Q. I'm considering taking over a country. Do you know of one that would benefit from a somewhat egomaniacal YA Librarian?

A. Excellent question. I'd recommend Somalia. It has lots of beautiful coastline, warm weather, and no functioning government. Somalia could really stand to have a librarian in charge (particularly given that it currently has no public school system).


Q. Does your mom really make goat's milk soap?

A. Yes, she really does. My mom and dad own several goats with their friend Molly (whose adorable daughter is the titular "Farmer Jane"). In fact, they just had two kids on Easter. So they raise the goats, milk the goats, and then turn the goat milk into a variety of things, including soap, which you can buy. (It's excellent, and I'm not just saying that because it's my mom.)


Q. do you know of any other "paper towns" besides Agloe, NY?

A. Yeah, there are several, but they are (by definition) hard to find. The wikipedia entry on fictitious entries has some examples. (Also there you can learn why Myrna Mountweazel is called Myrna Mountweazel in Paper Towns.)


Q. How do I ease the anxiety of a 6 year old boy who has many questions about dying?

A. I don't know. Tough one. There are some good picture books on dying (I'd also recommend that you read the brilliant Adam Gopnik essay "Death of a Fish"), but my general advice would just be to answer the questions patiently and calmly, remembering that children are A. curious, and B. repetitive, and C. want to feel safe.

The bad news is that on some level, the boy in question is right to feel anxious about death--it is coming for him.

The good news is that statistically, having reached the age of 5 alive, he has a 99% chance of living to be 55. I realize that statistics aren't terribly comforting to six-year-olds, but still. He is likely to have more pressing worries, such as second grade, which--trust me--is a killer. (Not literally!)


Q. Just read An Abundance of Katherines for YA lit class and love it. What life lesson do you want readers to take away from it?

A. Thanks! (And none.)


Q. what was the first story you ever wrote (that wasn't a HS journal) and will you ever share it with us?

A.



Q. Auburn or Alabama?

A. Roll Tide.


Q. Is there ANYTHING you can say to convince us to drink the "YFN-is-a-real-person" Koolaid?

A. No. (I mean, her name--317--spells LIE when you turn it upside down. I don't think she's a real person. I've never said I thought she was a real person. I said I receive real emails.)


Q: Is there going to be any kind of Nerdfighter gathering in Philly on Saturday, since you are going to be there?

A. Well, you make the gathering a nerdfighter gathering, not me. I have to leave right after my talk and signing, because I have to go to my friend Mary Fran's wedding. So I can't do a nerdfighter gathering. But you still can.


Q. Does religion play a large part in your life and your work?

A. Yeah, depending on how you define "religion" and "large." This plays a large role in my life and work.


Q. What book are you currently reading?

A. I'm reading this amazingly good book called The Blood of the Lamb by Peter De Vries.


Q. I think this might be a wrong choice. If you really think this person may be ill, you probably should not have taken this public. Why did you?

A. (This question relates to TiNT.) I strongly think that YFN is not crazy--for a variety of reasons, all of which are contained in small ways inside the text of my story.


Q. You are making all the This is Not Tom stuff up.

A. I am very happy to acknowledge that you could be right.