Archive for March, 2013

Live On-Line Chat with Amy Brill

Thursday, March 21st, 2013
 Live Chat with Amy Brill, THE MOVEMENT OF STARS(03/21/2013) 
3:55
Nora - EarlyWord: 
We're getting ready for our online chat with Amy Brill, author of The Movement of Stars.
Thursday March 21, 2013 3:55 Nora - EarlyWord
3:56
Nora - EarlyWord
The Movement of Stars
Thursday March 21, 2013 3:56 
3:56
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Our chat begins in about five minutes.
Thursday March 21, 2013 3:56 Nora - EarlyWord
3:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I’ll be moderating the live questions, so that we don’t have overlap and we give Amy time to respond to your questions.
Thursday March 21, 2013 3:57 Nora - EarlyWord
3:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 
While we're waiting to begin, I'll post a quiz (no worries, it doesn't count toward your grade).
Thursday March 21, 2013 3:58 Nora - EarlyWord
3:58
Which element in MOVEMENT OF STARS is not based on fact?
Winning a gold medal
 ( 17% )
Teaching a sailor
 ( 83% )
Job as a librarian
 ( 0% )

Thursday March 21, 2013 3:58 
4:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I see some people gathering out there. Welcome and identify yourselves!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord
4:01
Amy Brill: 
Hello, Nora, and gathered people! Amy here...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:01 Amy Brill
4:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Hey, Amy -- thanks for joining us!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:01 Nora - EarlyWord
4:01
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
Trisha from Oldham County Ky
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:01 trishap00
4:02
Amy Brill: 
Thanks for having me! Hi Trisha.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:02 Amy Brill
4:02
Catherine - Penguin: 
Hello Nora, Amy and! Catherine from Penguin here, so glad you could make it!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:02 Catherine - Penguin
4:02
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Amy, like EarlyWord, you are headquarted in Brooklyn. It's developed into quite a readers community, hasn't it?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:02 Nora - EarlyWord
4:03
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Reminder to everyone -- typos are not only forgiven, they are welcomed (see how many I make!)
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 Nora - EarlyWord
4:03
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
Hi everyone Love the books and glad I could take part today
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 trishap00
4:03
Amy Brill: 
I can't think of a better place to be a reader, except in the sense that it can be a little overwhelming to live among so many readers and writers. I like to refer to Brooklyn as "Strollerville, Scribes County." So many writers and so many kids here... and I'm both.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 Amy Brill
4:03
Catherine - Penguin: 
Was that in response to my typo, Nora? I had meant to say "and librarians"!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 Catherine - Penguin
4:03
Amy Brill: 
A parent, that is. Not a kid.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 Amy Brill
4:04
Amy Brill: 
The best thing about a very literary community is the chance to interact with lots of other writers and readers. Which makes everyone's writing better, I think.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:04 Amy Brill
4:05
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You have two kids, but your book is about a woman who made the choice of career over motherhood. How did you relate to that?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord
4:05
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
This dyslexic librarian appreciates the typos welcome rule
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:05 trishap00
4:07
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Most of our participants answered the poll correctly!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord
4:07
Amy Brill: 
Well, I worked on the book for about ten years before having my first child! I understood the choices that Hannah makes differently over time. At first I related more to her striving for achievement, the desire to make a meaningful contribution to society. Later I think I understood her more in terms of the constraints she faced, the financial implications of her choices, etc. Parenthood certainly gave me a good sense of that.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:07 Amy Brill
4:07
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Tell us about the person the main character is based on (I will be posting a few images of her)...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord
4:08
Amy Brill: 
Hannah Gardner Price was inspired by the circumstances and work of Maria Mitchell, the first professional female astronomer in America.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:08 Amy Brill
4:08
Nora - EarlyWord
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:08 
4:08
Nora - EarlyWord: 
The previous is an image of her, which I assume is from about the time period of the book.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:08 Nora - EarlyWord
4:08
Amy Brill: 
She was born into the Quaker community on Nantucket in 1818, and got started on her path by her father, an amateur astronomer who rated all the chronometers of the Nantucket whaling fleet.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:08 Amy Brill
4:09
Nora - EarlyWord: 
And the following is of the home she grew up in on Nantucket.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord
4:09
Nora - EarlyWord
Maria Mitchell's Family Home
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 
4:09
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Speaking of Nantucket, here is a question from one of our participants...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord
4:09
[Comment From Betty AnneBetty Anne: ] 
Do you have a connection to Nantucket?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 Betty Anne
4:09
Amy Brill: 
Ah, yes. I stood in front of that house for the first time in 1996, when I'd just learned about "Miss Mitchell" (as she was called) while on the ferry over to Nantucket from Cape Cod.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 Amy Brill
4:10
Amy Brill: 
Hi Betty Anne! No, I have zero connection to Nantucket other than becoming obsessed with the island and its history just from that first visit.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:10 Amy Brill
4:10
Amy Brill: 
The above image of Maria Mitchell is from an 1851 painting by H. Dassel, by the way.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:10 Amy Brill
4:11
Nora - EarlyWord: 
And, here is one of her later in life --
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:11 Nora - EarlyWord
4:11
Nora - EarlyWord
Maria Mitchell, Professor
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:11 
4:12
Amy Brill: 
I stood in front of her house and tried to imagine the "girl astronomer" I'd read about in the little tourist flyer. Who was she? What made her stand on her roof night after night, in every season, scanning the night sky for something different, something new, something that would change her life?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:12 Amy Brill
4:12
Nora - EarlyWord
Maria Mitchell's Vassar Students
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:12 
4:12
[Comment From wl_sarahwl_sarah: ] 
Loved the book!! What made you decide to add the romantic storyline of Isaac Martin to Hannah's story? And why did you add the race factor?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:12 wl_sarah
4:13
Amy Brill: 
I was also intrigued by the dedication involved in comet-seeking. To spot a comet in the night sky, one had to know that sky so well that just by looking--"sweeping," as it was called--one could spot something that had not been there the night before. Amazing.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:13 Amy Brill
4:14
Amy Brill: 
Thanks! Well when I began reading about Maria Mitchell, I thought I was going to write a novel "about" her--which is to say, sticking to the facts. But I was most interested in her as a young girl, and I couldn't find any writings by her from her teens or twenties... a librarian told me that she'd burned all her own papers and letters in her fireplace during the "Great Fire" of 1848.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:14 Amy Brill
4:14
Amy Brill: 
She was trying to prevent her journals and letters from blowing around town and being read by others...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:14 Amy Brill
4:15
Amy Brill: 
So I wondered: What was she hiding?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:15 Amy Brill
4:15
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
You did a great job of portraying Nantucket in the book
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:15 snazzy2
4:15
[Comment From Betty AnneBetty Anne: ] 
I remember reading a biography of Mitchell when I was in about 4th grade. I was obsessed with reading biographies of famous women.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:15 Betty Anne
4:15
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
To have started "sweeping" at such a young age was very interesting. I too wonder about the romantic interest thread
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:15 snazzy2
4:16
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You mentioned that Hannah/Maria's family business was chronometers ... here's a photo of one...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:16 Nora - EarlyWord
4:16
Nora - EarlyWord
Chronometer
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:16 
4:17
Did you expect Hannah to marry George?
Yes
 ( 0% )
No
 ( 100% )

