It Ain't No Tea Party

Boston is exhausting. Everything seems within walking distance, but by the time you've hit all the "within walking distance" sites, you've traveled pretty far!

The first thing on today's agenda, I walked to the Information Center in the Boston Commons, grabbed one of their iPods, and took a self-guided tour along the Freedom Trail. That's a 2.5 mile red-brick path leading to some of the most historic places in the founding of our country.


Every time one of these squares appeared within the trail, I knew something important was nearby.


Along with famous churches, ships, houses, and battlegrounds, there were also plenty of famous names etched in stone.


I eventually got up the nerve to ask people to take photos of me in front of the historic places. But this was the first photo with me in it. That's me and a bell made by Mr. Revere (while he was still alive).


The very last stop on the Freedom Trail is a memorial at Bunker Hill. A sign at the base of the obelisk warns that some people shouldn't attempt to climb the stairs all the way to the top. But I don't have a heart condition. I'm not pregnant. "249 steps? Bring it!"


Oops. I somehow swapped the last two digits before I headed up. And the difference between 249 steps and 294 steps feels like much more than my calculator claims. But the view was worth it.


At the Museum of Fine Arts, I discovered some paintings I'd never seen before but absolutely fell in love with. Such as Painter's Honeymoon...


There was also some very weird but fun art. Every person on each of these screens is singing "Material Girl" by Madonna. But there's no music. It's just a bunch of voices singing at once. And anyone who walked by the screens couldn't help smiling!


Of course, I had to visit the sculptures inspired by the Caldecott-winning Make Way for Ducklings. It seemed like every kid who walked by was unable to resist touching the ducklings or climbing onto Mrs. Mallard's back.


Every kid.


I knew the TV show Cheers was inspired by a real place in Boston. But I was a little sad that they changed the original name just to lure in the tourists. It used to be called the Bull & Finch Pub. Now it's just...


I dunno. Maybe the marketing works on certain types of people.


So that's Day One in Massachusetts. Three more to go. And I think I'm destined to have a great experience because of something that happened on my way out here. As you may know, I write books for teens. There's an old superstition that if a YA writer gets on an airplane, and if the librarian from his old high school happens to be on the same flight, the trip is going to be a success.

Say hello to Ms. Grant! (We snuck in a breakfast between flights, which apparently helps the good luck.)



Tomorrow...Salem!

A Revolution? Well, You Know...

Happy Independence Day!

I’ll be spending the day hopping from a park picnic to a pool party, and ending it with fireworks at the beach…exactly as the forefathers intended.

(The British version of my book doesn’t come out until August, so I’m not sure how many of you are reading this. But if you are, welcome! Do you do anything over there to celebrate the Fourth of July? If you do, I’m sure you don’t refer to it as Independence Day. Perhaps you call it Good Riddance Day?)

On Tuesday, I’m heading to a major city-of-interest in our country’s history. Boston, Massachusetts! I’ll spend two days in Boston, one in Plymouth, and one in Salem. I’ve wanted to spend some history-buff time there for several years, and a few weeks ago I decided to quit dreaming and just do it.

I only spent a few hours there eight years ago, but it only took those few hours to know I wanted to go back. In the summer of 2001, I was in New York City meeting with editors as part of an award I won. JoanMarie and I weren’t married yet, and she was spending the summer roaming all over New England as a camp counselor in a traveling performing arts camp. While I was in NYC, she was in Boston. Since I worked for an airline, I got a roundtrip flight from NYC to Boston for only $20! Through some very sneaky questions, I learned exactly where her troupe would be performing at a certain time.

I’m sure I looked suspicious as I moved stealthily from historical building to historical building. I think I even pressed my back against a wall a couple times and tiptoed between a few groups of tourists. When I finally saw her unmistakable curly hair, her back was turned and she was talking to her campers. I pressed a finger to my lips and (this next part is weird, now that I think about it) none of the kids let on that a strange guy was sneaking up behind her. I reached an arm around her and took a photo of our faces before she could tell who it was. Unfortunately, I swore to never show that photo because she had the most hilariously confused look on her face.

