Fun/Interesting Facts
· As a child, I was scared of a lot of things.
· I escaped many near-death experiences while in an earthquake in Afghanistan, a riot in Kabul, and then blood poisoning in Kathmandu.
· One night when I was younger, I attended a musical about Jesse James. I noticed that the actor portraying Jesse James was very handsome. The actor’s name was Will Osborne. I fell in love with him that night and about a year later, we were married.
· I escaped many near-death experiences while in an earthquake in Afghanistan, a riot in Kabul, and then blood poisoning in Kathmandu.
· One night when I was younger, I attended a musical about Jesse James. I noticed that the actor portraying Jesse James was very handsome. The actor’s name was Will Osborne. I fell in love with him that night and about a year later, we were married.
What are your ten favorite books, and what makes them special to you?
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett -- In this book, I discovered my first girl hero -- lonely, abandoned Sara Crewe who tries to make the best of a terrible situation.
Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe -- Wolfe's rich, wild language sent my teenage imagination soaring and made me want to write.
Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger -- "Remember Seymour's fat lady" was the mantra of my youth.
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky -- The scene with the Grand Inquisitor has long been a reference point for me.
The Elements of Style by E. B. White -- E. B. White lessons about the elegance of simple, clear writing well serve all writers.
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf -- Insightful, lyrical, original, To the Lighthouse is the most moving book about family life I've ever read.
Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov -- Nabokov's memories about his childhood in pre-revolutionary Russia inspired me to take a more thoughtful look at the world around me.
My Mother's House/Sido by Colette -- My senses were opened by Colette's haunting evocation of her childhood.
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway -- The clean, crisp writing in this book was a guide and inspiration when I began writing young adult novels.
The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher -- This collection of Fisher's exquisite books about food and life helped get me through two traumatic times in my life. What are some of your favorite films, and what makes them unforgettable to you?
A Shop on Main Street -- I thought this small Czech film was the most profound film I've ever seen regarding the Holocaust.
A Member of the Wedding (with Julie Andrews and Ethel Waters) -- I love the depiction of small town southern life in the 50's. Its three leading characters are totally original and yet totally familiar.