We are so happy to announce that children’s and young adult fantasy author Julie Berry will lecture on fantasy, creativity, and humility on Friday, May 15, 7 p.m. at The School of Philosophy at the Orchard House at 399 Lexington Rd., Concord, MA.
Using contemporary and touchstone fantasy titles, Julie will discuss the spiritual, philosophical, political, and psychological weight of children’s fantasy literature, and how the genre has evolved in recent years. She’ll also discuss her own entry into fantasy land, discussing the process of carving out creative space in her overcrowded schedule to write, and what she learned along the way about creativity, craft, and humility.
Julie Berry holds an M.F.A. in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of the Fine Arts in Montpelier. Her critical studies emphasized narrative innovations in contemporary children’s fantasy, and her award-winning creative thesis, The Amaranth Enchantment, was released in March 2009 by Bloomsbury. Named a Junior Library Guild selection, the teen novel has been called “a lively, quick, stylish, engaging first novel” by Kirkus Reviews, with “intriguing characters, fine plotting, and a richly worked narrative,” according to Booklist. Publisher’s Weekly, in a starred review, says, “Berry's enticing debut novel teems with romance, danger and suspense.”
On Thursday, April 16 a few of us met in Quincy, MA to volunteer with the Prison Books Program. Prisoners are not allowed to receive any books from family or friends, so they are reliant on volunteer groups approved by the prison system to send them books. It was so rewarding to read prisoners' letters asking for books (on all kinds of topics) and browsing through the "bookstore" to fulfill their requests. Oh, and the bonus of the evening was going inside the crypt of the church to see the tombs of John & Abigail Adams as well as John Quincy & Louisa Adams.
