last questions for Laura Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:52 lisa von drasek

5:52	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  She wasn't the daughter of movie stars, but was from a wealthy family in California and had the same irreverence but up-for-anything optimism that Bodhi has. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:52 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:54	lisa von drasek:  Laura, could you post that Raphael painting from yesterday? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:54 lisa von drasek

5:55	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Hold on: Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:55 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:55	lisa von drasek:  Do you have a picture of yourself as a young girl? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:55 lisa von drasek

5:55	[Comment From MI LibrarianMI Librarian: ]  Oh, wow -- of COURSE Bodhi would be based on someone other than your kids! Here's a dumb question -- why did you want to write a book and did you set out to write a middle grade book? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:55 MI Librarian

5:55	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  When is your next book due to be published? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:55 Deborah Baldwin

5:55	Laura Marx Fitzgerald Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:55

5:56	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Funny story about this painting -- in the book, Lydon thinks this is the painting Theo has. It's been missing since the war, and is the most important missing painting in the world. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:56 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:56	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  It's a Raphael self portrait. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:56 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:56	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  But after my book was off to publication, it was reported found in an undisclosed Swiss bank vault! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:56 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:56	Laura Marx Fitzgerald Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:56

5:57	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Here's me as a kid. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:57 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:57	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Wishing I could get back to a book. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:57 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:57	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Deborah: I think my book is due out next fall, but that depends on my getting my draft done on time . . . hmmmm . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:57 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:57	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  MI Librarian: I can't say I was always driving to write a middle grade book. . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:57 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:58	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  I just had an idea, and that idea was a middle grade idea! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:58 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:58	lisa von drasek:  what were you reading when you were 9 and 10? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:58 lisa von drasek

5:58	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  But my mother would be horrified by any book with sex, drugs, drinking, or rock and roll, so I'll be writing MG for a while to come . . . Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:58 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:59	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  My favorite, favorite books in no particular order: Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:59	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  The Borrowers Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:59	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  All of a Kind Family series Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:59	[Comment From MI LibrarianMI Librarian: ]  You look much happier today. Are you? Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 MI Librarian

5:59	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:59	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  The Westing Game Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:59	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Little House series Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

5:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  Hurrah for THE BORROWERS! Sorry to say, we're almost out of time. Thanks so much, Laura and Lisa. And thanks to our participants for so many great questions. Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 Nora - EarlyWord

5:59	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  MI Librarian: Yes, I am much happier now that I am a BPL Power User! Wednesday April 23, 2014 5:59 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

6:00	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  This was so much fun! Thank you, everyone! Wednesday April 23, 2014 6:00 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

6:00	lisa von drasek:  Thanks for joining us today! Wednesday April 23, 2014 6:00 lisa von drasek

6:00	[Comment From Deborah BaldwinDeborah Baldwin: ]  Thank you! Wednesday April 23, 2014 6:00 Deborah Baldwin

6:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  Laura -- I didn't reveal this before, but I majored in Art History, so found your book particularly fun. Thanks for the insights. Wednesday April 23, 2014 6:00 Nora - EarlyWord

6:00	Laura Marx Fitzgerald:  Thanks, Nora! Wednesday April 23, 2014 6:00 Laura Marx Fitzgerald

6:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  This chat will be archived on the Penguin Young Readers page on EarlyWord: http://penguinyrauthors.earlyword.com Wednesday April 23, 2014 6:01 Nora - EarlyWord

6:01	[Comment From Jenna GoodallJenna Goodall: ]  Thanks, Laura! Wednesday April 23, 2014 6:01 Jenna Goodall

6:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  If you enjoyed our chat with Laura, tell your colleagues about this program and look for the next book in the program, The Last Wild by Piers Torday Wednesday April 23, 2014 6:01 Nora - EarlyWord

 

 

The most prestigious literary award in the Spanish-speaking world, the 2013 Cervantes Prize, has been awarded to Elena Poniatowska. The 82-year-old has published many novels, children’s books as well as nonfiction, including La Noche de Tlatelolco, (The Night of Tlatelolco), an oral history of the 1968  massacre of student protesters in Mexico City, which was the first account to challenge the official version of events that night, and implicated army troops in the killing. Both she and her publisher received death threats when it was released, notes the L.A. Times.

