• Speak: The Movie
• "Speaking Out" by Laurie Halse Anderson, an article about the writing of SPEAK, published in The Alan Review, Volume 27, Number 3.
• Interview at Teenreads.com
• Who were the suffragettes?
• Looking up the main character's last name will usually teach you a thing or two.

Know someone who is struggling with depression?

• RAINN - the best organization in the country educating people about sexual assault. Lots of statistics, prevention tips, and resources for survivors. One of "America's 100 Best Charities" -Worth magazine
• The North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Great Things About Central New York (we have more than snow and basketball)

• Tourism Guide
• Erie Canal History Museum

Please note: There is a 9-page interview with me in the back of the platinum (paperback) edition of SPEAK. Most questions about the book are answered there. Below are a few extras.

Can you post the query letter that eventually led to the publication of Speak?

I don't have it anymore. (I submitted SPEAK in 1997 and have moved three times since then.) My query letters tended to be very short: A paragraph with a one- or two sentence summary of the book, a paragraph that briefly detailed my writing qualifications, and a paragraph that said thank you for considering my work.

BTW: SPEAK was plucked from the slush pile. I sold my first four picture books, my series, two novels, and a couple of work-for-hire jobs without an agent.

How many copies of SPEAK have been sold in the US?

Nearly two million.

Do you think that SPEAK has made a difference?

Absolutely. But it wasn’t the book. The readers of SPEAK changed our world.

Many of them came away from the book with a new understanding of sexual assault and depression. They dug deep and found the courage to speak up about their own pain. They reached out and asked for help. They spoke up.

The teachers and administrators who were smart and bold enough to put a contemporary piece of literature into the classroom are changing the world, too. They put the book where it could open minds and hearts.

SPEAK is great example of the power of Story.

What did you think of the SPEAK movie?

I liked it. I especially liked my part. I play the rather attractive lunch lady who serves mashed potatoes to Melinda on the first day of school.

Is SPEAK a memoir or an autobiography?

Neither. It is fiction. Parts of Melinda’s emotional journey reflect what I went through in high school, but I made most of it up.

When are you going to write a sequel? What happens to Melinda???

Here's the thing...