links and rain

So the rain this week hasn't let me do my very minor act of guerilla publicity, but I have tried to follow Darcy Pattison's lead and do the things she suggested on her site, which cannot be cancelled due to bad weather.

Day 1 was word of mouth day. Tell a friend about a book, Darcy said. I decided to tell my friend L about Sara Lewis Holmes' book Operation Yes. The book is about a class of military kids, always on the move with their families, and their very special teacher in Room 208. I'd mentioned it to L back before it was even called "Operation Yes." But I hadn't followed up because L and her kids had moved to Ohio with her military husband. I vowed to track her down, spent the morning looking for her email, didn't find it, and took my kids to their first day of school. And in the lobby I saw... L! She had just moved back to Virginia. So I told her about Sara's book in person. And later, when I got her new e-mail address, I sent her the link to Sara's website and blog.

Day 2 was Write a Review Day. The idea was to write for Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, etc. I am normally not a fan of those reviews, in part because everyone seems to give reviews written by Joe and Jane Public the same weight they give reviews from magazines and blogs. Which goes back to my feelings about newspapers, and how people now feel like they can provide their own news better than reporters. Which goes back to my feelings about how people comment, rudely about newspaper articles, because they are allowed to be anonymous. Which goes back to my seething feelings about a certain representative from South Carolina, who feels he is entitled to make an already low bar for civility even lower by disrespecting both the president and his own office and chamber... Okay. I'm digressing seriously here. My original misgivings actually sort of underline the reason for writing a good review of a friend's book on a public site. So for that assignment I signed up for Barnes and Noble and now appear as MadgeVA. (Madge being a nickname given to me by my friend Tom Angleberger, aka Sam Riddleburger, who I hope one day will blog about how he picked his pen name. I reviewed my friend Moira's book, "Penny and the Punctuation Bee," which my kids adore. And, it goes without saying, so do I!

Day 3 is to link to a good book, to help it appear in searches and whatnot, and for this, I'm moving to an adult book, by my friend Jim Mathews. I wrote about this book in my holiday letter last year, but I haven't blogged about it. Now I'm here to tell you that this book is an amazing piece of war literature, given in bite-sized stories. It wraps tension and emotion with humor, the same way you might wrap a scallop with a piece of bacon. It's magical and real at the same time, and was the winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction.

We'll see what day 4 has in store!

I also wanted to make a quick note about an e-mail I received today from the state of Virginia, saying that the state's artist fellowships, usually given to help artists (and writers!) do their thing, have been cancelled for the year, due to budget cuts. I'd hoped to apply, as I am still in need of a new furnace. Anyway, it's another reason for those of us who aren't completely strapped to go out and support our friends by buying some books.

School's In

Back after a summer off from blogging and what better way to get back into it than by following Darcy Pattison's brilliant suggestion of performing Random Acts of Publicity. This is where you help friends who have written books (or even people you don't know but whose books you like) and find ways to promote them. Er, randomly. Darcy has a more official setup/plan of action, but as I've been plum out of it, I'm just going to be true to her idea and try various random acts this week. I'll likely focus on people whose books I haven't highlighted on these pages. Bits. Whatever.

School officially starts today, but I'm already thinking about break, so I want to start by welcoming a new book about Thanksgiving. My favorite way to welcome books, as you know, is with a little song.

The book is by Jacqueline Jules, the driving force behind my critique group. I've lost count of how many things she's published since I joined four years ago, but I'm pretty sure it's at least 10 (not counting poems).


Duck for Turkey Day is Jackie's latest. It's about Tuyet, a young girl who's embarrassed to tell her classmates that her Vietnamese American family won't be eating turkey for Thanksgiving. But when she finally admits what she really ate (Hint/Spoiler: It's in the title) she finds that everyone's traditions are a little different. But they're a little bit the same, too.

You can't release a Thanksgiving book ON THANKSGIVING, of course. That would be bad marketing, especially when the stores have been hocking their Halloween Merch since, what, July? So it seems entirely reasonable this is a September release.

Anyway: To the music!

We'll start with Cousin Emmy playing Turkey in the Straw... on her cheeks.

Since Tuyet's family is from Vietnam (where I tried all kinds of crazy things when I visited in '95, but sadly, no duck) I thought I'd link to one of the most touristy things I did during my visit, which was to attend a performance of Hanoi's traditional Vietnamese Water Puppets. I didn't take any video when I was there, but this person did.

