Dear Ms. Hostetter,
At Voyager Academy, some of us met for a book club to read "Blue". We are Alexis, Jake, Darith, Courtney, and Caroline. We hope you don't mind answering a few questions for us!
1. How did you come up with the personality for Ann Fay? Did you do research on how girls acted during this time period.
A friend told me once that his father died when he was 14 years old. At his father's funeral someone told him he'd have to be the "man of the house" now. He said he didn't want that responsibility. I think that helped me to create Ann Fay - a girl who had lots of responsibility thrown at her that she didn't want. I wanted to explore the idea that all of us have inner strength that we don't realize until it is necessary.
And yes, I did base Ann Fay on lifestyles of the time. I know lots of people from this area who worked very hard and had lots of responsibility at a young age. I also read many polio stories.
2. Why did you title the book "Blue"?
I love symbolism and I think the title is all about symbolism in the book. So always like to throw this question back to the students. What BLUE symbols do you see in the book?
Also I actually called the book, TOUGH AS HICKORY. The editor asked me for other ideas but didn't like my ideas. So she gave me a list to choose from. Blue was the obvious choice on her list.
3. What inspired you to write Blue?
Homework! I signed up for a history writing workshop and before I even went to the class, the instructor gave me an assignment to research a local story. So I called our history museum to get some ideas. I discovered that in 1944 North Carolina had a polio epidemic and that Hickory (with help from March of Dimes, Red Cross etc) had put together an emergency hospital in just 3 days. I started reading about that and the drama of people's lives being changed by polio, grabbed me.
4. Do you always plan to write about diseases?
Why do you want to know? Do you think I'm a little obsessed?
Hmmmm. Maybe, I am. My next book takes place in a mental hospital - so that kind of fits the pattern, doesn't it? I might actually be moving away from diseases. But I think my books will always be about tragedy and compassion. Not sure why, but some stories of pain grab me and make me tell them. Stories can be very demanding that way.
This is so cool! What a treat to be asked questions by some of your readers! I love your answers, too. I'll be checking out Blue for my 12 year old. She's reading some historical fiction right now and really enjoying it.
ReplyDeletehugs,
Donna
Thanks, Donna You and your daughter might want to enter the contest (see top of sidebar) for the DVD. It's a 20 minute fictionalized account of a French village who took in American Soldiers right after D-Day. VEry sweet story which is shown daily in a museum in GA.
ReplyDelete(Papa said, "We should never forget."
If you win she could share it with her class. (Or is she homeschooled?)
"Tough as Hickory" I didn't know that about the title and although I think BLUE is very appropriate, I love the phrase... tough as hickory.
ReplyDeleteAmy -I guess that phrase, TOUGH AS HICKORY has more appeal to those of us who live here and love this place.
ReplyDelete