Thursday March 21, 2013 4:17 
4:17
Amy Brill: 
That's when Isaac's character was born. I was interested in exploring the community through the prism of these two outsiders. I was also intrigued by what I saw as inherent conflicts within this tight-knit Quaker community: they were peaceful people who ran a brutal, global whaling empire. They were plain people who made a fortune at the expense of the crews. They were abolitionists who'd freed their slaves very early, but had intentionally re-segregated their own schools in the 1840s, and had to be forced by the MA state legislature to integrate them again to provide equal educaiton.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:17 Amy Brill
4:18
Amy Brill: 
So the race issue was also tied into the larger questions facing the country at that time, especially whether to allow slavery in the new territories. Slavery was the fundamental, most divisive issue of the day.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:18 Amy Brill
4:19
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I felt that tension in the book. I suppose many communities deal with such contradictions, but in this case, the contrast is very strong.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord
4:19
[Comment From Catherine HealeyCatherine Healey: ] 
You really gave readers a sense of Hannah's isolation in your opening pages--her location, the long absences of her twin and her father, her nonconformity, etc. It was a powerful introduction to her character and the story to come.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:19 Catherine Healey
4:19
Amy Brill: 
Thank you, snazzy2. I feel like I can recreate mid-19th century Nantucket in my sleep now.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:19 Amy Brill
4:19
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Also, I wanted to ask -- did Maria have a twin?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord
4:20
Nora - EarlyWord: 
According to our poll, Amy, NOBODY expected Hannah to marry George!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:20 Nora - EarlyWord
4:21
What did you think of Dr. Hall?
He had ulterior motives
 ( 100% )
He was just as he appeared
 ( 0% )

Thursday March 21, 2013 4:21 
4:21
Amy Brill: 
Thank you, Catherine! I'm glad you were engaged by those opening pages. And Nora, no, Maria did not have a twin. In fact Hannah's whole family life is a complete fabrication. Maria Mitchell had a large family, two parents, and a boisterous home life (their Quaker upbringing notwithstanding).
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:21 Amy Brill
4:21
Amy Brill: 
Well, good--I'd hate for everyone to have been disappointed. Poor George.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:21 Amy Brill
4:22
Amy Brill: 
George and William Bond were real people, by the way. They were family friends of the Mitchells and there has been a tiny bit of historical speculation about Maria and George, but what's in the book was invented by me.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:22 Amy Brill
4:22
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You did a lot of research (appropriate, since Hannah/Maria was a librarian). There's some well-known books in your sources. I'm curious about the Philbrick book...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:22 Nora - EarlyWord
4:22
Amy Brill: 
Which one?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:22 Amy Brill
4:22
Nora - EarlyWord
Philbrick, Nathaniel. Penguin : The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. New York: Penguin Putnam, 2000
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:22 
4:23
Amy Brill: 
AH... that one. It's one of the strongest nonfiction books I've ever read. So well-written, so engaging...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:23 Amy Brill
4:23
Amy Brill: 
I read it pretty early on and it gave me a great overview of the general sensibility of the place and the people.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:23 Amy Brill
4:24
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Also, I was delighted to find that we can read Maria's actual journals ... are they interesting, or do you think the interest is in the pages that were burned?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:24 Nora - EarlyWord
4:24
Nora - EarlyWord
Mitchell, Maria. Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals. Compiled by Phebe Mitchell Kendall. Boston : Lee and Shepard, 1896.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:24 
4:24
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
I felt sorry for Hannah when her twin married and her sister-in-law was so kind and had so many opportunities that I thought Hannah was never going to figure out.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:24 snazzy2
4:25
Amy Brill: 
I did read a lot of books--probably many more than I needed! But I felt a kind of allegiance to this wonderful woman, which is why I spent so many pages of my author's note explaining exactly where the real person and my character diverge.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:25 Amy Brill
4:25
Amy Brill: 
Hannah is a late bloomer when it comes to emotions, you're right, snazzy2.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:25 Amy Brill
4:26
Nora - EarlyWord: 
According to our poll, everyone was suspicious of Dr. Hall!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:26 Nora - EarlyWord
4:26
Amy Brill: 
That's part of why it took me so long to get her story written. She didn't really understand herself--so how could I understand her? I think all my research went a long way to helping me contextualize her upbringing.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:26 Amy Brill
4:26
Nora - EarlyWord: 
One of our advance questions is about the Quaker background:

You seem to have such a good understanding of Quakers and their way of life. Is anyone in your family a Quaker?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:26 Nora - EarlyWord
4:28
Amy Brill: 
There is not a single Quaker in my family line, as far as I know. I have a lot of respect for the guiding principles of their faith, now that I know so much about it. Maybe not the rigid, watchful, punitive version of that time and place, which was in and of itself a result of larger doctrinal schisms rocking the Quaker world across the country at that time. But the general idea of Inner Light, and each person experiencing a personal form of revelation.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:28 Amy Brill
4:29
Nora - EarlyWord: 
You mention in your references a book that gave you background on Quakerism...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:29 Nora - EarlyWord
4:29
Nora - EarlyWord
Leach, Robert J., and Peter Gow. Quaker Nantucket: The Religious Community Behind the Whaling Empire. Nantucket: Mill Hill Press, 1996.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:29 
4:30
Amy Brill: 
Yes, the Leach and Gow book probably helped me understand the Quaker community of that time and place. The doctrinal schisms I mentioned didn't end up in the novel, but in earlier drafts there was a bit more detail about various Islanders splitting off in allegiance to this or that sect, and I'm sure most readers will be glad those scenes are not in the novel any more.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:30 Amy Brill
4:31
Amy Brill: 
I will say, though, that the rigidity of that community is as I depicted it. People were "read out" of Meeting for wearing hair bows, for singing while hanging up the wash, for walking with "strangers." They were very serious about Discipline, and interpreted it very literally.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:31 Amy Brill
4:32
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'm also fascinated about how that time was so influenced by whaling, which as a fleeting "technology," so to speak. You end the book with the first electric lights goin on in Nantucket, which seemed perfect.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:32 Nora - EarlyWord
4:32
Amy Brill: 
And they took notes! In my research I came across volumes of notes by committees whose job was to diligently record infractions by members of the Meeting. There was very mundane stuff and some pretty salacious business too.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:32 Amy Brill
4:32
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
This conversation is so great. I am using the book this summer for one of my reading group choices during summer reading.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:32 snazzy2
4:33
Amy Brill: 
Wonderful, snazzy2! If you want me to Skype in and visit your book group, contact me through my website!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:33 Amy Brill
4:33
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Great to hear, snazzy2 -- it's clearly a great book for sparking discussions.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord
4:34
Amy Brill: 
Nora, that's interesting that you mention the lights at the end..
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:34 Amy Brill
4:34
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Also, for book discussions, there are so several nonfiction titles to read along with it, like Dava Sobel's...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:34 Nora - EarlyWord
4:35
Nora - EarlyWord
Sobel, Dava: Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. New York: Walker, 2007.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:35 
4:35
Amy Brill: 
That's one of the first things I knew about the book--that it would start with a candle going out, and end with the electric lights coming on. It seemed like the perfect encapsulation of that time and place.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:35 Amy Brill
4:35
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Yes, the lights going on at the end really struck me -- whaling was over. Resonates with our time of technological changes.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:35 Nora - EarlyWord
4:35
Amy Brill: 
Oh yes, Dava Sobel's book is wonderful. Such a great story, the pursuit of the first working maritime chronometer. Weirdly full of intrigue.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:35 Amy Brill
4:36
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
that is so awesome for snazzy2 and for Amy for doing that, too cool!!!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:36 trishap00
4:36
Amy Brill: 
It does. Whaling was over, and the sea as farm, as frontier, as profit-making enterprise, as THE place for adventure and self-exploration was over as well. The money in whaling all went to manufacturing, and the spirit of adventure went West.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:36 Amy Brill
4:37
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I continue to be amazed by the women who broke from tradition during that period. Hannah/Maria didn't seem to have any role models for that kind of choice.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:37 Nora - EarlyWord
4:37
Amy Brill: 
There were a few--but a very few. There was Margaret Fuller, reporting from Rome for the Herald Tribune, and writing the seminal book of that era on the topic, "Woman in the Nineteenth Century."
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:37 Amy Brill
4:38
Amy Brill: 
There were women like Lucretia Mott, who were tireless advocates and speakers on the antislavery front.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:38 Amy Brill
4:38
Amy Brill: 
And a few other writers, like Louisa May Alcott. But these were, of course, the exceptions, not the rule.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:38 Amy Brill
4:39
Amy Brill: 
As a rule, Victorian women were supposed to be fragile, domestic, feminine creatures.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:39 Amy Brill
4:39
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Maria went on to teach at Vassar, so her students did have a model. And, still, over a hundred years later, we still need role models to encourage women to follow their dreams.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:39 Nora - EarlyWord
4:39
Amy Brill: 
Delicate, nurturing... certainly not advocating for social change, or having real jobs!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:39 Amy Brill
4:40
Amy Brill: 
We do need role models, which is why it's great that so many public-private partnerships are emerging in support of more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and programming for girls.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 Amy Brill
4:40
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Love Hannah's mention of Margaret Fuller -- that all the women on Nantucket were reading her book and arguing about it.

Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 Nora - EarlyWord
4:40
Amy Brill: 
That book sparked a LOT of arguments in a lot of households.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 Amy Brill
4:40
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
I am also on reference desk and following along. I just may take you up on the Skype Amy.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 snazzy2
4:40
Amy Brill: 
Please do, snazzy@
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 Amy Brill
4:41
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Love that you're doing this at the reference desk!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord
4:41
Amy Brill: 
There's a whole "book clubs" section on my site at amybrill.com -- also, in other areas of the site, a lot of background about the book and about Maria Mitchell.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:41 Amy Brill
4:41
Amy Brill: 
Sounds like my dream job. :)
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:41 Amy Brill
4:41
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I'm sure you're busy, Amy, getting ready to promote the book.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord
4:42
Amy Brill: 
Promoting the book, writing other stuff, ordering diapers, figuring out what to make for dinner... the usual mix of professional and domestic.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:42 Amy Brill
4:42
Amy Brill: 
My kids are so young that it's definitely a balancing act!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:42 Amy Brill
4:43
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Maria would be fascinated by your combination of work and home life! I'll bet she wouldn't be able to imagine it.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord
4:43
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Do you know what happened with her students? Did they go on to major careers?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord
4:43
Nora - EarlyWord
Maria Mitchell and students During the 1878 Eclipse
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:43 
4:44
Amy Brill: 
This might be up for debate, but I have a feeling she would sort of scoff at all our worrying and debating about "having it all" and balancing work and family. She'd probably argue that we have every opportunity, and washing machines, and vacuum cleaners, and if we only slept less and worked harder we could certainly achieve anything. She was a tough cookie.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:44 Amy Brill
4:44
Nora - EarlyWord: 
I wanted to mention that your Web site has a wonderful interactive map of Nantucket at the time.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord
4:44
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Nantucket map
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord
4:45
Amy Brill: 
Some of Maria Mitchell's students did go on to careers in astronomy, though I'm not sure how many. But for many, many years she was a driving force--"force" being the operative word here--in advocating for suffrage, women's education, and the general equalizing of the professional sphere for men and women.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:45 Amy Brill
4:45
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
We are haveing a kid tech summit at our library Saturday gonna be fun
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:45 trishap00
4:45
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
I'm at the children's desk so I am playing catch up a lot
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:45 trishap00
4:45
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
That picture is amazing of the students!! Love it.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:45 snazzy2
4:46
Amy Brill: 
Oh, thanks, Nora! That map is an actual 1838 Nantucket map made by Maria Mitchell's father, William. Trisha that is so cool! Kid tech. Yes.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:46 Amy Brill
4:46
[Comment From Sue DSue D: ] 
I may have missed this as but what drew you to this subject and how much research did you do on the stars? I have come in late from my mix of the professional and domestic.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:46 Sue D
4:47
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Right; we're all about mixing the professional and the domestic today!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord
4:47
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Nantucket map
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord
4:47
Amy Brill: 
Hi Sue! Welcome! I was drawn more by the idea of this young girl spending all her nights up on her roof than I was by the astronomy itself. Honestly, I had no knowledge of astronomy whatsoever. I pieced it all together using various period-specific books, and especially (Trisha you'll appreciate this) a book by H. A. Rey's "The Stars: A New Way To See Them" which indicates my level of aptitude. Yes, it's a children's book! By the author of all those Curious George books!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:47 Amy Brill
4:48
Amy Brill: 
The map Nora is linking too is actually keyed to pieces of text from scenes that take place in various places on the island.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:48 Amy Brill
4:48
Amy Brill: 
Linking "to" not "too."
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:48 Amy Brill
4:49
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Don't apologize about using a children's book to get an intro to a subject -- it's an old trick librarians recommend all the time!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:49 Nora - EarlyWord
4:49
Amy Brill: 
Well that's a relief. :)
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:49 Amy Brill
4:49
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
Awesome book (and I like curious George)
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:49 trishap00
4:49
Amy Brill: 
It's a wonderful book. I borrowed the "umbrella" metaphor Hannah uses to teach Isaac about the night sky from that book. (Credit is given in the acknowledgments!)
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:49 Amy Brill
4:50
Amy Brill: 
My daughter is a little obsessed with Curious George.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:50 Amy Brill
4:50
Amy Brill: 
I can think of many worse things to be obsessed with.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:50 Amy Brill
4:50
Nora - EarlyWord: 
The end of our hour is sneaking up on us, so send in your question. Meanwhile, Amy, is there another book in your future?
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord
4:51
Amy Brill: 
Oh, gosh. Are we up to that question already? I'm wavering between two new projects. One is a historical novel, and the other is decidedly contemporary.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:51 Amy Brill
4:51
Amy Brill: 
Should I take a poll? ;)
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:51 Amy Brill
4:52
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Yes; let's see if I can create a poll on the fly!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:52 Nora - EarlyWord
4:52
Amy Brill: 
No worries, Nora. I'll just read the tea leaves and see what they say...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:52 Amy Brill
4:53
What should Amy write next.
Another historical
 ( 60% )
A contemporary novel
 ( 40% )