And on Tuesday, I’m going back!

Besides indulging my history-buffness, I will also be doing some book research. JoanMarie, sadly, can’t take the time off because we’ve got our dream vacation coming up in a few months. But I plan on going to the same spot where I took that earlier photo and sending her a cellphone-pic so she knows I’m thinking of her and that I remember our own history.

Ahh...!

(Don’t worry, the secret’s safe. She’s not an avid reader of my blog. After all, she pretty much knows everything going on, even the stuff I can’t post about...yet!)

Are You Paying Attention, Hollywood?

Here are a couple more of my favorite reader-created book trailers for Thirteen Reasons Why.





As you can see, it's all about selecting the right images.

Actually, maybe it's about selecting the right music.

Or editing! Maybe it's about the editing.

Well, whatever it's about...I like 'em!

The Face is Blushing

When my niece and nephew were here last week, we searched my bookshelves for something to read together. I told them the premise of Caroline B. Cooney’s The Face on the Milk Carton: One day at lunch, a 15-year-old girl looks at the back of a milk carton and recognizes the little girl who was abducted twelve years ago. It’s her!

My wife and I had read the entire 4-part series to each other, so I knew it would keep their interest. It’s suspenseful, has great storylines, and while it is YA, there wasn’t anything inappropriate for their ages (10 and 13).

Genevieve and Ellory were intrigued, but we didn’t get very far into the story before their California trip was over. But while I sat with them in the airport, waiting for their flight to board, we pulled out the book to read a few more chapters.

So embarrassing.

See, airports are busy. People stand crammed close together. Eavesdropping is inevitable.

Chapter 5 began…

The kiss was long.

“Does it really say that?” Ellory asked.

I started over.

The kiss was long.
And serious.

Genevieve began laughing. I began blushing. Genevieve laughed even more. Ellory egged me on. “You have to keep going!”

Serious like my hair, thought Janie. She stared amazed at Reeve’s cheek, which was pressed against hers, and with amazement brought her lips together to kiss him again--to start the second kiss, and to choose when to end it.

The people standing around were refusing to look at me or what I was reading, but I just knew they were listening and judging whether or not I was a fit guardian.

She could feel his heart racing and then felt her own pick up speed and run with his.

Thankfully, Reeve’s mom calls him indoors two paragraphs later. And then the people around us walked away.

Next time, everyone brings their own books!

Still Runnin'

We didn't take many photos on Wednesday or Thursday of my niece and nephew's visit. While we had a ton o' fun, places like The Great American Melodrama and movie theaters just don't appreciate flash photography.

But Saturday was all about the great outdoors!

We started the day bright and early, participating in a 3-mile "fun run" to benefit the YMCA. My brother organized the event, so he didn't get to run. But JoanMarie, my mom, Genevieve, Ellory, and I did. (JoanMarie's taking this photo...but I think you can see her in my mom's sunglasses!)


While JoanMarie and my mom ran the whole thing really fast, the rest of us concentrated on the first syllable in "fun run".


Then we calmed down and centered ourselves by walking a very cool stone labyrinth.


But Ellory and I couldn't stay centered for too long, so we staged a mock battle in the trees.


Feeding farm animals has never been my idea of fun. But watching Genevieve and Ellory feed the beasts at Avila Valley Barn, I could've stayed there at least another hour.


When you have relatives visiting from Oregon, you hope to show them a stereotypical California beach day. But the weather was a tad cold and windy. Fortunately, paddleball's always fun!



For Sunday, thankfully, we've scheduled a little more time indoors. Too much fresh air makes me woozy!

Darkness Lifted

I recently linked to a Wall Street Journal article which discussed the dark trend in teen literature. There were some definite errors in the article, and on Wednesday they corrected some of those mistakes.

