Obscure Adaptations of Kidlit Classics

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I'm a fan of the science-fiction blog Io9.  A few weeks ago, they posted a pretty nifty piece of forgotten versions of famous movies.  Among the list were several children's literature adaptations, all of which are free watch on YouTube.  (Hooray for the public domain!)  Highlights include silent versions of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan as well as a saxiphone-laced Finnish adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.  Click any of the below images to read the whole list: 

 

 

 

 

 

The Matilda Prototype

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I've recently been reading a lot of short stories by Edwardian master Saki (the pen name of HH Munro).  The stories are largely wonderful -- a combination of funny and macabre that I haven't seen since Roald Dahl.  Speaking of Dahl, he was a huge fan of Saki.  Here's his blurb on the back of the Complete Works:

"In all literature, he was the first to employ successfully a wildly outrageous premise in order to make a serious point. I love that. And today the best of his stories are still better than the best of just about every other writer around." - Roald Dahl on Saki

Why is this interesting?  Well, I have recently been thinking about Betsy Bird's SLJ poll of the top 100 children's books -- in her piece on Matilda, Betsy mentions a rumor that the character of Matilda was originally conceived to be "a nasty little girl, somewhat in the same vein of Belloc’s Matilda Who Told Lies and Was Burned to Death.  Revision after revision turned her instead into the sweet little thing we all know and love today."

This seems like a good comparison, but for the fact that Belloc's Matilda is not terribly smart.[1. she's basically a "Boy who Cried Wolf"]  So imagine my surprise and delight when a few weeks ago, while reading Saki's short story "The Boar-Pig", I encounter a shrewd little girl named Matilda Cuvering whose sole mission in life is to terrorize stupid adults.  In the story, Matilda humiliates and extorts a pair of social climbers trying to crash a garden party.  And she doesn't limit her wrath to adults:

"I was told to imitate Claude, that's my young cousin, who never does anything wrong ... It seems [My aunts] thought I ate too much raspberry trifle at lunch, and they said Claude never eats too much raspberry trifle. Well, Claude always goes to sleep for half an hour after lunch, because he's told to, and I waited till he was asleep, and tied his hands and started forcible feeding with a whole bucketful of raspberry trifle ... Lots of it went on to his sailor-suit and some of it on to the bed, but a good deal went down Claude's throat, and they can't say again that he has never been known to eat too much raspberry trifle."

Of course, we'll never know for certain whether Dahl had this character in mind when he created Matilda Wormwood, but I can't help but wonder.[2. For those interested, I also wrote about Matilda and helicopter parenting here.]

 

The Upshot of Cancellation

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One of the things I've been thinking about a lot lately are the differences between cable and network television.  This is not a new topic. Much hay has been made of the way pay-channels like HBO and Showtime don't have to worry about commercial breaks ... but why is it that even the shows on "free" cable channels like FX and AMC still feel better than network shows?[1. "Free" is, of course, a euphamism for hundreds of dollars a year] 

For me, one essential factor is the difference in season lengths.  Cable TV shows generally only run for 11-13 episodes per season, while network shows nearly double that number.  Obviously, a writer needing to produce twice as much content in the same year might end up sacrificing quality for speed ... but what if there were another reason?  What if a shorter season was actually linked to better storytelling in some essential way?

This week I've been enjoying reading the AV Club's series of interviews with "Freaks & Geeks" creator Paul Feig, in which he talks through the writing and shooting of every episode in the short-lived series.  In the interview, Feig discusses how he and co-creator Judd Apatow discovered early on they were being cancelled at the end of the season:

We all just went into scramble mode and started saying, “Okay, we’ve got to play out these storylines we wanted to do [in future seasons], so that when we get canceled, we won’t go bummed out.”

This comment was sort of an "Aha!" moment for me.  Suddenly, Feig and co-creator Judd Apatow had to cram all the best story parts into the final six episodes.  And maybe that's why "Freaks & Geeks" was such a brilliant show -- every episode felt like it was truly an event.  I can't help but wonder if the show would have been quite as strong without the axe hanging over the creators' heads?[2. British TV seems to have internalized this idea without the need of a network axe. Consider the abbreviated runs of "The Office" or "Fawlty Towers," both of which ended because their respective creators would rather have no new episodes than bad new episodes]

Going back to the question of cable shows, I can't help but think of how Feig's experience applies to season premieres and finales.  Premieres and finales are where a series delvers its biggest dramatic punch -- rules are changed, people are killed, stakes are raised.  A little basic math informs me that a cable show (whose seasons end after just 13 episodes) will have those moments twice as often as a network show.  No matter how you cut it, that gives the cable show a huge storytelling advantage because it disallows filler.[3. If you're in the mood for more TV thoughts, you should check out screenwriter Matt Bird's current blog series "How to Create a TV Show"]

How does this apply to writing in general?  I suspect it connects somehow to series books, but I haven't worked that part out.  In the meantime, it's simply a powerful parable about the importance of not holding anything back.  I'm currently in the middle of a second book, and I'm constantly getting exciting story ideas that I think I should save for a story in the distant future.  That's ridiculous.  I should be putting everything into the book I'm writing now.  I should be treating this book like the last one I may ever get to write.

