A Winter Walk in Maine vs. England

Between sabbaticals to Japan and England, my husband and I returned home for the holidays to see our family. We have a tradition of welcoming the New Year at Popham Beach. This three mile state park is a half an hour drive from our house in midcoast Maine.

The easiest place for a winter walk in Maine is a beach since the tide washes away the ice and snow.

Our family motto is: There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. L.L. Bean started in Maine for a good reason. My blue Bean coat is perfect for subfreezing, windy days and has lasted since college. The company is a big local employer, especially of African immigrants.

It was hard to say who was happier to be back at Popham: our daughter or our dog.

Dogs are only allowed at Popham State Park offseason. We had to leash Scout to keep her out of the frigid sea. For most of our walk, we had the beach to ourselves.

As a photographer, I'm drawn to the winter light and empty landscapes.

The days are short this far up north, but the colors are intense.

Sunset is my favorite time at the shore, despite the chill.

Even the dune grass seemed to shiver in the wind.

Only in winter do you see such dramatic sunsets.

We stayed until the sun had burnt down to embers.

A week after the Popham walk, Henry and I flew to England, where the temperature rarely drops below freezing. University Parks is a fifteen minute walk from our sabbatical home in Oxford.

The crocuses and snowdrops were at peak bloom on February 20th, two months earlier than Maine.

As much as I'm enjoying an early spring, I miss skiing out our back door and the winter light. Most days in England are overcast and often wet. Still, it's good writing weather so I'm making good progress on my novels. I brought waterproof layers and boots. A winter walk is always welcome.

Blogwatch: this post is part of Les @A Tidewater Gardener's annual Winter Walk Off.

Diverse YA: gay romances for teens by David Levithan, John Green, Seth Rudetsky, Becky Albertalli & Nina LaCour

Popham Beach, Maine. After a week of cold and/or stormy weather, the sun has finally returned.

As much as I dislike labels, I hope this post helps teens find good age-appropriate books that reflect diverse experiences. I don't mean to imply that these contemporary YA novels are only for gay teens; a good story speaks to universal feelings and isn't circumscribed by gender identification. As a heterosexual woman, I enjoyed these realistic romantic comedies too. So many novels portray homosexuals as victims of hate crime so it was refreshing to see gay characters portrayed as ordinary teenagers in love, facing everyday challenges with a fair chance at a happy ending.

David Levithan is one of my favorite authors for his humorous tone, quirky characters and fun plots. Two Boys Kissing (2013) created waves with its cover photo and rave reviews. Some of the stories in his collection were sweet and innocent and others were racier, covering the wide breadth of the gay teen experience. In addition to writing books with gay protagonists, Levithan has co-authored several heterosexual teen romances with female authors, such as Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (2010). Follow the title links to my full reviews, posted earlier on my blog.

Levithan collaborated with another favorite author of mine, John Green, to write Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010) about two boys, one straight and the other closeted gay, who share the same name. They also have an openly gay friend in common who is starring in his autobiographical musical at school. My husband and I listened to the audio book in the car, laughing for miles. This book is best in audio format for hearing the soundtrack of the musical satire.

Following on this musical theater theme is My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan (2012) by Seth Rudetsky. His writing style is similar to Levithan's, but Rudetsky's experience on Broadway adds depth to the musical content. This delightful comedy features both gay and straight romances and enough gender identity plot twists to rival Shakespeare. In pursuit of popularity and his crush, a closeted gay boy poses as a straight girl's boyfriend.

I related to Rudetsky's novel on a personal level since my first boyfriend was gay. We were eleven and twelve-years-old so there wasn't anything sexual about our relationship, but it was my first kiss. He dated at least two other girls after me before coming out in high school. I remember feeling happy for him but confused. This novel helped me understand what might have been going through his head. By coincidence my first boyfriend was also involved in musical theater both then and now. He reminded me of Rudetsky's protagonist: funny, talented, smart and kind-hearted. This novel was diverse in more than one dimension. It was a nice change to read a YA novel with mostly Jewish characters that wasn't about the Holocaust. I want to read the sequel, The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek (2015) too.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli was one of my favorite books from last year. The heterosexual author used her experience as a child psychologist to tell a typical coming out story in a true teenaged boy voice. Simon's secret gay romance is threatened when another boy finds their flirty emails and blackmails him. Simon struggles to protect the privacy of the other closeted boy, whose identity is unknown even to him. It's set in the suburbs of Atlanta with racially diverse secondary characters.

I raced through Albertalli's debut novel in one day, laughing at Simon's witty observations and eager to uncover the identity of his mystery love. My only criticism is that all the pop culture references will date this novel. Still, this is a marvelous book for gay teens and for readers of all ages. The parents were hilarious. This author clearly knows how to laugh at herself. You can read my full review in an earlier post about Diverse YA Romances.