Thursday March 21, 2013 4:53 
4:53
Amy Brill: 
Nora!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:53 Amy Brill
4:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Ha! Did it! Vote, everyone -- you may influence Amy's next book!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord
4:54
Amy Brill: 
Thank you to whomever said "contemporary"--you have faith! And also to those who say "historical"--you're into it! You are all wonderful.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 Amy Brill
4:54
Nora - EarlyWord: 
A bunch of comments came in, so will be posting them in quick order.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord
4:54
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
I love children's books for good info.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 snazzy2
4:54
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
me too
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 trishap00
4:54
[Comment From Catherine HealeyCatherine Healey: ] 
I like the symbolism of the candle at the start and electric light later on. Another very symbolic scene was off
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 Catherine Healey
4:54
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
I am sure they would both be good. Maybe not so much research with contemporary
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 snazzy2
4:54
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
I'd like to meet your daughter she sounds cool. I'm a children's librarian but I am also responsible for all the computers and technology in our library, and female by the way. So STEM is my future.Thanks for helping show the way.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 trishap00
4:55
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Amy's daughter has already been quoted in the NY Times!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:55 Nora - EarlyWord
4:55
[Comment From Sue DSue D: ] 
It has been a joy to read your book! I was so engrossed it was difficult to put down and focus on the present. It will be a pleasure to talk to others about your novel, especially my book clubs.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:55 Sue D
4:55
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
Maybe a kids book with a tech savy female main character
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:55 trishap00
4:55
[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ] 
I love the debut authors series!! Thanks so much again for all the info today
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:55 snazzy2
4:56
Amy Brill: 
Thanks, Catherine. That last scene is one of my favorites. Snazzy2, I feel the same way! Less research = more writing time. And trisha, thanks go to YOU for leading the way. You're in there on the ground. Oh Sue, that's very kind. I so appreciate that.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:56 Amy Brill
4:57
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Oh, no! Just five more minutes. Let's remind everyone that the book arrives on April 18...
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:57 Nora - EarlyWord
4:57
Nora - EarlyWord
The Movement of Stars
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:57 
4:57
[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ] 
Yes this is such a awesome program thanks a ton
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:57 trishap00
4:57
Amy Brill: 
Thanks to all of you for being such thoughtful readers and chatters.
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:57 Amy Brill
4:58
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Thanks for all the great comments about the First Flights Debut Authors program -- be sure to tell your colleagues!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:58 Nora - EarlyWord
4:59
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Amy, you've been so much fun to talk to. Thanks for making the time for us (we know you love librarians, but you must be VERY busy right now).
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord
4:59
[Comment From Your NameYour Name: ] 
Thanks so much--loved the book!
Thursday March 21, 2013 4:59 Your Name
5:00
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Looks like the vote is a bit higher for another historical novel. How are you leaning, Amy?
Thursday March 21, 2013 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord
5:00
Amy Brill: 
Nora, it's been a pleasure. I am busy, but I could talk to librarians all day! I spent many formative hours in my local library, and I wouldn't be a writer today if not for them. Thanks again!
Thursday March 21, 2013 5:00 Amy Brill
5:00
Amy Brill: 
I'm sitting very still in the middle of the boat, Nora.
Thursday March 21, 2013 5:00 Amy Brill
5:01
Nora - EarlyWord: 
Your comments on librarians are music to our ears. Good luck with with this book AND your next one!

Bye, everyone.
Thursday March 21, 2013 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord
5:02
Amy Brill: 
Thanks! Bye...
Thursday March 21, 2013 5:02 Amy Brill
 
 

A Choose-Your-Own Cover Adventure

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

Talk about making the world your focus group. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, has invited fans to help choose the US cover for her forthcoming novel The Signature Of All Things, (Penguin/Viking, Oct. 11), by voting, today through Sunday, on one of three choices on her Facebook page:

733999_436623643086423_984719893_n

The winner will be announced on Monday in USA Today.

Our bet, based on studies that show readers respond best to covers that feature people and give a sense of story, is that it will be the one on the right.

LEAN IN Is #1

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

Lean InOn this week’s USA Today best seller list, Sheryl Sandberg’s “sort of feminist” manifesto, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, (RH/Knopf; RH Audio; BOT) is #1 in its second week on the list, after debuting at #133 last week.

That may not be much of a surprise, given the amount of attention it has received. The surprise is that it’s one of the few hardcovers on the list. By contrast, the latest Alex Cross title  by James Patterson is at #3, but in ebook. Of the top 50 USA Today bestsellers, 27 are ebooks, 18 paperbacks and just 8 hardcovers.

