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December 11, 2005
School Days
One of the new aspects to writing for kids ala NASTYbook is doing readings at schools. I've been used to performing live in clubs and arty spaces--not, ahem, in school auditoriums and classrooms. But then I went on book tour in the spring.
My baptism of fire came in front of 200 7th graders (!) in Naperville, Illinois, outside Chicago. I finished up, wildly, with my monster tale about the boy who likes to pick his nose. (Try that in an auditorium's worth of pubescents). It was fun--fun and a half. That same day I read to yet 100 more 7th graders. Then on to school kids in San Francisco and LA. Next month I'll be at PS 145 in Queens here in New York.
It's a circuit I want to develop much. I love it. At a school in LA, I explained that for NASTYbook I wanted to write fairytale-like stories that, instead of always turning out for the best, always relentlessly and horribly turned out for the worst. Whereupon a kid with a thoughtful puzzled look stuck up his hand and asked: "You mean, just like regular life?" So young, so wise...
Posted by Barry at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
Japanese Connection
My wonderful Japanese translator and friend, Moto Shibata from Tokyo University, was in Cambridge Mass for the fall (with his wife Hitomi). We did a couple of lovely readings together. The first, in Cambridge in October, also featured Kelly Link, another "Moto author," at estimable Porter Sq Bookstore. A wonderful evening. A highlight was Moto and I reading in alternating languages a Cell Phone story. Second evening took place here in New York at Kinokuniya Bookstore. Even the bookstore manager, Mr. Ichihashi, read a story aloud, from a Moto translation! I'll post a pic when I figure out the upload mechanics here.
I was in Tokyo in 2003, and cannot wait to go back.
Posted by Barry at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)