tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89620877950263699422024-02-07T08:49:31.712-05:00Kekla Magoonfiction or non,
historical or contemporary,
your stories matter.
come with me.
let's figure out how to tell them....Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-34581612528747662062011-11-28T13:00:00.000-05:002011-11-28T13:00:02.751-05:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> CHICKS ROCK!</span>, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" border="0" />The Women's Mosaic is a New York City-based non-profit organization that provides education, inspiration, and motivation for women to rise up and rock the world! The Women's Mosaic unites and empowers women through programs that promote intercultural understanding and personal growth. We are a community of diverse, dynamic women interested in expanding our horizons by creating positive change that can individually and collectively enrich the world.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-53391480425468369462011-11-21T13:00:00.000-05:002011-11-21T13:00:04.573-05:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> CHICKS ROCK!</span>, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" border="0" />The Women's Mosaic is a New York City-based non-profit organization that provides education, inspiration, and motivation for women to rise up and rock the world! The Women's Mosaic unites and empowers women through programs that promote intercultural understanding and personal growth. We are a community of diverse, dynamic women interested in expanding our horizons by creating positive change that can individually and collectively enrich the world.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-53349193551095082692011-11-14T13:00:00.000-05:002011-11-14T13:00:02.557-05:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> CHICKS ROCK!</span>, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" border="0" />The Women's Mosaic is a New York City-based non-profit organization that provides education, inspiration, and motivation for women to rise up and rock the world! The Women's Mosaic unites and empowers women through programs that promote intercultural understanding and personal growth. We are a community of diverse, dynamic women interested in expanding our horizons by creating positive change that can individually and collectively enrich the world.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-34376862836087436542011-11-07T13:00:00.000-05:002011-11-07T13:00:04.423-05:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> CHICKS ROCK!</span>, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" border="0" />The Women's Mosaic is a New York City-based non-profit organization that provides education, inspiration, and motivation for women to rise up and rock the world! The Women's Mosaic unites and empowers women through programs that promote intercultural understanding and personal growth. We are a community of diverse, dynamic women interested in expanding our horizons by creating positive change that can individually and collectively enrich the world.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-78661061706164154662011-11-03T10:22:00.002-04:002011-11-03T10:22:00.052-04:00The ARCs are here!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETlBBXzFlNk0lnGESQAwGcQtFhZBk173ZWPFuZQbZ09Lm3zYhZ9f0XI5JojZg87mUF-0rOw4DpASV6oWtaR8wOaUFpO4Fedw8eTcFC9YEWfFCyfdZ9kZyHLGYb0pkKz3MRMyx00Vwj-dY/s1600/9780805094657.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETlBBXzFlNk0lnGESQAwGcQtFhZBk173ZWPFuZQbZ09Lm3zYhZ9f0XI5JojZg87mUF-0rOw4DpASV6oWtaR8wOaUFpO4Fedw8eTcFC9YEWfFCyfdZ9kZyHLGYb0pkKz3MRMyx00Vwj-dY/s400/9780805094657.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670500517307096018" border="0" /></a><br />I just got my Advanced Reader Copies for <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">37 Things I Love</span>, due out from Henry Holt in May 2012.<br /><br />People sometimes ask if things like this get old after you've done a few books. Well, NOT FOR ME!!! It's differently exciting for each book, but still very exciting to see a project that was years in the making finally coming to fruition.<br /><br />Happy day.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780805094657">Find out more about the book, or pre-order it, at IndieBound</a>.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-88452222424900703902011-11-03T06:39:00.001-04:002011-11-03T06:39:00.087-04:00Camo Girl ChatIn the spirit of posting video links, here is a short video of me talking about <span style="font-style: italic;">Camo Girl</span>. There are a lot of random clips of me talking about <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rock and the River</span>; I figured <span style="font-style: italic;">Camo Girl</span> was due its turn in the spotlight.<br /><br />Oh, and if you're wondering why the still image at the opening looks the way it does, I have no idea. Kind of cool, kind of weird. Not on purpose. That is how these things go. I'm new to online video.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31093003?byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" width="400"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/31093003">Camo Girl</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user9028598">Kekla Magoon</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p><p>Author Kekla Magoon discusses her inspirations for her middle grade novel Camo Girl (Aladdin 2011).</p>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-70910206703029335452011-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:002011-11-02T08:00:14.978-04:00On Violence and Racism, Then and NowI've just been reminded of this video interview that I did for <a href="http://zettaelliott.com/">Zetta Elliott</a> more than a year ago, after a panel at the New York Public Library. This is one of my favorite videos to date of me talking about the motivations behind writing The Rock and the River.