Port Townsend, WA

On the way to my latest speaking gig, I happened to be passing through the town of one of my favorite new authors. Her book doesn't come out until next month, and I'll tell you more about Forgotten then, but getting to sneak in some coffee time with Cat Patrick was a great way to begin my visit to Washington.


Port Townsend chose Thirteen Reasons Why as its first Teen Community Read novel, and I hope they continue this event for years into the future. This wasn't just about reading and discussing my book. They also created poetry, visual art, and performance pieces inspired by it. It'ill be fascinating to see what the students create for other books.

First, I gave two presentations at Port Townsend High School. Some authors don't like speaking in auditoriums full of teens, but I'd do it every day if I could! Not only do I have fun speaking, but the more quiet one-on-one conversations afterward are made up of so many special moments.


Then I went to Jefferson Community School, where I shared a nice lunch with the students. And the students made the lunch! This was an amazing school, and if you check out their website, you'll see what I'm talking about.

Lunch was followed by a radio interview. After that, my voice was beginning to fade, so I retreated back to my cottage...which included its own dry sauna! (Anyone want to volunteer to be next year's Teen Community Read author???)

Next came a pizza dinner with high school book club members, followed immediately by a poetry reading in the public library. It was a beautiful end to the day.

But there was still more to come!

I gave a community presentation at the library the next day, and I was so happy to see local illustrators Jesse Watson and Richard Jesse Watson in attendance. (Yes, they're related!) Jesse helped local students create visual artwork inspired by 13RW before I arrived. Here's a photo of me and Jesse on either side of Jody Glaubman, the librarian responsible for organizing this wonderful event.


And here are a couple of the art pieces the students created, which were hung in various galleries around town.



The next morning, I got in my rental car, drove it onto a ferry to carry us off the island...


...then drove to the airport, hopped on a plane, and made it home in time to spend a few quality Mother's Day hours with JoanMarie and Isaiah.

ANNOUNCING...BOOK TWO!!!

From the beginning, this book has been a crazy and wonderful experience. Stay tuned for more info!


(Once you're done watching the video, click here.)

The Taiwanese Edition!

Afterbirthers

Movie theatre marquee, or political commentary?

Movie Poster: Fan-Made

Arnie Gallo from the Philippines created this mock movie poster for Thirteen Reasons Why. I've been sitting here trying to find the words to describe what I love about the design, but it's kind of obvious, isn't it?

It's brilliant.

Happy Easter!!!

The following is my annual Easter post. Same words, but they'll always apply.

Every so often, a reader gives me their impression of my book in a way which deepens my own understanding of what I wrote. A reader in Florida once told me how a decision made by one of my characters helped her illustrate a sentiment she'd been trying to get across to her friends.

Here's what she told me:

In the past, I've had to help friends realize that life goes on even after you've made a poor decision. Not because you move on or get over it, but because you grow as a result of it. You build something new, something with a higher purpose, using what you've learned as one of your bricks.

When I read that, my heart leapt! I knew immediately that I would be using her words in future speeches.

So what does this have to do with having a happy Easter? One of the most beautiful ideas surrounding the holiday is that we're all given the opportunity to make corrections if we find ourselves traveling down a road we really don't want to be on. In fact, we have that opportunity to change every day. Every second! (But sometimes we need a calendar to remind us.) Refresh. Repair. Rebirth. Whatever you need to call it...

Renewal is a wonderful blessing!

Isaiah's first Easter egg hunt.

Show Me the Dudes

Do you want to know why Missouri is called the Show-Me state? Apparently, the people in Missouri aren't even sure. But they call themselves the Show-Me state anyway, and that's good enough for me!

I flew to Missouri to attend the Missouri Association of School Librarians conference. On the way, I took a photo of two of the Channel Islands, right off the coast from where my flight originated. The Channel Islands are where Island of the Blue Dolphins is set.


At the conference, I gave a couple of workshops. Here's the audience for my first workshop. Can any of you spot the two dudes? Yep, that's about the ratio at these conferences.


The conference was held at Tan-Tar-A Resort, which is beautiful. These school librarians know how to live it up. But I wasn't there to (purely) enjoy resort livin', I was there to work. But I also got to meet Heather Brewer and Mary Downing Hahn!