More on the awards ceremony in Madrid here.

Sounds like Gillan Flynn wants to have things both ways. First, she said that the ending of the film version of Gone Girl will be different from the book. David Fincher made it sound very different, telling Entertainment Weekly that star Ben Affleck was so “shocked” by the changes that he said, ‘This is a whole new third act! She literally threw that third act out and started from scratch.’

But in an answer to a question during a Reddit discussion yesterday, she stepped back from that quite a bit. Below is her response:

Tell your girlfriend not to worry—those reports have been greatly exaggerated! Of course, the script has to be different from the book in some ways—you have to find a way to externalize all those internal thoughts and you have to do more with less room and you just don’t have room for everything. But the mood, tone and spirit of the book are very much intact. I’ve been very involved in the film and loved it. Working with David Fincher is pretty much the best place to start for a screenwriter. Screenwriting definitely works different parts of your brain than writing a novel. I do love that with novels, you can really sprawl out–it feels quite decadent. With screenwriting, you have to justify every choice. It’s a nice discipline, but definitely not decadent.

So, take your pick. If you want a different ending, quote the Flynn of EW. If you don’t, quote the Flynn of Reddit.

Production has begun on the long-gestating Nick Nolte/Robert Redford adaptation of Bill Bryson’s memoir, A Walk in the Woods, (RH/Broadway; RH Audio, 1998) near Georgia’s Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, according to the local press.

Bryson’s memoir recounts his misadventures as he attempts to hike the Appalachian Trail, despite “years of waddlesome sloth” with his old pal Katz, a man even more ill-prepared for the effort than he is. Redford will play Bryson and Nolte, Katz (in a role originally planned for Redford’s late friend Paul Newman).

The first person to guess the name of the man on the street at the end of this video (around time stamp 1:47) wins any ARC they have been hankering for (if available, contest open only to librarians in the 50 states. If you are not hankering for an ARC, the next person wins, but you will have bragging rights).

Enter guesses in the comments section (with name of the ARC you are hankering for).

Casting is moving forward for the ABC series based on The Astronaut Wives Club, Lily Koppel’s best-selling book  (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio and Large Print), about the wives of  of the first U.S. astronauts, published last summer (see our earlier coverage). Currently on board are:

Odette Annable —  Trudy Cooper

Bret Harrison — Gordon “Gordo” Cooper

Dominique McElligott — Louise Shepard

Desmond Harrington — Alan Shepard

JoAnna Garcia Swisher — Betty Grissom

Azure Parsons — Annie Glenn

Zoe Boyle — Jo Schirra

The 10-episode series, to be directed by Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook, My Sister’s Keeper)  is set to begin shooting this fall, to debut midseason, 2014/15.

Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert get their book grooves back this week, as each of them features authors on 3 of their 4 shows.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Elizabeth Warren appears on The Daily Show tonight for A Fighting Chance, (Macmillan/Metropolitan Books; Macmillan Audio), as we noted earlier. We’re betting Stewart will ask about her about an incident she recounts in the book, throwing up the first time she was on the show. Published today, it is already at #24 on Amazon’s sales rankings as the result of previous media attention.

The next day, Wednesday, Stewart features another high-profile author, Good Morning America host, Robin Roberts whose new memoir is titled Everybody’s Got Something, (Hachette/ Grand Central; Hachette Audio).

On Thursday, he turns to a book that hasn’t received as much media attention, Ramachandra Guha’s Gandhi Before India, (RH/Knopf).