And what is Thanksgiving without Thank You by Led Zeppelin? Sadly I couldn't find any live footage on youtube, so there's just the music...

I'm sending you on a bit of a duck chase for this last one. The song's called "Ducks in the Pond" by the late Henry Reed, an old-time fiddler from Giles County, Va. I wanted to highlight Reed's work, too, so I figured I'd send you to this collection at the Library of Congress. Click on the link to "sound recordings" and then go under "D" for duck!

I've planned a minor guerilla action for another book for Tuesday. Stay tuned.

new books, new playlist

A mixed playlist this time, welcoming two new books to bookstores and libraries everywhere.

The first, Fritz Danced the Fandango, is by my friend Alicia Potter, one of the first people to make me love Boston, Mass. This is her first published kids book, though there are more in the pipe! It's about a lovely little goat, looking for a new herd because his old one doesn't like his clippety-clop.



The second, Itty Bitty, is by Cece Bell. (If you read this blog at all, you know her already.) Itty Bitty is a small dog trying to turn a big, cavernous bone into something that feels a little more comfortable. Small dog, big color.


And so, the playlist:

Fandango by the Steve Miller Band. (Okay, this is the only one I could find off the top of my head, aside from the ZZ Top album, which doesn't have a song by the same name. And apparently no one has created a youtube video with Steve Miller's Fandango in the background, so you'll just have to get a tiny snippet off of Amazon, or go raid your vinyl.)

Fandango by Herb Alpert. You know Herb from seeing Whipped Cream and Other Delights in thrift stores across America. This is earlier Herb.

Some authentic flamenco music from Camaron de la Isla

It's not the Fandango. It's "Hokey Pokey" by Dan Zanes and Father Goose (one of the "and friends" from Dan Zanes and Friends, but also an entity unto himself). You can find this tune on the Family Dance album.


She Bought a Dog by Southern Culture on the Skids. Argh, I wish I could find this on youtube so you could hear what a glorious song it is! It's on our family car jams, SCOTS at their finest and funniest, I think. From the Too Much Pork for Just One Fork album.

Rufus Thomas, Walking the Dog. (For a real treat, check out his version of Old MacDonald Had a Farm, the best version ever recorded. Bar none.

Hound Dog. But we'll go with Big Mama Thornton's version here. (Sorry, Elvis. I love ya, but...)

We are Monkees obsessed in our house this month (thank you, Netflix!) so here's "Gonna Buy Me a Dog."

(Trying to keep it happy and clean, so we'll stay away from Neil Young's "Old King" and Snoop's "Doggie Dog World".)

Having Fun with Stonewall Hinkleman

Welcome to Day Three of the Stonewall Hinkleman Blog Tour. I love spending the day with co-authors Sam Riddleburger and Michael Hemphill whether we're hanging out on the Roanoke River or here on this blog.

Sam, Michael and I worked together back when we were all in newspapers full time. (You remember newspapers, right? Black and white? Used to be read all over?) Before I left the New River Valley, the three of us had conversations like the one you get to eavesdrop on. Only then our conversations were about town politics and how to get sources to call us back and whether we wanted to eat lunch at Triangle Lanes (now a Walgreens) or Dude's Drive In (still there!)

Today we're talking about war -- the Civil War -- as it comes alive in their new book Stonewall Hinkleman and the Battle of Bull Run. Before we begin our conversation, I want to remind you that you are now eligible to win a FABULOUS PRIZE PACK featuring a signed copy of Stonewall. Details at the end of this post.



And now (cue bugle): Let the conversation began!

Me: In your story, Stonewall's parents drag him to war reenactments every weekend. What sorts of things did your parents drag you to when you were kids?

Sam: I sat through a lot of auctions and toured a lot of old houses where I wasn't allowed to touch anything. However, I enjoyed most of the Civil War places we visited, because my father had a lot of knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject -– in a good way.

Michael: My mom is this classical music lover, so we got dragged along to “cultural” events – symphony, ballet, etc. etc. Hated it then … appreciate it now.

Me: I'm one of those people who would, if I didn't already love you guys, be your toughest audience. I've never been a fan of Civil War history. I had a social studies teacher who was big into reenactments and wanted the South to rise again. I'm not sure that helped. Growing up in the South, it's so in-your face. Battlefield markers everywhere. Flags everywhere. Stickers on the backs of cars that say "Heritage, not hate." Could you guys talk a little about your feelings about the Civil War, before and after you finished this book? Did working on this book change your feelings about the war?