That's Ms. Hahn in the above photo. Unfortunately, though I talked to her several times, I never got a photo with Ms. Brewer.

But I wasn't there just to enjoy resort livin' and meet cool authors, I was there...to get an award! 700 school librarians, dressed in their sparkliest clothes, dined at circular tables while the award-winning authors and committee members ate on rectangular tables on the stage. Feeling like I was on display, I tried to eat with whatever manners I could remember.


Each author, before receiving an award, was introduced by a student presenter. Kelsie Henry gave me a wonderful introduction.


Ms. Henry also sat beside me during the dinner, and was kind enough to fill me in wherever my manners lacked. But I got her back by telling her mom, into the mircrophone during my acceptance speech, that Kelsie picked at her dessert before she even started her main course.

Tee-hee!


The Gateway Award is voted on by high school students in Missouri, and was a tremendous honor to receive. (The glass book pictured above didn't come with those frogs...I just thought they looked cool admiring my award.)

And here's the committee responsible for putting Thirteen Reasons Why on the eligible list of books. Thank you all so much!


For those of you who heard my speech, here's that newspaper photo I told you about, taken in my elementary school library.


Heading home, here was a beautiful mountain range we flew over.


From islands to mountains to the people, this is a beautiful country.

Of course, I couldn't wait to get home, where I had this little dude waiting for me...



(If you haven't already, and if you LIKE Thirteen Reasons Why, then you should head over to its very own newly created Facebook page.)

Totally Board (but not at all bored)

Today, Isaiah is four months old!

To celebrate, we spent some time doing one of his favorite activities...reading!!! Actually, he's more of a storyteller. He'll let us read half of the book, and then he takes over to tell us what happens through to the end.


His book collection continues to grow. In the photo above, he's proudly showing off his collection of autographed Nina Laden books. (Thanks, Nina!)

I haven't taken the time to appreciate board books from the perspective of a baby since...well...I was a baby myself. But these things are fun! In fact, sometimes Isaiah and I like to chew on the corners of the same book at the same time.

Yes, there are many ways for a father and son to bond over books.

The Bulgarian Edition!

Two Days in Merryland

This week, I spoke at the State of Maryland International Reading Association Council (SoMIRAC) conference. As the title of this post hinted at, everyone I met there was so very happy. Even the organizers running around to keep things organized seemed happy.

And that made me happy!

My favorite part of the event was attending the High School Young Authors Program. Freshmen through seniors submitted poems or essays/short stories, and the first and second place winners were given awards at this event. Before the awards, I spoke to the students, letting them know how frustrated I was that their writing was so much better than mine when I was in high school. They were each given a signed copy of 13RW, and then they each read a portion of their winning entries. Here's the group, seating with their parents and teachers. (I'll post a list of the winners at the bottom of this post.)


Then I spoke on a panel with thirteen other writers/illustrators, followed by roundtable discussions and mingling. Kevin O'Malley sat on the panel, and during each speaker's 3-5 minute intro, he animalized us.


Another panelist, Marc Tyler Nobleman, and I exchanged info so we could swap signed copies of each other's books (they sold out of our books at the conference!). Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman has been on my to-read list since it came out.


Jennifer Allison, Mary Amato, and I had a fun and fascinating conversation on our experiences with censorship. Good times!


This was the longest stretch I've been away from home since Isaiah was born, so even though I was happy in Maryland, I was even more happy to be getting home. I don't think I've ever taken a picture in the many times I've sat in a plane and descended toward the San Luis Obispo airport, so here's what home looks like from above.


Yes, I've already gotten into the habit of bringing things home for Isaiah. So after he and I played for a long time with his new No, David! doll, we both fell asleep...and it was JoanMarie's turn to grab the camera.



SoMIRAC Young Authors Program
1st and 2nd place winners

Poetry
Grade 9: 1st - Collin Tyler Keys / 2nd - Sarah Meyers
Grade 10: 1st - Becca Bauer / 2nd - Grace Clark
Grade 11: 1st - Hannah Lee Gaskill / 2nd - Naomi Pryor
Grade 12: 1st - Gabrielle Jacobson / 2nd - Sarah Watcher

Short Story/Essay
Grade 9: 1st - Emily Cronin / 2nd - Chaelin Despres
Grade 10: 1st - Samantha Solis / 2nd - Pratikshya Mudvari
Grade 11: 1st - Nicole Foggan / 2nd - Sierra Offutt
Grade 12: 1st - Typhannie Hall / 2nd - Sarah Watcher

Hair We Go

Before:


After:


Before & After:


Without a lot of time during baby naps, I do what I can to entertain myself.

