Politics in the writing workshop classroom

November 4, 2016 Karen Day

Last night in a fiction writing workshop for local fourth and fifth graders, I gave students a variety of writing prompts from which to choose, as I typically do. I love working with kids this age. It gives me such satisfaction and pleasure to watch them brainstorm, plan out and then write their scenes. Over the years I've read wonderful writing, hilarious writing, scary writing. I once had a girl who started out not at all confident evolve into a strong writer with a solid voice. Sometimes kids write about their lives and families. Some write about other worlds. Some include famous people in their works. Baseball stars. Professional singers. Last night was the first night students included politicians.

It makes sense that kids would write about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. How could they not? The ugly election is ubiquitous. It's talked about on the playground, in classes, around the dinner table, on the bus. I am a proponent of this. Politics and world events are a constant at my dinner table. But what worried me last night wasn't the political presence in my students' writings. It was HOW they were presented, specifically Donald Trump.

Hillary arrived riding a unicorn in the dream of one of my student's characters. It was funny and absurd (and yes, I saw this as symbolic, but that's for another time). Donald Trump, in a different student writing, showed up in a more menacing way. He burst into the main character's classroom, screaming that he wanted to make America great again, throwing water bottles at everyone and threatening them. He then kidnapped the students and put them all in straight jackets.

Say what?

My student meant this as humor. His writing was crisp and action packed and certainly followed a narrative arc. He was being absurd and sarcastic. And yet his depiction of a threatening, menacing Trump worried me. The mom in me (and the arm chair psychologist) sees student writings as windows into their unconscious. If this is true, was my student -- in addition to looking for a laugh -- also depicting his own worries about a Trump presidency? Which eventually pointed me to this: in our media saturated world, we can't stop kids from reading and listening to political rhetoric. But we damn well better be paying attention to how it affects them. Actions, threats and words have consequences. Are we ready to deal with the emotional fallout of all this?

I'm interested in what other teachers are experiencing. How does the election show up in your student writing? Do you see worries and fear? Frustration? How do you address this?

Just signed the contract!

July 4, 2016 Karen Day

I'm happy to announce that my debut adult novel, I'LL STAY, has been sold to John Scognamiglio, editor-in-chief at Kensington Publishing. My wonderful agent for my adult books, Ann Collette, of the Rees Literary Agency, made this happen. Thanks, Ann!

I'LL STAY has been years in the making. I first wrote a short story with my two main characters nearly twenty years ago. Since then, versions of this story have been banging around the back of my mind. But it wasn't until four years ago that I sat down and finally wrote it.

I'LL STAY is the story of four college friends on a road trip and a terrible event that happens to one of the women. Told in three parts, and set in Indiana and on the East Coast, the novel addresses the ramifications of this night during different stages in the lives of my two main characters (Clare and Lee). Both would like to forget what happened, but as the years go by, the events of the night keep dragging them back into it and threaten not only their friendship but also their self worth. Along the way the novel wrestles with important questions: how much do we owe the people we love? What are the dangers of living an unexamined life? And how can we escape the psychological paradigms established in our childhoods?

While the characters and plot are fictional, much of the setting (and several of the details) are taken from my life. Boston, Greenwich Village and Chicago. There are also several scenes in Bloomington, home to Indiana University (the student Union! Nicks!), and in the Delta Gamma house.

Publication expected sometime next year!

Writing workshop for middle school students

November 18, 2015 Karen Day

There's still time to sign up for my fiction writing workshop through the Lexington Community Education department. We'll meet Thursday night, November 19, from 6-7:30pm. These classes are a great way to introduce fiction writing (and we have fun!!) to your sixth, seventh or eighth grader. For more information, email me. Or visit the website.

Interview with Jamie Holland, author of THE LIES WE TELL

October 13, 2015 Karen Day

Today I'm fortunate to interview Jamie Holland, debut author of THE LIES WE TELL, a coming-of-age-novel set in 1974 that deals with several of my favorite topics: families and secrets and sisters. Although this is her first novel, Jamie is a prolific short story writer and has published in Antietam Review, Brain Child, Literary Mama and Gargoyle. Full disclosure: over the years I've seen several versions of this wonderful story. So happy to feature her on my blog today!