Coming in June: After reading an excerpt in Buzz Books, I'm looking forward to You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour. Here's the publisher's blurb: "Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way. When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other -- and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more." This looks like the start of a beautiful friendship. I love the cover too.

Reviewer's Disclosure: I purchased Rudetsky's ebook from Amazon after searching for YA novels about musical theater since my work in progress features a high school musical. I bought Abertalli's, Ellis's, and Levithan's books and audiobook from indie bookstores. Buzz Books 2016: Young Adult Spring/Summer was provided by netgalley.

Sunset at Popham Beach Off-Season

Off-season sand is mirror smooth.

Only neoprened surfers brave the sea.

The horizon stretches wider than my vision.

When I despair that all is blue,

Nature surprises me with a flare of crimson.

Then daylight fades like cooling embers, 

Leaving nothing but abstraction.

Shalom

Life gets crazy busy during the holidays, halfway through Hanukkah with Christmas looming in an endless to do list. The newspaper reads like a dystopian YA novel. What can we do? Take a moment to enjoy life right now: walk by the sea before sunset, drink wine with a loved one or read a good book by the fire. Remember to breathe. Shalom means peace in Hebrew.

Happy Hanukkah! 

None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio

None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio is being marketed as Middlesex meets Mean Girls, but this underplays the educational content of this groundbreaking book. The original premise was designed to hook teens: a homecoming queen discovers that she is intersex when sex with her boyfriend is excruciatingly painful. At her first gynecological exam, Kristin learns that her chromosomes are XY. When her secret is leaked at school, Kristin becomes a target of bullies and fears she might lose her athletic scholarship to college.

"That was when I realized that life was a multiple-choice test with two answers: Male or Female. And I was None of the Above."

The tabloids premise cleverly disguises the educational content in this outstanding book for teens. I.W. Gregorio is a pen name for the urological surgeon Dr. Ilene Wong, who was inspired by a real patient and also by the controversy about World Champion runner Caster Semenya. None of the Above has easy to understand explanations about what being intersex entails. Gender is described as having three components: chromosomes, physiology and sexual identity. The moral lesson is more nuanced.

"If there's one thing I learned from my dad leaving my mom, it's that love isn't a choice. You fall for the person, not their chromosomes."

The writing is strong for a debut, but None of the Above is not a literary novel nor does it try to be one. The plot is well paced and easy to follow, clearly geared for reluctant readers. The main characters are likable and well developed but aren't especially quirky. Kristin herself is quite a typical teen who likes guys, parties and running/hurdling. By making her intersex protagonist so normal, the author reinforces the message that intersex people are not freaks. The Gossip Girl writing style means this book will reach more readers and hopefully make life easier for intersex teens.

I'd strongly recommend None of the Above to Sexual Education teachers and to all teenagers aged fourteen and up. This book isn't a kinky story about exploring deviant sexuality. Kristin feels 100% female and only wants to be normal. Her realistic story delivers a powerful message about identity, tolerance and love, which will resonate with any teen who doesn't quite fit in at school. Adults who are looking for a literary novel with an intersex protagonist should read Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, one of my favorite books.

Reviewer's Disclosure: I purchased the ebook on its release date April 7, 2015 and was not compensated for this review. I'm a supporting member of We Need Diverse Books of which I.W. Gregorio is vice president.

Popham Beach, Maine in April

How to Love January

 A winter walk at Popham Beach

With my intrepid family,

 Daring frosted sand

  And frigid sky and sea.

 Then warming up at North Creek Farm

And home in time for tea.

Blog Watch: can you believe it's my eighth Blog Anniversary? Thanks for reading and keep warm! It's minus ten Fahrenheit this morning. I'm taking a one-week blog vacation to head south to NYC.
Next post: Tuesday January 30th.

Popham Beach Reflections

In January I crave open spaces,

To walk beyond snow and ice,

Past tidal pools to the surf,

Where sea fragments sky,

And sun defies winter,

By casting golden shadows,

Inspiring contemplation and hope.

A First Thanksgiving

Salt marsh at Reid State Park in early October

This year my son's high school girlfriend and her family are joining us for Thanksgiving, their first! They immigrated to the USA from South Sudan fifteen years ago, fleeing civil war. Hanukkah overlaps with Thanksgiving this year so we'll be celebrating both. There will be a menorah on the table and potato latkes along with local turkey. This is my son's first time back from Middlebury College. Other years we've joined my family in New York City for Thanksgiving, but this year the kids wanted to come home.

Chewonki campus last weekend

My daughter has also been away at Chewonki Semester School, a one term farm/environmental school for high school juniors. The campus is on a remote peninsula in coastal Maine with cabins heated by wood stoves. She's been having a blast milking cows, doing field biology, clamming at Reid State Park and making life long friends. She'll be back to her regular high school in January.

Moonrise at sunset from Popham Beach in mid November

This was our first, albeit temporary, experience as empty nesters. As much as Henry and I have missed the kids, we've enjoyed our free time. We hiked up mountains, walked on the beach and ate out on a whim. I caught up on years of lost sleep, and work time was extra productive. Mild weather in September and October was perfect for painting en plein air.