Great Big Sea

JoanMarie and I have no idea where we first heard of the band Great Big Sea, but if you've hung out with us for any length of time, you've probably heard their live CD playing in our home or car. From Newfoundland, GBS plays a mix of original and traditional folk songs with great musicianship and amazing harmonies. And on Friday night, we finally got to see them live for ourselves!


Sorry to shock ya, but when I'm between speaking gigs, the razors get some time off.


Unfortunately, the smoke alarms went off right before the encore, so our night was cut short by a song or two, but here's a sample of how much fun they are.



But I know why everyone really comes to my blog, so here's a photo of Isaiah laughing at one of his favorite jokes. It's a very simple joke to remember, because the set-up and the punchline are the same. All you have to do is repeat "B-b-b-b-b-b-b" and he'll crack up every time!

Good Morning, Scholars

Superauthor James Patterson recently announced the winners of his Dollars for Scholars contest. College-bound students wrote essays describing how their favorite books influenced their decisions about what to do with their lives. I'm mentioning this here because Michelle S. placed in the top sixteen, winning $2500 to spend on books, and guess which book inspired her!

School was always enjoyable for me until I hit the stressors of high school. My sophomore year I was diagnosed with a heart condition that took me in and out of school until the middle of my junior year. However, my heart condition actually turned out to be mild anxiety. I would lose feeling in my fingers and toes and my whole body would get cold due to this condition. It even got as far as dizziness and fainting. It was the worst year of my life I couldn't seem to overcome my anxiety. But, thanks to the help of my counselors, family and friends, I was able to speak to a therapist and get the help I should have gotten during my sophomore year. Thus, I have overcome so many boundaries in high school: weeks without sitting in a classroom, not wanting to get out of my bed, things other kids would take for granted. Now, I've learned to live with my anxiety. I've discovered my limits, and I'm continuing to lead a semi-stress less life. Due to my struggles and the book Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher, I have decided to combine my talents in art with my desire to help others. I have chosen art therapy as my path for my next four years. Jay Asher's book drew me in so quickly that I was immediately hooked. It acknowledges the hardships teenagers have to face in their four years of high school, as well as the emotional wear and tear students face in their lives outside of school. In the book, the main character, Hannah, is pushed so far that she sees her only option as suicide. If only she had had the chance to talk to someone...

Asher's book has inspired me to help the thousands of people who feel the need to hurt themselves. Hannah went through so much pain that I wanted to help her. Although fictional, there are people out there who are just waiting for someone to listen. I want to be that person. If I could just save one life, I would like the opportunity to do so. Throughout the novel, Hannah describes the 13 reasons why she killed herself as well as confronts the 13 people who pushed her into doing so. I wanted to be the one reason why she didn't. Turning the pages became harder and harder for me. My heart ached for her, and it still aches for the thousands of people just like her. Therefore, through my future work in art therapy, I hope to help those who have been victimized and help them to help themselves as I once did.

Congratulations, Michelle! And thank you for running such an inspiring contest, Mr. Patterson.

Today is also a very special day because Isaiah turns three months old!


His newest favorite book is Good Morning, Digger, written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by my friend Melanie Hope Greenberg. Melanie sent this autographed book to Isaiah as a gift, which makes our storytime even more special.

Thank you, Melanie!

Spring 2011 Children's Books

The Spring 2011 Children’s Books issue of Publishers Weekly has arrived! Relying on the brief descriptions allowed for each title, here are the upcoming (or recently released) mid-grade and teen novels which had me saying, “Hmm... Interesting! I may have to check that out.”

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. A plane filled with beauty pageant contestants crashes on a desert island.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty. A virus renders everyone over age 18 infertile in this dystopian novel.

Choker by Elizabeth Woods. Cara worries that her best friend may be responsible for the death of a mean, popular girl.

