12/31/2022 0 Comments The monster walter dean myersIn turn this has allowed me to be more creative in my approach to YA literature and to take chances I couldn’t have taken while trying to break down the doors.” “They’ve also been very supportive of me, promoting my books widely and encouraging their use in different venues. “Publishers have given me a tremendous amount of freedom to try what I want,” he said. Myers said he also must give credit to his publishers, who have provided the support to let him venture into various types of writing. All of these people, and others (I’m currently reading John Green) set such high standards that I have to really work hard to be anywhere in their company.” Richard Peck’s clean, precise lines prevent me from being satisfied with sloppy writing. Judy Blume, who I don’t see very often these days, dares me to be courageous. I love what I perceive to be their interior processes and the resulting quiet revelations in their prose. Sometimes, when I’m alone at my computer, I pretend that I’m in the mind of Cynthia Voight or Sharon Creech. “Avi, for example, is so intellectually nimble that his books challenge us to rethink what we are doing. Specific authors provide specific focus in his development as a writer. Since then, he’s found that reading others’ works is especially encouraging and educational to him as an author. Although it was James Baldwin who gave me the much needed permission to write about my own Harlem community, I grew up loving the writers I was introduced to in high school-Balzac, Gide, Loti, and Thomas Mann.” Unless a reader identifies himself or herself racially, I no longer assume that they are African American,” Myers said. Through the years, his writing has welcomed a much more diverse audience, from rural to urban to suburban. Can I approach this subject in a way that will make it fresh to the reader? Can I find a way to tell it that is particularly challenging to me, or fun? Will I give myself the chance to play with language? With concepts?” “The subject matter of a project covers my current interests, but I’m also interested in the different parts of the story. “I find everything about writing fascinating,” he said. In his years of writing, he continue to be enthralled with the writing process, something that undoubtedly has propelled him into various genres. Since we were reading British poets, my poems were largely odes to anything I saw.”Īnd, from there, Myers found his writing to be a powerful outlet. With this encouragement I began writing dozens of poems. What a surprise that she liked anything I did. Parker) noticed that my recitation of the poem was clearer than my normal speech. “When we were told (in 4th grade) to write a poem, the teacher (Mrs. This was painful to me, and my reaction was to vent my frustrations on those who couldn’t understand me. “What was going on in my head was being lost in the translation my mouth produced. “I spent a great many years as a youngster in speech therapy,” Myers said. Myers, who has numerous books in various stages today (a minimum of two are scheduled for publication this year alone), credits a fourth-grade teacher with encouraging him to put his thoughts on paper. Through the years, he has become an established, respected voice in young adult literature. Decades (and a growing list of awards) later, teenagers demonstrate his ideas are coming across loud and clear, and in an extremely powerful manner. Myers taking time from his busy schedule of writing and personal appearances to share his thoughts for this issue.Īs a young child, Walter Dean Myers struggled with a speech problem that hindered his ability to share his ideas. She recently conversed with Myers through email-during his stay in London for the theater season, while Jennifer Funk, middle school language arts teacher, reviewed one of his latest works. , became hooked on Myers’s works several years ago when she read Was fortunate to visit with Myers about his literary career. His novels have become standard elements as teachers and librarians work to connect students to literature. , is well represented in school and public libraries across the nation. Walter Dean Myers, award-winning author of young adult literature such as
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |