Too dark park
September 24, 2008
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I got jumped by four Humboldt Park hooligans last night. Somehow I made it out with only a shiner.
"Hilarious . . . Readers with a finely tuned sense of the absurd are going to adore the Technicolor ride."
—Booklist
"Fantasy done to a clever, grotesque, nonsensical turn." —Chicago Sun-Times
"A work of mischievous imagination and outrageous invention." —Time Out Chicago
"One of the more singular young adult fantasies—or fantasies, period—I've run across . . . Funny, bizarre, action-packed, and even thoughtful, and stocked with a gallery of larger-than-life characters." —Green Man Review
Friday, September 10, 2010
I'm a guest on Brian Costello and Abraham Levitan's Shame That Tune at the Hideout in Chicago. Details TBA.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Appearing at the 57th Street Children's Book Fair in Hyde Park in Chicago. The fair from is 1-6 pm. I am signing from 3:30-4:30 pm. The fair will be on 57th Street between Dorchester and Kimbark Avenues and on Kimbark Avenue between 57th and 56th. Kick-off begins with parade at 1 pm! Free.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Appearing at Literature, the Child, and the Teen program with David Lubar for the Michigan Library Association. Chelsea School District Washington Education Center - Senior Center, 500 Washington, Chelsea, MI 48118. 3:30 pm.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Appearing at the Princeton Kidlit Festival in Princeton, Illinois. Other authors: Newbery Award-winning Richard Peck! 10:00 - 10:50 am: My presentation, 12:15 - 1:45 p.m.: Author meet and greet lunch. 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. - Author signing.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I'm one of the featured authors at the Illinois Library Association's Author Cocktail Hour and Dinner. Presentation by Peter Sagal, host of National Public Radio's "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me." Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier. 5 pm - 8 pm.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Teaching at Splash! Chicago, "a student organization at the University of Chicago that runs free after-school and weekend programs for high school students. Our goal is to introduce students from different walks of life to topics that aren’t approached in the traditional classroom— anything from pirate history and culture to tap dancing to religious cults— in a fun, collaborative setting. Our programs are open to all high school students — there’s no application, just a brief registration process, and there’s no charge." 4:00 - 4:50 pm.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Working with teen Story Troupe at Schaumburg Township District Library (130 South Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL, (847) 985-4000). Free and open to all. Time TBA.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Reading and signing at the Hammes Bookstore and Romy's Cafe at 1234 North Eddy Street at Eddy Street Commons at Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana. 3pm - 6pm.
Saturday, October 30, 20101
Signing at the Hammes Notre Dame Campus Bookstore. 11:30 am-1:30 pm.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Working with teen Story Troupe at Schaumburg Township District Library (130 South Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL, (847) 985-4000). Free and open to all. Time TBA.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Working with teen Story Troupe at Schaumburg Township District Library (130 South Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL, (847) 985-4000). Free and open to all. Time TBA.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Speaking at Children's Literature Conference at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. Some other speakers: Laurie Halse Anderson, Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett, Sarah Prineas, Claire Zulkey! Breakout session from 1:00-1:45 and autographing reception from 3:30-4:30.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Appearing at the Young Adult Keller Book Fest in Keller, Texas. Details TBA.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Speaking at Teen Book Festival in Rochester, New York. Details TBA.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Speaking at Illinois Young Authors Conference at Illinois State University in Normal, IL. Details TBA.
I am interviewed by Betsy Bird for the School Library Journal’s Fuse #8 blog. Check it out if you want to read about my opinions on Zork, my life in the convent, and why The Jeffersons is superior to Catcher in the Rye. Many in the comments section deem this the “Best. Interview. Ever.” Dare you disagree?
I am interviewed by the lovely Senfaye on A Maze Of Books. Read it if you’re curious as to why I chose to end the interview by saying “I hate you”—and why when Senfaye asked “What’s your favorite food?” I replied “Your skull.” It’s scandalous!