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KF3x4vSOXNs&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KF3x4vSOXNs&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="360"></embed></object><br /><br />Plus, after my part, Zetta filmed <a href="http://ritawg.com/">Rita Williams-Garcia</a> and Tonya Cherie Hegamin. Never hurts to share billing with fabulous ladies like them. This was a great panel! I have a feeling that one day soon it's going to be time for us to take our show on the road....Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-79790520855189870352011-10-31T17:00:00.000-04:002011-10-31T17:00:06.187-04:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> CHICKS ROCK!</span>, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" border="0" />The Women's Mosaic is a New York City-based non-profit organization that provides education, inspiration, and motivation for women to rise up and rock the world! The Women's Mosaic unites and empowers women through programs that promote intercultural understanding and personal growth. We are a community of diverse, dynamic women interested in expanding our horizons by creating positive change that can individually and collectively enrich the world.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-2668430891880180542011-10-28T09:00:00.000-04:002011-10-28T09:00:00.680-04:00The Author's Life CycleThere’s a talk that I give about my experience as a debut author (I call it “My Journey with The Rock and the River”), which is all about the phenomenon I’ve dubbed The Author’s Life Cycle. <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">The evolution of this presentation was pretty unusual, because the topic they had asked me to present on was “My Journey to the NAACP Image Awards,” which initially gave me the <u>eemy-squeamy feeling</u> of tooting my own horn a little too hard. But as I thought more about it, I realized there actually was an important journey I could speak about. A journey that wasn’t about the award itself (such things are windfall, entirely beyond our personal control), but about my transformation from being a person who wrote a novel once to being a person whose book was out in the world, rapidly gaining attention and reaching new readers every day. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">The Author’s Life Cycle is an ongoing process, one that renews itself with each and every book. It’s not singular, or static, or a thing that you move through in a linear fashion, graduating from one stage to the next, never to return. It is practically a living entity that exists alongside you, grows with you and changes with you, always keeping you on your toes. If you’re lucky. If you’re not, it can just as easily spin you into despair or dissolution.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">Here’s what I’m talking about:</p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I. Alone in my room:</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXrl6uAX2lx5HFBOKa3jtu43dsPjO2hsFmPd883kZ9oEReA_47-p9Zxg3bf7wjUqbIhSMiEg6iXEQAzJGo8gVoqCxdb2Dsyy-956jc-NAyZXSNkcVo6patpHW7I57mlojFbKo5s_5hjaq/s1600/Author%2527s+Life+Cycle.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJXrl6uAX2lx5HFBOKa3jtu43dsPjO2hsFmPd883kZ9oEReA_47-p9Zxg3bf7wjUqbIhSMiEg6iXEQAzJGo8gVoqCxdb2Dsyy-956jc-NAyZXSNkcVo6patpHW7I57mlojFbKo5s_5hjaq/s400/Author%2527s+Life+Cycle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664640566447127138" border="0" /></a> The exciting, independent creative process of developing your manuscript.<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">II. Publish me, pretty please:</b> The long road to publication; the queries, rejections, hope and despair.<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">III. My baby, all grown up:</b> The publication experience; the transition from manuscript to actual book.<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">IV. Feedback:</b> Receiving reviews, meeting your readers, releasing ownership of your material to your audience.<br /><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">V. Interfacing and Inspiration:</b> Drawing on new activities and interactions for renewed inspiration.<br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">I have a LOT to say about this journey and its stages (hence the decision to blog), but for now I leave you with this:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">Once I began to understand this cycle, it explained so much about the roller coaster of emotions I experienced along with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The Rock and the River</i>. The overwhelming, preoccupying joy at one end of the spectrum, down to the deep, unsettling anxiety of feeling overexposed and vulnerable. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">It was so hard to talk about all those emotions, especially because I couldn’t figure out who to talk about them to. Friends and family care about my well-being, but they just don’t fully get it. (“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">You’re published. You’ve arrived. What’s the problem?”</i>) Writer friends got some of it, but because I was one of the first among my inner circle to publish, it was hard sometimes to talk about the ups and downs without feeling like I was bragging about what I’d achieved. (“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">You’re nervous about talking to your new editor? You mean the editor for your <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">soon-to-be-published novel</b>? Boo, hoo.”</i>) So, I ended up shouldering this mostly alone. </p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >I suspect that says more about me and my own little hang-ups than it does about the people in my life, who have been unfailingly supportive and sympathetic. It’s simply my way of speaking about some of the isolating aspects of authorhood. We start out in our private little worlds, writing up a storm, but there comes a point (somewhere around your first book birthday) where it’s time to step out of our heads and into the world. And it’s so much scarier than putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. Turns out, that was the easy part.