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Live On-Line Chat with Amy Brill

Live Chat with Amy Brill, THE MOVEMENT OF STARS

(03/21/2013)

  

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3:55	Nora - EarlyWord:  We're getting ready for our online chat with Amy Brill, author of The Movement of Stars. Thursday March 21, 2013 3:55 Nora - EarlyWord

3:56	Nora - EarlyWord The Movement of Stars Thursday March 21, 2013 3:56

3:56	Nora - EarlyWord:  Our chat begins in about five minutes. Thursday March 21, 2013 3:56 Nora - EarlyWord

3:57	Nora - EarlyWord:  I’ll be moderating the live questions, so that we don’t have overlap and we give Amy time to respond to your questions. Thursday March 21, 2013 3:57 Nora - EarlyWord

3:58	Nora - EarlyWord:  While we're waiting to begin, I'll post a quiz (no worries, it doesn't count toward your grade). Thursday March 21, 2013 3:58 Nora - EarlyWord

3:58	Which element in MOVEMENT OF STARS is not based on fact? Winning a gold medal  ( 17% ) Teaching a sailor  ( 83% ) Job as a librarian  ( 0% ) Thursday March 21, 2013 3:58

4:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  I see some people gathering out there. Welcome and identify yourselves! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:00 Nora - EarlyWord

4:01	Amy Brill:  Hello, Nora, and gathered people! Amy here... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:01 Amy Brill

4:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  Hey, Amy -- thanks for joining us! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:01 Nora - EarlyWord

4:01	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Trisha from Oldham County Ky Thursday March 21, 2013 4:01 trishap00

4:02	Amy Brill:  Thanks for having me! Hi Trisha. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:02 Amy Brill

4:02	Catherine - Penguin:  Hello Nora, Amy and! Catherine from Penguin here, so glad you could make it! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:02 Catherine - Penguin

4:02	Nora - EarlyWord:  Amy, like EarlyWord, you are headquarted in Brooklyn. It's developed into quite a readers community, hasn't it? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:02 Nora - EarlyWord

4:03	Nora - EarlyWord:  Reminder to everyone -- typos are not only forgiven, they are welcomed (see how many I make!) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 Nora - EarlyWord

4:03	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Hi everyone Love the books and glad I could take part today Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 trishap00

4:03

Amy Brill:  I can't think of a better place to be a reader, except in the sense that it can be a little overwhelming to live among so many readers and writers. I like to refer to Brooklyn as "Strollerville, Scribes County." So many writers and so many kids here... and I'm both. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 Amy Brill

4:03	Catherine - Penguin:  Was that in response to my typo, Nora? I had meant to say "and librarians"! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 Catherine - Penguin

4:03	Amy Brill:  A parent, that is. Not a kid. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:03 Amy Brill

4:04	Amy Brill:  The best thing about a very literary community is the chance to interact with lots of other writers and readers. Which makes everyone's writing better, I think. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:04 Amy Brill

4:05	Nora - EarlyWord:  You have two kids, but your book is about a woman who made the choice of career over motherhood. How did you relate to that? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:05 Nora - EarlyWord

4:05	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  This dyslexic librarian appreciates the typos welcome rule Thursday March 21, 2013 4:05 trishap00

4:07	Nora - EarlyWord:  Most of our participants answered the poll correctly! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord

4:07

Amy Brill:  Well, I worked on the book for about ten years before having my first child! I understood the choices that Hannah makes differently over time. At first I related more to her striving for achievement, the desire to make a meaningful contribution to society. Later I think I understood her more in terms of the constraints she faced, the financial implications of her choices, etc. Parenthood certainly gave me a good sense of that. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:07 Amy Brill

4:07	Nora - EarlyWord:  Tell us about the person the main character is based on (I will be posting a few images of her)... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:07 Nora - EarlyWord

