{"id":1105,"date":"2008-01-29T00:01:25","date_gmt":"2008-01-29T06:01:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1105"},"modified":"2008-01-29T09:41:18","modified_gmt":"2008-01-29T15:41:18","slug":"seven-impossible-interviews-before-breakfast-63-author-and-blogger-sara-lewis-holmes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=1105","title":{"rendered":"Seven Impossible Interviews Before Breakfast #63: Author and blogger Sara Lewis Holmes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SaraI have a confession to make: I read a lot of blogs but often get behind and have to seriously catch up in one sitting. But there is one blog whose posts I never<\/em> miss. It’s the first cyber-stop I make every morning after first turning on my computer and getting coffee in hand. I mean to tell you that my house could be on fire or the Grim Reaper could come for me, all snarly-like, or an exceptionally large-‘n’-fiery meteorite could be heading straight toward the roof of my home, but I\u2019d still holler, \u201cHold up! I haven\u2019t read Read Write Believe<\/em><\/a><\/strong> today. You\u2019re just gonna. have. to. wait.\u201d And the site of which I speak is the blog of Sara Lewis Holmes<\/strong><\/a>, author of last year’s middle-grade novel Letters From Rapunzel<\/em> (see here<\/a><\/strong> for a 7-Imp review). Sara gave birth to Read Write Believe<\/em> last summer. It all began here<\/a><\/strong> when she asked us to enter. Lucky for us all. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Eisha and I are both big fans of this blog. And that would be because Sara writes with great humor<\/strong><\/a> and candor<\/strong><\/a> and always with much grace<\/a><\/strong> and style<\/a><\/strong>. The philosopher in her<\/a><\/strong> is strong — but without being overbearing. And she can be really mischievous<\/a><\/strong> and fun<\/a><\/strong>, too. Bonus. Bottom line is that she’s got both sides of her brain goin’ on strong over at Read Write Believe<\/em>, and that never fails to bring about interesting posts. Author Jama Rattigan<\/a><\/strong> put it well in this post about Sara<\/a><\/strong> when she wrote, “Sara has the uncanny ability to see right into the essence of an experience, an event, an idea — while standing on her head.” And her poems. Swoon! Her poetry! But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here . . . <\/p>\n

\"Sara;Read Write Believe<\/em>, in the grand scheme of things, is still fairly young, but Sara’s really made her cyber-mark in her little corner of the kidlitosphere (did I mention that the earth could jump into a new orbit, and I’d be pissed off that my computer would probably die as a result — well, and me, too — and that I’d probably never be able to read her blog again?). “The blog’s title” Sara told us, “came from a talk I was preparing for kids on the three secrets to becoming a writer. You must read, you must write; and you must believe. It\u2019s as simple, and as hard, as that. I had pencils made up<\/a><\/strong> to use for school visits.”<\/p>\n

Here’s what you will be rewarded with when you visit Sara’s blog: Okay, well, let’s just get right back to that poetry, shall we? Sara is a passionate participator in Poetry Fridays, but she also will share an AMAZING original poem with you on any random day of the week. We, her devoted readers, have been privy to so many beautiful, well-crafted poems that I could hardly pick a favorite. Here<\/a><\/strong>, then, is the link to all<\/em> her Poetry Friday posts. Just have at it, and don’t forget to hit “Older Posts” at the bottom and take ’em all in. As someone who struggles to write merely one good line<\/em> of poetry, I’m in awe of someone who can write such evocative, stirring ones and even have no particular interest in publishing them in an anthology. Just writing them for the sake of creating a little beauty in our bizarre world and for what the process has to offer her as a writer (“I usually write poetry when I’m supposed to be doing something else. It’s the rebellious side of me. It’s also something that I completely retain ownership of as an artist. There’s no one to please but me. Writing poetry makes me so happy that I’m shaking when I finish a rough draft, just so alive that I have to bounce in my chair and squeal a bit,” she told Kelly Herold in a recent Edge of the Forest<\/em> interview, linked below). As in, this woman has some talent to spare, folks. “It\u2019s hard for me to talk about my poetry without sounding all metaphysical,” she told us, “but I think that every poem I write (or attempt to write) changes me as a person. I once wrote (rather hilariously) in my journal after finishing a draft of a poem: ‘What\u2019s it all for? I know. For this.’ Even though that\u2019s melodramatic, and I blush at my enthusiasm, I do mean it.” <\/p>\n

