Follow-up Interview with
Jerry Spinelli (2003)
by Debbi Michiko Florence
Jerry Spinelli is the Newbery-winning author of Maniac Magee and other beloved titles.
What have you been working on since we last chatted?
New novel for HarperCollins.
What's the best thing that's happened in the last year?
Book tour/vacation to Italy compliments of my Italian publisher.
The funniest?
With 16 grandkids, there are too many funny things to pick one.
Any disappointments?
It's always disappointing when a reaction to a book is anything less than a rave.
Do you work on one project at a time? Or many at once?
Usually one at a time, though any number of other things might be cooking, simmering, boiling. Once I wrote two books at once—one in the morning, the other at night.
Do you have a ritual you follow before you're able to settle down to work for the day? What is it?
I read briefly to myself from two books, one of which is always Susan Shaughnessy's WALKING ON ALLIGATORS.
What's the best advice you were ever given, and by whom?
Write fast.
What books have you recently published, or will be released soon?
Latest novel is MILKWEED. I also have a story in a collection called LINDA BROWN, YOU ARE NOT ALONE, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown vs Board of Education.
Any other news you'd like to share?
MILKWEED just won SCBWI's Golden Kite Award.
Congratulations!
Interview update © copyright 2003, by Debbi Michiko Florence.
See Also my original Interview with Jerry Spinelli, in 2002.
what's new?
Jerry Spinelli can be found online at jerryspinelli.com
See also my original Interview with Jerry Spinelli, in 2002.
Contents © 2001-2008 by Debbi Michiko Florence. All rights reserved.
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