III. ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Undoubtedly, you love many children’s books, both classics and contemporary. Please cite three favorites, including at least two MG or YA. What makes each unforgettable?

The entire Harry Potter series is one of my favorite stories of all time. Everything from the well-plotted mystery within each contained book, to the steadily-building, overarching conflict stretched over the entire series, to the thorough and rewarding world building, to the cozy and often whimsical execution. I just think it's marvelously done.

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman is one of my favorite middle grade books of all time. It goes to show that the historical genre can be just as fun, funny, and relevant as contemporary stories.

The Weetzie Bat books by Francesca Lia Block are some of my favorite YA novels of all time. The combination of beautiful magical realism with gritty realistic subjects, and particularly the exploration of chosen family set in a fully realized counterculture environment, just makes those books an absolute delight.

How does meeting writers at workshops (or elsewhere in person) affect you, your perspective, your work? What do you enjoy about participating in writers’ events?

So much of my work is done over email and phone, but it’s a joy to meet and work with writers in person. It’s a strong reminder to me of just how hard and gratifying the work of writing is for those who are called to it.

So much of the time at conferences I’m asked to evaluate partials, and I just feel like I don’t have enough information to advise fully, so I love the idea of digging into entire novels [at PCCWW] with a select group of talented individuals.

What would you like writers to know about you, the individual who scrutinizes their labor of love—how should writers regard the “godlike” editor who may reject their manuscript?

I would want writers to know that I respect them and their work tremendously, and believe that they are doing very important work. I review all submissions with this respectful and kind attitude.

Rejection is hard and omnipresent at every stage of the business. Writers might get rejected by agents, agented work might get rejected by editors, and editors can even get rejected when they bring work they love to acquisitions and are not allowed to pursue it. Publishers themselves are rejected when books that they pursue are not embraced by the public.

It’s important to have a thick skin in this industry, to know that rejection really isn’t personal, and that taste is extremely subjective, and to know that if you believe in your work, you should keep on writing.

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