July 29, 2012

Character

Yesterday, I stood with my best friend as she took a new name. Thinking back over everything, in the back seat of CRV somewhere on the New York Thruway, I’m overwhelmed by the beauty of it all. Stirring music, words of covenant, Elisabeth in white, a bride adorned and prepared for her groom — glimpses of a deep mystery.

This is not the first time I’ve been a bridesmaid. In fact, this was number 8. I cherish each experience and love each woman who has asked me to be part of her wedding day, but this one is different. I’ve shared in it differently, and the tears that are still intermittently clouding my eyes remind me there’s more to this story than a ceremony.

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July 23, 2012

Allusion

Dear Adoring Readers,

First of all, I’d like to thank you for making my Hunger Games trilogy so wildly successful. I never would have dreamed my work would have achieved this level of popularity. Really. It’s kind of funny, actually. Anyway, I just want to say it means a lot, you reading my books and all. Especially when I’m competing with writers like Stephenie Meyer (one of the greats).

So listen, I’ve been getting these letters, and they sound really angry, asking lots of questions I don’t understand. It seems like some people have issues with Mockingjay, which doesn’t make much sense because it’s sold millions of copies and it’s going to be a MOVIE. Not all books are movie material, you know. But I guess some people don’t get that and they were like upset, so my editor helped me address some of their concerns.

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July 16, 2012

Allusion

Friday night around 8:30, I sat down with the first installment of Suzanne Collins’ trilogy-turned-phenomenon. Despite myself, I put it down at 1:00 am, annoyed I was too tired to finish it. I generally don’t read much popular fiction, because I’m a recovering snob. Twilight is proof enough for me that viral is not synonymous with worthwhile. So I’ve been skeptical of The Hunger Games. I also get scared about as easily as an eight-year-old. I’m serious. I hide my eyes during violent movie-scenes so that I don’t have nightmares. So when I heard this book was about children fighting to the death, I figured I should stay away.

But at some point it just becomes ridiculous to resist. If virtually everyone has read it and likes it, there has to be a reason. So when my consistently tasteful and discerning (despite her unfortunate fling with the aforementioned Twilight saga) roommate was up half the night engrossed in Games, I figured I should see what I was missing out on. I finished book one Saturday afternoon, and I absolutely see why everyone loves it.

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July 11, 2012

Plot

So, I’m currently sitting outside enjoying what seems like the 100th day of 90 degree, sunny weather. Please read as much sarcasm as you can into the word “enjoy.” The only reason I’m outside is because Starbucks is closed and I’m using their free wi-fi anyway. I’ve been pretty miserable the last few weeks, and at this point I’d consider selling my car for a good thunderstorm. I wrote something two years ago that I was going to wait until this October to put on the blog, but lately I’ve been longing for autumn so badly that I’m going to pretend this is appropriate now. Enjoy.

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July 4, 2012

Allusion

Ordinary things are more valuable than extraordinary things; nay, they are more extraordinary. –G.K. Chesterton

In celebration of Independence Day, today I went to see Mr. Smith Goes to Washington at the Kentucky Theater (which, incidentally, has become one of my new favorite places). This 1939 Frank Capra film is wonderful for a couple reasons. First, Jimmy Stewart. (Need I say more?) Second, Capra’s characteristic emphasis on the importance of the ordinary person.

The movie is about America, really, and what it means to be American. We get a David vs Goliath setup as our loveable, bumbling Jefferson Smith finds himself in Congress, fighting against a corrupt political machine. He’s just a regular guy, standing for ” plain, decent, every day, common rightness.” Capra knew as well as we do that these are not words we would use to describe the United States Government. But what he shows us through Smith’s uphill battle is that, in the end, that’s what America is about.

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