Laurie Halse Anderson: Speaking in Tongues (Volume 36) (Studies in Young Adult Literature, 36)

185 Pages·2009·0.783 MB·English

by  Wendy J. Glenn

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E
N Laurie Halse
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Literary Criticism (cid:129) Young Adult Literature
Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature, No. 36
Laurie Halse Anderson’s path to writing for young adult readers was indirect,
Anderson
unintentional, and diffi cult. Although Anderson may never have set out to write
for teens, her commitment to creating stories that enrich, disquiet, and guide L
the teens she admires led to her selection as the 2009 recipient of the prestigious
a
Margaret A. Edwards Award. The author of several highly acclaimed novels,
including Speak, Fever 1793, Prom, Chains, and Wintergirls, Anderson channels the lives u
of real readers through her imagination and onto the page, enrapturing those
r speaking in tongues
who ultimately see themselves refl ected in her tales.
i
e
In Laurie Halse Anderson: Speaking in Tongues, Wendy J. Glenn examines the life and

works of one of the most popular authors for teens. Drawing from both primary
H
sources (Anderson’s writings, blogs, published interviews, speeches, and an
interview by Glenn) and secondary sources (reviews and scholarly articles), the
a
author explores the themes and impact of Anderson’s novels. This thoroughly
researched work includes in-depth analyses of each of Anderson’s young adult l
titles, chapters on her lesser-known writings for children, short stories, and s
poems, and a synthesis of reviews for each title. This book provides readers with e
a greater understanding of an author who has demonstrated the marked capacity

