Laurie Halse Anderson tend to discuss difficult and often taboo topics that are nonetheless of significant concern to many teens, Date of birth: October 23, 1961 have received critical acclaim as well as various Place of birth: Potsdam, New York awards. Anderson is also the author of a variety of children’s books. Principal Works Born Laurie Beth Halse on October 23, 1961, in Young Adult Literature Potsdam, New York, Anderson was the first of two Speak (1999) daughters born to Frank and Joyce Halse. Her father was Fever 1793 (2000) a minister who served for a time as chaplain at Syracuse Catalyst (2002) University. As a child, Anderson initially had some trou- Prom (2005) ble with reading, but she soon became an avid reader Twisted (2007) and particularly enjoyed the fantasy works of J. R. R. Seeds of America trilogy (2008–) Tolkien. A poetry lesson in elementary school taught her Wintergirls (2009) about the ability of words to convey emotion, a lesson The Impossible Knife of Memory (2014) that was key to her development as a writer. Children’s Literature Several of Anderson’s experiences during her early Ndito Runs (1996) life would have a significant influence on her later writ- Turkey Pox (1996) ing. Her novel Speak, which chronicles a teenager’s No Time for Mother’s Day (1999) trauma and recovery following a sexual assault, draws Vet Volunteers series (2000–2013) some emotional inspiration from Anderson’s own as- The Big Cheese of Third Street (2002) sault at the age of thirteen. The novel The Impossible The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School (2009) Knife of Memory, which focuses on a teenager’s ex- Nonfiction perience with her veteran father’s post-traumatic stress Thank You, Sarah! The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiv- disorder (PTSD), is similarly personal. During World ing (2002) War II, Anderson’s father was drafted into the US Army Independent Dames (2008) and stationed in Germany, where he witnessed the hor- rors of the Dachau concentration camp. In later life he, much like the father in the novel, struggled with PTSD and alcohol abuse because of his wartime experiences. Anderson attended Fayetteville-Manlius High School in upstate New York and spent her senior year study- ing abroad in Denmark. After completing high school, she attended Onondaga Community College for a time before transferring to Georgetown University in Wash- ington, DC. She graduated from Georgetown in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in languages and linguistics. Following graduation she worked a variety of jobs and exercised her love of writing as a freelance journalist. In 1996 Anderson published her first book, the chil- dren’s picture book Ndito Runs, about a young Kenyan girl who runs to school each day. She continued to write books for children, including some nonfiction books © Joyce Tenneson about notable women in American history. In 1999 she published Speak, her first young adult novel. She fol- Biography lowed Speak with a number of other novels, including Laurie Halse Anderson is an American writer known the historical novel Fever 1793 (2000), Prom (2005), for her young adult novels, including Speak (1999), and Twisted (2007). Catalyst (2002), Wintergirls (2009), and The Impos- Laurie Halse Anderson married computer program- sible Knife of Memory (2014). Her novels, which mer Greg Anderson while still in college. They had two 3 Young_adult_literature_1-108.indd 3 3/19/16 11:49 AM 4 │ Critical Survey of Young Adult Literature daughters, Stephanie and Meredith, and eventually di- Bibliography vorced. Anderson later married carpenter Scot Larrabee, Anderson, Laurie Halse. “Author Revealed.” Simon & a childhood friend who has two children from a previ- Schuster. Simon, n. d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http:// ous relationship. Anderson and Larrabee live in Mexico, authors.simonandschuster.com/Laurie-Halse-Ander- New York, where Anderson writes in a secluded cottage son/1791921/revealed>. built by her husband. Anderson, Laurie Halse. “Q & A with Laurie Halse An- derson.” Interview by Sally Lodge. Publishers Weekly. Major Works PWxyz, 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www. Many of Anderson’s works deal with subject matter publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/inter- that, though considered controversial by some parents views/article/60266-q-a-with-laurie-halse-anderson. and conservative activist groups, nevertheless reflects html>. realistic challenges faced by teens, including Ander- Anderson, Laurie Halse. “#Speak4RAINN: An Inter- son herself during her youth. Speak, which focuses on view with Author Laurie Halse Anderson.” Interview the aftermath of protagonist Melinda’s rape, presents a by Becca Rose. HelloGiggles. HelloGiggles, 18 Apr. powerful portrayal of trauma and the damaging effects 2013. