From: Christine Hill <chill>
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 2000 15:50:56 -0400

I too was suprised at the bitterness of the first volume of Clearly's autobiography. The thought of her mother keeping a diary as if she were Beverly and nearly forcing her to maintain a relationship with an emotionally abusive boyfriend were chilling. Still, it made me appreciate Clearly's artistry more. That she could hold on her child-like self and render it so perfectly in fiction as Ramona (the parallels are documented in AGFY) was a great accomplishment. Reading her autobiography also made me more alert to the touch of cynicism with which she paints some adults, in contrast to the innocence she accords even the naughtiest of her child characters. Christine M. Hill Willingboro Public Library One Salem Road Willingboro, NJ 08046 chill at willingboro.org My new book! Ten Terrific Authors for Teens, Enslow, 2000
Received on Wed 23 Aug 2000 02:50:56 PM CDT