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder. After it’s revealed that she was switched at birth, Amber is ordered to split the year between her two families.

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby. Emma is charged with ridding the world of annoying fairies.

Fantasy Baseball by Alan Gratz. Alex becomes involved in a fantasy baseball tournament featuring storybook characters.

Father of Lies by Ann Turner is a fictional retelling of the Salem witch trials from the perspectives of a girl and the devil.

Geek Fantasy Novel by E. Archer. After making a wish, Ralph is trapped in a fantasy world full of killer bunnies, evil aunts, and bothersome bacteria.

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison. After crashing her car and landing in limbo, a mean girl must face people she’s wronged.

Jenna & Jonah’s Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin. The truth about two teen TV idols’ phony off-screen romance is revealed.

My Life Undecided by Jessica Brody. A girl notorious for making bad decisions puts her fate in the hands of blog readers.

OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy. At a Christian summer camp, Ellie worries that being Jewish will ruin her chances of winning a scholarship to speech school.

Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi. A girl finds inspiration while working at a funeral home.

Sean Griswold’s Head by Lindsey Leavitt. Required by a guidance counselor to choose a “focus object” to study, a teen chooses the head of the boy who sits in front of her in class.

So Shelly by Ty Roth is a modern-day retelling of the friendships among poets Keats, Byron, and the Shelleys.

Storm Runners by Roland Smith. A boy who pursues severe storms with his father is tested in new ways when the hurricane of the century hits.

Subject Seven by James A. Moore. An alter-ego living inside a teen escapes and is determined to destroy his creator.

Taking Off by Jenny Moss. In this novel, a teen is determined to witness the Challenger launch after meeting Christa McAuliffe.

Trapped by Michael Northrop. Teens struggle to survive when a blizzard strands them at their high school.

Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee. Marigold is mortified when her performance artist mother becomes a drama teacher at her school.

You Don’t Know About Me by Brian Meehl is a reimagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Two Trailers and a Business Breakfast

Two fans sent me links to movie trailers they put together for Thirteen Reasons Why featuring Selena Gomez as Hannah. As you'll see, they both chose the same actor to portray Clay. But to head off any internet rumors (right, like that's possible!), let me be clear that only Selena has been cast as of this moment.





Because of the movie news, I was asked to speak for five minutes at this morning's San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce breakfast. A man sitting at the table behind me happened to film most of it with his phone, and since most of you have never heard me speak, here's a little glimpse.



I made a comment in the speech that it's a little odd to think my book about teen suicide is essentially set in the happiest town in America. Click here, to see what I was referencing.

Introducing: The Slinkie Jim

I recently purchased a box of 100 Slim Jims because I assumed they'd be snatched up like that at an event I was attending. But by the end of the evening, I found myself the owner of 97 individually wrapped Slim Jims.

What to do...

There are so many stories about great food combinations that came about by happy accident. You've all heard the legend of the ice cream cone, right? An ice cream vendor suddenly ran out of bowls, but it didn't take long before a nearby waffle vendor came to his rescue.

So why not combine the sweet and spicy/salty goodness of two food-like substances which already seemed geometrically made for each other: Twinkies and Slim Jims!


(Note: When experimenting with food-like substances, always check the "Best if used by" date to make sure the flavors are as fresh as possible. Of course, if the packaging doesn't include a year, then you're always good to go!)


When constructing your Slinkie Jim, start with just one. You never know how your particular stomach will react.


Since Twinkies are symmetrical, it doesn't matter into which end you decide to stick your Slim Jim.


It may be difficult to push it in at first, but don't give up.


But if the Twinkie begins to split...STOP!!!


Surrounded by white cream and a golden sponge cake, the Slim Jim will no longer Snap! when you bite into it, so don't expect that familiar sensation. Remember, a Slinkie Jim is its own unique food-like product.


If you can stomach it, go ahead and try another bite (just in case that first taste was a fluke).


And if you don't believe in throwing food away (even if it's simply food-like), you may as well eat the rest.


But don't eat any more than that.

Don't!

Instead, run your greasy face under a faucet and do a strenuous 30-minute workout. Because seriously, what in the world were you thinking???