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://hellogiggles.com/ of the silence that often surrounds the topic of sexual speak4rainn-an-interview-with-author-laurie-halse- assault. The book has been used in many schools to start anderson>. conversations about the importance of consent and to “Biography: Laurie Halse Anderson.” Scholastic. encourage students who may have had similar experi- Scholastic, n. d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://www. ences to speak up without fear or shame. The Impos- scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/laurie-halse- sible Knife of Memory likewise calls attention not only anderson>. to the challenges faced by many American veterans, but Mirabito, Roger. “Stories of Inspiration: Laurie Halse An- also to the ways in which their PTSD affects their loved derson, ’81.” Continuum. Onondaga Community Col- ones. Anderson’s other young adult novels also deal lege, 30 Jan. 2015. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://news. with difficult topics: Catalyst focuses on the pressure to sunyocc.edu/2015/01/30/laurie-halse-anderson-81>. be successful; Wintergirls deals with eating disorders; and Twisted, her first novel told from a male perspective, confronts the idea of twenty-first-century masculinity. Historical themes are also prevalent in Anderson’s M. T. Anderson novels. The novel Fever 1793 follows a young woman who lives in Philadelphia during the 1793 yellow fever Date of birth: November 4, 1968 epidemic. In Chains (2008) and Forge (2010), the first Place of birth: Cambridge, Massachusetts two installments in Anderson’s Seeds of America series, young slaves seek their freedom during the Revolution- Principal Works ary War. Anderson’s devotion to historical settings and Young Adult Literature detailed research extends even to her children’s books, Thirsty (1997) several of which present the stories of historical women Burger Wuss (1999) whose exploits are not widely known. Feed (2002) The Game of Sunken Places (2004) Joy Crelin The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party (2006) Further Reading The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Anderson, Laurie Halse. “Laurie.” Laurie Halse Ander- Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves (2008) son. Anderson, n. d. Web. 12 May 2015. <http://mad- The Suburb Beyond the Stars (2010) womanintheforest.com/laurie>. The Empire of Gut and Bone (2011) Glenn, Wendy J. Laurie Halse Anderson: Speaking in The Chamber in the Sky (2012) Tongues. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2010. Print. Nonfiction Lew, Kristi. Laurie Halse Anderson. New York: Rosen, Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich 2014. Print. and the Siege of Leningrad (2015) Young_adult_literature_1-108.indd 4 3/19/16 11:49 AM The Absolutely True Diary of a dejected, punches him in the face, and many of the other neighbors on the reservation ostracize him. At Reardan, Part-time Indian however, Junior is happy to develop a friendship (and a crush) on a pretty girl named Penelope as well as a Author: Sherman Alexie (b. 1966) friendship with a smart boy named Gordy. Junior largely First published: 2007 convinces everyone his family is well-off financially, Type of work: Novel but Penelope learns how poor he is when they begin dat- Type of plot: Bildungsroman ing and he takes her to the winter dance. Time of plot: 2006 When Junior joins the varsity basketball team, he Locale: Wellpinit, Spokane Indian Reservation; Rear- finds himself playing games against the reservation dan, Washington school, and his former best friend, Rowdy, elbows him so hard that he is knocked unconscious. The audi- Principal characters ence evens boos Junior, which heightens the divide he Arnold Spirit Jr., a teenage Spokane Indian cartoonist feels between his home life and school life. When the Rowdy, his best friend, an angry, violent teenager on next game against the reservation school team comes, the reservation Junior pushes ahead to help his new team win but Mary Spirit, his older sister feels awful once he sees that his former classmates Penelope, his white girlfriend at Reardan High School are dejected. Gordy, an intelligent Reardan student Junior’s concerns at school suddenly seem less ur- gent when he experiences a number of losses. His The Story grandmother is hit by a drunk driver and dies, his fa- Arnold Spirit Jr., known as Junior, is a fourteen-year- ther’s best friend is shot in the face and also dies, and, old Spokane Indian boy who was born with extra ce- perhaps most tragically, his sister, Mary, perishes in a rebrospinal fluid on his skull, which gave him a large fire. All the deaths come about because of alcohol abuse. head, seizures, a lisp, and other physical issues. He lives Junior is devastated and begins to focus his energy on on the Spokane Indian Reservation, where many of the seeing whatever joy in life he can, making lists of happy other children mock him, calling him Globe or Orbit things in his notebook. because of his head size. His family is very poor, so Following the accidents, Junior and Rowdy get to- much so that when his dog becomes sick, they cannot gether to play basketball and end their feud.