Although she doesn’t review books<\/a><\/strong> at Read Write Believe<\/em>, she does post about the triumphs and struggles and everyday challenges of being a writer<\/a><\/strong>. Here’s what other goodnesses you’ll get at Sara’s blog, in her own words:<\/p>\n

I have my Very Big Good Deeds List<\/a><\/strong>, which I\u2019d love to update with anyone\u2019s worthy literacy\/book\/or child-related cause. All you have to do is leave a comment on that post or email me. I have a mini-series on Gifts for Writers and Readers<\/a><\/strong>, and I like to blog about art as it relates to writing<\/a><\/strong>. I find that I can learn so much more about my own craft from studying the techniques used in other art forms<\/a><\/strong>. I also like to cover news related to writing, reading, and the military<\/a><\/strong>, especially military kids, because that isn\u2019t being covered in the kidlitosphere anywhere else that I know of. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m obviously intrigued by Big Questions<\/a><\/strong>. I also noticed that I have 21 posts tagged \u201cBelieve,\u201d<\/a><\/strong> second only to those tagged \u201cWriting.\u201d (33)<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And in case you missed it, just last week Sara joined forces with fellow author Liz Garton Scanlon<\/a><\/strong> of Liz in Ink<\/a><\/strong><\/em> to post a series on the physicality of writing<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n

We’re not sure how she finds the time to do what she does, as she’s also created her own podcast of poetry out-loud, A Cast of One<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. And she’s currently serving as one of the five judges on the Cybils Poetry Panel<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n

For this interview, we tacked on a few extra questions about Sara’s writing. It was difficult not to repeat the fabulous questions already posed to Sara here in Kelly Herold’s November-December ’07 Edge of the Forest<\/em> interview<\/strong><\/a>; Becky’s November ’07 interview<\/a><\/strong> at Becky’s Book Reviews<\/em>; or Liz Garton Scanlon’s interview<\/a><\/strong> from just last week. Needless to say, head on over to those interviews to learn more about Sara. And we at 7-Imp thank her kindly for stopping by. I’d especially like to thank her for obliging my boldness in asking her if she’d like to share a new poem with us in this interview. She tweaked a poem she’s been working on for years and told me, “it’s one of the rewards of poetry that you can always put a poem away, and come back to it over and over, and it will offer something new. Lately, I’ve been working very quickly. My poems rush out of me, and the trick is not to overwork them. But this one, this one for the interview, was a true, slow grower. I think your asking for a poem made it finally straighten up and fly right.” See, she’s just being nice, since I was ever-so forward, I’m sure, in asking her to share a new one. But, hey, I scored a new Sara poem! A 7-Imp exclusive. Squee!<\/p>\n

* * * * * * *<\/center> <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What do you do for a living? {Ed. Note: It’s not as if we don’t know this answer, but we still sent her the same questions we sent all bloggers}.<\/em><\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: Writing is my main work, but there\u2019s no way I could support myself with it. My husband is my rock there. In the past, I worked as a historical interpreter for Colonial Williamsburg, in PR for a Shakespeare Festival, and for two different universities overseas, helping run their master\u2019s degree programs. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: How long have you been blogging?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: Since July 6, 2007. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: Why did you start blogging? Why do you continue to do it?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: I jumped in without thinking, after a prompt from you, Jules! I was also feeling weird because reading blogs made me want to comment all the time, and yet, it felt rude to do that without a blog home of my own, where people could comment back to me. I keep blogging because I love writing something new five days a week, and I love the wild and kind and super-smart comments I get, and the friends I\u2019ve made. I also discovered that blogging helps me think. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: Which blog or site would you take to the prom to show off and you love it so much you could marry it?<\/font><\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: Tough one. If I went with 7-Imps, they would know absolutely everyone there and would introduce me. Plus, I\u2019d like to see what music they request from the DJ. But if they\u2019d let me, I\u2019d also like to dance with What Adrienne Thinks About That<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, Finding Wonderland<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, Liz in Ink<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, Robin Brande’s blog<\/a><\/strong>, and BB-Blog<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. Oh, who am I kidding? I\u2019d dance with anybody who asked me. I love to dance. And meet bloggers. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What are your other favorite things to do, other than reading and blogging?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: Adventure travel, playing golf, discovering new restaurants and bookstores, fiddling with geeky features of my computer, playing board games like Wise and Otherwise<\/a><\/strong>, and writing and talking about writing. I also love going to art museums (holy crap, that Hopper exhibit<\/a><\/strong> at the National Gallery was breath-taking) and plays, but I don\u2019t do either as much as I want to. I collect old hats, gloves, rhinestone jewelry and purses from the ’40s-’60s. I once wore one of the most outrageous of the necklaces to an SCBWI party. And I have a dog that drives me crazy. <\/p>\n

