Visit with Catherine Ryan Hyde

www.catherineryanhyde.com

I'm truly excited to be visiting with one of the nicest authors I've ever had the pleasure of "meeting" and working with: Catherine Ryan Hyde. You may recognize the name from several of her teen titles, such as DIARY OF A WITNESS, THE YEAR I KILLED JAMES, or BECOMING CHLOE. Or you might know her from her adult titles, like CHASING WINDMILLS, WHEN I FOUND YOU, or, more than likely, a little novel-turned-awesome-movie called PAY IT FORWARD.

Today, Catherine agreed to stop by and talk about, among other things, her newest YA release, JUMPSTART THE WORLD, which was published by Knopf on 10/12/10.



Elle is a loner. She doesn’t need people. Which is a good thing, because she’s on her own: she had to move into her own apartment so her mother’s boyfriend won’t have to deal with her.

Then she meets Frank, the guy who lives next door. He’s older and has a girlfriend, but Elle can’t stop thinking about him. Frank isn’t like anyone Elle has ever met. He listens to her. He’s gentle. And Elle is falling for him, hard.

But Frank is different in a way that Elle was never prepared for: he’s transgender. And when Elle learns the truth, her world is turned upside down. Now she’ll have to search inside herself to find not only the true meaning of friendship but her own role in jumpstarting the world.

Tender, honest, and compassionate, JUMPSTART THE WORLD is a stunning story to make you laugh, cry, and honor the power of love.

Five Ways to Jumpstart the World

In my new young adult novel JUMPSTART THE WORLD, Frank, my transgender character, tells Elle, “The world doesn’t always play by its own rules.” He says we all agree that there should be equality for everyone. But of course there isn’t. And we just let it slide. He says, “That’s why there’s such a thing as activism. Sometimes you have to jumpstart the world just to get it to be what even the world admits it should be.”

If you’re not sure how to Jumpstart the World, here are five suggestions:

1). Be emotionally courageous.

Do you believe in equality for all? That’s good. But are you really saying so? Do you promote equality? Do you speak loudly?

Blog about equality and acceptance for ALL! Or tweet it. Or put it up on your Facebook page. Or talk about it with your friends. Say that you don’t discriminate.

Now take it a step further. Say nobody should. We need to stop pretending that those who discriminate have a right to their opinion. Discrimination is not an opinion. It’s an action that causes harm. We need to be brave enough to tell others to stop. We can’t change them, and we’re not responsible for making them stop, but we can tell them straight out that discrimination is not okay.

2). Stop worrying about what others think of you. Or what they say.

This is the main reason, I feel, that people remain silent instead of shouting their truth out loud. Somebody might criticize.

So what if they do? Why are we so afraid to be criticized? In what way will it damage us? Sure, it’s uncomfortable, but we know love is right and hate is wrong. So we know we said the right thing. We just might get some blowback from those still stuck in their hatred. But here’s a question: do you really want approval from bigots?

Two quotes. One from the Buddha. One from Dr. Seuss.

Dr. Seuss said, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

The Buddha was once viciously verbally attacked by a young man who came to hear him speak. “Son,” he said, “if someone declined to accept a present, to whom would it belong?” The young man said it would continue to belong to the person who offered it. “Yes,” Buddha said, “and I decline to accept your abuse.”

Shout love, and if anyone tries to give you hate in reply, mark it “return to sender” and let it go. It was never yours.

3). Vote. And vote wisely. And progressively!

Employment discrimination against gays is still completely legal in 29 states. Against transgender individuals it’s legal in 38 states. Three states still ban gay adoption and many others find ways to limit it. Gays still can’t serve openly in the military. Gay and lesbian couples still can’t marry in the overwhelming majority of states.

Outraged yet? I certainly hope so!

Tell your elected officials how you feel about equality. Call them, write to them. Remind them that you vote, and that you’re paying attention.

Learn about the candidates before you cast your vote. Check with the Courage Campaign, Human Rights Campaign, MoveOn.org. They publish a lot of information about the candidates and their voting records on equality.

Candidates with lots of money lie and spin in their TV ads to confuse and manipulate voters. Be a voter who won’t be confused or manipulated. Learn the issues and vote your conscience. Our votes can be the power we need to effect change, but only if we use them wisely.

4). Value kindness. And advocate its practice.

Remember the Golden Rule? Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you? If we all really practiced this rule, I swear the only problems left in the world would be weather-related. Human interactions would all smooth out just fine.

So why don’t you? Because everybody else isn’t doing it? Here’s an idea: you start.

Go out of your way to send messages of kindness to others. Set a precedent for good.

An old spiritual teacher of mine once commented on the Beatles song “All You Need is Love.” He said it was a nice sentiment, but they had it backwards. He said, “All love needs is you.”

Love is in need of practitioners. Volunteer today.

5). I thought of four. Now it’s your turn.

But here’s a suggestion, if you don’t have an idea yet: Spread the link to this little article. That’s a small positive act right there. Small acts add up.

*I have to say that I wholeheartedly believe Ms. Hyde is on the right track. I hope you'll take a few minutes to take to heart her suggestions for Jumpstarting the World, and, like me, plan to pick up a copy of her new release as soon as possible.

Catherine also took time out of her busy schedule to answer a bunch of my questions about her life and writing, so I hope you enjoy her answers as much as I did!

If you could bring any character from one of your books to life, who would it be and why?