Puppy Chow ...

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Hi there!  It's been a while since my last post.  I've been doing lots of school visits all over the country and am finally home working on my next book(!).  In the meantime, you should check out my recent interview over at Novel Novice.  They're dedicating the entire month of March to Middle-Grade books and I was lucky enough to be featured!

Aside from the usual topics of reading and the power of children's literature, we also discussed more profound things like what I like on my pizza and what dead person I would most love to have dinner with.[1. I must admit that my answer to the second question was in part inspired by a recent viewing of the Dr Who episode "Vincent and the Doctor"]  Even better, they asked me to draw a picture for them ... I decided to go with a velociraptor eating a puppy sandwich: 

Just looking at it makes me hungry!  To read the whole interview, click here:

Exclusive Q&A with Peter Nimble author Jonathan Auxier

 

Whence Science-Fiction?

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Ever asked yourself why science-fiction came about in the 19th century?  Recently I listened to a series of interviews that Bill Moyers conducted with science-fiction wizard Isaac Asimov.[1. Asimov Fun Fact: he is one of the only authors in history who has published books under all ten major headings of the Dewey Decimal system!]  Asimov gave a description of the origins of science fiction that really grabbed me:

"The fact is that society is always changing, but the rate of change has been accelerating all through history for a variety of reasons. … It was only with the coming of the industrial revolution that the rate of change became fast enough to be visible in a single lifetime. So people became aware that not only were things changing, but they would continue to change after they died. And that was when science fiction came into being (as opposed to fantasy and adventure tales) because people knew that they would die before they could see the changes that would happen in the next century so it would be nice to imagine what they might be."

Sounds pretty dead-on, if you ask me.  If you want to watch the whole interview, click the link below:

 

What I Miss About Being Unpublished ...

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Some months ago, the kind folks at Project Mayhem ran a very kind review of Peter Nimble.  Last week, they asked me to contribute something for a post about what authors miss from their pre-published days.  As fun as being published is, I could think of at least one thing that I miss from the old days of blindly hoping for publication -- allow me to excerpt:

Before I had a book in the world, I had no real sense of my audience. Audience was an abstract idea that couldn't be pinned down and had little say in my storytelling. With the publication of Peter Nimble, however, I've suddenly found myself writing stories with specific readers in mind. It's hard to type a sentence without thinking: I wonder what Librarian X or Critic Y will think of this? While such thoughts may be helpful during revisions, they can be crippling to the early stages of the creative process.

Project Mayhem also got contributions from authors Kate Messner and Stephen Messer.  To read their responses and some great reader comments, check out the link below:

PROJECT MAYHEM: Rushing Towards Your Dream? Wait.

Roald Dahl's Rosetta Stone ...

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A few weeks back, awesome teacher Mark Holtzen wrote in with a question.  His class was just finishing a unit on Roald Dahl, and he wanted me to share with them how Dahl has influenced my writing.  I figured my response might be of interest to readers of The Scop: 

I think one of the things that makes Roald Dahl so fascinating is the way he writes grown-up characters.  A lot of people talk about how he always makes the adults in his books mean or stupid ... but that's only half the story.  For every Trunchbull there is a Miss Honey -- a person who helps the hero become who they were meant to be.  When I think of my favorite characters in Dahl's books, I think of the wonderful grownups who guide and care for the young heroes:

Miss Honey from Matilda

The Queen from The BFG

The Old Man from James and the Giant Peach
 
Grandpa Joe from Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

When I ask myself why Dahl would make sure that every book has at least one good adult character, I can't help but think of the final page of Danny the Champion of the World:

So based on what he's saying there, it seems like his adult characters -- good and bad -- are actually meant to be a lesson for young readers about how to grow up.  Dahl wants everyone who reads his books to see the difference between a dreadful parent and a delightful one ... and hopefully resolve to become the latter.

This is something I tried to remember while writing Peter Nimble.  The book has its share of awful grownups, but there are also one or two adults in Peter's life (The Professor, Sir Tode, Simon) who are a bit more "sparky" ... and having those grownups in your life makes all the difference.

 

I'm in the Trib!