4:08	Amy Brill:  Hannah Gardner Price was inspired by the circumstances and work of Maria Mitchell, the first professional female astronomer in America. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:08 Amy Brill

4:08	Nora - EarlyWord Thursday March 21, 2013 4:08

4:08	Nora - EarlyWord:  The previous is an image of her, which I assume is from about the time period of the book. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:08 Nora - EarlyWord

4:08	Amy Brill:  She was born into the Quaker community on Nantucket in 1818, and got started on her path by her father, an amateur astronomer who rated all the chronometers of the Nantucket whaling fleet. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:08 Amy Brill

4:09	Nora - EarlyWord:  And the following is of the home she grew up in on Nantucket. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord

4:09	Nora - EarlyWord Maria Mitchell's Family Home Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09

4:09	Nora - EarlyWord:  Speaking of Nantucket, here is a question from one of our participants... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 Nora - EarlyWord

4:09	[Comment From Betty AnneBetty Anne: ]  Do you have a connection to Nantucket? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 Betty Anne

4:09	Amy Brill:  Ah, yes. I stood in front of that house for the first time in 1996, when I'd just learned about "Miss Mitchell" (as she was called) while on the ferry over to Nantucket from Cape Cod. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:09 Amy Brill

4:10	Amy Brill:  Hi Betty Anne! No, I have zero connection to Nantucket other than becoming obsessed with the island and its history just from that first visit. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:10 Amy Brill

4:10	Amy Brill:  The above image of Maria Mitchell is from an 1851 painting by H. Dassel, by the way. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:10 Amy Brill

4:11	Nora - EarlyWord:  And, here is one of her later in life -- Thursday March 21, 2013 4:11 Nora - EarlyWord

4:11	Nora - EarlyWord Maria Mitchell, Professor Thursday March 21, 2013 4:11

4:12

Amy Brill:  I stood in front of her house and tried to imagine the "girl astronomer" I'd read about in the little tourist flyer. Who was she? What made her stand on her roof night after night, in every season, scanning the night sky for something different, something new, something that would change her life? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:12 Amy Brill

4:12	Nora - EarlyWord Maria Mitchell's Vassar Students Thursday March 21, 2013 4:12

4:12	[Comment From wl_sarahwl_sarah: ]  Loved the book!! What made you decide to add the romantic storyline of Isaac Martin to Hannah's story? And why did you add the race factor? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:12 wl_sarah

4:13

Amy Brill:  I was also intrigued by the dedication involved in comet-seeking. To spot a comet in the night sky, one had to know that sky so well that just by looking--"sweeping," as it was called--one could spot something that had not been there the night before. Amazing. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:13 Amy Brill

4:14

Amy Brill:  Thanks! Well when I began reading about Maria Mitchell, I thought I was going to write a novel "about" her--which is to say, sticking to the facts. But I was most interested in her as a young girl, and I couldn't find any writings by her from her teens or twenties... a librarian told me that she'd burned all her own papers and letters in her fireplace during the "Great Fire" of 1848. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:14 Amy Brill

4:14	Amy Brill:  She was trying to prevent her journals and letters from blowing around town and being read by others... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:14 Amy Brill

4:15	Amy Brill:  So I wondered: What was she hiding? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:15 Amy Brill

4:15	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  You did a great job of portraying Nantucket in the book Thursday March 21, 2013 4:15 snazzy2

4:15	[Comment From Betty AnneBetty Anne: ]  I remember reading a biography of Mitchell when I was in about 4th grade. I was obsessed with reading biographies of famous women. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:15 Betty Anne

4:15	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  To have started "sweeping" at such a young age was very interesting. I too wonder about the romantic interest thread Thursday March 21, 2013 4:15 snazzy2

4:16	Nora - EarlyWord:  You mentioned that Hannah/Maria's family business was chronometers ... here's a photo of one... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:16 Nora - EarlyWord