</span></span>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-14714325416422770362011-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:002011-10-26T08:00:17.013-04:00That Eeemy-Squeamy Feeling<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> 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0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">If you’ve been around literary networking events at all, you’ve probably met those authors who feel it is their mission in life to get everyone to buy their book. Personally. Right here. Why wait? They have copies for sale. They can sign one for you. Personalize it. Give you a plastic bag, and a bookmark, and sign you up on their mailing list, for which you’ll receive an additional bag and bookmark once you’ve recommended their book to someone else or written a compelling blog post extolling its virtues. You know you want one. Come on. Please?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">Arrrgh. The only thing worse than having to dodge a persistent self-promoter is dealing with the fear that you, too, come across as an aggressive, egotistical maniac whose book can’t possibly be any good if she’s having to push it so hard. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">So, where is the line between assertiveness and aggression when it comes to promoting your own work? It’s so easy to see when other people cross it—why is it so difficult to see this line in relation to yourself? </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The bad news is, you can never really see it. The line moves, depending on so many factors—the setting, what your intentions are, the mood of your conversation partner, their perception of you. (Notice—the list includes things that are wholly out of your control.) But do not lose faith, my dears, because here’s the good news: if you feel slightly embarrassed by self-promotion, you definitely have the self-regulatory instincts that keep you from coming across as a crazy. Whew.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">Because we fear being perceived badly, most writers actually fall into the category of not being assertive enough when it comes to self-promotion. I can’t count the number of times I’ve thought to myself, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">“I really want to tell Person X about my book. Is that going to seem weird? Is it too forward of me?”</i> Never mind how much we love our work, we don’t feel socially permitted to say so. (More on this later.) Thus, the anxiety of worrying about how we’ll come across collides with the anxiety of desperately wanting to talk about our work, which drives us toward a deeper existential anxiety, and the vicious cycle continues.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">There’s no perfect formula. You have to feel it out. But I do have some thoughts on different levels of self-promotion, and where each might be appropriate. For example, you can be much more forward with an industry professional in a networking setting (like at a conference) than you can if you meet at a mutual friend’s wedding. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal">The bottom line is this: in order to be an effective self-promoter, you have to get comfortable with confronting the eeemy-squeamy feeling of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Am I making this too much about me?</i> </p> <span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";font-size:11.0pt;" >And then you’ve gotta just go out and do it.</span>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-71444645590963238602011-10-25T08:50:00.003-04:002011-10-25T13:32:19.744-04:00Book Trailer DiscoveriesExcuse me while I take a moment to extoll the wonder that is YouTube:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >"YouTube is awesome!" </span>(Okay, I'm done.)<br /><br />I never used to go on there, and in retrospect I don't understand how it eluded me for so long, but recently I've become much more proficient at surfing for videos. As a result, I have found the following:<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mIwAI07qp64" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />I LOVE book trailers. I've always wanted to create one for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rock and the River</span>, but I never quite got the hang of gathering photos and setting it to music and such. I am now inspired to try one for <span style="font-style: italic;">Camo Girl</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Fire in the Streets</span>, the ROCK sequel that is coming out in 2012.<br /><br />Thanks very much to the person who made this. I couldn't tell his/her name (apparently I'm not <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> YouTube-proficient yet) but I really enjoyed the end product here and I appreciate the time and effort someone took to create this for the book.<br /><br />And then I found another one, by Robyn Young:<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6ZZsN7kPRQM" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Thanks, Robyn! It looks great.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-52185021812683454962011-10-24T17:00:00.000-04:002011-10-24T17:00:02.595-04:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> CHICKS ROCK!</span>, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" border="0" />The Women's Mosaic is a New York City-based non-profit organization that provides education, inspiration, and motivation for women to rise up and rock the world! The Women's Mosaic unites and empowers women through programs that promote intercultural understanding and personal growth. We are a community of diverse, dynamic women interested in expanding our horizons by creating positive change that can individually and collectively enrich the world.