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I was featured in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review this Sunday.  For those interested, you can read my interview here.  The photograph is of me sitting in the local Argentinian coffee shop where I wrote the first draft of Peter Nimble back when I was in graduate school.

I've recently had a lot of readers/teachers/parents write me to ask about biblical allusions in Peter Nimble.  Among them was my Trib interviewer, Rege Behe, who couldn't help but notice the similarities between baby Peter in his floating basket and baby Moses in the reeds.  That led to a pretty fun conversation about biblical tropes in literature (which are ubiquitous).

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Auxier draws on fascination with children's literature for 'Peter Nimble'

 

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! FREE Peter Nimble!

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This week, Peter Nimble hits bookstores in Merrie Olde England!  It's being published by Scholastic UK, and it looks 100% awesome.  As you can see, Scholastic decided to go with the US cover art -- which I wholeheartedly support.  Even better, they added GOLD FOIL to the logo.

Gold foil, people!

To celebrate, I'm running a special giveaway for UK readers.  Winners will get a signed copy of Peter Nimble with a hand-drawn illustration/inscription inside.  All you have to do is the following:

1)  Follow me on Twitter or add me to your circles on Google+

2) Either re-tweet this announcement on Twitter or post something about Peter Nimble on your blog or (if you've already read the book), post a short Peter Nimble review on Amazon.co.uk or Goodreads

3) Leave a comment on this blog with a link to your post/tweet

That's it!  Follow those steps and Bob's your uncle! Now get Tweeting![1. Fine Print: Entrants must be from the UK; I will be selecting two winners by using a random.org number picker at midnight on January 31, 2012; Winners will receive a hardcover copy of Peter Nimble with a custom illustration.]

Interview and Peter Nimble Giveaway!

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I met Little Reviewer Elizabeth Johnson and her cartoonist husband last October in Portland (a city that the Washington Post has recently declared less awesome than Pittsburgh).[1. Elizabeth also ran a lovely Peter Nimble review, which you can read here.]   This week, she's running an author interview and Peter Nimble giveaway.  All you have to do is click here and write a comment on her site!  Those of you who resolved to read more blind-thief stories in the new year will finally have your chance!  While you're at it, check out the interview, in which I reveal my childhood gripe about the Oz series and my favorite illustration from the book.

The Little Reviewer: Author Interview and Giveaway!

 

PETER NIMBLE Book Party!

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A lot of friends have expressed disappointment that they were unable to attend my launch party in August.  Well, good news! The fine folks at Pittsburgh's own Penguin Bookshop are throwing a Peter Nimble book party! 

The event will be on Saturday, Dec 17th from 1-3pm. There will be hot cocoa, cookies, readings, games, and more!  If you live or know anyone who lives in the Pittsburgh area, please tell them to come!  I'll also be using this as an opportunity to introduce the community to my school programs -- so those of you who have been dying to see some costumes and yo-yo tricks would be advised to come!

Hello Again ...

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The last five weeks have been an insane grind for Team Auxier.   I was planning to do several posts announcing various things as they came up, but time got away from me.  Instead, I'm just going down the list ...

BOOK TOUR

I've been touring schools and bookstores all over California -- about thirty events in the last month.  (Click here to see pictures from a recent event ... and video of me doing a favorite YO-YO trick!)  I also managed to sneak out to Wordstock in Portland and the Miami Book Fair International.[1. Where I had a fantastic time hanging out with the likes of Tom Angleberger, Dan Santat, Grace Lin, Gene Yang, and Matt Phelan! Even better, I got Dan to promise to put me into his next picture book!]

I OPTIONED A MOVIE

To real producers!  With real money!  The story is one I've been working on for a while -- a period ghost tale in the tradition of Washington Irving about a haunted tree.  The one problem was that selling the movie meant I had to completely  re-write the last half while on book tour.  I finished last night! 

WE MOVED!

This month, Mary and I packed up all our dishes and made the 3000 mile trek to Pittsburgh, PA![1. Actually Mary packed our house; I was too busy hanging out at schools and bookstores.]  The 'Burgh is a wonderful city that has topped virtually every "most livable" list for the last decade.  Also, we met there. 

WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

One great thing about Pittsburgh is an abundance of amazing old homes.  Coming from the West Coast, I thrill at the idea of living in something not covered in stucco.  As of last night, Mary and I are the owners of this hundred year-old gem on a tree-lined street in Regent Square.  How's that for a black Friday purchase?

AND THE LAST THING ...

You might be asking yourself why a young couple might leave sunny Los Angeles for snowy Pittsburgh?  Well, Mary grew up here, and we want to be near family when we have our baby in May.  Did I mention we're having a baby?  Because we so totally are.

Maria Tatar and Child Worlds ...

