Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town AmericaEdited by Nora Shalaway Carpenter
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Publisher: Candlewick
Description:
Think
you know what rural America is like? Discover a plurality of
perspectives in this enlightening anthology of stories that turns
preconceptions on their head.
Gracie sees a chance of fitting
in at her South Carolina private school, until a "white trash"-themed
Halloween party has her steering clear of the rich kids. Samuel's Tejano
family has both stood up to oppression and been a source of it, but now
he's ready to own his true sexual identity. A Puerto Rican teen in Utah
discovers that being a rodeo queen means embracing her heritage, not
shedding it....
For most of America's history, rural people
and culture have been casually mocked, stereotyped, and, in general,
deeply misunderstood. Now an
array of short stories, poetry, graphic short stories, and personal
essays, along with anecdotes from the authors' real lives, dives deep
into the complexity and diversity of rural America and the people who
call it home. Fifteen extraordinary authors - diverse in ethnic
background, sexual orientation, geographic location, and socioeconomic
status - explore the challenges, beauty, and nuances of growing up in
rural America. From a mountain town in New Mexico to the gorges of New
York to the arctic tundra of Alaska, you'll find yourself visiting parts
of this country you might not know existed - and meet characters whose
lives might be surprisingly similar to your own.
Praise for RURAL VOICES:
The compilation successfully meets the challenge of serving as a cohesive whole while providing readers with enough variety of tone, pace, and voice to keep the reading experience interesting. A fresh and highly accessible contribution. —Kirkus Reviews
From laughing out loud to holding back tears, readers who enjoy emotionally resonant books will not be disappointed. Those from similar geographic areas will be nodding their heads while every reader, regardless of location, will connect to the universal triumphs and tribulations of teen life. Fans of Rainbow Rowell will dive headfirst into this collection. A great addition that explores an often misrepresented portion of readers. —School Library Journal
Ten Ways You Get Inspired to Write by Veeda Bybee
1. Podcasts: Listening to authors and creators on writing/creative podcasts discuss their work gets me pumped to tackle my own. If they can do it, so can I!
2. Music: When I’m in a writing funk, I’ll crank up “Dance Yrself Clean” by LCD Soundsystem. The explosion of dance synth pop gets my toes tapping and fingers ready to sprint.
3. Organize: Writer’s Block can make me very productive – with everything but writing! When I start separating my kid’s Legos by color, I know it’s time to get back to work.
4. Bake: When nothing good is coming at the keyboard, I’ll hit the kitchen to make something there. After the treats come out of the oven, I usually feel more energized. Then I sit behind the computer again. With cookies.
5. Walk the Neighborhood: Fresh air. Blue skies. Being outside and moving my body helps clear the fog of self-doubt.
6. Writing Prompts: Ann Dee Ellis and Linda Urban have posted short writing prompts on their Instagram. I’ll use one of their prompts for a bit of prewriting to get the thoughts flowing.
7. Author Friends: I’m always motivated by their hustle. Phone calls and chats with friends who write is so invigorating. When they are struggling, I find myself giving pep talks I also need for myself.
8. The Dishes: I hate washing the dishes so much. Yet, while conquering this terrible, horrible, no good, very bad chore, my thoughts will drift to stories I’m working on. Writing becomes a welcomed break from scrubbing off dried cheerios.
9. Exercise – I find that writing is very similar to working out. I can hem and haw over getting started, but once I do, it feels good just showing up.
10. Deadlines: Knowing that something has a due date is like trying to outsmart a ticking time bomb. I never feel so alive than when I hit “send” on a project just before timer runs out!
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17086511.Nora_Shalaway_Carpenter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nora.s.carpenter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noracarpenterwrites/
No comments:
Post a Comment