Posts for category ‘the borg’

I’ve been busy, writing a lot, thinking a lot. One thing I’ve been thinking about (again) is the place of this blog in my life now. In the last couple of weeks I’ve signed up for Google+, then deleted it, unsubscribed from everything in my blog reader, then regretted it, deleted my brief flirtation with tumblr then wondered if I shouldn’t have, made a point of taking computerless days a couple of times a week, enjoyed them, while also jonesing to get back.

What is the balance of time I should spend on writing that helps pay my bills and/or has more permanence, and writing on my blog? Do I want to write long blog posts here anymore, and does anyone want to read them? I also have to consider the physical aspects of being at the computer as much as I am: my increasingly bad back, the RSI in my hands and arms that flares up especially in hot weather, my stinging eyeballs.

I like connecting with you guys. Here, on Twitter, wherever. I’ve sort of been going to less frequent, longer posts here, but maybe I will do shorter, more frequent posts. I don’t know. Thinkin’. Meanwhile, some stuff I’ve been up to:

I read Matthew Quick’s BOY21 and Gene Yang/Thien Pham’s Level Up this week. Enjoyed both very much. I’ll have MQ here on the blog closer to the book’s release in March. I’ve got a new post up at Good Letters, on me’n'nature. How to Save a Life went officially on pre-order sale, and I know I keep saying this but: I’m so excited about this book. The responses I’ve gotten so far from readers make me happy.

Speaking of making me happy, Forever Young Adult just reviewed Story of a Girl (Remember that book? And by the way the latest movie news is that AnnaSophia Robb is attached – yowza! Maybe this will happen! And judging by that current headshot, she could totally give Tommy Webber the smackdown. Annnyway, long parenthetical here, you probably don’t even remember what we were talking about…ForeverYA’s review of SOAG! so:) and, as always, they’ve given me one of my favorite takes. Thank you, Posh Deluxe! No, I will not read the scientific analysis of the Gilmore Boys until I’m done with my work for today. Must. Resist.

Everyone back to work. And have a great weekend. If you’re under the Heat Dome, stay cool, hydrated, and inside!

xoSZ

Well, there’s not really any fighting, but that looked like one of those “before and after” Wheel of Fortune phrases and it was late last night when I wrote this, so, you know, it seemed a lot more clever and hilarious than it probably is.

(Yes, this is a voice from your past! By the time this scheduled post goes up, anything might have happened!) And, I know, two posts in one week – what? Thought I’d try to squeeze one more in before the rapture.

1. My latest Good Letters is on not being a mother, and I was kinda nervous around posting day because I worried I might have sounded anti… Kid? Mom? Family? In a way I did not mean to. That’s the thing about nonfiction. With my novels I can always throw up my hands and say, “Hey, don’t look at me, that was the character!” Nonfiction feels so much more self-exposing. But, I must say, being part of the Good Letters team has been really, really good for me, and for my writing. And I also want to thank you guys for supporting me with comments over there (and here) when you’re moved to do that.

2. Earlier this week I had a great talk with Christy Tennant, who interviewed me for the International Arts Movement Conversations podcast. You can listen to it here. (IAM is a really cool organization for those of you who are inclined to be interested in the arts/faith intersection.)

3. Are you on tumblr? If so, why? You don’t have to answer that. I mean, I can’t answer that and I’m on it now, because when I asked about it on twitter, some of you lured me with promises of all the fun we’ll have and why it’s awesome and it’s “blogging in collage form” (TM @annishbat). Don’t worry: I’m not going to feed tumblr things to twitter or my facebook author page. But if you’re on tumblr, here I am. Maybe someday I’ll understand why.

4. Have you ever noticed how really fresh coffee beans kind of smell like tuna?

5. If you are, perchance, going to be at Book Expo America next week, you have a good chance of getting your hands on an ARC of HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by visiting the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers booth and asking nicely! Keep your eyes out for it – picture in the sidebar of this web site (if you are reading this at sarazarr.com).

Have a great weekend. If I’m not raptured, I’ll see ya back here next week.

Thank you, friends, so much, for all your comments and excitement about How to Save a Life. I’ll be very proud to share the finished book with you in the not-so-distant future. And if you’re going to BEA, you may be able to snag yourself an ARC. And if you’re going to ALA, you may be able to have an ARC handed to you by yours truly, with a smile and/or a hug. Look for the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers booth at both those places. (I’ll remind you about ALA when it’s closer.) Oh, and if you’re a reviewer, book blogger, librarian, or the like, email me to find out how to get an ARC without having to travel to another state.