1.) Your debut novel is a wonderful coming-of-age story. Can you talk about what drew you to thirteen-year-old Martie’s journey?

Thank you, Karen. Well, I’ve always remembered being in seventh and eighth grade and I just sort of went back in time and imagined a girl, much like myself, who had moved at a critical time in her life, especially following the mysterious death of her father, and I thought about what life in a new place would be like for her—starting at a new school, feeling unsettled, feeling pimply and awkward—and I went from there.

2.) The novel is set in 1974 and takes place mostly in Milwaukee, WI. Time and setting are important constructs here. You do a terrific job with both! Why did you chose this time and place?

Most writing teachers say the same thing: “Write what you know.” Well, I remember those early teen years very well. It’s hard to forget them. I moved from Maryland to Milwaukee in the summer between sixth and seventh grade and I recall every bit of it—the halter tops we made out of bandanas, the songs on the radio, the awkardness I felt when my friend’s brother would storm into her room. I also remember the anxiety I felt. I did not experience Martie’s loss but I felt very alone much of the time. I moved in 1976 but I had Martie move in 1974 because I wanted to include Nixon’s resignation and weave that theme of deceit into the book.

3.) There are multiple themes embedded in your novel, including the ramifications of lying, the different ways family members grieve and the cost of keeping secrets. Is there one theme that’s more important to you than the others?

I imagine that no two people, even family members, grieve the same way. Whether one cries all the time, cuts off her hair in a rage, or decides to memorize facts as a way of coping, the bottom line is that everyone is hurting. It just comes out in different ways, and that's what interests me—the myriad ways that family members grieve and how those different styles affect each other.

4.) As outsiders, we often assume that family members grieve together, and similarly, when a tragedy happens. This often isn’t the case. Martie and her sister, Blaire, have different reactions to both parents after their dad dies. Were their reactions always apparent to you? How do they grieve differently? And similarly?

Well, Martie’s reaction to her father’s death isn’t as strong as Blaire’s reaction because Martie doesn’t understand how he could have died so suddenly, so she’s still kind of in a state of disbelief. Blaire appears to have accepted the death yet she’s so angry with her mother, for reasons that Martie doesn’t yet understand. By the time the reader gets to the end of the book, he or she will completely understand why Blaire and Martie have reacted so differently to the death.

5.) Did you always know that you wanted to be a writer? How did you get your start?

Since I was little, maybe six or so, I always kept a diary. When I was older, I called them “journals.” That seemed more mature. I felt comfortable putting my thoughts on paper. Later in life, I took creative writing classes and I studied short stories. I got my first story published when I was 32.

6.) You’ve published short stories but this is your first novel. How is novel writing different, or similar, to short story writing? Do you like better than the other?

A novel is so many pages!! A good short story can be twelve pages. What I love about short stories is that every single word counts. I love editing, so I’m thrilled when I can cross out a few words. But, on the other hand, with a novel, you’re really living with the characters for a long, long time. And it’s very satisfying, after all those years, when you’re finished with the book. It’s sad, too, because you don’t want to say goodbye to them, but it’s a good feeling to know that you accomplished what you set out to do—even if it took fifteen years to get there!

7.) What’s next?

Speaking of a novel being so many pages, I’m halfway through another one! It's a young adult novel about the breakup of a friendship. After that, I’d like to see if I can still write short stories!

Join me at Grub Street this summer

May 15, 2015 Karen Day

This summer at Grub Street I will be teaching an advanced fiction writing class for those interested in writing novels for kids. Our focus will be on critiquing, exploring ways to move forward on drafts and revising strategies. This class is perfect for anyone who has taken my introductory classes and/or who has made progress (at least 50 pages) on a draft. Come on, don't be shy. Join us! Here's the link: website