After a slow start, many libraries are showing heavy holds on all formats of Lean In.

Lead Cast for THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

The fault in our starsThe producers of the film adaptation of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars (Penguin/Dutton; Brilliance Audio; Thorndike Large Print), have found their Hazel; Shailene Woodley has been offered the role.

If negotiations work out, this will be her fourth film based on a book. She played George Clooney’s daughter in The Descendants (based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings), is the lead in The Spectacular Now (based on the YA book, a National Book Award finalist by Tim Tharpe, opening in a limited theatrical run on Aug. 2) and  is about to begin production on Divergent, based on the first in Veronica Roth’s YA series, in which she plays Tris. Currently, she is at work on The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Author Green tweeted his approval, “There were so many amazing auditions for the role of Hazel, but Shailene’s love for the book and her understanding of Hazel blew me away.”

BEHIND THE CANDELABRA; The Book, The Movie

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013


EW Behind the CandelabraHBO has begun promotion for its Liberace biopic, Behind the Candelabra, which premieres on May 26th. It features Michael Douglas in the lead, with Matt Damon, as his lover, Scott Thorson (pictured, at left, on the cover of the March 15 issue of Entertainment Weekly).

Behind The CandelabraIt is based on Thorson’s 1988 memoir, Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace, which is being re-released by Tantor Audio in three formats; print, audio, and ebook on May 2.

This may be the last film directed by Steven Soderbergh, who, after 26 films in 24 years, has announced he is taking a break from filmmaking and will turn his attention to other interests (among them, importing cognac from Bolivia. What may be his last theatrical film, Side Effects, is currently playing in theaters).

Interviewed in The Hollywood Reporter, the director says he is very happy with his swan song, “I think people are gonna be surprised at how intimate it is, and that there’s no attempt to make fun of them or … to make them seem like cartoons… at the end of the day, [it’s just] two people in a room … there’s just a lot of rhinestone in it.”

A “Romantic Thriller” On The TODAY SHOW

Wednesday, March 20th, 2013

Six YearHarlan Coben has honed his ability to hook readers. He begins his Today Show interview with the opening line of  his new book, the “romantic thriller” Six Years (Penguin/Dutton; Thorndike Large Print), released this week,

“I sat in the back pew and watched the only woman I would ever love marry another man.”

Separately, The Hollywood Reporter writes that Hugh Jackman is set to star in a movie of the novel. There’s no news yet on when filming will begin. This may be the first English-language film of a Coben novel; Tell No One was adapted as a French-language film in 2006. Ben Affleck has been attached to direct an English-language remake.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

NOT Based on Real-Life

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

Double featureIn the current issue of USA Today, a debut novelist answers the question that plagues many first-timers; “Is your book based on your own life?”

In this case, the answer takes on extra interest. Double Feature (S&S/Scribner, releasing today) is about a famous father and his estranged son. The author happens to be the son of a famous father, Stephen King (a connection that is not mentioned in the publisher’s promo material, although that fact has not been kept a secret).

Owen King acknowledges that readers will want to know if the character “is based on my dad. But two people couldn’t be more different.”

As signaled by the fact that the cover blurb is from Larry McMurtry, Owen King’s style is quite different from his father’s.

All four prepub reviews are enthusiastic:

Booklist –” Entertaining and thought-provoking, this captivating look at the ongoing process of becoming an adult will especially appeal to fans of the indie film industry.”

Kirkus — “…an often weirdly funny book… King’s novel is winning. Superbly imagined lit-fic about family, fathers and film.”

LJ — “Fans of John Irving, Tom Perrotta, Jonathan Tropper, and Nick Hornby will appreciate this urban family tale liberally dosed with humor.”

PW — “King’s prose is artful, perceptive about people and their ‘warrens of self that go beyond understanding,’ and sometimes very funny.”

Owen King comes from a writing family. His brother, who writes under the pen name Joe Hill, is publishing his third supernatural thriller, NOS4A2 at the end of April. And, of course, his their next, Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, is coming in September.

Game of Thrones Returns

Monday, March 18th, 2013

Game of Thrones 3  1251-EW-COVER

Game of Thrones returns to HBO for its third season on March 31, as heralded on Entertainment Weekly’s cover.

This season is based on the third book in George R.R. Martin’s series. The tie-ins arrive next week.

A Storm of Swords (HBO Tie-in Edition): A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Three
George R.R. Martin
On Sale Date: March 26, 2013
Trade Pbk; 9780345543974, 0345543971
Mass Mkt. Pbk; 9780345543981, 034554398X

Released yesterday, a new trailer opens with a line that may resonate with non-fans, “”How long does it go on?”

Kids New Title Radar, Week of March 18

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Next week, middle school kids will be clamoring for the next in a series they can easily recognize as written for them, the prolific James Patterson‘s third in his Middle School series, My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar (Hachette/LBYR). Newbery Medalist, Patricia MacLachlan, proves herself no slouch, with two new titles in one week and the hotly popular Cassandra Clare concludes the steampunk Infernal Devices series.

These, and more highlights, are included on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of March 18.