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-7650154283982676142011-10-21T10:00:00.004-04:002011-10-21T10:00:04.316-04:00Starting the Journey<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> 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Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" face="georgia" style="line-height: normal; ">The genesis for my new blog focus is somewhat sprawling. It’s taken me a long time to figure out what I want to say about the real world (fiction comes easy). But I like to think that when a course of action is the right fit, there will be multiple paths leading you to it. Even if you make some strange choices along the way, if you’re paying close attention those paths will wind you right back to where you’re supposed to be going.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">I started thinking about “the author’s journey” about a year ago, during a period of time when I found myself answering lots of questions from debut authors. Questions like:</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">How do I prepare for a school visit? <span style="font-weight: bold;">How much do I need to self-promote?</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">How do you deal with a bad review?</span> How important is a blog, and do I have to get on Twitter? <span style="font-weight: bold;">How do I explain to my friends that writing is a real job, not just a hobby?</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">What kinds of questions are my readers likely to ask?</span> Where can I order cheap bookmarks? <span style="font-weight: bold;">I’m dying to see my book on a bookstore shelf--how do I get bookstores to carry it?</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Will it ever stop being really cool to see my book on a bookstore shelf?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">I could never purport myself to be a true authority on any of these things, but I found that I had answers to the questions, and a perspective to share based on my experiences. It seemed to be helpful to people. And I wanted to continue talking, because it felt reassuring to know that the years of struggle since my debut novel sold might actually be relevant to someone other than me. In other words, I’m starting to feel a lot less alone in the world, and the best thing I can think to do with that feeling is to share it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">I found this video of myself at an SCBWI conference almost two years ago, and it pretty much sums up my feelings…</p> <object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YCkhSyxFBl8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YCkhSyxFBl8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="360"></embed></object> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; font-family: georgia;">…even though I didn’t immediately recognize the full meaning of what I was trying to express. At the time, it was one of my first video appearances, and I was just happy that I didn’t come across looking or sounding like a total idiot! </p><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=" line-height: 115%; font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >Many paths, same destination.</span>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-2700791573491067902011-10-20T10:14:00.000-04:002011-10-20T10:14:00.161-04:00Cynsational Me<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrkYwkXL1GGWTukUARkEB1DPqa_x-I8ojPB1vVGjbaox8Wb75xoMJVxbE4CWHBLiZmtX_bZQkUvG7ot3fCr3ZcCPcn4dOUTta1CgkqHyoIfF8beKxCr7NlBaYq2bw0MrHMGKEoHd1c4DW/s1600/KM+with+Camo+Girl.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrkYwkXL1GGWTukUARkEB1DPqa_x-I8ojPB1vVGjbaox8Wb75xoMJVxbE4CWHBLiZmtX_bZQkUvG7ot3fCr3ZcCPcn4dOUTta1CgkqHyoIfF8beKxCr7NlBaYq2bw0MrHMGKEoHd1c4DW/s320/KM+with+Camo+Girl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665399425488178114" border="0" /></a>My guest post was featured yesterday on <a href="http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/">Cynsations</a>, author <a href="http://cynthialeitichsmith.com/">Cynthia Leitich Smith</a>'s awesome all-things-kidlit blog.<br /><br />I blogged about my inspirations for writing <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781416978046">Camo Girl</a>, my novel about friendship and fitting in in middle school. <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Camo Girl</span> deals with some hot-button issues of the day, like bullying, but mainly it is about learning to recognize real friendship and accepting yourself even when you are different from everyone around you.<br /><br />Here's a teaser from my guest post.:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">What’s your inspiration?” is a question that most authors I know get asked a lot—by friends, by child readers, by fellow writers.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Like most authors (I suspect), I’ve developed semi-canned answers to this question—answers which are based on truth, but which always leave me feeling a bit squirmy. I never can get to the bottom of something as unwieldy as my inspiration in a sound bite...." </span><br /></blockquote><br />...which is why I had to write an entire article about it. <a href="http://bit.ly/mWMmM3">Read the rest here.</a>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-86179675866142080742011-10-19T10:00:00.000-04:002011-10-19T10:00:03.548-04:00New Year, New Directions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxz3pJEktNSNo_l9hvJ5fZ16yyVzRlJFdTV25YlZLfS0X4YqdByolJR7kSWuoUZFPhOD21Z7jDA7kn0qgd28qm1lnvzPLn6uvTBOGfbbgwe7e0iYYqHyLmPvxo9zg2SK0YLV4nFawDMZ9/s1600/9033x8arl8wx43.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 213px; height: 320px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659683954684233746" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWxz3pJEktNSNo_l9hvJ5fZ16yyVzRlJFdTV25YlZLfS0X4YqdByolJR7kSWuoUZFPhOD21Z7jDA7kn0qgd28qm1lnvzPLn6uvTBOGfbbgwe7e0iYYqHyLmPvxo9zg2SK0YLV4nFawDMZ9/s320/9033x8arl8wx43.jpg" border="0" /></a>Okay, so it isn't the new year yet, but I can't believe how fast the summer disappeared, and how quickly the fall seems to be getting chomped up, too. It's already mid-October (eek!) and I'm sure I'll be dragging out my snowboots and singing Auld Lang Syne much sooner than I can possibly imagine.