The Colbert Report

Tonight, Colbert interviews George Will about his new book, A Nice Little Place on the North Side: Wrigley Field at One Hundred, (RH/Crown Archetype). He sticks with the sports theme on Wednesday with basketball coach, John Calipari and his new book, Players First.

Revealing his more literary side, Colbert declared himself a fan of George Saunders back in 2007 (while claiming he’d never read anything by him), long before the NYT Magazine made him a best seller.

He brings the author back to the show on Thursday for his newest book, Congratulations, by the way: Some Thoughts on Kindness, (RH/Knopf), an extended version of his 2013 Syracuse University graduation speech.

Mo Willems thinks deep thoughts in Paris, the kind that are so important to kids, as the CBS Sunday Morning profile explores:

His latest Pigeon book is:

The Pigeon Needs a Bath! (I Do Not!)

Mo Willems

Hachette,/Disney-Hyperion

Articles We Love — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Esquire on how to understand women. How? By reading novels by women, of course.

Among his six recommendations is a summer title we’ve been hearing about on GalleyChat, Rufi Thorpe’s The Girls from Corona del Mar, (July; RH/Knopf; RH Audio; e-galley available). Jabbar recommends men read it to learn about female friendships, adding he was “was blown away by the poetic prose and depth of characterization. The blunt honesty of the women’s perspective will be a revelation for many men.”

There’s still time to reserve your free tickets to hear Andrea Davis Pinkney give this year’s Arbuthnot Lecture on Saturday, May 3rd at the University of Minnesota.

RSVP here, or by calling 612-626-9182.

An accompanying exhibit, Rejoice the Legacy! is open through May 14, 2014.

More information here.

Recovered from the remake of Flowers in the Attic? Prepare for another blast from the past. Ira Levin’s 1967 novel Rosemary’s Baby is coming to NBC as a two-part series, which begins Sunday, May 11.

The book was famously adapted in 1968 by director Roman Polanski, with Mia Farrow as Rosemary and John Cassavetes as her husband. This time, however, the story is set in Paris, rather than in New York’s Dakota Building.

Rosemary’s Baby
Ira Levin, Intro by Otto Penzler
Pegasus (dist by W.W. Norton)
May 5, 2014
9781605981109, 1605981109
Paperback $14.95
 

Below is the trailer for the original (it seems trailers were longer in those days):

New information has appeared about Hillary Clinton’s next book, to be published on June 10. Announced several months ago, as Hillary Rodham Clinton New Memoir, the actual title was just revealed this morning, Hard Choices. Simon & Shuster describes it as an “inside account of the crises, choices and challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th secretary of state, and how those experiences drive her view of the future.”

Some wags suggest that one of those “hard choices” might be whether to run for president in 2016.

The news arrives as Senator Elizabeth Warren is about to release her book, A Fighting Chance, (Macmillan/ Metropolitan; Macmillan Audio) fueling rumors that she might run for president in 2016.

How about an all-female ticket?

Headed for a top position on best seller lists after its release next week is David Baldacci‘s third novel featuring CIA hit man Will Robie, The Target (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio; Blackstone Audio). He appeared on CBS This Morning yesterday to describe it.

Also arriving is a new thriller by Andrew Gross, Everything to Lose, (HarperCollins/Morrow; HarperLuxe; Blackstone Audio) which follows a struggling single mother faced with overwhelming temptation when she discovers a half million dollars at the scene of an accident and a posthumous book by Maeve Binchy, a collection of linked short stories about the residents of Dublin’s imaginary Chestnut Street, (RH/Knopf; RH Audio; Thorndike).

Below are several other titles to be ready for next week. Ordering information for these and other titles arriving next week is available on our downloadable spreadsheet, New Title Radar, Week of 4/21.