My Seawall Beach watercolor, sold to a client in Boston for her sister in Korea

When the weather got too chilly to work outside, I turned my attention to a new young adult novel, set in coastal Maine. After a slow start, I've written over 25K words. I'm using Scrivener novel writing software for the first time and loving it, although there was a learning curve. Also, I find first drafts harder work than revision, but I'm really enjoying these characters and the local setting. I'm especially grateful for the guidance from my new literary agent, Laura Geringer at Shannon Associates.

Scout enjoying our first snowfall last Sunday.  Copyright © 2013 Sarah Laurence

November is the season to read by the fire. I'm at work on a best books of 2013 post. I've enjoyed reading your blogs too. Happy Thanksgiving and Hanukkah!

Cold War YA: Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner & Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy by Elizabeth Kiem

Moonrise at Popham Beach, Maine

The Cold War overhung my teen years. We sighed with relief when 1984 did not bring Big Brother. I was in college when the Berlin Wall came down, marking the end of an era. It's odd now to think of that formative period of my life as history, unknown to my teenaged kids. I was pleased to discover two new young adult novels about the Cold War, which would crossover well to adult readers too.

Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner is set in an alternate dystopian world in the 1950s. Imagine a teenaged George Orwell visiting a Hunger Games district or The Giver. The Nazi style Homeland strives for genetic excellence and global domination in a race to be the first to the moon. Maggot Moon is an empowering story about the power of the one against the tyranny of a mindless mob.

Fifteen-year-old Treadwell is a misfit with eyes of two colors and dyslexia, but what makes him outstanding as a protagonist is his imagination and his courage. Bullied and blacklisted by the authorities, he nonetheless dares to confront the regime when his only friend vanishes. Treadwell reminded me a bit of Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time, with his unique way of seeing and describing the world.

Maggot Moon would crossover well to adult readers. The main characters were school boys, but there were brave adult female characters and a resourceful grandfather. The simple prose delivered in one to two page chapters made the voice true to the narrator and accessible to readers with mild dyslexia. However, the book was violent, gruesome and scary enough to give me nightmares so I would not recommend it to young children. Its literary complexity would intrigue adult readers as well as teens. The sparse language was beautiful at times, full of haunting imagery:

   "Gramps put his finger to his mouth. He pointed to a piece of paper on the table. It had writing on it. His handwriting. I knew what it said. I didn't need the written words to tell me. I knew they had been taken.
    "I felt the scream rise. Gramps caught hold of me and we toppled to the floor. We were both crying. Gramps held his hand firmly over my mouth.
    "I still have that scream in me."

A similar dystopian book to Maggot Moon, which would be more suitable for tween readers, is Shift by Charlotte Agell.

Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy by Elizabeth Kiem nods at John le Carré but adds a teenaged girl protagonist. Marina, the privileged daughter of a scientist and a prima ballerina, hopes to inherit her mother's place in the USSR's cultural spotlight. When her mother vanishes in 1982, Marina and her father must run for their lives. There is a lot of Cold War exposition in the opening chapters, to situate young readers in Soviet Russia, but the story takes off once the father-daughter pair immigrates to New York City.

The lyrical, foreboding first sentence hooked me:

"November dusk slips into Moscow like a spy; you don't know it's there until it has stolen the day and vanished into the dark."

Kiem's debut novel had well developed characters, interesting period details and a page-turner plot. Marina was a strong, intelligent and graceful protagonist, but her story was a bit over-stacked. The spy thriller element overwhelmed the more subtle immigrant ballerina story. Also the paranormal ability of two characters to see the past and the future seemed unnecessary in a spy novel. I prefer realistic fiction so this might not be an issue for others.

DDTS was a gripping read and a good introduction to the Cold War for teens. The author studied Russian at Columbia University and lived in Russia for four years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. I'd recommend this book to dancers, wannabe spies and nostalgic Gen-Xers. I'm curious to see what this promising new author writes next.

I'm also looking forward to Going Over by blog buddy Beth Kephart. It's a YA novel set in 1983 Berlin, on both sides of the Berlin Wall (due out on April 1, 2014.)

Salt marsh at Popham State Park

Reviewer's Disclosure: Maggot Moon was first published in the UK in 2012, in the USA in 2013 and re-released as an adult book in the UK. It won a Carnegie Medal and a Costa Award. The paperback was a gift from my mother-in-law from the Wallingford Bookshop (thank you!) In August I read a mixed review of Dancer, Daughter, Traitor, Spy in the NYT, which nonetheless led me to take a second look at the hardcover novel in Longfellow Books and buy it. It got a starred review in Booklist. For Christmas I'm giving DDTS to my 12-year-old niece, who is a ballerina and avid reader. I was not compensated for my reviews. I took the moonrise and marsh photos at Popham Beach last weekend.