Meeting Laurie Halse Anderson -- an interview by Johanna Kelly

 I had the privilege of meeting famous author Laurie Halse Anderson a few weeks ago at the Reading Reptile bookstore in Brookside. I came early and sat in the front, and I was able to ask several questions, including the first and the last. Right here, I am writing the questions that I remember and the answers she gave summarized.

Johanna: What drove you to write the novel Speak?
Anderson:"We have a lot of children in the audience, so I will tone it down. I had a similar experience that she did in the book. However, I feel that 10% of the book is what happened to me, 90% is what happened to her."(The novel is about a girl just entering high school who was raped and has to cope with it; it is called Speak because she has a rough time telling anyone about the experience, as many people who have survived sexual violence do).

Johanna: What did you think of the movie, Speak, which is based off of your novel?
Anderson: "I loved it. They did tone it down in order to make it appropriate for a television audience, but it followed the book really well. I really wish there was a bigger budget, however. The sound is not the best, a better sound system would have made it perfect. I was really happy that the director let me have a part. I am the lunch lady serving mashed potatoes. They had to do eight takes for me to get it right, I bet he regretted his decision to let me in the movie, hah."

Johanna: I did not like Twisted. I was tired of reading the sexual thoughts of a teenage boy. It is nothing like my favorites, Speak and Chains. What drove you to write it?
Anderson: Thank you, it was not meant for the same audience. I wrote it to appeal to boys. It is stereotypical that boys do not like to read. With Twisted, I wanted to give them a book they could relate to and would love. Speak got such great reviews, and teachers started teaching it in the classroom. Girls loved it, but boys could not relate. Sadly, I got feedback saying that the boys didn't think what happened (rape) would bother a girl so much. I decided to write them a book that could change their life.

Johanna: Which of your books is your favorite?
Anderson: The book that is the newest is always my favorite. Therefore, Forge is.

She gave very long answers and spent most of the time expanding on the questions I asked. She also talked a lot about "historical thrillers" which is what she says her books, Chains and the newest, Forge, are. She hates that slavery, especially slavery in the north, is covered up and forgotten. The books are set in new york in the 1700's. Chains, which I am in the process of reading, is written in the first person from the point of view of Isabelle, a teenage slave. I feel her pain when I read, she often faces disappointment.

A few other topics discussed were that she wished English teachers would teach books kids would relate to, and she said she would never write a vampire book. I clapped.

I wish we could all have gone to meet her. I loved getting to meet her. I should have taped the event! I really love meeting and talking with authors.