John Corey Whaley's Blog

http://maggiethrash.tumblr.com/post/151385588335/youll-never-look-at-a-mascot-the-same-way-again

Harper Lee was my David Bowie: How 'Mockingbird' changed one writer's life:

margaretstohl:

Honored to have this out today. Yes, Harper Lee was my David Bowie, also I think the greatest YA author of all time.

This year, as part of the annual William C. Morris Interview Series, I was delighted to speak with the
uber-talented and oh-so-brilliant Becky Albertalli.  Becky’s debut novel Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda has not only landed her a Morris
nomination, but also a spot on the National Book Award long list and a Publishers Weekly Flying Start
honor.  This mother of two and former
clinical psychologist has wowed readers and critics alike with her whip-smart
and heartfelt story of identity, first love, and the nuances of the teenage
experience.  

JCW: For starters,
congratulations on a truly lovely, original novel and all the very-well
deserved praise it’s received this past year.  How has the experience of
publishing your debut been so far?  Overwhelming?  A dream come
true?  A strange mixture of both?

BA: Thank you so much. (And
just to get it out of the way, you should imagine a thousand cat emoji lined up
making heart eyes at you.)

This experience has
definitely been a mixture of dreamy and overwhelming. SIMON was my first
attempt at writing a novel, and my book deal happened really quickly. I had to
adjust to the publishing world quickly – and this can be a challenging field
for people who are anxious or sensitive (I’m both).

That being said, for me,
it’s been an incredibly rich and fulfilling few years. I’ve had the opportunity
to become a part of this weird, awesome YA community. I hear from readers all
over the world who feel connected to Simon or feel inspired by his experiences.
I’ve gotten fanfiction and fanart (I’m a giant fangirl, so this is honestly my
dream). It’s challenging, emotional work – even after the writing part is over
– but my readers and this community make it worthwhile.

JCW: YA writers frequently
get asked, “Why do you write for teenagers?” and it occurred to me that your
answer may be the only one I’ve ever really been interested in hearing. 
You’re an experienced psychologist, having worked with teens for years in
various capacities.  So, why write about teenagers?  Why Simon? 

BA: It’s funny – I think
people assume I write YA because I worked with teenagers (and therefore know
all their secrets). Totally not the case. I think I’m drawn to YA for the same
reasons I was drawn to working with teens in therapy. I feel connected to teens.
I’ve known so many who are interesting, funny, vulnerable, and sincere. And high
school is still really vivid for me, even though I’m in my early thirties.

Simon, in particular,
appeared in my head very early in the process, and he was easy to get to know. He’s
a lot like I was as a teen – though he’s much more charming, and a little less
self-aware.

JCW: In Simon vs. The
Homo Sapiens Agenda, the title character begins an online correspondence
with an anonymous boy named Blue.  This gets him into a strange situation,
but I hate spoilers so I’ll stay mum on that.  My question, though, is if
you could, in some hypothetical reality, have Simon correspond with a fictional
character outside of the world you so skillfully created, who would it be and
why? 

BA: I don’t think this
answer will surprise anyone, but if Blue wasn’t in the picture, I’d ship Simon
with Aaron Soto, from Adam Silvera’s MORE HAPPY THAN NOT. They’re both these
softhearted nerds who think they’re cool, and have no idea how painfully
earnest they are (i.e. they are Adam and me). And I think they’d be good for
each other. Simon has a lot of social support and fairly minimal angst, so I
think he could help Aaron find some stability. And I think Aaron would be able
to gently challenge and work through some of Simon’s assumptions and misconceptions.

JCW: Someone once told me
that there are about five stories out there and we (writers) are all just
trying to create our own unique versions of them.  Where do you
think Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda fits into that
theory? 

BA: I’ve heard that – though I
don’t know what the five story prototypes are! For what it’s worth, I have
always thought of SIMON as a romantic comedy – which is why I’ve been so
happily surprised that it’s been nominated for awards (I believe romantic books
should get recognition – I just
didn’t expect it). Actually, when I was writing SIMON, I wasn’t concerned with
the story being absolutely unique – because no story is.  My priority was telling a story that felt true,
honest, and authentic.  

