| Interview with Kelly Easton |
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
It's a long road. I started as a playwright, then a fiction writer for adults. I wasted a lot of time sending my
first book THE LIFE HISTORY OF A STAR to agents. Finally, I got wise and sent it to publishers myself.
I sold it within six weeks. For anyone who wants to publish, I say skip the agents at the beginning. Go
straight to The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market Guide, which tells you everything you need to
know.
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?
I have five young adult books in press, so I'll just tell you about the first two. AFTERSHOCK (Margaret K.
McElderry Books, Fall, 2006) is about how tough it is to be male, how pressures to be cool, violent,
sexual, and accomplished all at the same time make defining self a sketchy business. It's a book about
journeys, internal and external. A very emotional book.
HIROSHIMA DREAMS (Dutton, Spring 2007) is about a girl who has "special gifts." She's a seer. The
book follows her from the age of five to seventeen. It's a great book for anyone who wonders if there's
an alternative spiritual life to what religion offers, or who experiences intense "coincidences" or
premonitions. It's also a love story between the main character and her grandmother (who survived the
bombing of Hiroshima), her sister, and a boy (there's always a boy).
I also have a story coming out in an anthology called WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? (Candlewick Press,
Fall 2006). It's all about phobias.
That wasn't "one thing;" was it?
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
The Who: The authors of the great children's books: C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, Dahl, Baum. Those
writers saved many a lonely day in my childhood. Also, Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain,
and Charles Dickens (Sorry they're all men!).
The What: Mark Twain said that "Man is the only animal who blushes. Or needs to." I write about the
things we need to blush about: war, how religion can be misused, the need for people to be bullies. But I
also write about all the aspects of teen life: relationships, clothes, music, the body's constant changes,
pressures to have sex without love, friendship without devotion. My characters are survivors in one way
or another and they all have sense of humor. Most of my books are funny, even when they're serious. I
like to write timeless books. Like, I wrote THE LIFE HISTORY OF A STAR (about the Vietnam debacle)
during the gulf war. Boy, is that book timely again. Sadly.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
We're all creative: musicians, artists and the like. We never went by the rules. It would take a book to
write about just one of them. We were poor. My mom used to take us to prisons to visit murderers and
rapists. That gave me a great insight into the difference between evil people and evil deeds. My present
family is a much more mellow and peaceful reality. My husband is a therapist and we have four kids and
two dogs. We live on two different islands and spend our spare time walking, swimming, eating and
having fun.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Coffee, definitely.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I wake up in a stupor, make coffee, take my dogs out, then return to bed with my laptop and write. My
best writing is before my brain is awake and can get in my way. It's good to remain in a stupor. I think we
all need to stare into space more often, space out, be dazed and do nothing. A lot of creativity arises out
of that state.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
How few books there are. As soon as I read them, I give them away (because I'm allergic to dust and
mold). Also, my sister's paintings are everywhere and they're awesome.
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 have to tell you that the first line of my book TO BE MONA, out in fall 2007 is: "Say you're a color:
Which one would you be?" I guess great minds think alike, Jennifer. I didn't steal it!
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Fred Flintstone, just because I love the Flintstones. My childhood family was as crazy as the Simpsons.
My favorite current cartoon is ARTHUR. Maybe I'd be like "Prunella" on that show. She always wants to
add magic to the mundane. One of my books (that's coming out) is about that. It's called SPELLS TO
HOLD ONTO YOU.
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 would choose now, despite all of the problems, because women have equality for the first time in
history. I want girls to remember what it used to be like. And I want us all to remember and hope for girls
who are oppressed, as they still are in so many cultures.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’
re writing?
I once listened to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon the whole time I was writing a play. I have great
faith in the unconscious and music triggers that. I like swing, jazz, classical. I listen to pop when I'm
driving because it keeps me awake. I like Dave Mathews (did I spell his name right?).
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 loved The Twilight Zone from the old days. Great TV shows. The best movie ever is TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD; also a great book! I show it to my students and watch them cry. The last movie I saw
was an independent film. It was so avant garde that I don't remember the name of it.
What would we do without art?
