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[CCBC-Net] Wrinkle in book
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From: Pamela S. Turner <pstrst>
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:54:08 -0700
Perhaps L'Engle was also a victim of Bestseller Bloat, a condition that seems most acute in fantasy authors --JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, Christopher Paolini, George RR Martin and Robert Jordan spring immediately to mind. Once an author reaches a certain level of success editors seem to find it difficult to edit. I can understand the dynamics but the reader suffers.
Pamela S. Turner www.pamelasturner.com
----- Original Message ----- From: "Sharron L. McElmeel" <mcelmeels at uwstout.edu> To: "CCBC Net" <ccbc-net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu> Cc: "Ruth I. Gordon" <Druthgo at sonic.net> Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 7:12 PM Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Wrinkle in book
> Madeline L'Engle spoke twice at the Children's Book Festival in Iowa
> City, IA; once when I took at 13 year old to the event in about 1978.
> At that time L'Engle spoke of the origin of the books, particularly a
> Wrinkle in Time and Swiftly Tilting Planet (I believe) but A Wrinkle
> in Time for sure. I remember the speech as being very down to earth
> and direct. No hidden messages to my memories anyway. We both loved
> the speech and went home loving the books all the more.
> Fast forward to about 1989 or 1990 she returned and again she spoke
> of the origin of the books -- but this time my memory (and that of
> another 13 year old that I took) tells me that she spoke of the
> "inner meaning" of the plots and characters and everything seemed to
> represent something that wasn't evident to me at least. The speech
> was far too analytical for me -- and both the 13-year-old and myself
> were not inspired. The 13-year-old had no desire to read the rest of
> the books; nor have I ever read the books to a group again.
>
> Do you suppose the celebrity status got to her and the books (their
> characters and plot) took on the airs of a grander scheme that was
> not really there in the writing?
>
> Just a thought.
> Sharron McElmeel
>
>
> At 6:37 PM -0700 07/21/08, Ruth I. Gordon wrote:
>>This is an opinion--not a question. Of course, anyone may argue with
>>my opinion.
>>
>> Perhaps "Wrinkle" was rejected by 28/9 editors because they objected
>>to pulling the tablecloth from under the settings: L'Engel went into
>>the story via science fiction but came out via Christianity. That is
>>really pulling a fast one on
>>readers. That the librarians of that generation selected it as a
>>Newby is interesting. Some day I must see what else was published
>>that year and who chaired
>>Newby/Caldy then. Alas, the Newby freed her to write longer and more
>>prolix books with more cardboard characters over the next decades.
>>
>>And yes, it does fit into the great discussion with Leonard Marcus and
>>his interrogators.
>>
>>Big Grandma
>>(not a L'Engle fan--you might deduct)
>
> --
> ===================================
> Sharron L. McElmeel
> University of Wisconsin - Stout
> Wisconsin's Polytechnic University
> Children's Literature in the Reading Program
> http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/childrenslit/
> Young Adult Literature in the Reading Program
> http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/yalit/
>
> 3000 N Center Point Rd
> Cedar Rapids, IA 52411-9548
>
> ph. (319) 393-2562
> mcelmeel at mcelmeel.com
> http://www.mcelmeel.com
>
> Author of Authors in the Pantry: Recipes, Stories, and More
> (Libraries Unlimited, 2007) Authors in the Kitchen: Recipes, Stories,
> and More (Libraries Unlimited, 2005), Best Teen Reads: 2005 (Hi
> Willow), Children's Authors and Illustrators Too Good to Miss
> (Libraries Unlimited); 100 Most Popular Children's Authors (Libraries
> Unlimited), 100 Most Popular Picture Book Authors and Illustrators
> (Libraries Unlimited), Character Education: A Book Guide for
> Teachers, Librarians, and Parents (Libraries Unlimited) and other
> titles (http://www.mcelmeel.com/writing).