Sam: It's amazing how people assume that Stonewall Jackson was “bad” for fighting on the side of slavery, but gladly believe that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were “good.” It's a messy, messy area and we don't try to solve it all -– just explore it.

Michael: Even though I'm from Alabama, I was never a fan of Civil War history until moving to Virginia in the 1990s. The history is certainly in your face here, but it's sad that some folks tend to appreciate only part of the history while others tend to scorn it all. It's THE defining moment of American history.

Me: When you set out working on this book, did you think: I want to write historical fiction? Or did the characters come out first?

Michael: I wanted to write historical fiction, but the story didn't come alive in any sense of the word until Sam dreamed up Stonewall … Hinkleman, that is.

Me: I was happy to meet him. I especially liked the meetings between Stonewall and Tom. Historical fiction was never my favorite genre, but having just read March (for adults, also about the Civil War; I'm planning to write Geraldine Brooks a very long fan letter), followed by Hattie Big Sky, and STONEWALL HINKLEMAN, I am quickly changing my mind. (If you guys have any favorites in that genre that you want to mention, this is the place.)

Michael: I have become a big fan of Alan Furst's historical novels about Europe during the rise of Hitler and World War II. I find I've learned more history in those books than anything I've read in a textbook.

Sam: As far as kidlit goes, I'm a big fan of the Great Brain series, Queenie Peavey and, of course, Little House.

Me: The Great Brain and Little House! How could I forget them??? (Tangent alert: Did you know a Little House musical will begin touring this fall, with Melissa Gilbert playing Caroline? Could be scary but if it comes anywhere near here, I'm going anyway. The complete tour is supposed to be announced soon.)

Me Again: Is it true Stonewall had more of a potty mouth in an earlier version?
Sam: It was mostly Cyrus, I think, who had to get cleaned up. Michael decided to give him some Shakespearean curses instead of the &*#@ and )%*#.

Michael: Given Sam's proclivity for toilet humor (think Qwikpick) I credit him for the potty mouth. But we wanted to make sure the book got read in classrooms, so the damns became durns.

Me: When Stonewall first came into your mind, did he have ADD? Or was there a more conscious effort to create a character who was dealing with that challenge?

Sam: I do believe in ADD, but I'm skeptical about Stonewall Hinkleman's ADD. I think he was happy to get the diagnosis and use it as an excuse for his bad attitude and sloppy homework. Now Cyrus … he clearly has ADD.

Me: Tell me a little about how you guys collaborated on this story… the process, I mean.

Sam: Write a chapter. Email it off. The other guy writes a chapter and emails back. Repeat until book is done.

Michael: With some editing by the other guy in between. Sam really set the tone of the book. My writing style at the start of this project was more formal … academic. But I quickly realized that Sam's voice was going to make the book, so I tried to mimic what he had established. At some point early on we created an outline that we roughly followed … at least for the first draft.

Me: Any fights?

Michael: Rhetorical or with knives?

Sam: The best fight was in public at a library where we were doing some revisions on a laptop. Very heated. Since it was Michael's laptop, he threatened to change everything back when he got home.

Me: How do you think it would be different if just one of you wrote it?

If it were just Sam's version, for instance?

Sam: Wouldn't have made it.

If it were just Michael's version?

Michael: Would have been much better. (Ed. This is where my blog needs a laugh track.)

Me: I know Sam wrote a blog entry about how you improved on the time travel, hashing out the rules. Were there any other moments like that when either an editor or one or the other of you made a suggestion that set off a huge, manuscript-improving epiphany?

Sam: Michael wanted a female character in the book from early on. I kept saying no. I just couldn't see how she'd fit into the book. Much later – after we had sold the book to Dial – I finally saw the light. Now we have Ashby, who I think is a great character. She's got the bravery Stonewall lacks.

Michael: Sam's kind, but while I may have had some hazy notion of a female character in mind, Sam brought Ashby to light.

Me: Speaking of time travel: Could you talk about some of your time travel inspirations?

Sam: I have to say that Back to the Future was an inspiration and an Uninspiration. We worked very, very hard to make sure this book wasn't Back to The Future IV: The Civil War Years.

Me: Who do you hope to reach with this book?

Sam: The brotherhood of man.

Michael: And their sisters, too.


