Winners and second place
Years ago, I met Jerry Spinelli at a conference. He was warm and helpful. In between workshops one afternoon, while sitting on the steps in the sun, he told me about a manuscript he had spent a long time writing and that he thought had terrific promise. He had sent it to his editor, sure this was a winner, only to receive a multi-page, single-spaced letter giving him many, many, many suggestions for revisions.
It gave him pause. Was he ready to go through all those instructions and do all those revisions? He did have another idea bouncing around his head. Perhaps if he sat down, worked on that one for a bit, he could get back to the manuscript. What he produced was the Newbery Honor book Wringer.
Later in the conference, he used that memory to talk about how not getting what you want the first time can give you the energy to win the second time round. Coming in second can drive you the way coming in first might not.
Fast forward to two weeks ago. We celebrated this year’s Tassy Walden Awards: New Voices in Children’s Literature. A round of applause please for the winners who have worked so hard: Karen Jordan (picture book, text only), Diane Warner (illustrated picture book), Pamela Farley (middle grade novel), and Lynda Mullaly Hunt (young adult/teen novel).
And for those who didn’t win but came in as finalists, a special round of applause as well: Anne Dichele, Pam Foarde, and Susan Montanari (picture book, text only); Tom Charla, Jospeh Dykas, Peter Nuhn, and Erin Scally (illustrated picture book); Barbara Mansilla (illustrator’s portfolio); Heather Sherlock DiLorenzo, Joan Jansen & Evelyn Flory, and Nancy Langdale Hough (middle grade novel); Joseph Briganti, Lynn Leite, Heather Lodge, Susan Montanari, and Steven Parlato (young adult/teen novel).
To these last I say, use that drive that comes from being in second place. And to all, I hope to see your works on library shelves sometime soon.
Tags: Bauer on writing Tassy Walden Award