I don’t read a lot of children’s lit these days, but I do read some. As an adult I have enjoyed Holes, those books starring the kid with the broomstick and the guy who hates him, and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. Last night I had tickets to hear Daniel Handler, the author of the Snicket books, give a talk (thanks Meredith), and he was very funny and I laughed a lot.
And that’s pretty much my post except I’m going to transcribe a few of the questions and answers from the talk in case other readers enjoy the Snicket books as much as I do. The end.
How did you break in as a writer?
My first novel was rejected 37 times. In those days, I had a deal with myself: if an editor rejected me but did so by saying even one thing complimentary, I’d phone them and ask to have lunch or dinner so we could discuss how I could improve. I actually got a lot of free food and liquor this way. I would have been equally satisfied if they just sent the rejection letter along with a bag of groceries.
Is your career where you expected it to be when you imagined yourself as a writer?
In high school I wanted to be Vladimir Nabokov. I haven’t gotten there yet, except for the part when I gain a lot of weight.
Does the final book of Lemony Snicket answer all the questions from the first twelve books?
It answers some questions, but asks many more. I think it just depends what questions you’re interested in.
Do you consider yourself a San Francisco author, since many of your adult stories are set in the city?
No, but I do consider myself a San Franciscan. For example, I can be drinking something I bought in the city and suddenly get very excited and proclaim loudly “You can’t get this anywhere else in the world!” and someone else will say “But that’s earl grey tea.”
How do you feel about some of your more obsessive fans?
It is a little strange. I do not personally become obsessive about anything particular. I do have enthusiasms. But I never felt the need to go through someone’s garbage.
Describe your experiences working on the movie version of the books.
I wrote nine drafts of the script and then I was fired. The movie is...well, let’s just say that it takes no money to write a book. Just paper. The movie version of my books cost $200 million. And that makes people nervous, when they have to make decisions based around that kind of money.
Once, I was sitting with the producers arguing about how the movie was being made. One of them said to us, “Are you cold?” We said no and kept arguing. And this woman started taking cushions off a nearby couch and putting them against herself. I suddenly looked over and saw that you could only see her head, poking out of a wall of cushions. And this woman said “Daniel, you just have to trust our decision making process.” This from a woman who would rather build a cushion fort than go get a sweater.
Do you ever worry about using all those big words in your books that children may not understand?
No, but I’ll tell you what I do worry about. I was asked that question by a room full of adults a while back, right after the twelfth book of Lemony Snicket came out. That book was called The Penultimate Peril. It turns out that half those adults thought “penultimate” meant “last,” rather than “next-to-last.” So I told them “I don’t worry that children don’t know those words. I worry that you don’t know those words.”
I have read almost all of the books my grade school sons have been assigned over the years. That’s how I found ‘Holes,’ which I also loved. Might I suggest one more?
‘Chasing Vermeer,’ by Blue Balliett. It’s about missing art, and there are puzzzles in it. And illustrations! I took three pages of notes while reading it.
What a funny guy. I haven’t read the Lemony Snicket books, and I’m afraid the Jim Carey movies was a big turn-off. How unfortunate, heh? I too like juvenile lit. I really enjoyed almost all of the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman. And, shh, don’t tell anyone, but I’ve read all the Harry Potter books.
Daniel Handler is a rock star. He came to our town a while back and it was tickets only and book signing took over two hours.
“Penultimate” is one of my favorite words. “Defenestrate” is another.
Great answers!
I will of course agree with you on the whole kids books thing. I also know lots of people who would agree with Caitlin. In fact, I think the my reading Harry Potter may have contributed to my former crazy boss wanting to let me go.
I read lots of children’s lit. It’s wonderful escapism and sometimes I want that. I want to appeal to the inner 12 year old girl.
yellojkt is right. Penultimate is a great word, and so is defenestrate. But Handler is correct: it amazes me how many people reveal they do not know what penultimate means by the manner in which they use it.
I have to say that I agree with you on this one.
