Vox YA

Posted on by scott

There’s a profile of me and Justine in the Village Voice this week! Here’s the photo from it:

cooper.jpg
photo by Tina Zimmer

After some slightly red-face-making descriptions of our “haute-bohemian” lifestyle, the article makes some lovely points about why it’s so great to write YA these days:

The nicest surprise amid all this careerist socializing is that the YA vanguard refuses to segregate themselves by subject matter. Authors of dark fantasy or science fiction mingle happily with those who chronicle private-school clique wars or gay romance. In contemporary young-adult lit, realism has no caste privilege over the fantastic. Teen consumers reject the thematic hierarchies that bedevil every other media market, unwittingly creating a utopia for iconoclasts like Scott and Justine, who write teen fiction because it frees their best ideas from the deadly limitations of any adult genre ghetto.

True dat. But the only reason we writers don’t make that distinction is because so many of our readers don’t.

Here’s the whole article.

241 thoughts on “Vox YA”

  1. yeah Lena-la!!!!
    *chokes back anti-Meyer rant*
    Jacob is just better. don’t argue with me. but she *should* choose him. knowing her, though, it’s pretty obvious how it turns out.
    *cannot choke back*
    i hate bella. she *is* good as a narrator though, because filling yourself in her shoes hides how dull and emotionless she is.
    and don’t even get me started on Edward. i’m not even allowed to talk about him anymore.

    Midnight Sun is Twilight from Edward’s POV and i heard there’s gonna be another from the POV of one of the new vampires POV, Bree or something. never heard nothing about Jake’s POV. doubt it.

    people who don’t like books are lame and hopeless. ignore them.

    i know! i LOVE the break/homework thing.

    and Tiera, stories that’re messed-up aren’t bad. don’t conform to society. they were just bad b/c it’s a school assigment and…yeah.

    i got the Golden Compass. i’m on page 102.
    *goes off to read full trilogy*

  4. oh and the break is amazing! All I’ve done is like read sleep listen to music and hang with friends. Its amazing.

  5. i love twlight and all of her books!!!!!!!!!!! probly because i luv vampires and werewoves!!!!!!1 but *****************spoliers*********************spoilers*********************alert*****************
    i thinkl we have all seen the last of The werewolfe Jacob Black. becuse if read the epologe in the latest of the books he runs away because bells picks the bloodsucker (and i would so pick edward) but i men coulnd’t u just like kidnap her or something. like on her wedding day i mean gosh you could realy be more creative with Jacob

    ******************************************************
    ok no more spoliers

  6. I hate how schools don’t like us to write anything with real substance. Like, they won’t care if someone writes an essay about how great Hitler was or something, but they flip if anyone uses the word terrorist. I’m tempted to write an entire essay full of the word. 😛
    But I’d probably get arrested; haha.

    I personally think that Bella should have chosen Jacob, because of all the things he can do with her than Edward can’t…at least not while she’s human. xD And then I could have him all to myself. Plus, I felt SO bad for Jacob at the end of Eclipse…he deserves better than all the crap she put him through. And he’s warm! And a dog, half of the time! And well…he’s Jacob.

    Twilight is like my guilty pleasure. It’s pretty much pointless and frustrating, and only leads to more pointlessness and frustratedness, like watching Hannah Montana or something. Not that I watch Hannah Montana, of course. *shifty eyes*
    I think Midnight Sun would be kinda cool, except it’s a bit pointless because everyone already knows the story, it’d just be from a different perspective.

    Speaking of books…I casually shoved a printout of several book-related shirts I wanted in my mom’s face earlier, and she made me choose between getting those and getting more books for my birthday! *SOBS*
    But I can always just weasel the money for books out of her one way or another…
    *scampers off to plot evil scheme*

  7. **************8Soplier********Spoliers***********************
    bree died she was killed by the Volturi (duh) so i don’t think she is going to write a book in a dead vampire’s pov(hehe that would be funny)

    **********************************************************
    ok well i din’t think i would like twlight at all but my ela teacher made us all read twlight as a class and i idmeatly fell in love with the book !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. well every one just go and post a comment on my blog!!!!!!!!!!!!
    and tell me if my misnighters story is good?

    *********************************Spoliers on blog*************Spoliers on blog****************

  13. no, i think she said she was going too, but it would take place during the time Eclipse did. the book could end with her dying.
    look in the Eclipse FAQ page, i think she mentioned it there.

    Holly Black books = awesome.

    we’re allowed to discuss other books on here, it’s allowed. would like it if everyone stopped talking about twilight, because as previously mentioned, i am so sick of everyone being obsessed with it.

  14. Ok, im going to read Twilight, then im going to read So Yesterday, but……..what do i read after that? Those books will only hold me for 2 weeks, probably less, and i am going to need some entertainment. Will some one please give me the name a really good YA book?!?!?

  17. so true about how us young adults dont distinguish between fantasy, and private school novels. just on my faves book shelf, i have Eragon paired with Peeps and East by Edith Pattou!

    power to the young adults!

  18. Well, i usually stick to two genres. Romance and Sci-fi. But my fav. Romantically Sci-fi. Liike Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, soon to be Breaking Dawn!!!!!!! Best books Eva’.

  19. Omg Serafina, i can not read all that. It looks to terribly long. Anyways, i kind of need a shower (ok i REALLY need a shower) so i cant read it at this moment but i will get around to it………eventually. But i will take in note that small list you gave me on your comment.

  20. Read I’d Tell You I love You but then I’d have to kill you and the sequal Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter if you haven’t already. They rock. Even if they aren’t sci-fi/fantasy.

    And she’s almost done with the 3rd one!

  21. wtf? it wiped out my name. and it’s been filled in there for like forever. that is wierd, man.

    i’m pretty strict actually, normal books bore me. i usually only go for stuff that’s fantasy or sci-fi. the only exceptions that i read regularly and like are band books, like Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist or Beige. most of the time though, i pretty much only read books of the sur-naturel. (can’t put little carroty thing over the u. but i know it’s there)

    and you don’t have to read all that, Bran-la. those are just my favorite books. just look at the list and there’s short descriptions there and see if you would like any of them. it’s actually not that many books on the list.
    wierd, i just got out of the shower.

  24. Ahh, i feel refreshed. Done with my Shower!
    The whole series of the ‘td tell you that i love you but then id have to kill you’, i read the back of one and it looked retarded. I dont get what there about.

    Uhhh, i hate mornings. You have to do this and that. Well it technically inst morning, i mean 11:45 (4 me), but still.

    Well, it think im going to spend the rest of my day reading eclipse and screaming at Bella for not getting on with her decision!!! Just marry the guy already!!!!

  25. I LOVE A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY!!!!!!! I’ve been waiting for ever for the last book (The Sweet Far Thing) to come out and now it has! *squeal* But when I went to the book store it was gone….I mean like ALL of them….:(

  27. Y’all like vampires so much, I’m surprised nobody has mentioned my fave vampire book of all time: Sunshine by Robin McKinley. Very fawesome read — try it!

  28. i started Sunshine once, but i got distracted and then it had to go back to the library.

    AGATB does indeed rock. and so did TSFT. i finished it the day after it came out. all 800 pages. seems like it’s selling out a lot of places.

    and i read TYKY and it wasn’t “retarted”. it’s about this school for spies. i didn’t like it too much because it was kind of girly and romancy, which isn’t my thing, but you’d probably like it.
    oh, and anticipate and ally-wa rant when she gets back for saying that.

    good luck with Eclipse. i hated it, as did my mom and my twilight-obsessed friend.

  30. Well, i have to say, ever since i started Eclipse (yesterday):

    ~Bella has been freakishly annoying with her, Edward this and Edward that! Its very annoying, i mean God! If someone tried to protect me, i would be so freakin……urg!

    ~Jacob has been a total pain. Calling her and trying to make some fight with Edward. Ya Jacob, very mature.

    ~Bellas dad is so weird. If my dad started staring at me when my bf came over (if i ever get one, that all im asking, one) i would probably start yelling, or complain, or make my life REALLY boring.

    ~I have no complaints of Edward, he is amazingly perfect. Hey, if she takes Jacob, ill take Edward.

  32. Besides, if Jacob was really the perfect guy for her, he wouod have imprinted on her! But he hasn’t!
    Did you get to the part where they talk about imprinting? Well, they obviously aren’t perfect for each other!
    Besides, Edward’s just, like…. better. In every single way.
    Not to mention Jacob is an ass >.<

  33. duh!!!!!!!!!!

    she has to take Edward!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And i get Edward if she chooses Jacob!!!!!!!!!!! Which wont happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    SoPhIe-La
    WoRd 😉

  34. I think we alll know that Bella is i a run for her life if she doesnt choose Edward. And if itts not Bella running, its Jacob.

    but think about it logically. Stephenie cant make a 600 page book on some boring werewolves, what can she say, “They hunted, Bella got scared. She thought about Edward. Edward hates Bella.” I mean it would go no where. No one would like it and she would fail, she stupid, she knos the only way to make it good and interesting is to make her be with Bella. It a fact.

    Bella will choose Edward. She has to.

  36. Has anyone elso noticed that all of a sudden Vampires seem to be the new popular thing? I love vamps i’m just saying… has anyone else noticed?

    AGATB is amazing.

  37. omg. How DARE you insult LYKY!!!!!! It rocks. It is very, very good. Ally Carter is a brilliant writer. But Scott is better, of course. But they are toatally different books, you can’t really compare them (hehe. YA subgenres…this all ties into the post, see? I’m not being random.)

    You can’t judge a book by front flap/back cover. I never do that. I took this from Scott from a long-ago blog post; I read the first page of a book. If it’s interesting, I keep reading. If it’s not, I stop. It’s that simple. I NEVER read the front flap of books. First, they almost never give a good impression of a book, and second they spoil like half the book.

    It’s not fair. You can’t judge it without reading it. And you don’t have to call it retarded either er…say it looks retarded. I happen to like those books, in case you didn’t notice. I wouldn’t say Twilight looked retarded if I thought it did, because I know you like it. I’m not rude like that.

    I feel sorry for you. I really do. Anyone who has not read those books hasn’t lived. hehe. just kidding. kind of not really. 😉

    Don’t say a book looks retarded basedon the front flap/back cover. You even said that you don’t “get what it’s about”. How could you say it looks retarded if you don’t even get what it’s about? That’s unfair judgement. In my opinion, at least.

    LYKY IS NOT RETARDED!!!!
    LYKY IS NOT RETARDED!!!!
    LYKY IS NOT RETARDED!!!!
    LYKY IS NOT RETARDED!!!!
    LYKY IS NOT RETARDED!!!!

    In case you didn’t get that. I highly suggest those books. You said you wanted book suggestions and I give mine. And then you say it looks retarded. I feel so helpless.

    I’m sorry if this offends you. I really am. But I didn’t take that very well.

    Now to go sulk. </3.

    ~*~Lizzy-wa2~*~

    ps. Serafina, it’s allie, not Ally. and yes I did rant. I just couldn’t hold back. i felt the wierd need to defend LYKY. Am I that predictable?

  38. But Bran-la, Edward would never hate Bella! Even if she did betray him for Jacob, he would still love her. No matter what. That’s part of his amazing perfectness! He loves her too much to ever hate him, even if she leaves him.

  39. sorry Allie-wa. i ususally get it right. congrats on also spelling serafina right too, i get some pretty wierd ones of that.
    and i knew that rant was coming. not in a bad predictable way, but in a ‘oh no she insulted it’ way. like how i would freak out if people started dissing city of bones or tithe (lol, i did that once on some random page where a dude gave a really bad review of CoB.

    *gritting teeth* twilight…..
    jacob better….
    edward stupid….
    eclipse sucks….

  40. First of all, YESS! Someone who gets it! Out of all my friends i’m like the only one who hated Eclipse! I <3 Jake! Bella [i]should[/i] choose him….not that she will or anything because it would probably totally kill the plot, but still……:’P

    yeah… i don’t generally rant that much, but if someone insults like a book I like alot, sometimes i start rants on weird pages that I never visit again. :P.

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