4:16	Nora - EarlyWord Chronometer Thursday March 21, 2013 4:16

4:17	Did you expect Hannah to marry George? Yes  ( 0% ) No  ( 100% ) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:17

4:17

Amy Brill:  That's when Isaac's character was born. I was interested in exploring the community through the prism of these two outsiders. I was also intrigued by what I saw as inherent conflicts within this tight-knit Quaker community: they were peaceful people who ran a brutal, global whaling empire. They were plain people who made a fortune at the expense of the crews. They were abolitionists who'd freed their slaves very early, but had intentionally re-segregated their own schools in the 1840s, and had to be forced by the MA state legislature to integrate them again to provide equal educaiton. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:17 Amy Brill

4:18	Amy Brill:  So the race issue was also tied into the larger questions facing the country at that time, especially whether to allow slavery in the new territories. Slavery was the fundamental, most divisive issue of the day. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:18 Amy Brill

4:19	Nora - EarlyWord:  I felt that tension in the book. I suppose many communities deal with such contradictions, but in this case, the contrast is very strong. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord

4:19

[Comment From Catherine HealeyCatherine Healey: ]  You really gave readers a sense of Hannah's isolation in your opening pages--her location, the long absences of her twin and her father, her nonconformity, etc. It was a powerful introduction to her character and the story to come. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:19 Catherine Healey

4:19	Amy Brill:  Thank you, snazzy2. I feel like I can recreate mid-19th century Nantucket in my sleep now. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:19 Amy Brill

4:19	Nora - EarlyWord:  Also, I wanted to ask -- did Maria have a twin? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:19 Nora - EarlyWord

4:20	Nora - EarlyWord:  According to our poll, Amy, NOBODY expected Hannah to marry George! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:20 Nora - EarlyWord

4:21	What did you think of Dr. Hall? He had ulterior motives  ( 100% ) He was just as he appeared  ( 0% ) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:21

4:21

Amy Brill:  Thank you, Catherine! I'm glad you were engaged by those opening pages. And Nora, no, Maria did not have a twin. In fact Hannah's whole family life is a complete fabrication. Maria Mitchell had a large family, two parents, and a boisterous home life (their Quaker upbringing notwithstanding). Thursday March 21, 2013 4:21 Amy Brill

4:21	Amy Brill:  Well, good--I'd hate for everyone to have been disappointed. Poor George. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:21 Amy Brill

4:22	Amy Brill:  George and William Bond were real people, by the way. They were family friends of the Mitchells and there has been a tiny bit of historical speculation about Maria and George, but what's in the book was invented by me. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:22 Amy Brill

4:22	Nora - EarlyWord:  You did a lot of research (appropriate, since Hannah/Maria was a librarian). There's some well-known books in your sources. I'm curious about the Philbrick book... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:22 Nora - EarlyWord

4:22	Amy Brill:  Which one? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:22 Amy Brill

4:22	Nora - EarlyWord Philbrick, Nathaniel. Penguin : The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. New York: Penguin Putnam, 2000 Thursday March 21, 2013 4:22

4:23	Amy Brill:  AH... that one. It's one of the strongest nonfiction books I've ever read. So well-written, so engaging... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:23 Amy Brill

4:23	Amy Brill:  I read it pretty early on and it gave me a great overview of the general sensibility of the place and the people. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:23 Amy Brill

4:24	Nora - EarlyWord:  Also, I was delighted to find that we can read Maria's actual journals ... are they interesting, or do you think the interest is in the pages that were burned? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:24 Nora - EarlyWord

4:24	Nora - EarlyWord Mitchell, Maria. Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals. Compiled by Phebe Mitchell Kendall. Boston : Lee and Shepard, 1896. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:24

4:24	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  I felt sorry for Hannah when her twin married and her sister-in-law was so kind and had so many opportunities that I thought Hannah was never going to figure out. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:24 snazzy2