for writing diverse texts for multiple audiences in varying genres, breaking A
barriers with each title she creates.
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WENDY J. GLENN e
is associate professor in English education at the University
of Connecticut. She is the author of Sarah Dessen: From Burritos to Box Offi ce (Scarecrow, r
2004) and coauthor of Richard Peck: The Past Is Paramount (Scarecrow, 2008). s
o
n
For orders and information please contact the publisher
SCARECROW PRESS, INC.
A wholly owned subsidiary of
The Rowman & Littlefi eld Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200
Lanham, Maryland 20706
WENDY J. GLENN
1-800-462-6420 • fax [phone]
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90000
Cover photo of Laurie Halse Anderson by Joyce Tenneson
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Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature
Series Editor: Patty Campbell
Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature is intended to continue
the body of critical writing established in Twayne’s Young Adult Authors
Series and to expand it beyond single-author studies to explorations of
genres, multicultural writing, and controversial issues in young adult
(YA) reading. Many of the contributing authors of the series are among
the leading scholars and critics of adolescent literature, and some are YA
novelists themselves.
The series is shaped by its editor, Patty Campbell, who is a renowned
authority in the field, with a thirty-year background as critic, lecturer, li-
brarian, and teacher of YA literature. Patty Campbell was the 2001 winner
of the ALAN Award, given by the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents
of the National Council of Teachers of English for distinguished contribu-
tion to YA literature. In 1989 she was the winner of the American Library
Association’s Grolier Award for distinguished service to young adults and
reading.
1. What’s So Scary about R. L. Stine? by Patrick Jones, 1998.
2. Ann Rinaldi: Historian and Storyteller, by Jeanne M. McGlinn, 2000.
3. Norma Fox Mazer: A Writer’s World, by Arthea J. S. Reed, 2000.
4. Exploding the Myths: The Truth about Teens and Reading, by Marc
Aronson, 2001.
5. The Agony and the Eggplant: Daniel Pinkwater’s Heroic Struggles in
the Name of YA Literature, by Walter Hogan, 2001.
6. Caroline Cooney: Faith and Fiction, by Pamela Sissi Carroll, 2001.
7. Declarations of Independence: Empowered Girls in Young Adult
Literature, 1990–2001, by Joanne Brown and Nancy St. Clair, 2002.
8. Lost Masterworks of Young Adult Literature, by Connie S. Zitlow,
2002.
9. Beyond the Pale: New Essays for a New Era, by Marc Aronson, 2003.
10. Orson Scott Card: Writer of the Terrible Choice, by Edith S. Tyson,
2003.
11. Jacqueline Woodson: “The Real Thing,” by Lois Thomas Stover,
2003.
12. Virginia Euwer Wolff: Capturing the Music of Young Voices,
by Suzanne Elizabeth Reid, 2003.
13. More Than a Game: Sports Literature for Young Adults, by Chris
Crowe, 2004.
14. Humor in Young Adult Literature: A Time to Laugh, by Walter
Hogan, 2005.
15. Life Is Tough: Guys, Growing Up, and Young Adult Literature,
by Rachelle Lasky Bilz, 2004.
16. Sarah Dessen: From Burritos to Box Office, by Wendy J. Glenn,
2005.
17. American Indian Themes in Young Adult Literature, by Paulette F.
Molin, 2005.
18. The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/
Queer Content, 1969–2004, by Michael Cart and Christine A.
Jenkins, 2006.
19. Karen Hesse, by Rosemary Oliphant-Ingham, 2005.
20. Graham Salisbury: Island Boy, by David Macinnis Gill, 2005.
21. The Distant Mirror: Reflections on Young Adult Historical Fiction,
by Joanne Brown and Nancy St. Clair, 2006.
22. Sharon Creech: The Words We Choose to Say, by Mary Ann Tighe,
2006.
23. Angela Johnson: Poetic Prose, by KaaVonia Hinton, 2006.
24. David Almond: Memory and Magic, by Don Latham, 2006.
25. Aidan Chambers: Master Literary Choreographer, by Betty Greenway,
2006.
26. Passions and Pleasures: Essays and Speeches about Literature and
Libraries, by Michael Cart, 2007.
27. Names and Naming in Young Adult Literature, by Alleen Pace Nilsen
and Don L. F. Nilsen, 2007.
28. Janet McDonald: The Original Project Girl, by Catherine
Ross-Stroud, 2008.
29. Richard Peck: The Past Is Paramount, by Donald R. Gallo and
Wendy Glenn, 2008.
30. Sisters, Schoolgirls, and Sleuths: Girls’ Series Books in America,
by Carolyn Carpan, 2009.
31. Sharon Draper: Embracing Literacy, by KaaVonia Hinton, 2009.
32. Mixed Heritage in Young Adult Literature, by Nancy Thalia
Reynolds, 2009.
33. Russell Freedman, by Susan P. Bloom and Cathryn M. Mercier,
2009.
34. Animals in Young Adult Fiction, by Walter Hogan, 2009.
35. Learning Curves: Body Image and Female Sexuality in Young Adult
Literature, by Beth Younger, 2009.
36. Laurie Halse Anderson: Speaking in Tongues, by Wendy J. Glenn,
2010.

L H
AURIE ALSE
A
NDERSON
Speaking in Tongues
Wendy J. Glenn
Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature,
No. 36
THE SCARECROW PRESS, INC.
Lanham (cid:129) Toronto (cid:129) Plymouth, UK
2010
Published by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
http://www.scarecrowpress.com
Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom
Copyright © 2010 by Wendy J. Glenn
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval
systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer
who may quote passages in a review.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Glenn, Wendy J., 1970–
Laurie Halse Anderson : speaking in tongues / Wendy J. Glenn.
p. cm. — (Scarecrow studies in young adult literature ; no. 36)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8108-7281-3 (hardback : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-8108-7282-0
(ebook : alk. paper)
1. Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2. Authors, American—20th century—Biography.
3. Authors, American—21st century—Biography. 4. Young adult fiction—
Authorship. I. Title.
PS3551.N374443Z68 2010
813'.54—dc22
[B] 2009030545
(cid:2) ™
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Printed in the United States of America
To Martin,
my most honest critic and my best friend

Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
1. The Person 1
2. The Writer 17
3. Speak 35
4. Fever 1793 53
5. Catalyst 63
6. Prom 73
7. Twisted 81
8. Chains 93
9. Wintergirls 105
10. Writings for Children 117
ix