<div><div> </div><p></p><div>So, I just wanted to share a quick update about some changes that I'm planning and some new ideas that I'm forming about my online presence. In short: I need to step it up a notch! I started this blog when my first book was published, believing that it would be a good way to keep people informed of my activities. It is, but I've felt for a while now that I can't be an effective blogger until I find a focus and direction for my posts that is larger than myself and more content-rich than simple self-promotion.</div><p></p><div> </div><p></p><div>Happy news: After <em>only</em> three years, I finally figured out what I want to blog about! Hooray! </div><p></p><div> </div><div>The new focus for my blog (as yet untitled) is going to be the author's journey. I'll share my reflections on the experience of transitioning from being a person who aspires to publish, to a person with a book contract in hand, to a person who is a published author, especially focusing on all the steps along the journey from being a debut novelist to being an established and successful author. Writers view publication as the epitome of success, but there's also a profound personal and professional journey that begins when you get your first contract. Sometimes it feels like you've been thrust into no-man's-land, and we don't talk enough about how to negotiate the "after." I hope this blog can become a gathering place for authors to share their experiences and struggles (personal and professional) as well as a place to welcome debut writers into the fold with resources, advice and support that will help them get off to a great start.</div><div> </div><p></p><div>I'm updating my website design now, and it will all launch in January, so I'll do some cross-posting at that time and try to drum up new traffic and start a broader conversation. In the meantime, for the benefit of my few but faithful followers, I'm going to be posting some initial material on these topics so that when the brand new blog (yay!) goes live, I'll already have some things posted for people to look at.</div><div> </div><p></p><div>Basically, this is a warning to my existing fans (you are few, but you are loyal!): Don't freak out when I start posting more than once a week! I truly hope you'll join me when I move to the new and improved keklamagoon.com, and that you'll add your insights to the conversation there.</div><div> </div></div><p><a href="http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=905"><span style="font-size:78%;">Image: Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net</span></a></p>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01207273389932382389noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-30841448895559401962011-10-17T17:35:00.004-04:002011-10-17T17:45:24.395-04:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> CHICKS ROCK!</span>, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a><br /> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" border="0" />The Women's Mosaic is a New York City-based non-profit organization that provides education, inspiration, and motivation for women to rise up and rock the world! The Women's Mosaic unites and empowers women through programs that promote intercultural understanding and personal growth. We are a community of diverse, dynamic women interested in expanding our horizons by creating positive change that can individually and collectively enrich the world.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-72134815684439035332011-04-18T06:00:00.001-04:002011-10-17T17:35:01.641-04:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at CHICKS ROCK!, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" border="0" />Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-50019497513429278222011-04-11T10:43:00.001-04:002011-04-11T10:43:00.346-04:00Mondays at CHICKS ROCK!On Mondays I post at CHICKS ROCK!, the blog of The Women's Mosaic. <a href="http://chicksrockblog.com/search/label/Kekla" target="_blank">Check out my posts there, too!</a> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 54px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594198208308022418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3SEi5Xv45npjYZ0OjK3t3DnDdg5-5sy1nBeRROFGJ0CbVqBCevZMt0NefL4gVOCqE350wVllEuZhtSKp9eILNef-VirEZmInIbcf1mArLSt4CjBu3NAgSFiRUvP__-xz1ZX3ROw68PWJ/s320/chicksrockblogheader.png" />Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-69683107577386745942011-04-05T06:00:00.001-04:002011-04-11T03:28:15.969-04:00Sunny San FranciscoOkay, so it wasn't all that sunny in reality, but my recent visit to Northern California certainly left me with a nice sunny feeling inside. <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594218802469846386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNKryYzD6M-vbZ9JpfSVuWjIQ0p6spH0a3HQMWTj2ZrE4ERw5ZfSXwCeWCkUrojM2slnxQiW66k6XsjNoyXOsGbu_eE7BiWSfbznMARy5-te_H_KXKD2gkkeAFcTTZR7cDuSa2DdcAIa3/s200/SanFrisco+Heart.jpg" />I spent a week on the west coast, mostly in San Francisco with a few days spent up in Chico, California. Soon, I'll post about the actual work I did, which was the central purpose for my travels (four events during the course of the week!), but in between, I managed to find some time to just be a tourist.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHWaKr3Ox3izXQMyPA2QiwxRC681zY3mVwVbfyIJY7C6SHeOKSAuchXbXN3VSgk8YzgPFOTFh-RW9F1yjl6waF7lbHZtQht3nzjrRLQH9mioP9q8ac-EZnOI0btbtGZVxeMCrGzZfqf1U/s1600/IMG_4333.