I am interviewed by Amy Alessio for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Read about my experiences as a junior high school science teacher—in particular, of how the entire faculty was mysteriously menaced by a obscene note-writing student known only as “The Foggy Wiener.” I also talk about my participation in Japan’s violent “Naked Man” Festival, and how I discovered the President of the ALA is a whimsical hobo.
Order of Odd-Fish Week on Murphblog. Check out Paul Michael Murphy's monster five-part interview with me! Part One, the road to publication; Part Two, on writing; Part Three, I reveal the thing I will always find funny; Part Four, the "lightning round"; Part Five, a Create-Your-Own-Odd-Fish-Specialty contest (entries are in the comments section); and I judge the winner of the contest.
I am interviewed by Melissa at the Book Nut blog. I talk about the difficulties of getting The Order of Odd-Fish published, my high school friend who was the inspiration for Jo, the idea of an “urban Narnia,” and the origin of the All-Devouring Mother character. Melissa also posted a glowing review here.
My feud with Neil Gaiman. It all started when I revealed Gaiman's dark secret: that he is 2 mm tall and all his books are written by bees. The feud escalated when I tackled him at the American Library Association and won the Newbery from him, fair and square. Your move, Gaiman!
The Classroom Guide to The Order of Odd-Fish. I've put together a 44-page Teacher's Guide / curriculum for Odd-Fish! It's a treasure trove of creative project ideas, discussion questions, chapter worksheets, and further resources. It also features fan art by enthusiastic teen readers of Odd-Fish. (This art was featured in a fan art gallery show in Chicago in April 2010.) You can download the teacher's guide for free here.
It's a mixtape for The Order of Odd-Fish. Listen to a stream of the songs I chose for an imaginary "movie soundtrack" for Odd-Fish, and read why I chose them. Lots of different stuff: French ye-ye, Kinshasa street bands, pseudo-classical, puzzling blippity-bloopity music, and more.
I used to be in a band called Brilliant Pebbles. The drummer Philip and I quit the band in September 2009, but Monika and Sam are continuing on. We had been variously described as "melodramatic video game music," "moon-man opera," and "gypsy sex metal." It's over now, but I loved being in this band. You can download our EP from Amazon here.
There's an audiobook of The Order of Odd-Fish. It's masterfully read by the Audie award-winning Jessica Almasy, whom I was lucky enough to interview here.
The Brothers Delacorte. I team up with fellow charming and mysterious Delacorte authors Daniel Kraus and Adam Selzer to solve baffling international crimes and taste sophisticated titillatations.
Email: kennedyjames [at] gmail [dot] com
Twitter: @iamjameskennedy
Bentley Holmes-Gull. The designer of this web site!
Jessica Hopper. Author of The Girls Guide to Rocking and music critic.
Jonathan Messinger. Chicago literary man-about-town who runs small press Featherproof Books.
Freya Trefonides. My niece, protégée, and terrific writer in her own right.
Laini Taylor. Author of the tremendously enjoyable Blackbringer, Silksinger, and Lips Touch.
Paul Hornschemeier. Graphic novelist responsible for Mother Come Home, The Three Paradoxes, etc. and artist behind the cover of the Odd-Fish paperback.
Elizabeth Bird. Children's librarian at the 42nd Street New York Public Library who writes the must-read Fuse #8 blog for the School Library Journal.
Amy Alessio. Author, librarian, and teen coordinator at the Schaumburg Township Library in Illinois.
John Huston. Otherwise known as Dark Yellow. Reporter, writer, and occasional Neil Gaiman impersonator.
Daniel Kraus. Fellow Brother Delacorte, author of The Monster Variations, and documentarian.
Adam Selzer. Another Brother Delacorte and author of Andrew North Blows Up the World and many other books.
Paul Baxendale. Genius behind the FinderMaker blog. He finds things and makes them into other, better things.
The Weirdside. "Happily Bixxerfouping Since 2009." What? Exactly. Adam Callaway's an up-and-coming writer of the weird and wonderful.
Murphblog. Teacher, writer, drinker of chocolate milk. Also master of the epic five-part interview form (1 2 3 4 5 + 6).
Margo Gremmler. Writer, SCBWI-er, friend.
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