Fan-Made Poster / Self-Made Twitter

Soon after the news broke, a fan sent me a movie poster she designed, which I think captures the tone perfectly. In fact, the setting and the look on Selena's face reminds me of a very specific moment in the book.


Thank you, Nicole!

While I will definitely keep this blog updated with all future movie and book news, I decided to take the plunge and get a Twitter account so you can follow things there, too.

@jayasherguy

13,000 Reviews & 202 Comments & 4 Books

On Wednesday, someone named Angelica left the 13,000th review on ThirteenReasonsWhy.com. Thanks, Angelica! And that means four of the 202 people who left comments on last week's post will get an autographed copy of my book.

Those people are...

Meagan
Cass (Words on Paper)
Wendy V
Involuntary thinking

If any of you four haven't already heard from me, send an email to writejayasher{at}aol.com (but use the @ symbol instead). Just let me know where to send your prize and you can consider it sent.

(Winners were selected using Random.org. So if you didn't win, don't blame me!)

Thanks for commenting, everyone. There will be more chances to win free stuff in the near future.

Happy Valentine's Day - 2011

To honor this day of sharing the love, I wanted to share with all of you my absolute favorite love song. It's been my favorite since I first heard it, and was one of the first songs I learned to play on the guitar.

I think this recent collaborative version captures the song's atmosphere beautifully.

Happy Valentine's Day
to all of my

family, friends, and fans

I Love Ya!

(Check back soon! In the next day or so, I should be announcing the four winners of autographed copies of Thirteen Reasons Why.)

Sushi with Selena

In the summer of 2009, I bought the DVD of Disney’s Princess Protection Program. The guy behind the counter asked if it was a birthday gift for a daughter or niece. I wasn’t allowed to reveal the real reason I was buying it, so I simply said, “It’s for me.” And then I grabbed my bag and ran from the store.

By that point, several production companies had asked to buy the film rights to Thirteen Reasons Why. Some even wanted to begin production immediately, but there was always at least one thing that made me uneasy about selling the rights. Maybe I was being too picky, but I didn’t need to see my book turned into a movie to be satisfied.

Then my agent said an actress was interested in playing Hannah Baker.


The only thing I knew about Selena Gomez was that magazines loved putting her face on the cover linking her to some teen heartthrob. So I watched a few episodes of her TV show, Wizards of Waverly Place, to see if I could glimpse any traces of Hannah Baker. Sure, Selena’s character was positive and funny (like Hannah when she first moved to town). And sure, Selena was pretty (which is how Clay described Hannah). But I needed to see more.

So I bought that DVD and my wife and I sat down to watch it. I will admit, we were skeptical. We assumed we knew Selena based on her TV series and the covers of Tiger Beat magazine. (Which is kind of sad, because isn’t my book all about the awfulness of stereotyping?) And while most of the movie was light and funny, there were absolute hints of Hannah Baker poking through – subtle expressions that reminded me of specific scenes in the book. It gave me the chills! Visually, for the first time, I could see pretty and optimistic Hannah slowly losing hope. But was it just me? When the movie was over, I turned to JoanMarie, who is just as protective of Hannah as I am.

“It gave me goosebumps,” she said. “You need to let her do this.”

Fine, so I was convinced Selena could become Hannah. But her July Moon Productions also wanted to produce the film. While I do understand why movies occasionally need to stray from the books, when they completely change the tone or don’t seem to understand what people like about the original story, things turn out bad.

So I met Selena, her mom, and a cousin at a sushi restaurant in L.A.


I have no idea why I agreed to meet them there because chopsticks are not my friends. We talked about music, books, acting, and what it’s like to grow up in front of a camera. (While it had nothing to do with imagining Selena as Hannah, it made me happy that someone so sweet and down-to-earth wanted to play a character I cared so deeply about.) And while I tried to keep the sticky rice from sticking to my chin and my sushi from crumbling in the sauce, she told me what she loved about the book and what she understood about Hannah’s character.

It’s always an eerie and extremely cool experience to talk to fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and realize that they understand everything I was trying to say. Selena is one of those fans. And because they wanted me involved (a definite rarity in Hollywood), I’ve since driven to L.A. several times for producer and screenwriter interviews, and I'm thrilled to have so many people involved who all share a vision for this movie.

Stay tuned…