Making Headlines

A Fighting Chance, Elizabeth Warren, (Macmillan/Metropolitan Books; Macmillan Audio)

The news media has been all over this book, both for its skewering “of the White House Boys Club” (The Huffington Post) and speculation that its very publication indicates Warren will run for President in 2016.  The embargo was broken yesterday by the Boston Globe, followed closely by the Washington Post (conveniently offering “Everything you need to know from Elizabeth Warren’s new book”) and Politico. Official publicity starts Friday with an interview on NPR’s Fresh Air,  followed by one on CBS Sunday Morning.After that, expect to see Warren nearly everywhere, including stints on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, ABC’s The View, and NPR’s Morning Edition.

Forcing the Spring: Inside the Fight for Marriage Equality, Jo Becker, (Penguin Press)

Some gay activists are already taking issue with this book, claiming that the author leaves out important figures in the marriage equality movement. Becker responds to the Huffington Post, “My book was not meant to be a beginning-to-end-history of the movement. It’s about a particular group of people at an extraordinary moment in time, and I hope that people will be moved by their stories.” An excerpt is the cover story of this Sunday’s NYT Magazine (the author is an NYT reporter), with the headline: ‘Mr. President, How Can We Help You Evolve More Quickly.’ Becker will  appear on NPR’s Fresh Air. Expect it to be reviewed widely.

Everybody’s Got Something, Robin Roberts, (Hachette/Grand Central; Hachette Audio)

Roberts is on the cover of the upcoming issue of People magazine and the subject of a “By the Book” profile in the NYT Book Review. In this, the second memoir by the popular host of Good Morning America, Roberts writes about overcoming breast cancer only to discover five years later that she has rare blood disorder.

Notable Paperback Release 

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn, (RH/Broadway Books)

We don’t normally list paperback reprints, but this one is particularly timely. It comes just as a the first full trailer for the movie is released amid buzz about an altered ending, which will likely draw even more people to read the book first. The tie-in paperbacks won’t be released until Aug. 26.  The movie is scheduled for Oct. 3.

Advance Review Attention

Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, Francine Prose, (Harper)

Edmund White’s cover review of Prose’s new novel for Sunday’s NYT Book Review, should draw in readers, both for its headline, “Divine Decadence” and for its opening lines saying that evil characters are often the most fun and that the one created by the “subtle psychologist,” Prose is “a genuinely evil character … a cross-dressing French race car driver who collaborate with the Nazis.” After praising the book’s style and ability, “like all great novels,”  to make the reader symphasize with even a repugnant character, White spends several paragraphs taking issue with aspects of the book, which he then annoyingly dismisses as a mere “quibble” and ends by calling this a “novel of great power and reach.” In the daily NYT, Janet Maslin begins her review with, “The breadth, nerve and intricacy of Francine Prose’s big new novel should surprise even her most regular readers. A bona fide page turner, Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 unfolds over 20 years, across an increasingly ominous Europe, among thugs and artists and poseurs who share only the danger that threatens to cramp their partying style.” She has her “quibble,” too wishing that the book  had been “slightly tighter.” Ignore the quibbles, this one sounds fascinating.

Readers Advisory 

Take a cue from fellow librarians, who picked the following titles as two of the ten LibraryReads titles for April.

Love, Nina, Nina Stibbe, (Hachette/Little, Brown)
“With a unique voice, Stibbe brings 1980s literary Camden back to life in this delightful epistolary memoir. The letters that Stibbe writes to her sister are a hoot, featuring unexpected cooking advice from the great Alan Bennett, and droll commentary on just about everything from Mary-Kay Wilmers.” — Jennifer Estepp, Queens Library, Jamaica, NY

On the Rocks, Erin Duffy, (HarperCollins/ Morrow)

“After her fiance dumps her on Facebook, Abby retreats to her apartment until her best friend invites her to spend the summer in Newport. This book is for every woman who’s been determined to put things back together after finding herself on the wrong side of social media, in the aftermath of a bad breakup, or elbow deep in Ben & Jerry’s when things fall apart.” — Sara Grochowski, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Alpena, MI

Many news sources are reporting that Gabriel García Márquez has died at 87, calling him everything from a “literary pioneer” to a “giant.”

