LA Book Festival--a link to a transcription of what the authors said

[ccwtaylor.livejournal.com]

Just to suplement the coverage of the LA Times festival--this blogger seems to have transcribed the entire panel discussion.

Here's my favorite bit:

Moderator: A children’s book critic called Megan the queen of subtext – multiple readings of Conspiracy continue to yield a rich appreciation of the text. I think that could be said for all three of you. Would you like to share your thoughts on multiple readings? Do you try to set up situations that become ah-hah moments for readers the second time through?

Megan Whalen Turner: I think the answer is, yes.


http://bookyurt.com/scouting/worlds-beyond-imagination-from-the-la-times-festival-of-books/

Comments

[ballerina-222.livejournal.com]

Oh I love this! Thanks for sharing!

All Hail the Queen of Subtext!

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Finally! Thank you, Megan.

Oh, he's ten. What would he like to read? Err... I don't know. What does he like? Exactly! Age does not serve as a prerequisite to taste. When did that trend even start? It drove me nuts as a kid. Just because I'm this age doesn't mean I want to read that particular set of books.

I also like what she said about the clues in TT. Truly, they are everywhere and actually quite obvious. Megan took little pains to hide them and relied on incorrect assumptions and preconceived notions to fool the reader. Honestly, I was delighted that she tricked me, because even at 15, I was an experienced reader, who had plowed my way through Austen, Dickens, the Bronte sisters, and most of Shakespeare. I wasn't use to a modern novel tripping me up. When all was finished, the book reminded me of what my mother likes to say, "Tell them the truth. They'll never believe you."

Okay, I'm done ranting. Thank you so much for this. I really enjoyed the whole thing. The picture of all three of them made me giggle. Megan's so much shorter than the other two!

Re: All Hail the Queen of Subtext!

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

If Lady Jane was made to read only books that were "age appropriate" for her then I believe she wouldn't have read a single book at all.


xD

jkk

Re: All Hail the Queen of Subtext!

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Dah! You're probably right.

My mum thought the concept of "reading skill level" was ridiculous and encouraged me to read anything that was okay for my age based simply on content. She did give me some books that she enjoyed when she was my age, but mostly, I was encourage to discover my own tastes, which I did! My mum, for example, can't stand most of Shakespeare and is allergic to sci-fi and fantasy.

All of it reminds me of something I saw on the side of a coffee cup, "You want your kids to read? Give them a couple of books!"

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks for posting this! Yes, I had no idea Jonathan Stroud was a giant! :)

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

I look a bit like a giant, too, when I'm standing next to Megan. Just saying.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Ha, even I look a little like a giant next to Megan. She is a shrimp. Small but Mighty.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Small yet mighty! Just like five-foot tall Queen Victoria, and myself really...

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

"The queen of subtext has spoken." <- I am making that an icon.

=D

Thanks so much for posting this!

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for postig this!! I felt like I was there =) And it has put me in a great cheery mood!

"writer of great style, competence, and originality"
wow that perfectly describes mwt's writing :-)


I'd be terrifed to meet mwt in real life because I just love the books so much, and gosh, what if she didn't like me? How horrible would that be? At the same time I would love to run into my favorite authors at a bookstore...on accident (not because of any stalker-ish tendencies that I do not have)

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Oh, right... Accident, and not because you camped out in front of their house and followed them there. Right?

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

uhh..........



(I shall get back to you on that...difficult to get wifi in these camping tents..=P)

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

You're in a camping tent?

[in-my-niteshirt.livejournal.com]

I was terrified to meet her and wondering if the experience would somehow disappoint (there were so many possibilities of how it could go horribly wrong), but she is approachable and generous and put us at ease (as much as possible, anyway.) I was pleasantly surprised to find that she is perfect at maintaining her glow of awesomeness without making anyone feel small. Very gracious.