{Ed. Note: As you can tell from this photo here of the punk version of Sara, she also enjoys defying your expectations<\/a><\/strong>}.<\/em><\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What\u2019s one thing that most people don\u2019t know about you?<\/font><\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: I\u2019m a patchy speller. I can spell big words, and then totally goof up the small ones. I still remember the humiliation of leaving out the \u201ce\u201d in safety in a fifth grade spelling bee. (Oh! Look what I found via BB-Blog<\/em>! Spelling bee pendants<\/a><\/strong>. Maybe wearing these around my neck would help.) <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What\u2019s in heavy rotation on your stereo\/iPod lately?<\/font> <\/p>\n

\"Lyle\"MickSara<\/strong>: Creedence Clearwater Revival<\/a><\/strong>. Lyle Lovett<\/a><\/strong>. (I\u2019m totally in love with this man\u2019s voice and lyrics. Funny. Sexy. When he sings \u201ckiss my ass\u201d in “If I had a Boat<\/a><\/strong>,” I want to. Julia, you fool.) Aretha<\/a><\/strong>. The Rolling Stones<\/a><\/strong>. Paul Simon<\/a><\/strong>. Tracy Chapman<\/a><\/strong>. I\u2019m particularly taken lately with CCR\u2019s classic “Someday Never Comes.”<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: If you could have three (living) authors over for coffee or a glass of rich, red wine, whom would you choose?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to get to meet many of the authors I admire, like Katherine Paterson<\/a><\/strong> and M.T. Anderson<\/a><\/strong>. So I\u2019m going to pick three that I haven\u2019t met yet, who are all funny and very smart: Connie Willis<\/a><\/strong>, Sherman Alexie<\/a><\/strong> and Marcus Zusak<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: For those of our readers who don’t know the story behind the publication of Letters From Rapunzel<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, particularly the HarperCollins Ursula Nordstrom Fiction Prize, please do tell us about that.<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: I have told this story quite a bit, so I\u2019m trying to think of some fresh details here. <\/p>\n

ME: This manuscript will ever work.<\/em> (tries to put manuscript in drawer labeled Failed Novel Attempt) <\/p>\n

HUSBAND: (stops her) Somebody out there needs that story.<\/em> <\/p>\n

ME: (scribbling in journal) \u201cNeed to print a fresh copy of Rapunzel<\/em> to send to the HarperCollins contest. It doesn\u2019t have much of a chance, but I\u2019m entering it anyway. Got to keep hope alive.\u201d (cue melodramatic music) <\/p>\n

MESSAGE from HarperCollins\u2019 editor on the ANSWERING machine: Call me.<\/em><\/p>\n

