April 23, 2011

Celebrating the Immortal Truth of Shakespeare

Today is Shakespeare’s birthday and deathday, if legend is to be believed, yet in the alternative reality of story which permeates our world he has never been more alive. His work has influenced writers as […]
March 8, 2011

The Future of Publishing?

A number of people have asked me what I think the publishing world will look like when the dust has settled on the current revolution, and last weekend I was invited to participate in a […]
February 18, 2011

Libraries: The Democracy of Choice

Do you remember the years between learning to read by yourself for the first time and the ones during which school workloads dealt a mortal blow to your free time? And do you remember the […]
July 20, 2010

And Another Thing… (about books for boys)

Look at old editions of Treasure Island, Kidnapped, or any number of books from earlier eras and the cover illustrations make it clear from the outset that they don’t pander to girls at all. They […]
June 6, 2010

So What DO Teen Boys Read?

Boys need and deserve books addressed specifically to them, to overcoming the fears or 'monsters' that bedevil them. For what are great stories if not a vicarious exploration of one's deepest darkest fears, vanquished by an unlikely but ultimately worthy hero?
June 3, 2010

The Romance of Chetham Library

It’s the oldest public library in the English-speaking world. Chetham Library in Manchester, England, was founded in 1653 for the education of “the sons of honest, industrious and painful parents”.
June 1, 2010

What Is It With YA Book Covers?

I went into Borders with my 21-year old son yesterday. He stood beside me, shoulders hunched, hands in pockets, as I perused the YA shelves to see who’s getting the prime shelf space and why—a […]
May 30, 2010

BEA 2010 – Steampunk Panel

“Steampunkery: Why are today’s teens embracing 19th-century technologies?” Moderator: Cory Doctorow, Author Panelists: Authors Scott Westerfeld and Cherie Priest; Karen Grenke, Library Manager NYPL and fan girl * Grab your headphones for the best sound […]
April 11, 2010

My Desert Island Book Choice: Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

Writers often get asked “If you found yourself marooned on a desert island and you could only have one book with you, which one would you choose?”
April 8, 2010

The Dark Allure of Gothic Literature

This week I participated in an engrossing #LitChat discussion of Gothic Romance and an hour just wasn’t enough time to explore all the questions that came up so I thought we’d continue the chat on […]