4:25	Amy Brill:  I did read a lot of books--probably many more than I needed! But I felt a kind of allegiance to this wonderful woman, which is why I spent so many pages of my author's note explaining exactly where the real person and my character diverge. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:25 Amy Brill

4:25	Amy Brill:  Hannah is a late bloomer when it comes to emotions, you're right, snazzy2. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:25 Amy Brill

4:26	Nora - EarlyWord:  According to our poll, everyone was suspicious of Dr. Hall! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:26 Nora - EarlyWord

4:26	Amy Brill:  That's part of why it took me so long to get her story written. She didn't really understand herself--so how could I understand her? I think all my research went a long way to helping me contextualize her upbringing. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:26 Amy Brill

4:26	Nora - EarlyWord:  One of our advance questions is about the Quaker background: You seem to have such a good understanding of Quakers and their way of life. Is anyone in your family a Quaker? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:26 Nora - EarlyWord

4:28

Amy Brill:  There is not a single Quaker in my family line, as far as I know. I have a lot of respect for the guiding principles of their faith, now that I know so much about it. Maybe not the rigid, watchful, punitive version of that time and place, which was in and of itself a result of larger doctrinal schisms rocking the Quaker world across the country at that time. But the general idea of Inner Light, and each person experiencing a personal form of revelation. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:28 Amy Brill

4:29	Nora - EarlyWord:  You mention in your references a book that gave you background on Quakerism... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:29 Nora - EarlyWord

4:29	Nora - EarlyWord Leach, Robert J., and Peter Gow. Quaker Nantucket: The Religious Community Behind the Whaling Empire. Nantucket: Mill Hill Press, 1996. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:29

4:30

Amy Brill:  Yes, the Leach and Gow book probably helped me understand the Quaker community of that time and place. The doctrinal schisms I mentioned didn't end up in the novel, but in earlier drafts there was a bit more detail about various Islanders splitting off in allegiance to this or that sect, and I'm sure most readers will be glad those scenes are not in the novel any more. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:30 Amy Brill

4:31

Amy Brill:  I will say, though, that the rigidity of that community is as I depicted it. People were "read out" of Meeting for wearing hair bows, for singing while hanging up the wash, for walking with "strangers." They were very serious about Discipline, and interpreted it very literally. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:31 Amy Brill

4:32	Nora - EarlyWord:  I'm also fascinated about how that time was so influenced by whaling, which as a fleeting "technology," so to speak. You end the book with the first electric lights goin on in Nantucket, which seemed perfect. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:32 Nora - EarlyWord

4:32	Amy Brill:  And they took notes! In my research I came across volumes of notes by committees whose job was to diligently record infractions by members of the Meeting. There was very mundane stuff and some pretty salacious business too. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:32 Amy Brill

4:32	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  This conversation is so great. I am using the book this summer for one of my reading group choices during summer reading. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:32 snazzy2

4:33	Amy Brill:  Wonderful, snazzy2! If you want me to Skype in and visit your book group, contact me through my website! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:33 Amy Brill

4:33	Nora - EarlyWord:  Great to hear, snazzy2 -- it's clearly a great book for sparking discussions. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord

4:34	Amy Brill:  Nora, that's interesting that you mention the lights at the end.. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:34 Amy Brill

4:34	Nora - EarlyWord:  Also, for book discussions, there are so several nonfiction titles to read along with it, like Dava Sobel's... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:34 Nora - EarlyWord

4:35	Nora - EarlyWord Sobel, Dava: Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. New York: Walker, 2007. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:35

4:35	Amy Brill:  That's one of the first things I knew about the book--that it would start with a candle going out, and end with the electric lights coming on. It seemed like the perfect encapsulation of that time and place. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:35 Amy Brill

4:35	Nora - EarlyWord:  Yes, the lights going on at the end really struck me -- whaling was over. Resonates with our time of technological changes. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:35 Nora - EarlyWord