Two from MacLachlan

Cat Talk   White Fur Flying


White Fur Flying
, Patricia MacLachlan, (S&S/Margaret K. McElderry )

Cat Talk, Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, illus. by Barry Moser, (HarperCollins/Katherine)

MacLachlan (best known for her Newbery medal winner, Sarah, Plain and Tall) rests not on her laurels. With two titles arriving this week, she makes even James Patterson look like a slacker. In Cat Talk, she and her daughter, who collaborated on two books about dogs, Once I Ate a Pie and I Didn’t Do It, bring their verse skills to the feline point-of-view, with artwork by Barry Moser, whose sublime kitty illustrations adorned My Cats Nick and Nora and Cheshire Cheese Cat. In White Fur Flying, MacLachlan’s spare style tells the moving story of a troubled boy and the dog that saved him.

Picture Books

Pug WorthPug Worth, Valerie Worth, illus. by Steve  Jenkins, (Macmilla/FSG BYR)

Each season, the cover of a new picture book gets the place of honor above my desk. I have been looking up at this one since November and still adore it. Jenkins’s talents highlight Valerie Worth’s animal poems.
Ol' Mama SquirrelOl’ Mama Squirrel, David Ezra Stein,  (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books)

A Kids IndieNext Spring pick, described as “equally a funny story of one courageous mom facing down the world and a thank you to all the moms out there in the world who have done the same — and continue to do so — for their children.”

Children’s Informational Books

PranklopediaPranklopedia: The Funniest, Grossest, Craziest, Not-Mean Pranks on the Planet!, Julie Winterbottom, (Workman)

Looking for something for third grade boys to put a little spark in the winter doldrums? As the title guarantees, nothing too mean but many classic pranks in this compendium.
The Eagles Are BacThe Eagles are Back, Jean Craighead George, Illus. by Wendell Minor, (Penguin/Dial)

Naturalist Jean Craighead George left us bereft when she died last year. There will be no more wolves, falcons, and eagles to enchant us in novels, essays and picture books. Or so we thought. Her boon companion Wendell Minor brings his signature style to illustrated  one more revelatory story, the revival of the eagle in its habitat. Jean’s books ARE the Common Core; she was a visionary.

Chldren’s Fiction

Tallulah's Toe ShoesTallulah’s Toe Shoes, Marilyn Singer, Alexandra Boiger, (HMH/Clarion)

Singer’s ballerina series took flight with Tallulah’s Tutu. For all the little children who WANT, NEED, HAVE TO HAVE a ballet book, Tallulah is “every girl” and we are happy to have another to share.
 

Young Adult

Clockwork PrincessClockwork Princess, Cassandra Clare, (S&S/ Margaret K. McElderry)

More steam punk, please! This, the final volume in the Infernal Devices series arrives with much fanfare; with a ‘book trailer exclusive” on Entertainment Weekly’s Shelf Life blog, a feature in USA Today on Thursday, and an A- review from Entertainment Weekly, saying it may be the author’s ” best undertaking to date.” This series is the prequel to Clare’s Mortal Instruments, which will be coming to the big screen in August, starring Lily Collins. Clare and Holly Black (co-author of The Spiderwick Chronicles) are collaborating on another series, Magisterium, aimed at middle schoolers, with The Iron Trail, coming in September of next year.

New Title Radar, Week of March 18

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Six YearAmong the books arriving next week, Harlan Coben’s Six Years (Penguin/Dutton) leads in number of holds (over 800 in some libraries). Readers advisors will want to take a look at Once Upon A Flock, a memoir with chickens that caused Kirkus to go all mushy and a fiction debut about child-on-child crime that arrives here after much success in the U.K.

The titles highlighted in this post, and more, are listed on our downloadable spreadsheet, New Title Radar, Week of 3.18.13

The Guilty OneThe Guilty One, Lisa Ballantyne, (Harper/Morrow pbk original; HarperLuxe)

This debut by a Scottish author arrives here with advance buzz after having been a hit in the UK (it was chosen by the influential Richard and Judy Book Club). It may also be a hit here. It’s an IndieNext pick for March, described as “… a profound, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking, must-read. While it is primarily the story of a little boy accused of murder and his lawyer, it is also a mesmerizing study of the three main characters and how they are each affected by horrible events in their past.” The Washington Post gives it an early review, praising Ballantyne’s “crisp, reflective writing,” but objects to unlikable characters and grim subject manner (sound familiar? Like The Dinner, perhaps?)

Once Upon a FlockOnce upon a Flock: Life with My Soulful Chickens, Lauren Scheuer, (S&S/Atria)

Given the fascination with urban farming, there should be a ready audience for this book that Kirkus calls, “a charmingly quirky story of a woman and the flock of spirited chickens that stole her heart.” The chicken’s daily lives are documented “with drawings and photographs, which she includes on almost every page of the book.” Scheuer is a children’s book illustrator who writes the blog Scratch and Peck.

Toms RiverToms River: A Story of Science and Salvation, Dan Fagin, (RH/Bantam; BOT)

One of PW’s 10 “Most Anticipated for Spring” in the science category, described as a “science-centered detective story” that looks into New Jersey’s environmental disasters brought about by toxic industrial waste and government officials that looked the other way. It will be featured on NPR’s Weekend All Things Considered tomorrow.