In the novel “Thirteen Reasons Why,” published in October 2007, the main character kills herself when she is a high-school junior. A June 6 Weekend Journal essay on young-adult fiction incorrectly said that the book was published in March 2007 and that the suicide occurs freshman year.

The newspaper also corrected an error in the description of The Hunger Games.

But they decided not to clarify the unsourced (read: made-up for effect) and creepy comment about librarians who “...want to keep the book off the shelves…” So to put that comment behind me, allow me to clarify what the article was trying to say about librarians wanting to keep my book off the shelves.

Librarians want to keep the book off the shelves where it would only gather dust. Since librarians hear firsthand from teens who’ve actually read the book, they thoroughly enjoy seeing it checked-out at all times. That’s why they give it awards and add it to summer reading lists.

Okay, obviously it’s been a while since I was on the high school newspaper staff.

We're All in This Together

To prove to their parents that JoanMarie and I have been keeping their kids safe, here are some shots taken today. But mostly, I'm just putting them up because we had so much fun with our niece and nephew!

Boomers! was where we spent most of the day. And I won't mention that I kicked everyone's butt at miniature golf because it wasn't about competition. (But I did win!) If you look closely at this shot, you can see that JoanMarie has mastered the art of golfball levitation.


Then she and Genevieve played air hockey. I don't think it's even legal to visit an arcade and not play air hockey!


Then we all got drenched on the bumper boats.


While Genevieve and I were able to edge past Ellory and JoanMarie a few times in our go-kart (no bumping!), they usually held the lead. This was our view the majority of the time.


Then we took them to a cool diner made out of two old train cars. If you go to the Rock & Roll Diner, you have got to order a chocolate malted shake with peanut butter and banana. This is Ellory begging for more of my whipped cream. (No, I didn't give in. He had his own!)


But the big hit of the past several days? The High School Musical soundtrack. I grabbed it at the library before their visit, and it's been a great time-consumer. You see, everyone on my wife's side of the family is musically gifted. (Did you not see my last post?) In this photo, Genevieve and Ellory are doing a duet to "Start of Something New". And tonight, JoanMarie figured out "Breaking Free" on our piano.


I'll admit it. The songs are good. In fact, this morning I woke up singing:

This could be the start
Of somethin' new
It feels so right
To be here with you...oh
And now, lookin' in your eyes
I feel in my heart
(Feel in my heart)
The start of something new

I just hope I don't wake up tomorrow singing:

U gotta
Get'cha, get'cha, get'cha
Get'cha head in the game

Into the Woods

Quick post. Lots of pics. Not much time because we’re watching our niece and nephew, Genevieve and Ellory, this week. Summer’s here!

The weekend began in the mountains at my sis-in-law Louise’s wedding, where she married my new bro-in-law, Corbin. But before the wedding, we had to hit the zip-line. Why a zip-line at a wedding? You’ll see. But first, here’s Ellory and me zippin’ along.


The wedding began with my wife and her mom playing the harp and hammered dulcimer.


And suddenly, flying over their heads, came…the groom!


Zip-lines are the best way to make an entrance for a wedding in the trees.


Then Louise’s sisters and mom performed “Because” by the Beatles. This is Reis, JoanMarie, Gypsy, and DonnaJo.


After the wedding, JoanMarie and I took Genevieve and Ellory camping for a few days. Like any good aunt and uncle, we let them play with knives…


…and fire.


If Gypsy and Eric are reading this, don’t worry. Your kids are perfectly safe. And the skunk? Yes, it raised its tail at Genevieve when she screamed at it, but it didn’t spray. And when the skunk came back the next night with a friend, no one screamed…because they’re actually really cute when they don’t sneak up on you!

Josie & Hannah: Literary Twins

I haven’t read Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, but it’s the book I’m most often recommended by people who’ve also read Thirteen Reasons Why. After a quick look at what her book’s about, I can appreciate why.