> =================
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Mon 21 Jul 2008 09:54:08 PM CDT
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:54:08 -0700
Perhaps L'Engle was also a victim of Bestseller Bloat, a condition that seems most acute in fantasy authors --JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, Christopher Paolini, George RR Martin and Robert Jordan spring immediately to mind. Once an author reaches a certain level of success editors seem to find it difficult to edit. I can understand the dynamics but the reader suffers.
Pamela S. Turner www.pamelasturner.com
----- Original Message ----- From: "Sharron L. McElmeel" <mcelmeels at uwstout.edu> To: "CCBC Net" <ccbc-net at ccbc.ad.education.wisc.edu> Cc: "Ruth I. Gordon" <Druthgo at sonic.net> Sent: Monday, July 21, 2008 7:12 PM Subject: Re: [CCBC-Net] Wrinkle in book
> Madeline L'Engle spoke twice at the Children's Book Festival in Iowa
> City, IA; once when I took at 13 year old to the event in about 1978.
> At that time L'Engle spoke of the origin of the books, particularly a
> Wrinkle in Time and Swiftly Tilting Planet (I believe) but A Wrinkle
> in Time for sure. I remember the speech as being very down to earth
> and direct. No hidden messages to my memories anyway. We both loved
> the speech and went home loving the books all the more.
> Fast forward to about 1989 or 1990 she returned and again she spoke
> of the origin of the books -- but this time my memory (and that of
> another 13 year old that I took) tells me that she spoke of the
> "inner meaning" of the plots and characters and everything seemed to
> represent something that wasn't evident to me at least. The speech
> was far too analytical for me -- and both the 13-year-old and myself
> were not inspired. The 13-year-old had no desire to read the rest of
> the books; nor have I ever read the books to a group again.
>
> Do you suppose the celebrity status got to her and the books (their
> characters and plot) took on the airs of a grander scheme that was
> not really there in the writing?
>
> Just a thought.
> Sharron McElmeel
>
>
> At 6:37 PM -0700 07/21/08, Ruth I. Gordon wrote:
>>This is an opinion--not a question. Of course, anyone may argue with
>>my opinion.
>>
>> Perhaps "Wrinkle" was rejected by 28/9 editors because they objected
>>to pulling the tablecloth from under the settings: L'Engel went into
>>the story via science fiction but came out via Christianity. That is
>>really pulling a fast one on
>>readers. That the librarians of that generation selected it as a
>>Newby is interesting. Some day I must see what else was published
>>that year and who chaired
>>Newby/Caldy then. Alas, the Newby freed her to write longer and more
>>prolix books with more cardboard characters over the next decades.
>>
>>And yes, it does fit into the great discussion with Leonard Marcus and
>>his interrogators.
>>
>>Big Grandma
>>(not a L'Engle fan--you might deduct)
>
> --
> ===================================
> Sharron L. McElmeel
> University of Wisconsin - Stout
> Wisconsin's Polytechnic University
> Children's Literature in the Reading Program
> http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/childrenslit/
> Young Adult Literature in the Reading Program
> http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/yalit/
>
> 3000 N Center Point Rd
> Cedar Rapids, IA 52411-9548
>
> ph. (319) 393-2562
> mcelmeel at mcelmeel.com
> http://www.mcelmeel.com
>
> Author of Authors in the Pantry: Recipes, Stories, and More
> (Libraries Unlimited, 2007) Authors in the Kitchen: Recipes, Stories,
> and More (Libraries Unlimited, 2005), Best Teen Reads: 2005 (Hi
> Willow), Children's Authors and Illustrators Too Good to Miss
> (Libraries Unlimited); 100 Most Popular Children's Authors (Libraries
> Unlimited), 100 Most Popular Picture Book Authors and Illustrators
> (Libraries Unlimited), Character Education: A Book Guide for
> Teachers, Librarians, and Parents (Libraries Unlimited) and other
> titles (http://www.mcelmeel.com/writing).
> =================
> _______________________________________________
> CCBC-Net mailing list
> CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
> Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe...
> http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Mon 21 Jul 2008 09:54:08 PM CDT