4:35	Amy Brill:  Oh yes, Dava Sobel's book is wonderful. Such a great story, the pursuit of the first working maritime chronometer. Weirdly full of intrigue. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:35 Amy Brill

4:36	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  that is so awesome for snazzy2 and for Amy for doing that, too cool!!! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:36 trishap00

4:36	Amy Brill:  It does. Whaling was over, and the sea as farm, as frontier, as profit-making enterprise, as THE place for adventure and self-exploration was over as well. The money in whaling all went to manufacturing, and the spirit of adventure went West. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:36 Amy Brill

4:37	Nora - EarlyWord:  I continue to be amazed by the women who broke from tradition during that period. Hannah/Maria didn't seem to have any role models for that kind of choice. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:37 Nora - EarlyWord

4:37	Amy Brill:  There were a few--but a very few. There was Margaret Fuller, reporting from Rome for the Herald Tribune, and writing the seminal book of that era on the topic, "Woman in the Nineteenth Century." Thursday March 21, 2013 4:37 Amy Brill

4:38	Amy Brill:  There were women like Lucretia Mott, who were tireless advocates and speakers on the antislavery front. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:38 Amy Brill

4:38	Amy Brill:  And a few other writers, like Louisa May Alcott. But these were, of course, the exceptions, not the rule. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:38 Amy Brill

4:39	Amy Brill:  As a rule, Victorian women were supposed to be fragile, domestic, feminine creatures. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:39 Amy Brill

4:39	Nora - EarlyWord:  Maria went on to teach at Vassar, so her students did have a model. And, still, over a hundred years later, we still need role models to encourage women to follow their dreams. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:39 Nora - EarlyWord

4:39	Amy Brill:  Delicate, nurturing... certainly not advocating for social change, or having real jobs! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:39 Amy Brill

4:40	Amy Brill:  We do need role models, which is why it's great that so many public-private partnerships are emerging in support of more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and programming for girls. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 Amy Brill

4:40	Nora - EarlyWord:  Love Hannah's mention of Margaret Fuller -- that all the women on Nantucket were reading her book and arguing about it. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 Nora - EarlyWord

4:40	Amy Brill:  That book sparked a LOT of arguments in a lot of households. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 Amy Brill

4:40	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  I am also on reference desk and following along. I just may take you up on the Skype Amy. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 snazzy2

4:40	Amy Brill:  Please do, snazzy@ Thursday March 21, 2013 4:40 Amy Brill

4:41	Nora - EarlyWord:  Love that you're doing this at the reference desk! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord

4:41	Amy Brill:  There's a whole "book clubs" section on my site at amybrill.com -- also, in other areas of the site, a lot of background about the book and about Maria Mitchell. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:41 Amy Brill

4:41	Amy Brill:  Sounds like my dream job. :) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:41 Amy Brill

4:41	Nora - EarlyWord:  I'm sure you're busy, Amy, getting ready to promote the book. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:41 Nora - EarlyWord

4:42	Amy Brill:  Promoting the book, writing other stuff, ordering diapers, figuring out what to make for dinner... the usual mix of professional and domestic. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:42 Amy Brill

4:42	Amy Brill:  My kids are so young that it's definitely a balancing act! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:42 Amy Brill

4:43	Nora - EarlyWord:  Maria would be fascinated by your combination of work and home life! I'll bet she wouldn't be able to imagine it. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord

4:43	Nora - EarlyWord:  Do you know what happened with her students? Did they go on to major careers? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:43 Nora - EarlyWord

4:43	Nora - EarlyWord Maria Mitchell and students During the 1878 Eclipse Thursday March 21, 2013 4:43

4:44

Amy Brill:  This might be up for debate, but I have a feeling she would sort of scoff at all our worrying and debating about "having it all" and balancing work and family. She'd probably argue that we have every opportunity, and washing machines, and vacuum cleaners, and if we only slept less and worked harder we could certainly achieve anything. She was a tough cookie. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:44 Amy Brill