…Peter Houghton, an alienated teen who has been bullied for years …brings weapons to his high school…and opens fire, killing 10 people. Flashbacks reveal how bullying caused Peter to retreat into a world of violent computer games. Alex Cormier, the judge assigned to Peter's case, tries to maintain her objectivity as she struggles to understand her daughter, Josie, one of the surviving witnesses of the shooting… (Publisher’s Weekly)

…Josie Cormier…should be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened before her very own eyes--or can she?… Nineteen Minutes asks what it means to be different in our society, who has the right to judge someone else, and whether anyone is ever really who they seem to be. (Product Desription on Amazon.com)

It’s like Nineteen and Thirteen were twins born seven months apart!

Seriously. Twins.

See, while brainstorming book covers, designers have so many factors to weigh. It should grab your attention, set the right tone, and hopefully raise some questions. And while scrolling through stock photos looking for ideas, sometimes they find an image or expression which strikes the perfect note.

Apparently, Ms. Picoult’s German publisher and my U.K. publisher were going after a very similar look:


Whoever that model is, she should probably branch out. She’s quickly becoming typecast all over Europe.


(Thank you, C.L., for this very cool tip!)

Dark & Viral

Thirteen Reasons Why, and teen literature in general, received some interesting mentions in the media recently.

Daisy Whitney's New Media Minute says "the young adult genre is taking the lead with new creative experiments in Web video to promote books..."

And The Wall Street Journal has an article called "It Was, Like, All Dark and Stormy" which talks about the tone of several current bestselling teen novels. But Liz B., over at A Chair, a Fireplace & a Tea Cozy, has a few gripes with the article.

BTW, no, I haven't heard of any librarians who wanted to take my book off the shelves...and Hannah is a junior in high school.

The Czech Edition!

I’m a sucker for gimmicks! All of the covers in this new imprint have a similar design, which includes a talking rabbit in the background.

Yes, I said a rabbit...that talks.

(Check out this page to see another cover from the same imprint, for Carolyn Mackler’s The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things.)

Six of One, Half a Dozen of the Other...More or Less

I'm reading an amazing non-fiction book right now about a very mythologized time in American history. It turns out that the truth is much more fascinating than the myth. But I'm not going to name the book because I'm about to nitpick one itty-bitty aspect of its writing. In terms of its greatness, this book is as huge as a blue whale and my gripe should be seen as a tiny barnacle hidden beneath one of its massive fins.

Here's my pet peeve: I get annoyed when people use a big number to define a smaller number to make the smaller number seem big. For example, when someone says a business made a quarter of a million dollars, it sounds like a lot of money. But a quarter of a million dollars is actually closer to zero dollars than a million dollars. So why not just say the business made $250,000? Doesn't $250,000 sound big enough? Maybe, but when you add a million to the description it sounds like even more!

The same thing applies to saying half a dozen instead of six. Just say six! Why do you have to add the word dozen to make is seem like more? Is six really that embarrassing?

In this fascinating book I'm reading, the author applies this trick in an even sneakier way. He adds the words close to or about before saying half a dozen. So now we're not even talking about six, but five. Just say five!

Now, this can be justified when talking about space or time. Saying someone traveled close to half a dozen miles means they were closer to six miles than five. Fine. But can you honestly justify saying they had close to half a dozen guns? Remember, it's not a dozen guns we're talking about. It's not even six (or half a dozen) guns. It's five guns! The same thing applies to abducting about half a dozen hostages. We're talking about five hostages!

There is another possibility. The author could have meant seven guns or seven hostages, which is just as close to half a dozen as five. But it seems the goal was to upgrade the impact of the numbers, not downgrade. If there really were seven guns and hostages, and if he wanted seven to seem bigger, he should've said close to eight guns and hostages. That, of course, would've made his literary trick too obvious...and writers hate being obvious. We like being sneaky!