I think Frank from JUMPSTART THE WORLD. He’s so sweet and nice. If people who are afraid of transgender knew him, I think they’d be less afraid.

Your own six-word memoir.

I am always on a journey.

Twitter your newest or upcoming release in 140 characters or less.

Lonely teenager, abandoned by mom, falls in love with an older transman. Learns a little about transgender but a lot more about herself.

What was your favorite book growing up as a teen?

FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON by Daniel Keyes.

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A cartoonist, a songwriter, and actress, or all of the above. I focused on wanting to be a writer at age 14.

Your favorite subject in high school – and your least favorite.

Creative writing. And math.

The one book everyone in the world should read.

THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK.

The book you wish you had written.

THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak.

Your five favorite reads from 2010 (books you read during the year; they do not have to have been published during 2010).

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER, by Stephen Chbosky
BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, I'LL BE DEAD, by Julie Ann Peters
WALK TWO MOONS, by Sharon Creech
AMARYLLIS IN BLUEBERRY, by Christina Meldrum
I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, by Peter Nelson

The 2010 or 2011 release you’re most looking forward to reading.

I AM J, by Cris Beam.

If your mom wrote the author profile for the jacket of your next book, what would she write?

She’d probably say that she told me years ago (when I was a teen) “The trouble with a fall-back position is that you tend to fall back.” And that now she’s glad she did.

Your family has the chance to describe you for an interview. What ten words would they say describe you best?

Inattentive. Reclusive. Homebody. Driven. Tunnel-visioned. Always at her computer.

You’ve invented a new national holiday. What is it called, and what does it celebrate? (Plus, would we get the day off of school and work??)

Well, I sort of did. Lots of towns celebrate a Pay It Forward Day. And yes, if I had my way, you’d all get the day off. More time to practice kindness!

Using the letters J L W (my initials!), create the title of your next bestseller. (For example, Jumping Love Walrus.)

Just Like Wilbur. It can be a sequel to JUMPSTART THE WORLD, focusing on one of my favorite characters (Wilbur).

What is your astrological sign? How closely does it match your personality?

I am an Aries. I am a VERY TYPICAL Aries.

You’re going off your diet for one day and only eating food from restaurants. What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? (Include the restaurant each meal comes from.)

I’m afraid I don’t have the luxury. I’m a vegetarian, and I’m allergic to a ton of foods (wheat, corn, dairy, soy). So restaurant meals don’t work well for me. Sometimes I can go to a good local restaurant like Robin’s (I live in Cambria, CA) and find something to eat. But the restaurants you would know of…I probably couldn’t find one thing on the menu.

What is your ultimate vacation destination?

Everest Base Camp (if it had more oxygen) or The Great Wall of China.

The world has suffered from a one-day only loss of power. You have no cell phone, computer, lights, or anything else that requires a computer, cell battery, or electricity. What do you spend the day doing?

I would hit the trail and hike. Or I would shove my kayak into my little motor home and drive to a quiet lake or estuary for a paddle. Or both.

If you weren’t an author, what job would you be doing?

In real life, I’d be teaching writing. In my imagination, I’d be a forest ranger, alone in the silence of the wilderness. Maybe manning (womaning?) a fire lookout tower on top of a wooded mountain.

You’re invited to a White House function, and you have the chance to give a 10-minute speech to the President and everyone else attending. What do you speak about?

Equality for all. Until we pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, get rid of the Defense of Marriage Act, and end Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, we have a lot of work to do on that score.

The paranormal genre is big in teen/YA literature right now. Most bestsellers feature vampires, werewolves, faeries, angels, or the like as a main character. In your opinion, why are teens currently fascinated with all things paranormal?

Oh, I wish I knew. I’m such a huge fan of realistic fiction. As both a reader and a writer. I so wish I knew what the vampire, zombie thing was about. I’m not putting down those who read it. They obviously like it, and that’s their prerogative. I just don’t understand the appeal.

You’re writing a book where you can change one major historical event. Which event do you change? (For example, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t assassinated, or Japan never bombed Pearl Harbor.)

Proposition 8 never passed in California. That’s a dark day I’d like to reverse. And then we could see that love is still love, and straight marriage really isn’t threatened. And everybody can fictionally calm down and get this as far behind us as interracial marriage bans are now.

Remember those “classics” that you were made to read in high school English class? What was your favorite, and which title should students never have to be subjected to reading?

My favorite was OF MICE AND ME. And no one should ever be forced to read MOBY DICK.

Someone tells you that you’ll never publish another book that you write. Do you still keep writing?

Oh, yes. I keep writing.

A group of teens ask you the best way to become a published writer. How do you answer the question?

Write good books. The best way to do this is to read voraciously, write tons of pages (including many that don’t work out), and join a writers group so you can hear feedback from readers.

**Thanks so very much to Catherine for visiting with us today! I highly recommend checking out her website, listed above, for tons of great info about all of her releases. You can also find her at her Blog, on Facebook, on MySpace, at Twitter, at the Red Room, or email her directly at ryanhyde@cryanhyde.com.

Catherine has very kindly offered to send three lucky posters today a wonderful prize. One will receive a copy of JUMPSTART THE WORLD, one a copy of her UK release, WHEN I FOUND YOU, and another a copy of SECOND HAND HEART, another UK release. So be sure to leave any comments or questions you have for Ms. Hyde in the comments section, as she plans on stopping by later today to see what we're discussing and respond to posts. Ask/comment/praise away!