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594222170682867874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHWaKr3Ox3izXQMyPA2QiwxRC681zY3mVwVbfyIJY7C6SHeOKSAuchXbXN3VSgk8YzgPFOTFh-RW9F1yjl6waF7lbHZtQht3nzjrRLQH9mioP9q8ac-EZnOI0btbtGZVxeMCrGzZfqf1U/s200/IMG_4333.JPG" /></a> <br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I did some research on the Black Panther Party while I was in the vicinity of the area where the group was founded, and it turns out the legacy is alive in a lot of different ways throughout the city. The tastiest homage I ran across was Black Panther fudge at Z Cioccolato. It's their best seller. Yum!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjlAEZLuS9-Dh4EI-7FZkTEO3dE2C0DYh1CTnZLcN1535KpMx477W3Ao_re_ppYUhMTKacIKzGj2GuNljyuLbydS1GwjAQuzTGb6uCVKv2KcG-NVNAajNqEp5ydi9P491iPvM9fMZpoyN/s1600/IMG_4320.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594219292987842466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjlAEZLuS9-Dh4EI-7FZkTEO3dE2C0DYh1CTnZLcN1535KpMx477W3Ao_re_ppYUhMTKacIKzGj2GuNljyuLbydS1GwjAQuzTGb6uCVKv2KcG-NVNAajNqEp5ydi9P491iPvM9fMZpoyN/s200/IMG_4320.JPG" /></a>I rode the cable cars everywhere they went! I didn't really know how cable cars worked until I went to the Cable Car Museum, and boy, did I learn a lot about cables. However, the cable cars do not go down this road, the "crookedest" street. This cracked me up. I've never seen anything like it.</div><br /><div>Sunset on the Golden Gate Bridge. Turns out, the <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKt11hmqJeeslPIPC49B-6k4E__RcT_txJV0o1QI4Rs7SeLeHOBhpbGr4jZrRyiPX98pAClXhKnUdki4dIgAPR_RuLvCFHFax3W92i8_dlbh_3drrQBzgEnY6YbWuyL4MlV60O-kE9gW4/s1600/IMG_4315.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594219882409679074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKt11hmqJeeslPIPC49B-6k4E__RcT_txJV0o1QI4Rs7SeLeHOBhpbGr4jZrRyiPX98pAClXhKnUdki4dIgAPR_RuLvCFHFax3W92i8_dlbh_3drrQBzgEnY6YbWuyL4MlV60O-kE9gW4/s200/IMG_4315.JPG" /></a>middle of the bridge (there's a pedestrian path) is as good a place as any to be inspired to scrawl an epic poem in your notebook, and stand there awkwardly, looking bizarre and gathering suspicious looks from passersby. Ah, the embarrasments we suffer to pursue creative arts.</div></div></div></div></div>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-43612780600743064462011-04-01T10:00:00.000-04:002011-04-11T02:50:30.744-04:00Camo Girl on the Radio<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1dND8qNMWwCjWmyb7bABK8I8TbH0xiDDGnxIC_W-lwfaCl85dSBuoCScW8MZ9107KJYibePIYZ_w4tNZz8k5slq54ZGt4cbv8IJtDJkUToDobkshRoT_wNdDQSNr8nVeMpXAe-6K1v5i/s1600/NPR+Dyson+2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594214294160426034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1dND8qNMWwCjWmyb7bABK8I8TbH0xiDDGnxIC_W-lwfaCl85dSBuoCScW8MZ9107KJYibePIYZ_w4tNZz8k5slq54ZGt4cbv8IJtDJkUToDobkshRoT_wNdDQSNr8nVeMpXAe-6K1v5i/s320/NPR+Dyson+2.jpg" /></a>I was recently invited to speak on NPR's Michael Eric Dyson show, interviewed by (you guessed it) Michael Eric Dyson, bestselling author, educator and radio personality. It's always fun and exciting to be interviewed, but it's even more so to be interviewed by someone whose books have been in my collection probably since before I really started writing. When I learned about this opportunity, it was pretty awesome for me to realize that not only had I heard of Mr. Dyson, but I could point out several volumes of his work on my own bookshelves! <br /><div></div><br /><div>I recorded the interview earlier this week in NPR's Midtown studio here in New York. Mr. Dyson was speaking to me from the D.C. studio. Now, I know radio is a relatively old technology, but it's still neat to think about having half a conversation in one room, in one city, when the other half is happening with someone hundreds of miles away, and have the capability to air that conversation nationally at the same time! (This wasn't a live broadcast, but still....I'm easily impressed by and in awe of technology at all levels.)</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>My interview airs today in selected markets across the country, but unfortunately I don't think it airs in New York! The good news is, a podcast of the show is available at <a href="http://dysonshow.org/?p=4392">the Dyson Show website</a>. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It's an hour long show; my interview segment begins at 23:00, and lasts just shy of nine minutes. Check it out!</div>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-86858173901949443722011-03-21T06:00:00.003-04:002011-04-11T02:32:30.487-04:00A Capitol Adventure<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUp0cKGo-ax19WfPPeeTPtYX8oB7ZcbSmwO4CuYUj-Se59fJtTfyZjz1HOgwtCtjqsqLMMvIXQXMLi1fBgfXuFnSImEy_yB7IQkoXyZBEOzlbowBu2mEkjulD3EIZoLm2ixo4vl6BOjEx/s1600/Politics+and+Prose.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 168px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594206992439471890" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGUp0cKGo-ax19WfPPeeTPtYX8oB7ZcbSmwO4CuYUj-Se59fJtTfyZjz1HOgwtCtjqsqLMMvIXQXMLi1fBgfXuFnSImEy_yB7IQkoXyZBEOzlbowBu2mEkjulD3EIZoLm2ixo4vl6BOjEx/s200/Politics+and+Prose.jpg" /></a>This weekend I traveled to Washington, D.C., and Charlottesville, Virginia, for a series of book events! First, I spoke to a cool group of middle schoolers at Politics & Prose Bookstore in D.C. And followed it up with a fun, rowdy auditorium full of sixth graders at nearby Deal Middle School. I got to share my <em>Camo Girl</em> slideshow for the first time--it was exciting to discuss new content in a school visit. Much as I love talking about <em>The Rock and the River</em>, it's really neat to have a second book out there that kids are reading, too! <br /><div><br /><div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Next, I traveled with friend and fellow author <a href="http://tamilewisbrown.com/" target="_blank">Tami Lewis Brown</a> down to Charlottesville for the Virginia Festival of the Book. It's always great to spend time in the company of other authors, and it was an extra special treat to get to see my dear friend Ashley Bryan, an award-winning author and illustrator. I was invited to introduce him at the Sweet Reads book fair, where he received an honor for his work! </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><p align="left"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594205790160335234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl-3QEcS2MaVlLvQQK7Pxxn1ivV_5-qRdLxKbiVCt3S-BnQX3FOGJ86N9Ngat_c2HW4okrH36q2W23b7LbTepv-v_T2PwVN2LMXiJK5vg0r3_VlWu2RhiZJZqC1i0aZS5U0Gb7UTjAmETH/s320/IMG_4171.JPG" /></p><br /><div></div><br /><div>At the festival itself, I sat on a panel called <strong>Spinning Lives into Story</strong>, along with Tami Lewis Brown, Maha Addasi, moderated by librarian Louise Simone. We spoke about historical fiction, non-fiction, and multicultural fiction: all kinds of stories based on real lives and experiences that we as children's<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtCaMxVHeoza7Q2EzqwBL6EIUZHjyIAhe0AGDmb1__GJwwYzQ_mGvgYMQ3UjyCglX08UyCp9NJLrJm5xznfe6BExA3EDGaikDhXpNB__2aYnLzxRWgJ3zsUXQ_f5x26p-aGhtCyZRfE25/s1600/Little+Rock+Cover.