Anyway, go read this book (if you can figure out which one I'm talking about). It really is great! Within the first 150 pages, I only found this sneaky number-expanding trick nearly a third of a dozen times.

That’s My Name...You’re Wearing it Out!!!

I got an interesting e-mail this week from a composer in Los Angeles. He told me that he occasionally receives phone calls and e-mails from people who think they’re contacting me.

So why are they contacting him? Because the dude’s name is Jay Asher!

I’ve actually known about Jay Asher for a few years, ever since I tried registering www.jayasher.com and couldn’t because that Jay Asher already owned it. But he seems like a cool guy! And not only is he a composer, he’s also a published author. He wrote a book called Going Pro with Logic Pro 8.

What's his book about?

Logic Pro is arguably the number one digital audio workstation among professional musicians and composers, at home in both professional and project studios worldwide. Going Pro with Logic Pro 8 is an expert level book that addresses the needs of the professional Logic user.

So we might have slightly different target audiences.

Now Jay Asher and I are wondering if one of us should write a small check to the other one. Has anyone searching for his book stumbled upon, and also bought, my book? Or has anyone looking for my book stumbled upon, and also bought, his book?

But rather than worrying too much about that, maybe the next time I’m in L.A. we should just do a booksigning together. That would actually be kind of fun!

13RW Going On 30: A Winner!!!

When I announced the 13RW Going On 30 contest, I said that if Thirteen Reasons Why made it onto the New York Times bestseller list for a 30th week, someone would win a bag o' goodies. Including the word "if" was important because if the book disappeared from the list immediately after I announced the contest, I would've probably felt embarrassed and you wouldn't have heard from me for at least a month.

But the book hung around for another week!!! (You can see the entire list by clicking here.)

So the winner of the goodie bag is:

CARISE PERNELL

Congratulations, Carise. And thank you all for entering!

The Walls are Alive with the Sound of Music

Last week, JoanMarie and I went to Owen's Music...just to look. And whaddaya know! They were having a really good sale. So, we said yes.

Earlier this week, while JM was at work, I waited not-so-patiently for the truck to deliver our baby.


JM grew up with a piano in her home. Almost every time I visited her family, someone was playing the piano...usually her.


And now she's got a piano of her own!

I couldn't wait for her to get off work. And I'm totally shocked she didn't get a speeding ticket on her way home.


When she sat down to play, it was beautiful. It reminded me that she really hasn't changed much since I first met her...and that's a wonderful thing.

Here she is playing a song she wrote for me many years ago when she was in college.

When she was done, I tried playing the only song I knew. But I couldn't remember anything beyond the second chord of Chopsticks.

I suppose I'll have plenty of opportunities to learn now!

13RW Going On 30: A Contest

According to the most recent list, Thirteen Reasons Why has been a New York Times bestseller for 29 weeks. In other words...it's going on 30. Woo-hoo! And if it makes it to 30, one of you will win a big ol' bag o' goodies.


Here's what you'll get with this themed prize:

• A bookbag from the San Luis Obispo library, which is where I worked when I wrote most of Thirteen Reasons Why.
• A signed copy of my book.
• A copy of the audiobook, signed by me and my wife. JoanMarie performs an original song, Soul Alone, at the end of the production.
• A t-shirt from the world's coolest publisher, Razorbill.
• A DVD of 13 Going On 30.
• A pound of Wild Women Blend coffee (which inspired the Hairy Chest Blend in the book) from Linnaea's Café (which inspired Monet's Garden Café).
• Fifty Fandango Bucks, in honor of the place Hannah and Clay worked one summer.
• The Monster at the End of this Book (starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover), which is the most suspenseful book ever written.
• An audiocassette recording of Cassette 5: Side A, with me reading as Clay and JoanMarie reading as Hannah.
• A booklight, because you won't be able to put down The Monster at the End of this Book even if it is past your bedtime.
• A Buffalo Tom c.d. which includes the song Larry. I listened to that song over and over while writing the final two pages.
• Strawberry lipgloss, in honor of Clay's first kiss.

