Archive: Author: Hannah

Boston/Philly/Salem/Portland

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I’m heading off to do a brief tour of readings. At each of these events I’ll be showing slides of graveyards and giving away things from The Good Thief: wishing stones, St. Anthony medals, and bottles of Mother Jones’s Elixir for Misbehaving Children. It would be great to see some of you–I hope you’ll come out. You can get the details for any of these at the Events Page.

Sirenland 2010

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sirenland2009 007For the past three years, I’ve been taking part in the Sirenland Writers Conference. This extraordinary conference began about four years ago, when author Dani Shapiro and her husband the screenwriter Michael Maren met Antonio and Carla Sersale, owners of Le Sirenuse Hotel in Positano, Italy. Antonio wanted to host a writers’ conference at his hotel, and Dani called me up to see if I’d be willing to help organize it with her and Michael. Italy? I said. Absolutely.

Our first year was very simple–a workshop that met every morning, with one-on-one talks and lectures in the evening in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Now Sirenland is about to enter its fourth year, and will take place March 21-27, 2010. We’re hosting three workshops with three extraordinary writers: Ron Carlson, Dani Shapiro, and Jim Shepard. I’ll be there as well, talking about the business side of publishing, editorial work, and also my own writing.

Participation in this conference is limited to ensure individual attention and create a close, friendly community. Each day features an intensive, small group workshop, as well as private time for writing, and excursions to nearby Pompeii and the Isle of Capri. Evenings will include talks about publishing and living the writer’s life, distinguished visiting authors, student and instructor readings, and fantastic meals overlooking the Islands of Li Galli, formerly called the “Island of the Sirens.”

Here’s what previous Sirenlanders had to say about their experience:

“Sirenland is unparalleled in its generosity to writers and its gracious commitment to helping participants to excavate their truest voice. By exploring structure, tone, intention and impulse, the conference makes room for both craft and art with the backdrop of a stunning setting.”– Tessa Blake (Sirenland 2009)

“The conference exceeded my expectations in virtually every way and even fulfilled many I didn’t know I had (or should have!). From the critiquing and teaching methods as a whole, to all the great friends and colleagues I made, to of course the amazing surroundings, both outside and in, the conference was a joy.”
– Eric Grunwald (Sirenland 2009)

“I left Sirenland feeling it is less of a place than a concept, created by a small group of gifted artists who understand writing as a calling, and that those among us who must heed the song crave a safe and beautiful haven, enchantment, community and nurturance. Sirenland gives us this and so much more. It feeds the soul, and like a dream you want to return to, it lingers.” – Adele Bertai (Sirenland 2009)

To apply writers must submit a brief statement of purpose (about 250 words) and a writing sample (no more than 7,000 words). All applications will be taken online at www.sirenland.net. Because this workshop will be limited, I encourage you to submit right away. The final deadline will be October 31st, 2009!

Mousetraps!

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mousewebA few months ago, I spoke with the Osceola County Library Book Club from Florida. One of the questions they asked me was about the inspiration behind the mousetrap factory that appears in The Good Thief. This picture explains it all. It’s from a children’s book called Pinchpenny Mouse (now sadly out of print), written by Robert Kraus and illustrated by Robert Byrd. It’s the story of a small town in Wales where the mice make mousetraps. My parents read me this book when I was a little girl, and I loved the story, especially the illustrations.

When I was trying to decide what the factory in North Umbrage should make, this picture from Pinchpenny Mouse came to mind. I hadn’t read the book in twenty years, and yet I remembered nearly every detail.

The lovely ladies of the Osceola County Book Club tracked down a copy of Pinchpenny Mouse and sent it to me as a thank you for speaking to their group. When I opened the box, I was so surprised and touched. It’s wonderful to read the book again, and to have a copy of my own. I believe the stories we are exposed to as children are incredibly important. If we are lucky they stay with us, and continue to give and inspire, for many, many years.

Tinti devoured by Sea Monsters?

