News from Heidi

I often wrote in silence--no music, no radio, no sound distractions. But sometimes, I needed to conjure up a certain mood or feeling to write a new scene or passage. On those days, I'd play a single song over and over again as I wrote, until I felt like I was under the song's spell. For the sad scenes, I listened to Roy Hargrove's "Always and Forever" and "Remembrances" from Schindler's List. For the happy scenes, I listened to "Hang on Little Tomato" by Pink Martini and The Wallflowers' cover of the Beatles' "I'm Looking Through You." When I wrote of love, I listened to "I'm Gonna Make you Love Me" as covered by Michael McDonald and "Hey Mann" by Lizz Wright. I had a bunch of songs I listened to when I was writing about heartbreak and heartache: "A Lucky Guy" by Rickie Lee Jones, "When Someone Doesn't Want You" by Art Garfunkel and "I Used to Love Someone" by Anthony Hamilton. And when I just wanted to settle into the mindset of my narrator Rachel I listened to "Seven Years" or "Blackbird" or any of Homesickness and longing were written to Danish children's song by Alberte like "Manebarn" or "Med Dyne og Marmelademadder." My favorite songs to listen to were the ones that made me feel "pluckier" and just a little bit more resolved --much like my character Rachel-- "Out There" from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame; "Someone to Watch Over Me" both Julia Fordham's and Etta James' versions; and Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World." I've turned the whole playlist into an imix you can see on itunes. A few of the songs were left out because they aren't sold on itunes including: "Love's Been Rough on Me" by Etta James; "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" by Michael McDonald; "Med Dyne og Marmeladermadder" by Alberte; "Calling You" by Caecilie Norby (a Danish jazz singer extraordinaire); "The First Letter" from The Color Purple soundtrack; "Maanebarn" by Alberte; "Out There" from Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame; and "Someone to Watch Over Me" from Mr. Holland's Opus soundtrack. Check the imix here! So, what do you think?

I haven't heard the complete production of the audioversion of the book, but I like what I've heard so far. Here's a small snippet read by the Narrator.

Are you still listening to your Sound of Music soundtrack after watching the movie on TV the other night? I confess: I am. I adore Julie Andrews! But I loved her first because she was my favorite writer. Maybe you've heard her talking recently about the children's books she writes with her daughter. But Julie Andrews has been writing for a long time, and in fact, wrote the first big book (more than 200 pages) I ever read. Can you name it? It was called The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. It was one of my favorites and one of the reasons I wanted to be a writer--to write a book that good!  If you're a Harry Potter fan, you'll love this book!

It was truly a thrill to learn that I had won the Bellwether Prize for Literature of Social Change--not simply because it meant my manuscript would be published but because of what the prize stands for. A bellwether is "one that serves as a leader or as a leading indicator of future trends." I do hope The Girl Who Fell From the Sky serves as a bellwether--that more people will be sharing stories of the mixed racial and cultural experience to a wider audience.

It was so interesting when I was working on my book to think about how much I was affected by Vanessa Williams' crowning as Miss America and the subsequent scandal. She was the first person who I'd ever seen look something like me--tan skin and blue eyes. And people celebrated the way she looked, but also her talent. Mind you, I was an awkward looking adolescent--buck teeth, tom-boyish, bohemian and a little chubby with crazy looking curly hair.  But seeing Vanessa Williams I had a little hope for myself.  When I heard that she had relinquished the crown, I was devastated. I have since followed her career with great admiration. I love her on Ugly Betty and I continue to love her music too. In the book, the protagonist Rachel is similarly taken with the image of the first "black" Miss America.

As I worked to finish, then revise, and then ultimately sell the book, it helped that I found different venues at which to read from the novel. The project seemed more real -- more on the way to becoming a real book -- when I'd share the words with an audience. I did readings associated with artist residencies, conferences, and even got an invite to the New York Public Library a couple of years ago. Now, I'm gearing up for the book tour--trying to put together a few different presentations for different audiences. I can't wait.  (Photo: Me talking to Monique Truong, award-winning author of the excellent novel The Book of Salt, before a reading at Long Island University.)

The character Grandma Doris is like my own grandmother only insofar as they both have heavy Texas accents they can't shake and both have their own definitions of "lizard" and "rooster". (Yup, you'll have to read the book to find out what that means.) Here's my adorable Grandma and me from earlier this year. Bet you can't guess how old she is.

All writers should create a "happy file" filled with letters of congratulations and grant-winning news. The rejection letter file will be bigger, but the happy file will make you, well, happy.  This is my happy file with the letter congratulating me on winning the Bellwether Prize for my book.  What would you put in your happy file?

I remember when my journalism school professor once told me that it was essential that a writer have an exercise regimen, I thought the whole notion silly. But I will tell you--when I am exercising consistently, I am also writing best. I mentioned earlier in the countdown that I ran my first marathon as a way to cure writer's block. I figured if I could train and run a marathon, I could apply the same principles to writing--just keep writing one word after another. The first marathon didn't entirely cure my writer's block, but I felt more accomplished and I started writing more. But it was the second and third marathons that kept me writing. I'm thinking of running another in 2010--if my knees let me!  (Photo: Happy me and my unhappy knee after marathon #1!)

If you're a writer, then you know how crushing the rejections can be. There are many. And they're often difficult to metabolize -- and if you turn those feelings inwards they can turn into terrible depression. One of my coping mechanisms became Tae Kwon Do. I had a friend in college who did it and I had always been fascinated by the sport. After a very frustrating first lesson, I became addicted. I loved doing the ki-yap (the yell) and the punches and kicks. I studied for two and a half years and earned my red belt, and two gold medals (one for sparring and the other for my ki-yop).  Tae Kwon Do lessons released all of the negative energy of the constant rejection of the business. I recommend a sport like that for any frustrated writer--it certainly helped me a lot.  (Photo: Me being very silly doing a poomse outside a bistro in Lyons, France.)