Many obituaries will be publised, below are some of the first:

The New York Times

The Washington Post

The Guardian

[Ed. Note] We love that so many of you are reading ARC’s (aka, galleys), to find titles to nominate for LibraryReads, to be the first to discover the next big thing, and to make ordering decisions. Now that so many ARC’s are also available as e-galleys from Edelweiss and NetGalley, the selection is greater than ever.

There is a downside. Choice can be overwhelming, as evidenced by our own teetering tower at the left.

How do you pick what to push to the top of your virtual as well as actual TBR piles? And, when you fall in love with a book that won’t be published for several months, who can you talk to about it?

GalleyChat to the rescue; our monthly discussions of galleys fellow librarians are loving can help you tame your piles (adult GalleyChat is the first Tuesday of the month and YA/Middle Grade is the third Tuesday).

In addition, our own GalleyChatter, Robin Beerbower (Salem P.L.) gives us her take on what she’s learned from the adult edition (see her second roundup, below). Between chats, you can keep up with what other GalleyChatters are reading via postings on the Edelweiss community board (be sure to friend us).

The following is Robin’s April roundup:

The April Galleychat’s pace was its normal fast and furious self, with suspense thrillers dominating the discussion. Below are several of the titles that rose to the top. All are available as e-galleys from Edelweiss unless otherwise noted.

When it’s only April and a voracious reader tells you she’s already found one of her top ten books of the year, you take notice. The dark thriller The Distance, (Doubleday, September) by former bookseller Helen Giltrow, is already on Jane Jorgenson’s list of favorite books of the year. Continuing the dark and moody theme, Lori Rader-Day’s The Black Hour (Seventh Street Books, May) was on two chatters’ list and has also received “much love” from 3 peers on Edelweiss. On Goodreads Jorgenson calls it “A fascinating mystery that looks backwards and forwards” and “this is a great debut.”

Sharon (the author formerly known as “S. J.”) Bolton’s fourth Lacey Flint mystery, A Dark and Twisted Tide, (Macmillan/Minotaur, June; e-galley on NetGalley) is receiving many  raves. While it can be read alone, those who haven’t read Bolton’s previous titles will have a creepy good time reading the books in order, beginning with Now You See Me.

Also mentioned was J. A. Jance’s newest Joanna Brady novel, Remains of Innocence (HarperCollins/ Morrow, July), always a treat; The Bishop’s Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison (Soho Press), was called “nice twisty mystery, well-developed characters.” And, talk about being ahead of the curve, it doesn’t arrive until December. W.W. Norton’s Golda Rademacher, whose taste we’ve come to trust, cites as one of her favorites  Dry Bones in the Valley by Tom Bouman (July), a gritty mystery set in rural northeastern Pennsylvania. She was seconded by a librarian who gave it the ultimate accolade from a knowledgeable mystery reader; the ending was not at all what she expected.

My own favorite book this month was The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker (Penguin, May), which just became available as an e-galley. This 600-plus-page suspense thriller with its knot of unreliable narrators twisted and turned so much I felt like I was on both a roller coaster and a tilt-a-whirl. This will be a great read alike for Dennis Lehane’s  Shutter Island and yes, even the book everything seems to be compared to these days, Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. I am predicting big things for HQ.

It’s fun to see the return of authors whose debuts we first discovered through other GalleyChatters. Daisy Goodwin grabbed many of us with The Heiress, so there was excitement from those who have just received her new one,  The Fortune Hunter, (Macmillan/St. Martin’s, July). One GalleyChatter who has already dived in reports she is loving it.

We’re as susceptible as anyone to a beautiful cover and this one not only features an arresting image, but it pops with raised and embossed details and lettering (an extra printing expense); a good indicator of a the package to come.

Remember to friend me if you want to keep up with what I’m anticipating on Edelweiss and please join us on May 6 for our next GalleyChat.