For a chance to win, all you've gotta do is leave your name in the comments section of this post between now and Saturday. Every name will go in a bag and one will be drawn at random. Come back on May 24th to find out if you've won.

Good luck!

And thank you!!!


RULES CLARIFICATION: Leaving an e-mail, MySpace, or blog address will make it much easier and quicker to contact you. But if you simply leave your name, you are still entered. Just make sure to come back on May 24th to see if you've won and we'll figure it out from there. And yes, people who live in another country can play, too!

The Brazilian Edition!

I've always loved covers that prominently display a single object!

Loved It / Hated It

I’ve been hearing from a lot of new authors devastated by online reviews. And let me tell ya: Been there! It’d be one thing if the reviewers didn’t care for your style of writing or pointed out inconsistencies, but sometimes it seems so personal. And when your friends tell you not to take it personally, it’s very tempting to hang up on them or throw them outside and lock the door.

I can think of two ways to avoid negative reviews. Either write a book so lame no one wants to read it, or write something so watered-down no one can misinterpret it.

But if you aim to write something with substance, you need to come to terms with the fact that readers are human. Every person is going to experience art differently based on their points of view and life experiences. (True, some people will intentionally misrepresent your words to bolster their arguments, but I won’t even attempt to get into their heads.)

For your amusement, I’ve trolled through some online reviews of my own book to highlight the opposing ways people can read the same set of words.

Hated it: THIRTEEN REASONS WHY removes all accountability from Hannah and places it all on the other characters…

Loved it: Hannah isn't completely innocent, and she doesn't pretend to be. [S]he also points out some sticky situations she has gotten herself into - and how they backfire on her later.

Hated it: This book is trying to promote that everyone else is responsible for someone's actions.

Loved it: I think it also became important for us to know that, yes, Hannah is a victim, but she is also responsible for her own actions.

Hated it: …it is just so boring…

Loved it: It is a fast read and will keep you on the edge of your seat…

Hated it: Get out the violin. Give me a break.

Loved it: You'll cry, several times, while reading this story.


To really understand this post, go read the most glowing reviews of something you hated. You just might find yourself thinking, Did they even read the same book I did???

The Polish Edition!

Finally, Clay gets his own cover!

Near the Island of the Blue Dolphins

On Saturday, JoanMarie and I took a boat trip to the Channel Islands. I'm embarrassed to admit, but I completely forgot there were a whole bunch of islands just off the coast until I flew over them a couple months ago. (I guess I should've paid more attention during fourth grade California history.)

On our journey to Santa Cruz Island, we saw these sea lions taking a break from all that swimming.


Here's a pic of our boat after it dropped us off. (That's the California coast in the background.)


Then we began a 3.7 mile hike to Smuggler's Cove. It was odd, because even though we were on an island, it didn't feel like we were on an island. It just felt like we were hiking on some hills near a beach. But then we'd see a nearby island and remember how cool it was to be hiking on an island!


But even on an island, it's easy to get lost. (And yes, there were plenty of Lost and Gilligan's Island jokes.) Thankfully, they had really creepy signs like these to keep us on the right track.


Santa Cruz Island is part of the Channel Islands chain, which includes San Nicolas Island. In its honor, we brought a copy of Island of the Blue Dolphins to read from.


When we got back to the boat, I was feeling pretty good. Not only did I get in a good hike and visit a stunning beach, the boat was departing ten minutes early. That meant I would have plenty of time to visit Ralph's Comic Corner for Free Comic Book Day. (Yes, I did feel a tad guilty thinking about FCBD while surrounded by such beauty.)

But halfway home, the boat turned around and started following...a humpback whale!


As we continued our journey home, some other creatures of the sea decided to play with our boat.


Dolphins! It was truly magical.


And I even got to Ralph's Comic Corner with ten minutes to spare.