Thanks again for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
It's a long road. I started as a playwright, then a fiction writer for adults. I wasted a lot of time sending my
first book THE LIFE HISTORY OF A STAR to agents. Finally, I got wise and sent it to publishers myself.
I sold it within six weeks. For anyone who wants to publish, I say skip the agents at the beginning. Go
straight to The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market Guide, which tells you everything you need to
know.
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?
I have five young adult books in press, so I'll just tell you about the first two. AFTERSHOCK (Margaret K.
McElderry Books, Fall, 2006) is about how tough it is to be male, how pressures to be cool, violent,
sexual, and accomplished all at the same time make defining self a sketchy business. It's a book about
journeys, internal and external. A very emotional book.
HIROSHIMA DREAMS (Dutton, Spring 2007) is about a girl who has "special gifts." She's a seer. The
book follows her from the age of five to seventeen. It's a great book for anyone who wonders if there's
an alternative spiritual life to what religion offers, or who experiences intense "coincidences" or
premonitions. It's also a love story between the main character and her grandmother (who survived the
bombing of Hiroshima), her sister, and a boy (there's always a boy).
I also have a story coming out in an anthology called WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? (Candlewick Press,
Fall 2006). It's all about phobias.
That wasn't "one thing;" was it?
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
The Who: The authors of the great children's books: C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, Dahl, Baum. Those
writers saved many a lonely day in my childhood. Also, Dostoyevsky, Kafka, Kurt Vonnegut, Mark Twain,
and Charles Dickens (Sorry they're all men!).
The What: Mark Twain said that "Man is the only animal who blushes. Or needs to." I write about the
things we need to blush about: war, how religion can be misused, the need for people to be bullies. But I
also write about all the aspects of teen life: relationships, clothes, music, the body's constant changes,
pressures to have sex without love, friendship without devotion. My characters are survivors in one way
or another and they all have sense of humor. Most of my books are funny, even when they're serious. I
like to write timeless books. Like, I wrote THE LIFE HISTORY OF A STAR (about the Vietnam debacle)
during the gulf war. Boy, is that book timely again. Sadly.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
We're all creative: musicians, artists and the like. We never went by the rules. It would take a book to
write about just one of them. We were poor. My mom used to take us to prisons to visit murderers and
rapists. That gave me a great insight into the difference between evil people and evil deeds. My present
family is a much more mellow and peaceful reality. My husband is a therapist and we have four kids and
two dogs. We live on two different islands and spend our spare time walking, swimming, eating and
having fun.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Coffee, definitely.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I wake up in a stupor, make coffee, take my dogs out, then return to bed with my laptop and write. My
best writing is before my brain is awake and can get in my way. It's good to remain in a stupor. I think we
all need to stare into space more often, space out, be dazed and do nothing. A lot of creativity arises out
of that state.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
How few books there are. As soon as I read them, I give them away (because I'm allergic to dust and
mold). Also, my sister's paintings are everywhere and they're awesome.
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 have to tell you that the first line of my book TO BE MONA, out in fall 2007 is: "Say you're a color:
Which one would you be?" I guess great minds think alike, Jennifer. I didn't steal it!
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Fred Flintstone, just because I love the Flintstones. My childhood family was as crazy as the Simpsons.
My favorite current cartoon is ARTHUR. Maybe I'd be like "Prunella" on that show. She always wants to
add magic to the mundane. One of my books (that's coming out) is about that. It's called SPELLS TO
HOLD ONTO YOU.
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 would choose now, despite all of the problems, because women have equality for the first time in
history. I want girls to remember what it used to be like. And I want us all to remember and hope for girls
who are oppressed, as they still are in so many cultures.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’
re writing?
I once listened to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon the whole time I was writing a play. I have great
faith in the unconscious and music triggers that. I like swing, jazz, classical. I listen to pop when I'm
driving because it keeps me awake. I like Dave Mathews (did I spell his name right?).
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 loved The Twilight Zone from the old days. Great TV shows. The best movie ever is TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD; also a great book! I show it to my students and watch them cry. The last movie I saw
was an independent film. It was so avant garde that I don't remember the name of it.
What would we do without art?
Thanks again for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!