4:44	Nora - EarlyWord:  I wanted to mention that your Web site has a wonderful interactive map of Nantucket at the time. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord

4:44	Nora - EarlyWord:  Nantucket map Thursday March 21, 2013 4:44 Nora - EarlyWord

4:45

Amy Brill:  Some of Maria Mitchell's students did go on to careers in astronomy, though I'm not sure how many. But for many, many years she was a driving force--"force" being the operative word here--in advocating for suffrage, women's education, and the general equalizing of the professional sphere for men and women. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:45 Amy Brill

4:45	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  We are haveing a kid tech summit at our library Saturday gonna be fun Thursday March 21, 2013 4:45 trishap00

4:45	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  I'm at the children's desk so I am playing catch up a lot Thursday March 21, 2013 4:45 trishap00

4:45	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  That picture is amazing of the students!! Love it. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:45 snazzy2

4:46	Amy Brill:  Oh, thanks, Nora! That map is an actual 1838 Nantucket map made by Maria Mitchell's father, William. Trisha that is so cool! Kid tech. Yes. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:46 Amy Brill

4:46	[Comment From Sue DSue D: ]  I may have missed this as but what drew you to this subject and how much research did you do on the stars? I have come in late from my mix of the professional and domestic. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:46 Sue D

4:47	Nora - EarlyWord:  Right; we're all about mixing the professional and the domestic today! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord

4:47	Nora - EarlyWord:  Nantucket map Thursday March 21, 2013 4:47 Nora - EarlyWord

4:47

Amy Brill:  Hi Sue! Welcome! I was drawn more by the idea of this young girl spending all her nights up on her roof than I was by the astronomy itself. Honestly, I had no knowledge of astronomy whatsoever. I pieced it all together using various period-specific books, and especially (Trisha you'll appreciate this) a book by H. A. Rey's "The Stars: A New Way To See Them" which indicates my level of aptitude. Yes, it's a children's book! By the author of all those Curious George books! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:47 Amy Brill

4:48	Amy Brill:  The map Nora is linking too is actually keyed to pieces of text from scenes that take place in various places on the island. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:48 Amy Brill

4:48	Amy Brill:  Linking "to" not "too." Thursday March 21, 2013 4:48 Amy Brill

4:49	Nora - EarlyWord:  Don't apologize about using a children's book to get an intro to a subject -- it's an old trick librarians recommend all the time! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:49 Nora - EarlyWord

4:49	Amy Brill:  Well that's a relief. :) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:49 Amy Brill

4:49	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Awesome book (and I like curious George) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:49 trishap00

4:49	Amy Brill:  It's a wonderful book. I borrowed the "umbrella" metaphor Hannah uses to teach Isaac about the night sky from that book. (Credit is given in the acknowledgments!) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:49 Amy Brill

4:50	Amy Brill:  My daughter is a little obsessed with Curious George. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:50 Amy Brill

4:50	Amy Brill:  I can think of many worse things to be obsessed with. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:50 Amy Brill

4:50	Nora - EarlyWord:  The end of our hour is sneaking up on us, so send in your question. Meanwhile, Amy, is there another book in your future? Thursday March 21, 2013 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord

4:51	Amy Brill:  Oh, gosh. Are we up to that question already? I'm wavering between two new projects. One is a historical novel, and the other is decidedly contemporary. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:51 Amy Brill

4:51	Amy Brill:  Should I take a poll? ;) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:51 Amy Brill

4:52	Nora - EarlyWord:  Yes; let's see if I can create a poll on the fly! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:52 Nora - EarlyWord

4:52	Amy Brill:  No worries, Nora. I'll just read the tea leaves and see what they say... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:52 Amy Brill

4:53	What should Amy write next. Another historical  ( 60% ) A contemporary novel  ( 40% ) Thursday March 21, 2013 4:53

4:53	Amy Brill:  Nora! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:53 Amy Brill