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594208839007059954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtCaMxVHeoza7Q2EzqwBL6EIUZHjyIAhe0AGDmb1__GJwwYzQ_mGvgYMQ3UjyCglX08UyCp9NJLrJm5xznfe6BExA3EDGaikDhXpNB__2aYnLzxRWgJ3zsUXQ_f5x26p-aGhtCyZRfE25/s200/Little+Rock+Cover.jpg" /></a> authors have a responsibility to make as true as possible. But what is TRUTH, when it comes to fiction? How much can authors make up, and how much should we keep perfectly true to life? What damage does it do to kids' understanding of history if authors falsify or embellish details in a biography? The discussion was lively and really drew people in. We could have talked for days!</div><br /><div>It was particularly exciting to be able to speak briefly about my new non-fiction release, <em>Today the World is Watching You</em> (Lerner 2011), about the Little Rock Nine and the fight for school integration in the late 1950s, after the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Brown v. Board decision. Here's the cover!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-42105825278862406572010-12-03T11:39:00.002-05:002011-04-11T01:43:28.652-04:00Kirkus Review of CAMO GIRL...and it's STARRED! I'm so excited to share this blurb from <em>Kirkus</em> on Camo Girl: "This elegantly crafted story features strong writing and solid characterizations of both main and secondary characters. Ella and Bailey’s racial identity is one element in a full and richly textured narrative." To read the full review, <a href="http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/kekla-magoon/camo-girl/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>.Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-34925638148049878282010-09-13T10:55:00.004-04:002010-09-13T14:47:17.923-04:00Hunger Mountain Fall Issue!<div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 24px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516415221126153458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Q1gZePQ8qDWOvXYxS19J6V68IzhhDXTKlILGb47NDtwWiNzC02dAkGKEQ1jDaWa2UnBwIheCEQliC6l4_8KwKLrR1A6XnlSMs3Dw5HgQHfl_Bsc-zhApzRbO_FO8VH96uNWCeTwp-kyF/s400/HungerMt_02.gif" />The Fall issue of <em><strong>Hunger Mountain</strong></em> is now LIVE and online!<br /><br />Here's our Letter from the Editors, which previews the contents of the YA and Children's Literature Section:<br /><br />Dear Reader, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-67Af_ImhAGzqUxRRsddm37KfbiUeCfwygVwm1KMRllcdfxR-4GGODDrHciXZSGZ-Ys6tfATxO0TOwg_hXjbpDLZjmln03PFc8D2EzJBTKjOQrpU2SxiJjXRF4F7dKg5dnehOhOg0WZ6t/s1600/HMtn_young_adult.gif"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 225px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 109px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516471425276696178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-67Af_ImhAGzqUxRRsddm37KfbiUeCfwygVwm1KMRllcdfxR-4GGODDrHciXZSGZ-Ys6tfATxO0TOwg_hXjbpDLZjmln03PFc8D2EzJBTKjOQrpU2SxiJjXRF4F7dKg5dnehOhOg0WZ6t/s400/HMtn_young_adult.gif" /></a><br /><br />Welcome to <em>Hunger Mountain</em>! Our theme for this issue is <strong>Exploring Options, Stretching Boundaries…</strong>as we strive to challenge ourselves to tell authentic stories, write from the heart and turn personal pain into powerful prose.<br /><br />For our Features this issue, we asked GLBTQ authors and authors whose work touches on teen sexuality to shed some light on the many possible meanings of that exploration both on and off the page. <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/controversy-catharsis-and-the-odd-couple/" target="_blank">Alex Sanchez </a>tackles controversy, catharsis and writing alongside his own inner, angsty teen. <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/releasing-pain-through-writing/" target="_blank">Cheryl Rainfield </a>shows us what to do when scars are more than skin deep. <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/the-q-in-glbtq-is-for-questioning-dont-let-it-be-for-quandary-or-quagmire/" target="_blank">Sara Ryan </a>reminds us of the importance of Q (for questioning). And <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/what-my-last-book-taught-me-a-subconscious-gift/" target="_blank">Malinda Lo </a>shares what her last book, Ash, taught her about her work and about herself. Their work spans genres, but these authors each use writing to explore, to question, to challenge, and ultimately, to heal.<br /><a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/glbtq-teen-coming-out-stories/" target="_blank">Lee Wind</a>, a writer of two minds, tackles The Flip Side, offering an imaginary dialogue about GLBTQ teen readers’ need for coming out stories vs. novels where being gay is not “the problem.”<br /><br />Our Toolbox contributors challenge us to stretch our boundaries in other ways: <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/think-like-a-director/" target="_blank">Sarah Aronson </a>teaches techniques for thinking like a film director to get a new perspective, and <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/songlines/" target="_blank">Sarah Sullivan </a>helps us shape and revise picture book texts. Author and illustrator <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/diversity-in-picture-books/" target="_blank">Melanie Hope Greenberg </a>shares some INKLINGS about incorporating visual diversity into picture books.