Mad Props to Kathy for beating me to the Pullman recommendation, strongly, strongly seconded. New Line is going to give them the LotR treatment when they adapt them, first one I think is due out Christmas of 2007.
a) i love caitlin--she introduced me to brendan benson’s music
b) check out lois lowry’s the giver. great book.
Thanks for the children’s lit recommendations. I did read the Pullman trilogy and didn’t really like it, for some reason. I’m sure Handler’s comments speak for themselves, but you really can’t judge the Snicket series on the basis of that godawful movie.
i didn’t like pullman either - too *neat* for my taste. and that was after the wide-open-ending of the first book alone.
i second s - the giver is awesome.
this post had me lemony-snickering out loud in my office. thanks, gerg.
Caitlin’s entitled to her opinion, I SUPPOSE, but I’m with you on this one. And your Q&A;transcript ups my interest in picking up the Lemony Snickets.
Meanwhile, your point is further proven, IMHO, by the fact that Terry Pratchett, who is fantabulous on any level, saves his best work for the kiddos. I especially recommend The Wee Free Men.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out _Some Other Place, The Right Place_, also by Harrington.
I actually just finished that one...it was very good.
My 14 year old loved “The Gospel According to Larry” and “The Misfits.”
I had a guy friend (I’m using the word ‘friend’ lightly) who said that reading the Harry Potter books was a sign of my immaturity, and that I was simply regressing to a childhood I wished I had. Which isn’t even true - I had a childhood full of those books and I still love them. So I turned him into a slug and stepped on him. Accio THIS, bitch!
Scott Westerfeld’s PEEPS. you’ll love it. promise.
OH...hey, what about Garth Nix, have you read any of his stuff? I’ve liked most of it so far.
Um, “Harington”, one “r”?
Also, _Star Girl_, Jerry Spinelli.
I love what he had to say about children understanding words.
At a conference I recently attended, the moderator suggested that I not use the word “institutional” because a child telling a story wouldn’t use such a word; she wouldn’t know what it meant.
I was incredulous and told the listeners and the moderator that, indeed, my five year-old recently used the words “occasionally,” and “implicit.” Not only that, when her kindergarten teacher told the group to write something unique about themselves beneath their self-portrait, she asked the children if they knew what “unique” meant. K raised her hand, sighed, and said, “It’s not saying ‘I like pizza’ because lots of kids like pizza.” So, she didn’t give a Webster’s but she knew what it meant. Beneath her portrait: “I like myself because I have a good personality and a great sense of humor.’ “*
Not understand my ass…
Because he appeals to intelligent readers is precisely why I like Daniel Handler, and precisely why my daughters like him, too.
*transcribed, of course
I like the pictures. Brett Helquist rocks.
I enjoyed the Lemony Snicket books that I’ve read so far, I adore the Harry Potter books and I find that there is absolutely no reason why an adult can’t read a book that was marketed for children or young adults. I think it says a lot about an author if their writing is enjoyed by both adults and children.
Quite frankly, there are so many people out there that don’t read for pleasure that I just want to kick someone that would make fun of another person’s reading choices. Who cares what you’re reading as long as you enjoy it?
When I was younger and came across a word that I didn’t recognize, I either looked it up in the dictionary or figured out the meaning from how it was used in the sentence. I was reading Shakespeare by 4th grade. So I don’t think that authors should dumb down writing for children. It isn’t required.
Okay. Climbing off my soap box now. Sorry.
I am too lazy to read kids books, thank god for cinema!
I will check out ‘With’ by Donald Harrington, however.
Have you read Handler’s ‘The Basic Eight?’ It’s wicked fun, albeit for adults.
Was Handler the one that wrote the movie “Rick”? I remember reading about how he had two movies based on his work coming out at the same time - Lemony Snicket, a wonderful show for kids; and Rick, which was this dark, dark, twisted thing.
Oh, this post makes me want to read the Lemony Snicket books. I loved the look and tone of the film, but didn’t think it quite worked.
Pullman & Nix are both great authors. I love the HP books, but they are slightly over-rated, imo.
How do you find time to read all these books and keep up with your busy TiVo schedule? Maybe you are Super Greg more than we know!