4:54	Nora - EarlyWord:  Ha! Did it! Vote, everyone -- you may influence Amy's next book! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord

4:54	Amy Brill:  Thank you to whomever said "contemporary"--you have faith! And also to those who say "historical"--you're into it! You are all wonderful. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 Amy Brill

4:54	Nora - EarlyWord:  A bunch of comments came in, so will be posting them in quick order. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 Nora - EarlyWord

4:54	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  I love children's books for good info. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 snazzy2

4:54	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  me too Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 trishap00

4:54	[Comment From Catherine HealeyCatherine Healey: ]  I like the symbolism of the candle at the start and electric light later on. Another very symbolic scene was off Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 Catherine Healey

4:54	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  I am sure they would both be good. Maybe not so much research with contemporary Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 snazzy2

4:54

[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  I'd like to meet your daughter she sounds cool. I'm a children's librarian but I am also responsible for all the computers and technology in our library, and female by the way. So STEM is my future.Thanks for helping show the way. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:54 trishap00

4:55	Nora - EarlyWord:  Amy's daughter has already been quoted in the NY Times! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:55 Nora - EarlyWord

4:55	[Comment From Sue DSue D: ]  It has been a joy to read your book! I was so engrossed it was difficult to put down and focus on the present. It will be a pleasure to talk to others about your novel, especially my book clubs. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:55 Sue D

4:55	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Maybe a kids book with a tech savy female main character Thursday March 21, 2013 4:55 trishap00

4:55	[Comment From snazzy2snazzy2: ]  I love the debut authors series!! Thanks so much again for all the info today Thursday March 21, 2013 4:55 snazzy2

4:56

Amy Brill:  Thanks, Catherine. That last scene is one of my favorites. Snazzy2, I feel the same way! Less research = more writing time. And trisha, thanks go to YOU for leading the way. You're in there on the ground. Oh Sue, that's very kind. I so appreciate that. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:56 Amy Brill

4:57	Nora - EarlyWord:  Oh, no! Just five more minutes. Let's remind everyone that the book arrives on April 18... Thursday March 21, 2013 4:57 Nora - EarlyWord

4:57	Nora - EarlyWord The Movement of Stars Thursday March 21, 2013 4:57

4:57	[Comment From trishap00trishap00: ]  Yes this is such a awesome program thanks a ton Thursday March 21, 2013 4:57 trishap00

4:57	Amy Brill:  Thanks to all of you for being such thoughtful readers and chatters. Thursday March 21, 2013 4:57 Amy Brill

4:58	Nora - EarlyWord:  Thanks for all the great comments about the First Flights Debut Authors program -- be sure to tell your colleagues! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:58 Nora - EarlyWord

4:59	Nora - EarlyWord:  Amy, you've been so much fun to talk to. Thanks for making the time for us (we know you love librarians, but you must be VERY busy right now). Thursday March 21, 2013 4:59 Nora - EarlyWord

4:59	[Comment From Your NameYour Name: ]  Thanks so much--loved the book! Thursday March 21, 2013 4:59 Your Name

5:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  Looks like the vote is a bit higher for another historical novel. How are you leaning, Amy? Thursday March 21, 2013 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord

5:00	Amy Brill:  Nora, it's been a pleasure. I am busy, but I could talk to librarians all day! I spent many formative hours in my local library, and I wouldn't be a writer today if not for them. Thanks again! Thursday March 21, 2013 5:00 Amy Brill

5:00	Amy Brill:  I'm sitting very still in the middle of the boat, Nora. Thursday March 21, 2013 5:00 Amy Brill

5:01	Nora - EarlyWord:  Your comments on librarians are music to our ears. Good luck with with this book AND your next one! Bye, everyone. Thursday March 21, 2013 5:01 Nora - EarlyWord

5:02	Amy Brill:  Thanks! Bye... Thursday March 21, 2013 5:02 Amy Brill

 

 

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