A round-up of positive things to think about after yesterday:<\/p>\n
From Mitali’s Fire Escape<\/a>, a list of children’s and YA books to talk about and think about yesterday’s anniversary, and the deaths in 2001, and Chicken Spaghetti<\/a> answers the question of how art has helped her make sense of the worst of it. Via Book Moot<\/a>, we’re pointed, by way of a fabulous quote, to the New York Times interview with Katherine Paterson<\/a>, who discusses the characters she writes. Characters with difficult lives, Paterson notes, are more the norm than not. Somebody <\/em>has to write about them. Hear, hear! Read the first chapter<\/a>. (My apologies for the NY Times membership thing, but you only have to register once.)<\/p>\n Via Not Your Mother’s Bookclub<\/a>, more entertaining novel stupidity: Name Your Very Own Bestselling YA Novel!<\/a> The first lines say, “Need some extra cash? Why not write a Young Adult novel? They’re so easy, why, they practically write themselves! All you need is a title, and you can watch the money roll in… “Um, yeah. My title is The Not-So-Terrible life of a Braless Vampire<\/b>.<\/em> Ummm… don’t ask.<\/p>\n Those of us who were sad when Cody’s<\/a> in Berkeley closed down can have a little happy moment: Cody’s can now be found at the Oakland airport<\/a>. It’s not perfect, but decent books from an independent source at an airport? Sweet.<\/p>\n