JCW: Did you find it
especially difficult to write from the perspective of a teenage homosexual
male?  Do you think that, as a writer, the very idea of exploring identity
was aided by this feat?

BA: Simon’s voice and point of
view actually felt really natural for me! This is partially because he’s
similar to me, and partially because I think there’s a lot more fluidity to
gender and character voice than people realize. That being said, I wrote this
book after working for years with LGBTQ kids, teens, and adults, especially gay
boys. It’s hard to tease apart what felt natural because it was natural, and
what felt natural because my work had become almost a part of me.  

JCW: One of the many things
that stands out to me about your writing is that it has this uniquely
accessible intelligence to it—you don’t talk down to your readers (teen or
adult), but you also don’t waste any of our time with pretentiousness. 
It’s a straight-forward story that packs emotional punch equal to its
skillfully woven emotional depth.  So, you know, how do you do it? 
Haha.  I’ll rephrase that to be more of a question: What is the Becky
Albertalli writing inner thought process like?

BA: I have no idea.

Seriously. There is so
much I don’t understand about my own creative process. I know there are moments
when I’m in the zone, where certain scenes (usually pivotal ones) seem to write
themselves. There are other scenes that I have to fight my way through.

I do read my teen journals
before drafting. I outline loosely. If the story wants to deviate from the
outline, I always follow it. I know I write really conversationally, which
isn’t for all readers, but it seems to be how my brain likes to explore ideas.
And I try to write honestly, even if it’s embarrassing (it’s usually
embarrassing).

JCW: Simon, to me,
is all about identity.  It’s the reason I write YA—because it took me so
long to figure out who I was in the world—so I’m wondering if your skill for
writing this particular kind of story stems from any personal experience as
well?  Perhaps from your work with teenagers or from your own teenage
years?

BA: Absolutely - issues
related to identity are why I write, too, and that definitely stems from my own
experiences. Many of my personal conflicts were different from Simon’s, but
they were real (and are real – I
really believe identity is something we continue to work through as adults). I actually
explore some of those conflicts in a way that hits closer to home in my next
book, which centers on a chubby girl falling in love.

 

Lightning Round:

JCW: Is there a question
about Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda that you haven’t been
asked yet but would really like to answer? 

BA: Not Simon-related, but I
have a pretty great answer for anyone who wants to know my most embarrassing
author moment. It involves Jasmine Warga’s launch party and a pair of tights.

JCW: What is your favorite
song?  Can you sing it well?  

BA: Hmm – my favorite song
changes a lot! Right now, it’s probably the entire soundtrack to Hamilton, and
I can sing it VERY well.

JCW: Is there a book you’ve
read that you secretly (but not so secretly anymore) wish you’d written? 

BA: So many. One I really wish
I’d written is my agent sister Lianne Oelke’s book. I stumbled across the first
few pages on a writing forum, and fell so deeply in love that I asked if I
could beta read the whole manuscript. It was a good decision.

JCW: Finally, it’s a
tradition here for me to make the last question all about myself.  You’re
a former clinical psychologist.  You wrote a beautiful and hilarious book
with maybe the coolest title in YA history.  And you’re a devoted
and awesome wife and mother.  So, there’s only one thing left to ask: Do
you think you’re better than me?

BA: I AM AN ACTUAL HOT MESS,
THOUGH, COREY. (Can we print that? In the Morris interview?)

So, I just typed: “Yes, I
am better than you, John Corey Whaley.” And then I started giggling. And then I
had to delete it. That sentence cannot actually exist.

JCW: Oh now stop.  In the interest of humility, I’m printing it here for all the world to see.

All jokes aside–a big thanks to Becky Albertalli for an incredible debut novel, the hopes of many more to come, and for being down right fantastic.  She is a true original. 

To find out more about Becky and her books, stalk her using the following socially approved media: 

www.beckyalbertalli.com

http://www.tumblr.com/follow/beckyalbertalli

@beckyalbertalli

Good luck to Becky and all of this year’s Morris finalists! 

-JCW

Hater @ Hatemail.com 
10:26 PM (39 minutes ago) to me 

I spent 2 days of my life reading ‘where things come back’ and it was the worst book I have ever read. It was not at all suspensful. It was poorly written and had a terrible plot. I am slightly enraged that I even bought the book in the first place. I wish I never laid eyes on this terrible book. I can’t even begin to tell you how terrible it is. I have no clue how you won an award for this book, but whoever gave you those awards was either blatantly stupid, or severely handicapped, because no one in their right mind would give this book an award. I have to say though, whoever did the cover art was a damn good artist. That’s the part of the book that caught my attention. I cannot believe I wasted my time reading this poorly written book. I’m so enraged right now, I can’t describe my feelings. Bottom line: your first book was a complete failure with me. I could have read this book within a day, but nothing in it caught my attention to be able to keep reading. I almost gave up halfway through, and looking back, I should have. If you’re book is about god, how about putting that on the back somewhere next time? I’m an atheist, so I was laughing through the godly parts. Its all made up. And the part where Cullen witter keeps imagining things was very confusing. You should have written in there that he was imagining them, instead of making the reader find out for themselves that it was imaginary. This book…… Was just awful. No more words from me. Goodbye, john Whaley. Have a terrible day, because you know I will. You useless paperclip. Don’t quit your day job, writing is obviously not for you.

JohnCorey Whaley <jcoreywhaley@gmail.com>
11:05 PM (0 minutes ago)

to Hater 
Dearest Hater,

Were I to measure my gratitude in gold, I’d be a rich man.  Your letter was a real wake up call for me.  Truly.  For so long, I’ve toiled and beaten my head against the wall, always asking myself “Why are you doing this?  You’re no writer.  You’re a joke.”

And so you see how your letter has stricken such a resounding chord with me.  You were so skillfully able to put into words the very identity crisis that I’ve been suffering through for more than four years, ever since the wretched, awful book in question was published. What a tremendous and surprising relief it is that someone with your obvious skill for language and charming personality has chosen to bless me with your divine intervention.  Surely I’ve managed, despite being such a terrible writer, to garner some favor from the gods, for today I have truly seen the light and it has cast away the shadows that have hidden my shameful truth for so so long.  I am no artist.  I am but a sham.  

God bless you for your gift this day.

JCW

PS: I had an incredible day in the beautiful town I call home with my awesome boyfriend and we laughed at your hateful email together and will look back on it and laugh and smile and only be happy because of it just to spite you.  Also, this is my very first hate mail, so congratulations on being in a club of one.  I’m sure you’re quite happy there.

tastefullyoffensive:

Artist Telmo Pieper Repaints His Own Childhood Drawings

Previously: Everyday Objects Turned Into Creative Illustrations

hugclub:

In a society that profits from your self doubt, liking yourself is a rebellious act

juliancallos:

I saw Sufjan Stevens play at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Wednesday and I felt compelled to make something. Those shapes reflect the projection setup he has on this tour. It was a really magical performance!

“There is something about the book and these characters that is always on the edge, looking into an abyss, perpetually wondering and speculating. And at any moment it might collapse into itself. Whaley allows for tiny, understated moments of tension and anxiety. Cullen spends much of the book condemning other people, bluntly pointing out their hypocrisies. But when a girl he barely knows visits him he becomes overwhelmed, even afraid of her sincerity, as he realizes for the first time that his brother might really be gone forever. In a startling moment of empathy, he embraces someone who is unhinged in her loneliness, a bit deranged from medication.”

- Angela Yuen reviews Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. (via therumpus)

artpopvenusguy:

DFLETE THIS!!! 

“Love is incomprehensible. It’s a very simple and stupid statement, but feels extremely profound and necessary and helpful for me right now to wave that banner. There is no justice in love or in death, but I think we, as living survivors of this world and this life, have a duty to give testament to a deeper joy that we’ve been given.”

- Sufjan Stevens, Paste Magazine Interview, 2015 (via fuckyeahsufjanstevens)