ME: (as world explodes) I won?????<\/em><\/p>\n

Truly, I was thrilled and astonished. And the editor I worked with, Lauren Velevis, helped me shape Letters From Rapunzel<\/em> into something beyond what I could do alone. The first editorial letter from her was seven pages long. I knew I was in heaven when I read it.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: We know that your blog is still relatively young. We’d love to ask you a few questions about blogging, though Kelly Herold already asked you some great questions about that in The Edge of the Forest<\/em> interview<\/a><\/strong> back in November. Can you talk here perhaps about how your blogging informs your novel-writing, if it does at all?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: I don\u2019t know if it informs it, or distracts me, or both. I think the right answer is that I struggle with getting through a long first draft of a novel, and so, having a short blog post to complete (and get comments on) in the midst of that slogging is energizing and rewarding. Plus, I think all writing makes you a better writer.<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: Please tell us a bit about your forthcoming novel, Everyone You Know<\/em>.<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: This is the manuscript that\u2019s with my agent now, and I hope to find a home for it very soon. This one was inspired by two things: 1) A brilliant quote from Philo of Alexandria, an ancient philosopher: \u201cBe kind, for everyone you know is fighting a great battle.\u201d and by 2) my wish to tell a story about contemporary military kids in a fresh way. There is almost nothing in middle grade literature that features military kids, and those kids lead brilliant, brave, unique lives. (I know; I\u2019m the mother of two of them.) So I took the idea that a military lifestyle is a lot like improvisational theater and I ran with it. (BTW, it may possibly have a different title: New Recruit<\/em>.) <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: Any new Sara-poem you want to share with our readers here at 7-Imp? (!!)<\/font><\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: For you, yes. <\/p>\n

{Ed. Note: See poem at the close of the interview} . . .<\/em><\/font> <\/p>\n

* * * The Pivot Questionnaire * * * <\/center><\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What is your favorite word?<\/font><\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: “Enter.”<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What is your least favorite word?<\/font><\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: “Can\u2019t.”<\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: Reading. Writing poetry. Asking questions. The mountains. Theater. Art museums. Dancing, boxing, yoga, and fierce exercise of all types. Good food and cute shoes. A long, passionate discussion with intelligent people of any age. Johnny Depp<\/strong><\/a>. (Thought I\u2019d sneak that in there.) Knowing that my husband loves me. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What turns you off?<\/font><\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: The Bridges of Madison County<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. Seriously. I had a violent negative reaction to that book and couldn\u2019t read more than a few pages. The movie is fine. Also, I despise getting lost, and go into a frustrated panic when I do. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What is your favorite curse word?<\/font><\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: “Holy crap” is the best I can offer up on most days. Except when I\u2019m on the golf course, and even then, I clap my hand over my mouth and look very embarrassed if something pops out. I do love hearing what other people\u2019s favorite curse words are, and I always try them out in the privacy of my own home to see if they work. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What sound or noise do you love?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: The moment of stunned, intimate silence following an extraordinary public reading, be it poem, novel excerpt, play or speech. My son has a great laugh, too, and I love to hear it, because it\u2019s so unrestrained. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What sound or noise do you hate?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: People yelling at each other. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: If I had a quarternote of singing talent, I\u2019d be belting my lungs out in whatever venue would have me. But sadly, although I can read music, I cannot manage even a pleasant rendition of “Happy Birthday.” I\u2019d also love to be an actress, have a Ph.D. in linguistics, or (moment of insanity here) be a kung-fu stuntwoman. <\/p>\n

7-Imp<\/strong>: What profession would you not like to do?<\/font> <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: Work at a chicken-processing plant. Or do crafts with pre-schoolers. I\u2019m very, very bad with scissors and glue. Glitter, maybe. <\/p>\n

Sara<\/strong>: If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?<\/font> <\/p>\n

\"Aretha\"Sara<\/strong>: “E.B. White, Madeleine L\u2019Engle and Lloyd Alexander are on the welcoming committee — please check in with them and they\u2019ll show you around; Aretha\u2019s agreed to loan you her singing voice every other Thursday; the auditions for Shakespeare\u2019s new play are next Monday; and since your children won\u2019t be arriving for a long, long time, would you like to play golf with me this Saturday? I\u2019ll give you ten strokes. Oh, and is it okay if I answer your questions one per day, instead of all at once?”<\/p>\n

* * * * * * *<\/center><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

* * * * * * *<\/center><\/p>\n

Note: Photo credit for Sara’s head shot is Jackie Buck<\/a><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have a confession to make: I read a lot of blogs but often get behind and have to seriously catch up in one sitting. But there is one blog whose posts I never miss. It’s the first cyber-stop I make every morning after first turning on my computer and getting coffee in hand. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogger-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1105\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}