Two Books, One Title, Both Indie #1 Picks

Friday, March 15th, 2013

Life After Life McCorkle  Life After Life

The April Indie Next List features two #1 picks and they both have the same title; Life After Life. The one by Jill McCorkle will be published by Algonquin on March 26th (Thorndike large print). The one by Kate Atkinson will be published by Hachette/Little, Brown on April 2, six days later (Hachette Audio).

Making it an even odder coincidence, this is the first #1 tie in the history of the Indie Next List. Each book received the same number of nominations, reports Mark Nichols, Development Officer for the American Booksellers Association, adding, “My mandate as editor of the Indie Next LIst is to honor the wishes of the booksellers, so there was no recourse other than to have two # 1 picks.”

The natural question is whether there may have been some mistaken nominations. Nichols says he took extra precautions to make certain that booksellers knew exactly which book that they were supporting, and it was clear there had been no misidentifications.

The title works well for each book, even though they are quite different. McCorkle’s is set in the present day and features residents of a retirement community. Atkinson’s is set between the World Wars and features a woman who lives her life over and over.

It’s not unusual for two books to share the same title (and there’s at least one other Life After Life, a book about out-of-body experiences published in 2001 by HarperCollins). However, both publishers ruefully acknowledge that it’s not ideal to have to market two books with the same title, but say that by the time they realized the overlap, plans were already in motion and it was too late to make a change.

On the other hand, this may not be a liability; it’s beginning to appear that it may actually bring more attention to each book.

Holds Rising; UNTIL I SAY GOOD-BYE

Thursday, March 14th, 2013

Until I Say GoodbyAn emotional segment featuring Susan Spencer-Wendel, author of the memoir, Until I Say Good-bye: My Year of Living with Joy, (Harper) was broadcast on The Today Show this morning. She has also been featured in USA Today and on NPR’s Weekend Edition. Upcoming is a feature on Inside Edition with Deborah Norville and another  in People

The book rose to #6 on Amazon sales rankings today and holds are growing in libraries.

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Women’s (formerly Orange) Prize Longlist

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

Gone Girl Bring Up the Bodies Life After Life

Will Gone Girl “Rob Hilary Mantel of the Hat Trick?” asks The Independent, following yesterday’s announcement of the longlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction (title changed from the Orange Prize after the telecom company decided to end its 17-year sponsorship). Mantel has already won two major UK awards this year, the Booker and Costa prizes, for her second Tudor novel Bring Up the Bodies, (Macmillan/Holt). No author has won all three in one year.

Gillian Flynn’s word-of-mouth phenomenon has appeared on many best books lists and is nominated for an Edgar, but a nomination for a literary prize is particularly sweet. As Flynn tells The Independent, “I was incredibly thrilled by the news. It’s really nice especially for someone who writes stories with mystery as they aren’t always recognised so widely. I feel really proud.”

Also on the list are Zadie Smith’s NW (Penguin/Viking) and Barbara Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior(Harper). Both authors have won the award before.

One of  the longlist titles is forthcoming in the U.S. but has already been called a favorite of 2013 by librarians on EarlyWord‘s GalleyChat (Gillian Flynn goes even further. In a blurb on the book’s cover, she calls it “One of the best novels I’ve read this century”), Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (Hachette/Little, Brown/Reagan Arthur, 4/2/13).

Previous prize winners include Madeline Miller last year for her debut novel, The Song of Achilles,(Harper/Ecco), Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk about Kevin (Harper; 2005), Marilynne Robinson for Home (Macmillan/FSG; 2009) and Ann Patchett for Bel Canto (HarperCollins; 2002). This is an opportunity to create a display of all the past winners, as well as this year’s nominees.

The shortlist will be announced on April 16th and the winner of the £30,000 on June 5th.

Our downloadable spreadsheet, Women’s Prize, Longlist, gives U.S. publication information, as well as notes on how the titles were received here.

WOLF HALL Finds Its Cromwell

Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

9780805080681The ruthless heart of Hilary Mantel’s Tudor series is Thomas Cromwell, who pulled the strings for a time in Henry VIII’s court. The BBC has found the actor to play that juicy role in a mini-series of 6 one-hour episodes based on Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies (both Macmillan/Holt). Shakespearean actor Mark Rylance, according to The Daily Mail. He is familiar with the Tudor Court; he played another famous schemer of the period, Thomas Boleyn in the 2008 film of Phillipa Gregory’s book The Other Boleyn Girl (S&S/Scribner).

Unfortunately, this casting means production may be delayed a year, since Rylance has other commitments to complete, including an upcoming play, Nice Fish, at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis.

Mantel is currently writing Mirror And The Light, the third book in the Tudor series (and fending off criticism for her misunderstood remarks about Kate Middleton).

New HBO Series, CANCER VIXEN

Tuesday, March 12th, 2013

978-0-375-71474-0The taboo-breaking 2006 memoir in graphic novel format, Cancer Vixen by New Yorker cartoonist Marisa Acocella Marchetto (RH/Pantheon), is being set up at HBO for a series. Cate Blanchett will produce and star. Deadline reports that “the prospect of having the Oscar-winning actress in the lead role makes this a priority project. Blanchett has been sweet on the book for some time” (she bought the rights shortly after the book was published).

Marchetto survived her cancer and is now living in NYC with her husband, restaurateur Silvano Marchetto.