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First off, a note for the locals: I'm having a signing this Sunday at 5pm at lovely Laguna beach books!  You should come by and say hello!  For directions and more info, click here.  If you can't make it, I'd love for you to spread the news by Tweeting the word -- just click here!

ON TO REAL BUSINESS:  This week there was a kerfuffle about a NYT op-ed by children's lit scholar Maria Tatar called "No More Adventures in Wonderland."[1. Scop readers will remember that I reviewed one of Tatar's books earlier this year.]    Tatar argues that children's books of the present lack the "redemptive beauty, cathartic humor and healing magic of an earlier time." 

Lots of people in the kidlit community got very upset by this article.  I urge you to read the comments at the  School Library Journal's Heavy Medal and Fuze #8 blogs.  I generally agree that Tatar is exercising some willful blindness (I'd hardly call Peter Pan a "redemptive" figure), but I also think the children's publishing community does themselves a disservice by automatically shouting down an established children's literature scholar such as Tatar. 

For my money, the best response has come from Monica Edinger, who took a moment to consider why Tatar chose Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland as her touchstones.[2. You may recall from a previous post that Monica Edinger is always right about everything. Nice to see her holding up the tradition!]  Edinger rightly observes that both books were very much about the act of constructing a world in which actual children (the Liddels and the Davies) were meant to play.  In fact, story details in both Neverland and Wonderland were actually taken from these children's own playtime adventures.

Perhaps what Tatar is trying to say is that in this current market of well-plotted, well-written stories -- ones that adhere closely to the rules of dramatic structure -- we lose the chance to create worlds that are incomplete ... places that invite a child not to re-create the actions of a hero, but to inhabit the same spaces as the hero inhabits?

This subject looms large in my mind right now because my wife is currently writing a dissertation that deals with the role of "child worlds" in early children's literature.  Tatar might have given the wrong diagnosis, but her op-ed still speaks to a legitimate difference between books of today and books of the past.  Any contemporary reader of Alice in Wonderland will have to admit it contains a pretty lack-luster story ... but what a world it creates.

For a completely different view on the subject, I urge people to check out this recent article from Salon magazine that argues for the value of teens reading adult fiction -- darkness and all.

Geek Dad Interview ...

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I've got an interview up at the WIRED GeekDad blog today.  This is a big deal for me, as I've been a gigiantic fan of the blog ever since they taught me about this dot-matrix printer made from Legos and Crayola markers:

I was interviewed by Jonathan Liu, who also happens to be a virtuoso Etch-a-Sketch artist.  Check it out:

You can see more of his wizardry at Rainy Bay Art.  (He also does commissions ... don't think I'm not tempted!)

And while you're at it, check out our interview.  Mr Liu and I covered a ton of great topics -- including the importance of men modeling reading, the impact of nonsense on children's literature, the writing process, Laurence Sterne, yo-yos, etc.  Also, I finally talk about the single work of children's literature that influenced me more than any other!  (Hint: it's NOT Peter Pan!)  Wanna know what book it was?  Find out here.

 

 

 

Writing With One-Arm Tied Behind Your Back

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This weekend, I’m headed up to Portland for the Wordstock Writer’s Festival!  I’ll be doing signings, reading, a few panels about writing for young readers (with a whole host of awesome authors).  What’s more, I’m also teaching a workshop this Sunday:

ONE ARM TIED BEHIND YOUR BACK:
"Harnessing the Hurdles Unique to Your Work-in-Progress"

This topic was borne out of a recent observation made by Mary.  It came during the heat of final revisions for Peter Nimble.  I was cursing how much extra work it was to tell a visually rich story from the perspective of a blind child -- going through every line to make sure I wasn't taking my own sight for granted.  Mary heard my grumbling and responded with typical perspicacity:  “But isn’t that what you always do? You only pick the stories that force you to write with one arm tied behind your back.”

Of course, she was right.  I have never had a shortage of story ideas, but the projects I actually finish all contain some ridiculous formal hurdle that makes them insanely difficult.  Why write a feature film when I can write a silent feature film?  Why tell a horror story when I can tell a horror story for children?   Why inhabit the real world when I can build an entirely different world from scratch?

Readers love stories that tackle hurdles, but writing them is a serious pain!  Now, however, I’m starting to believe that the formal challenge is the very thing that gets me through a draft -- long after I have grown bored with my plot and characters, I have this "Pet Hurdle" to keep me involved.  Since then, I’ve started doodling pictures of my Pet Hurdle:

 

Isn’t he cute?  The workshop on Sunday will walk writers through the process of identifying the Pet Hurdle in their own work-in-progress and give them some tools for turning that challenge into an asset.

It makes me wonder:  if Peter Nimble hadn’t been blind … would I even have finished telling his story?