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If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve heard more than enough about this already, so feel free to look away. Now that I’ve had a couple of years (maybe not that long…but actually I think it has been that long) away from Facebook, and seen that the world is not following my example, I concede that it is a smart item of Career Management to have some sort of FB presence. And since like all authors I would like lots of people to know about and read my books, and attend events related to same, I have made an Author Page on Facebook. It’s different from a personal profile. I don’t get “friends,” I get “likes.” And I can’t interact on personal profiles. I can only interact on my own page and other pages. But if you go over there and “like” me, it is like following on Twitter, and you’ll get book news and stuff in your FB news feed and we can interact on my page, even if I can’t come visit or see yours.

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Are you in the SLC? Come to the Favorite Poem Community Reading tonight at the library, 7 p.m Bring a poem! It’s going to be open mic style. The only rules, I think, are that the poem be under five minutes and it can’t be something you wrote. I’ll be there with a poem that influential the writing of Once Was Lost.

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My friend and comrade Emily Wing Smith’s new book, Back When You Were Easier to Love, is out (with its really, really sweet cover). Publisher’s Weekly wrote: “…Smith (The Way He Lived) effectively reconstructs Zan and Joy’s relationship, building tension toward the moment when Joy ultimately faces him again. Despite her vulnerability, Joy’s voice is sturdy, and her articulations about loss and belief are thoughtful and often moving. Self-acceptance and both the comforts and restrictions of the Mormon religion and identity are central themes in this sweet story.”

If you are in Salt Lake, come out to the King’s English tomorrow night at 7 to get your very own copy of the book signed, meet Emily in person, and perhaps even hear her sing. (Also, if you haven’t read Utah Book Award winning The Way He Lived, I think you should. It’s one of my favorites.)

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Shop Indie Bookstores

“It’s a testament to Smith’s skills that although her central character speaks only through other people’s recollections, his identity emerges distinctly by the end of the novel.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review

From this interview with Ron Hansen at The Other Journal:

Stories find hidden harmonies in the world and impose symmetry and order to our often chaotic existence. We don’t escape our circumstances in reading; we find those circumstances organized, highlighted, and exaggerated for greater clarity about what’s at stake in our decisions. Stories insist that with insight, perspective, and the right vantage point so much that seems pointless, ephemeral, and accidental will begin to make sense.

Sara Ryan’s report on William Gibson at Powell’s:

On cyberpunk, part 3: “Anything that begins with a manifesto is going to end up slightly embarrassing.”

Tayari Jones on self-censoring in the writing process:

“What should I write about” and “What should I publish” are two really different questions. You should write whatever comes to your mind. Writing is personal, it is art. There are no ethical concerns. Again: it’s private, between you and the page. … Publishing is different.

(P.S. Tayari regularly posts great roundups of links on her blog. Subscribe.)

Online life vs. offline life – a false dichotomy? (Writing related. You know it is.)

…a realization of how online and offline lives are integrated. One. A newly holistic life that includes time for both plugging in and unplugging, in equally conscious and intentional ways.

And it’s allll links, baby.

- The New York Times recently featured Salt Lake City in its “36 Hours In...” series. I think you should go ahead and make it 72 hours. There are so many children’s and YA authors per square inch here, if you stay long enough you’ll probably be here during someone’s book release party. (For instance, Jessica Day George’s, tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. at the King’s English.)

- Maureen Johnson wrote a manifesto. Though I think there are definitely some practical things to think about in terms of “brand” and networking, MoJoFesto gets a big thumbs up from me.

- Speaking of manifestos, there’s this song, which I discovered via Pandora, and it pretty much blows my mind. It’s Josh Garrels’ Zion & Babylon. Scroll down. It is hot musically, too. He’s got his music streaming on his site – check it out. I don’t really know how I didn’t hear about him before. I ordered a couple of his CDs; right now Over Oceans is my favorite. He’s kind of a Jesusy Matisyahu, or something? I don’t know. It’s just really good.

Okay, that’s all I have. Pretty soon, I’m vacating this space for a large-ish chunk of time. More on that later. Have a great weekend!