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seamonstersOn  September 15th at 7 pm my friend David Del Vecchio, owner of the fantastic Idlewild Books is hosting a launch party for Sense & Sensibility & Sea Monsters, follow up to the bestseller Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. I’ll be there acting out a scene with Jane Austen’s co-author, Ben Winters. I’m hoping to get attacked by a giant squid, but there’s no telling what will happen. The only thing I do know is that there will be fried calamari for all. To find out more, go here. Or watch the trailer below. 

Animal Crackers: Now in Chinese

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chineseac Today I opened a box of Animal Crackers, translated into Chinese–traditional Chinese, that is–which is used in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. It’s an absolutely beautiful book, produced by Ink.

What excited me the most about this version of Animal Crackers is that there are amazing black and white illustrations. One for each story. They remind me of Kara Walker’s work, which I love. My next email will be sent to Ink to see if I can get the name of the artist. Once I find out, I will post it here. But until then, I took shots of the pictures with my camera. For those of you who have read Animal Crackers, you will understand how perfect each of these illustrations are. For those of you who haven’t, go here to read an excerpt from the book. If you want your own copy, you can order it from Ink, but you have to be able to read traditional Chinese to navigate the site!

UPDATE: The name of the artist is: Wang Zheng Hong

Spirit of ’76 & Julia Glass

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julia glass1Last night I did a book signing at The Spirit of ’76 Bookstore in Marblehead, MA with National Book Award winner Julia Glass. I’ve been a fan of Julia’s work for many years, and it was a thrill to share a signing table with her. Her latest novel, I See You Everywhere, is just out in paperback.

After I graduated from college, I worked at Spirit, and it was there that I learned, from the ground up, how books are sold–from the everyday excitement when a new shipment arrives, to special orders and pre-orders of favorite authors, to the hand-selling of unknown writers we had fallen in love with. It was great to be back and browsing the shelves again.

My writing group

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writinggroupWhen I tell people that it took me nearly six years to write The Good Thief, they usually ask: How did you keep going? Well, one of the answers is in this picture–my writing group: Helen Ellis and Ann Napolitano. The three of us met at NYU’s Graduate Creative Writing program, began sharing our work, and have now been meeting for more than ten years. We’ve seen each other through many ups and downs, rejections, our first publications, and finally our first books. Helen published Eating the Cheshire Cat, and Ann followed with Within Arms Reach. Look for Helen’s new young adult series, which will be published next year, and Ann’s new novel, which will be sent out to publishers this fall. We went out last week to celebrate the paperback of The Good Thief and afterwards stopped in a bookstore. There it was, on the front table! For those of you out there trying to write, the most important thing, I believe, is to become a part of a community. A writing group that meets regularly keeps you going, and doesn’t let you give up, even when everything in your life is conspiring against you finishing that book. So here’s to Helen and Ann–great editors, cheerleaders, and friends. I couldn’t have done this without you.

Paper Anniversary

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New Zealand 047Today the paperback of The Good Thief arrives in bookstores.

It’s hard to believe that a year has already passed since the hardback was published. I was in New Zealand in August 2008, and I remember feeling strange but also relieved that I was so far from home. The novel I’d been working on for the past six years was finally out, and I was full of joy but also anxiety and fear: would anyone buy it? I went for a walk on the beach in Paihia. And what did I find there, on the opposite end of the world? Wishing stones.

For those of you who don’t know what a wishing stone is, and how important they figure in The Good Thief, I suggest checking out the Q&A for the book. But if you’re familiar with The Good Thief, you can understand how appropriate and magical this moment was, even though these rocks were very different from the soft gray stones I collected as a child on the coast of New England. They were charcoal black and more like jagged pieces of slate–but the bright white line was circling them, all the same. I was extraordinarily grateful, sitting there with those wishing stones. I took their discovery as a sign of good things to come.

And come they did. The Good Thief has found an enthusiastic audience, and for that I am extremely thankful. Over the past year I’ve met readers in bookstores, at schools and colleges, at festivals, conferences, online book forums, libraries, continuing education programs and book clubs. Through this extraordinary novel (that I wrote sitting alone in my apartment), I have connected with people across the country and made many new friends. Now that The Good Thief is out in paperback, I’m hoping Ren’s story reaches an even wider audience. So hello to everyone who is visiting this site for the first time. Welcome! And thank you for turning the pages.