Author and Readergirlz diva Holly Cupola graciously invited me to participate in her Story Secrets series, and I put together a video blog about how the story of Once Was Lost developed from real life events. (No spoilers, don’t worry.) Thanks for having me, Holly! Don’t have your copy of Once Was Lost yet? Find it at a local independent book store, or ask for it at your school or public library.
Congrats to the PEN/Faulkner fiction award finalists—a blessedly diverse group in light of the white-male-ification this season among the bigger awards. I’m especially pleased to see comrade Sherman Alexie honored for his wonderful collection War Dances. Congratulations also to L.A. Times Prize finalists; I love how comprehensive the categories are. The only book from that entire roster that I’ve read is Dave Cullen’s Columbine, which is definitely a worthy selection.
See you back here next week, or in Jacksonville this weekend!
7 comments for this post
Thank you for coming to my blog today to talk about ONCE WAS LOST, Sara! It is an honor to have you.
That video really touched me. Thank God for miracles.
Sara Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Yes.
I just moved to Jacksonville. Love the library there, the librarian gave me a flyer for last Saturday and a copy of “Once Was Lost.” I got to the library 15 minutes late and didn’t realize you were in a back room. By the time I found out, I was too embarrassed to go in so late and interrupt. I went home and finished Once Was Lost last night… If I had finished it before I got to the library, I would have gone in there no matter how late because it was a perfect book! The best I’ve read in a long time. I grew up in the church and it really hit home with me. Wish I could have met you and got an autographed copy. I can’t wait to read your others. Thank you so much!!
Sara Reply:
March 2nd, 2010 at 3:46 pm
Darn – I wish we had met! Next time, never fear interrupting. A library staffer started shelving books in the middle of my talk so it’s no big deal. :) Thanks for the kind words re: Once Was Lost. So glad you liked it.
I *adored* “once was lost”–stayed up way too late to finish it because I had to find out what happened! but more than just the good plotting, the thing that spoke to me was the way you developed sam’s struggle to figure out what she believed, and how true that struggle felt. (I’ve been there; I know.)
thought you might like to know that a video review of the book is featured this week, here:
http://www.60secondrecap.com/potw/
thanks for such a powerful reading experience!
Sara Reply:
March 8th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
@jenny, Oooh, I’m so glad you enjoyed the book, and thanks for the great video (which I shall now tweet about!).