Me: What are your plans for escaping the toilet-bowl economy and convincing the world they need to buy this book? You may make your pitch now.

Michael: Well, we've got the 150th anniversary of the Civil War starting in 2011, and like I said earlier, I view the war as the pivotal event of American history. Everything before it (Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, etc.) served as precursor, and everything since (including President Obama's election) has been a resolving of the war's aftermath. And yet it seems all that most kids know about it these days is that the North was “good” and the South was “bad.” I hope Stonewall inspires them to want to learn more.

Me: How much research went into this?

Michael: I knew a fair amount about the battle and have visited the Manassas (Bull Run) battlefield. I also co-own a Civil War battlefield tour company with friend and tour guide Robert Freis. He helped a lot with the background and research and historical personalities in the book.

Sam knew how to spell "Civil War."

Me: The end clearly leaves you wide open for Stonewall Hinkelman and the Battle of Antietam. Have you guys started work on such a thing?

Sam: What we've got in mind is a five-book series, with one book for each year of the war. One book will explain Tom. The final book would end at Appomattox, of course, and could feature Stonewall's dad and his re-enactor pals finally getting a chance to shine. We've also discussed the use of zombies.

(Me: It's working for Jane Austen.)

Michael: Or Stonewall ends up in 1955 playing “Johnny Be Good” with Michael J. Fox at the big high school dance.

Me: Oh: I want to give Michael a chance to talk a bit about his work with Civil War Journey.

Michael: We started the business in 2000 and offer customized Civil War battlefield tours to domestic and international clients. We also offer a schedule of weekend-long tours.

Me: Succinct. Factual. But this is supposed to be self PROMOTION. Try: Michael and Rob have put together a company that makes hearts thump! Clients say they vividly bring the Civil War to life! (Hey -- didn't I see something similar in a review of Stonewall?) You can visit them at civilwarjourney.com.

Me: Some final, scatter-shot questions for both of you:
Favorite battlefield?
Both: Antietam

Me: Favorite Civil War historic figure:
Sam: Turner Ashby
Michael: Joshua Chamberlain

Me: Favorite Civil War food
Sam: Goober peas
Michael: none of the above

Me: Favorite Civil War disease
Both: The vapors

Me: Favorite Civil War accessory
Both: The magic bugle, of course

Me: Thanks so much! And now, a little information about the prizes connected with the Stonewall blog tour:

One (1) lucky winner will receive a Stonewall Hinkleman Prize Pack containing a signed copy of Stonewall Hinkleman & The Battle of Bull Run, a t-shirt just like Stonewall wears on the cover AND advance copies of four other Dial Books for Young Readers titles! To enter, send an email to blogtour (at) stonewallhinkleman.com and put "Stonewall Contest" in the subject line! That's all you have to do to be eligible.

If you've read this far, here's a tiny, extra incentive for bloggers willing to help me with a little guerilla marketing. (See "toilet-bowl economy" above; every bit of publicity helps.) The prize is a stamp of this dogwho shares a certain sentiment with Stonewall. To be eligible, just write "Stonewall slept here" and provide a link to blog hq from your own blog. Let me know either in comments or at madelynruth at hotmail (dot) com. I'll draw a name and send that person the stamp. But mostly I'll send the satisfaction of knowing you helped some really great folks.

Thanks to Sam and Michael, the authors. Thanks to you, the readers!

****
In case you missed them, you can go back in time and visit the other stops on Stonewall's blog tour -- no magic bugle necessary. (That's Internet time travel!!)

Monday, May 4 - Just Like the Nut

Tuesday, May 5 - Collecting Children’s Books

Wednesday, May 6 - Poop Deck (That's me.)

Thursday, May 7 - One True Believer

Friday, May 8 - Saints and Spinners

Saurday, May 9 — Little Blog of Stories

coming up

Yes, it's a preview. I usually don't do those, but it's been so long since I've posted anything I figured I should get people geared up by announcing that I will host an interview with Cece Bell, here, at this very blog, on Tuesday. I don't usually interview friends -- in the journalism world that would be a conflict of interest. But this is BLOG WORLD, very different, and I can do whatever I want. In fact, maybe I should interview ONLY FRIENDS. Which means that Mary Hill will have to talk to me when her new book of poetry comes out in January. But for now: Cece! This week! Talking about Bee-Wigged! Stay Tuned!
And if you can't wait until Tuesday, the Blog Tour starts tomorrow at Sam Riddleburger's Blog.