Following Karen Hesse's advice that aspiring historical fiction writers should read novels from the same time period and place that they're writing about, I have read several books to inform my own work. Here is a smorgasbord of books that take place in the south during the last 60 years; with a rating (5 *'s… Continue reading A Southern Smorgasbord
1 We both wake up early and look forward to writing. 2.We both eat our lunch standing up.3.We both are excited about finding and using primary sources when we’re researching.4.We both like historical fiction.These are my conclusions after listening to an interview with her that accompanies her book, Witness. Although several of Hesse’s award–winning books… Continue reading Ways That I am Like Karen Hesse (a very short list):
Karen Hesse, known for the award-winning free verse book, Out of the Dust, used the same poetic style to write this poignant description of the effects of World War II on the Aleutian Islands. As a fan of historical fiction, I probably wouldn't have considered using poetry to tell the story of the displaced Aleut… Continue reading Aleutian Sparrow