<br /><br />As an Industry Insider, author and publisher <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/interview-with-author-and-publisher-cheryl-willis-hudson-co-founder-of-just-us-books/" target="_blank">Cheryl Willis Hudson of Just Us Books </a>shares insight on the need for and presence of Black and multicultural books within the publishing industry. And <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/authentic-latino-voices/" target="_blank">Mayra Lazara Dole </a>takes us on a journey toward understanding the need for authentic Latino characters in fiction, in The Writer’s Life.<br /><br />Our <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/reflected-faces/" target="_blank">last issue’s Flip Side column </a>also generated dialogue about multicultural books—an ongoing conversation in our industry. In Response, <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/color-me-perplexed/" target="_blank">Nikki Grimes </a>offers her thoughts on multicultural books, who isn’t reading them, and why they should.<br /><br />Finally, be sure to check out our Fiction selections: We’ve gathered a collection of touching, funny, heartfelt and sometimes shocking tales from <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/wings/" target="_blank">Jennifer DeMotta</a>, <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/the-race/" target="_blank">Rachel Furey</a>, <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/a-sisters-story/" target="_blank">Jenny Hubbard</a>, <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/hornworms/" target="_blank">Angelica Jackson </a>and <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/eve-of-st-agnes/" target="_blank">Margaret Nevinski</a>, plus excerpts from a novel in verse by <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/mom-says-poems/" target="_blank">Liz Clift</a>, and a sneak preview of <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/the-kneebone-boy/" target="_blank">Ellen Potter’s The Kneebone Boy</a><a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/the-kneebone-boy/" target="_blank"> </a>(Feiwel and Friends, 2010).<br /><br />Enjoy the read!<br /><br />Best,<br />Bethany and Kekla </div>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-37009236536794297302010-06-28T10:15:00.001-04:002010-06-28T10:15:00.644-04:00The BIG 3-0!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwKbrtZ89Vfz7wQbtNOjfvKtkpJqSTr4C7HveclZ_KhClwWoGsMOMOv9vygoswM1oFSISg9iKdtYfNA7Bt0NF7gxiHaBP9_V4AwebhLMd4Ciyq_A6kQ3HacqKxNZFkcnV_DDdZiYdupfH/s1600/ALA+signing.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487815633206393394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwKbrtZ89Vfz7wQbtNOjfvKtkpJqSTr4C7HveclZ_KhClwWoGsMOMOv9vygoswM1oFSISg9iKdtYfNA7Bt0NF7gxiHaBP9_V4AwebhLMd4Ciyq_A6kQ3HacqKxNZFkcnV_DDdZiYdupfH/s320/ALA+signing.jpg" /></a><br /><em>I just posted this on </em><strong>Chicks Rock!</strong><em>, but want folks to see it here, too:</em><br /><br />Well, as of this weekend I've officially crossed the threshold from 20s into 30s! I always planned to throw a big party for myself on my 30th birthday, but as it happened this year, the <a href="http://www.ala.org/" target="_blank">American Library Association</a> decided to throw one for me!<br /><br />Okay, not for <em>me</em>, exactly, but I came to their annual conference determined to get my little piece of the celebration and festivities. On Saturday I signed copies of <em><a href="http://www.whatsakekla.com/" target="_blank">The Rock and the River</a></em> in Simon & Schuster's booth at the ALA conference expo. Then I hung out with friends from <a href="http://www.vcfa.org/" target="_blank">Vermont College of Fine Arts</a> who surprised me with an Alumni Achievement Award (I cried) followed by a yummy restaurant dinner complete with key lime pie and a pink candle!<br /><br /><div><div>Yesterday I attended an awards banquet, where I found myself surrounded by well-known and up-and-coming YA and children's authors. Strangest of all, I began to truly feel that I could count myself among them! Which brings me to the real reason I'm here at the ALA conference: because my book was selected to receive the <a href="http://www.ala.org/csk" target="_blank">Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award for New Talent</a>! </div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gjPhIuJop7pMgIREzfeCSd0_mchmPg-B3mu1e4wfvLjKkGPOpez5q4zvfU-xFNd48MSLjhBXrApFkjrvmS5UteGksldfXvFwj8Jdvwml9dtnpBdsAgHG1Ra7ojWb489WFxFKAAjniFlV/s1600/ROCK+w+CSK+hi+res.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487815167899818914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7gjPhIuJop7pMgIREzfeCSd0_mchmPg-B3mu1e4wfvLjKkGPOpez5q4zvfU-xFNd48MSLjhBXrApFkjrvmS5UteGksldfXvFwj8Jdvwml9dtnpBdsAgHG1Ra7ojWb489WFxFKAAjniFlV/s200/ROCK+w+CSK+hi+res.jpg" /></a>Tomorrow morning, at the frightening hour of 7am (!!!! I am such a night person, people. It goes against nature to expect me to function normally before the double digit hours of the morning....but for the CSK Breakfast, I will muster!), I will receive my award, and have my moment to thank the Academy...errr, the CSK selection committee. It's so exciting!<br /></div><br /><div>All in all, my 30th weekend did not go as I orginally expected, but I certainly feel the occasion has been extraordinarily well-marked.</div></div>Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962087795026369942.post-5944460227649698382010-03-01T08:45:00.001-05:002010-03-01T08:45:00.877-05:00NAACP Image AwardsI attended the NAACP Image Awards this weekend. I've begun posting about it at <a href="http://www.chicksrockblog.com">CHICKS ROCK!</a>, but stay tuned here, too, for future updates!!Kekla Magoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17483824618846300911noreply@blogger.com0