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I need help from early TWISTED readers

A couple of you guys out there have read TWISTED. I need your help. I am putting together a playlist for the book and am desperate for recommendations.

For those who haven’t read it, some background. I think this is on the publicity materials:

“High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy—and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world.

In Twisted, the acclaimed Laurie Halse Anderson tackles a very controversial subject: what it means to be a man today. Fans and new readers alike will be captured by Tyler’s pitchperfect, funny voice, the surprising narrative arc, and the thoughtful moral dilemmas that are at the heart of all of the author’s award-winning, widely read work. “

The short pitch: Emoish guy with a good heart has his butt kicked by the world and thinks seriously about leaving life, permanently.

What songs fit him? Ideas? Please?

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My common sense hero, Thomas Paine

Busy scribbling today, so I am cutting and pasting the following from The Writer’s Almanac (great source of literary tidbits and a daily poetry fix):

“It was on this day in 1776 that a 77-page pamphlet called “Common Sense” was published anonymously, making the case that the American colonies should declare independence from Great Britain. It had been written by a man named Thomas Paine. The pamphlet sold more than 500,000 copies, more copies than any other publication had ever sold at that time in America.

Adams would always be somewhat jealous of the attention “Common Sense” received, but even he had to admit that it was “Common Sense,” more than anything else, that had persuaded most ordinary Americans to support independence. Adams said, “Without the pen of the author of ‘Common Sense,’ the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.””

Thomas Paine was not afraid to disturb the universe.

scribblescribblescribble

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Back and flying

Ever have an experience that was so amazing on several levels that you don’t want to talk about for fear of somehow disturbing or diluting the memory?

That’s what the poetry weekend retreat was like for me. That’s also why you won’t be getting many details, except that it was a much-needed creative and spiritual boost. I will say that I had one of the best runs of my life, thanks to the freakish January weather. And I wrote a lot of poems – none are fit for public consumption.

Today is Christmas #3. The last of our brood is up visiting with a buddy and if they ever wake up, the presents are waiting under the tree. Tomorrow the decorations will come down and the new year will truly begin.

I finally figured out my Resolution. (Back story – I have been working on this for weeks. Instead of writing a resolution, I kept making to-do lists, which is a very different thing.) My resolution this year is to live with kavannah, a Hebrew word that refers to mindfulness, especially in prayer, directing the energies of the heart, and an awareness that I rarely have, and would very much like to cultivate. When I get busy, I tend to let life blur around me, and then I complain about it. I don’t want to do that anymore. So I will work on being a little slower and a little more aware this year. Yay! (Thanks, Deb H., for the word I was looking for.)

Last night we celebrated my mom’s 76th birthday. The best part was watching her argue with dad because they couldn’t agree how old she was. Heh.

Back to deadlining….

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Hug a hobbit day

Hug a hobbit, shave your toes, waltz with a wizard (of the Gandalf flavor, unless you like living dangerously) all in celebration of the birth of one of my all-time favoritist authors: Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973). Get into the spirit of the day by toasting the old dear. (One of the best literary moments of my life was when we visited the Botanic Garden in Oxford, England and I got to hug his tree, the one that inspired his Ents. Here’s another shot. Ah, bliss.)

I took my pick-axe to the plot knot yesterday and am happy to report that the sucker is gone. BH and I went to the gym late in the day and I took out my frustrations on the treadmill. Felt much better after that. Smelled better after a long, hot shower. BH cooked shrimp with spinach and garlic and a massive side dish of broccoli. Read more poetry before bed, so it wound up being an excellent day.

Woke up this morning at 1am convinced that it was 6 and I could get back to work. The moon was high and fat and it bewitched me to a secret place where I lay the rest of the night, thinking of my main character and worrying about her.

By bedtime tonight I hope to have straightened out all the little knots and inconsistencies in Part I of the WIP. That means the rest of the month (after I return from this weekend’s retreat) I can focus on Part II.

I am still waiting for snow. I live in the Buckle of The Snow Belt and it is supposed to get up to 55 degrees today. I am not amused.

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