Comments on: In Conversation with Matt de la Peña

By: Melissa Walker

Melissa Walker — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 02:04:04 +0000

Love this interview!

I adored WE WERE HERE as well–broke my heart in all the right pieces.

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:01:11 +0000

@DeAnn Campbell, Glad you enjoyed, DeAnn. I really appreciate Matt taking the time to give such great, in-depth answers.

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:00:20 +0000

@Brodi Ashton, I agree. The language in this book is totally believable – like in Coe Booth’s TYRELL. Sometimes it’s painfully obvious someone writing “urban language” has never actually been “urban” (that word always makes me think of Stanley on THE OFFICE), but in Matt and Coe’s books it’s dead-on.

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:58:58 +0000

@Bryan Bliss, Thanks, Bryan. I still haven't read BDL - need to get on it.

By: Sara

Sara — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:58:32 +0000

@Paul Greci, Hey, you're welcome - thanks for commenting!

By: DeAnn Campbell

DeAnn Campbell — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:42:39 +0000

Wonderful interview. Great insights. I want to read that book!

By: Brodi Ashton

Brodi Ashton — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:29:48 +0000

Loved the interview. Love what he said about “I also think good urban language (like most types of language) has to have a poetic sensibility. If that makes sense. Beautiful-ugliness, that sort of thing.”

I’ll have to check out the book. Thanks!

By: Paul Greci

Paul Greci — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:23:21 +0000

Great interview! I read Ball don’t Lie when it first came out and now have We were here sitting on the table. I’m glad the interview didn’t give away too much!

For fifteen years, I worked in school for teens who had exhausted all their other public school options. Amazing kids, many with heartbreaking stories.

I also really enjoyed hearing about Matt’s writing process. I’m on the 20th-something draft of novel right now.

Thanks, sara and matt!!

By: Bryan Bliss

Bryan Bliss — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:58:05 +0000

Great interview…

I recently read BALL DON’T LIE and it transported me back to when I first read HOOPS by Walter Dean Myers. It made me remember how much I loved playing ball as a kid. But more so, I kept thinking, “Damn, Sticky, don’t put your shooting hand out in front of a gun!”

So, yeah, I was invested.

Now it looks like I need to go get WE WERE HERE…