First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server today…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
Oh, always. Always. I’m just lucky that I get to do what I’ve always wanted to do.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I started out in publishing as an editorial assistant in adult nonfiction, but quickly realized that I was not quite ready to be an adult. I moved over to YA and fell back in love with the genre. After more years than I’d care to admit to, I was given the opportunity to work on some media tie-in projects on a freelance basis, and that paved the way for more and more original work. In December of ’06 I left my editing job to concentrate full-time on my writing, and to pursue an MFA in writing for children and young adults. It’s been an exhausting combination of hard work and opportunity. And I’ve loved (almost) every minute of it!
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
Hmmm…well, my next release is the Simon Pulse romantic comedy CRUSH DU JOUR. It’s got a cooking theme, and if I do say so myself, it is just delicious!
(Yes, I know. Bad pun. I think I inherited the pun gene from my grandfather).
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
That’s a tough question! I am constantly amazed and inspired by writers who continue to move me: MT Anderson, Alice Hoffman, Ned Vizzini, Sarah Dessen, Carrie Jones, Carolyn Mackler, David Levithan. When I read great writing I am humbled but also motivated to get out there and try to capture a little but of my own human experience. And being in NYC, I’ve had great opportunities to meet and exchange ideas with some wonderfully talented people.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My family has been endlessly supportive. We’re a pretty close bunch, and my grandparents and parents have read all of my books and attend as many of my readings and events as possible. Just last weekend, my parents came out to see me at the Princeton Children’s Book Festival, and we went out to dinner for my father’s birthday afterwards. They and my boyfriend are always on-hand to help me celebrate every milestone in my new career, no matter how minor. And my brother, an architect and artist, is illustrating my upcoming novel, I’M WITH THE TRIBE (Flux/Llewellyn, spring ’09). Stay tuned….
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Cheese. Chocolate. Anything fried.
I LOVE mac and cheese from a box, and my boyfriend always brings it home for me when I’m sick.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
- Hug the dog
- Hug the boy
- Hit the snooze
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most?
Piles of books everywhere…and a freakish number of flip flops. Truly, an astonishing amount of flip flops. I’m not sure what’s going on there.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
I bought purple sneakers and a purple gym bag to inspire me to exercise (the jury is still out), so obviously I have ideas about the motivating power of purple.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I do love that Bart Simpson. What a terror he is. Alas, I am much more like Lisa.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history, where and when would it be—and why?
I’d love to have a chat with Laura Ingalls Wilder. The “Little House” books were some of my favorites growing up.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re writing?
I listen to mostly indie-pop stuff, and in particular, whatever my cooler-than-thou brother passes along. The Wrens and Pixies are longstanding favorites, with Silversun Pickups, Arcade Fire, Peter Bjorn and John, Fischerspooner, the Postal Service, and Imogen Heap making the latest rotation. I almost always listen to music while I’m writing, but I’m fickle about how loud or un-loud it should be, depending on what I’m working on. Massive Attack and Yo La Tengo are good writing standbys.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw at the theater?
I am addicted to bad reality tv. It’s embarrassing. “The Hills,” “America’s Next Top Model,” “Project Runway,” “Top Chef…” it’s like a drug. I also go catatonic for any permutation of “Law & Order” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” I caught the “Gossip Girl” pilot this week and must say that it looks quite promising.
I love movies, but don’t watch too many of them over and over again. Exceptions to the rule include: Clueless, The Shining, and Shaun of the Dead.
Um, the last movie I saw in the theater was the Halloween remake. I needed a brain break from a grad school project!
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
READ! It doesn’t have to be my books, but please, find what you like, and read it. I think the Internet has sucked up lots of the attention that we used to give to books, which is a shame. I love to surf as much as the next person, but nothing can ever replace reading a big, fat, satisfying book.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
Lots and lots! As I mentioned, CRUSH will be out this October, and EMILY GOLDBERG LEARNS TO SALSA is releasing with a gor-jus new paperback cover in November. Then in December, I have a short story in the Bloomsbury anthology, FIRST KISS (THEN TELL). Next November I will have a novel called POPULAR VOTE coming out with Scholastic, and in spring ’09, as mentioned, my brother and are publishing an “illustrated novel” called I’M WITH THE TRIBE, about three Jewish boys who start a garage band.
Huh. I guess I don’t plan to be doing much sleeping in the upcoming year.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Anytime! And feel free to visit me at: www.micolostow.com
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