This week, we’re celebrating Margie’s debut! Margie Gelbwasser was born in the former Soviet Union but spent most of her life in New Jersey. She has written for a variety of magazines, including Ladies’ Home Journal, SELF, Girls’ Life, and New Jersey Monthly. Her essays about growing up Russian and Jewish have appeared in the anthology Waking Up American: Coming of Age Biculturally, as well as in Lilith Magazine, and SMITH Magazine. Her debut YA novel, INCONVENIENT, tackles Russian-Jewish themes too. When not writing or teaching writing workshops, Margie loves being a mom to her three year old boy, hiking, cooking, and watching bad television. She, her husband, son, and two tabby cats—Henry and Amelia—live in the awesome suburbs of New Jersey.

Here’s a little bit about INCONVENIENT (Flux).

In fifteen-year-old Alyssa Bondar’s Russian-Jewish culture, having a few drinks is as traditional as blinchiki and piroshki. So when her mom’s midday cocktails turn into an all-day happy hour, it seems like Alyssa’s the only one who notices—or cares. Her dad is steeped in the nightly news—and denial—and her best friend Lana is too busy trashing their shared Russian heritage so she can be popular.

Alyssa would rather focus on cross-country meets and her first kiss with her running partner, Keith, but someone has to clean up her mom’s mess. But who will be there to catch Alyssa when her mom’s next fall off the wagon threatens to drag her down, too?

If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?

I would give it a PG-13 rating because of the mature material (innuendos and a few make-out scenes as well as alcoholism).

What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?

In addition to issues teens regularly face—first boyfriend, end of a friendship, fitting in, mother-daughter conflicts—INCONVENIENT also addresses the impact a parent’s alcoholism has on a teen and her family. What further adds layers, is that it also examines how much the Russian culture played into the alcoholism.

When I was growing up, much like the MC’s best friend Lana, I didn’t want people to focus on the Russian part of my heritage. I wanted to be like everyone else. As I grew older, I saw it as something unique and a part of me and am very proud to be both Russian and Jewish now. However, being different—especially when it’s something obvious like one’s culture—is something many teens struggle with so I had the idea to write about it. As for the alcoholism, in the Russian culture, drinking is very big. It accompanies all major events. When I was growing up, it was not odd for my parents or my friends’ parents to drive home drunk from a party. And when Alyssa and the story came to me, I thought about how one would recognize an alcoholic in a culture where drinking is so normal. How would you know if someone had a problem? In the Jewish culture as well, there is this myth that there are no Jewish alcoholics. Most AA meetings take place in churches so it’s easy to keep the myth going. Obviously, it’s not true and I have friends who have alcoholism in their family. But the myth continues and it makes it harder for Jews to seek help. I would like people to know there are organizations for alcoholics of all religions. And there is no reason to hide.

Name a few examples of readers who would identify or like your book.

• Girls ages 13+ who are struggling with fitting in, changing friendships, and/or first love
• Teens who have been affected by a relative’s alcoholism
• Jewish teen girls and any teen who has grown up thinking about her cultural identity

List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.

“We have a Christmas tree. In Russia, it’s a New Year’s tree, but to American Jews it’s all the same.”

“That’s the beauty of Russian restaurants—free flowing alcohol (vodka, cognac, beer, wine)–on all the tables. Every teenager’s—or drunk’s—dream.”

“I move my feet quickly, matching the cadence. It’s a Russian-Jewish Lord of the Dance.

“’I'm thinking,’ he says, moving really close to me so his mouth is almost on mine again. My heart beats quick, quick, quick. ‘I’m thinking,’ he says again, lips so close that I breathe out my air but inhale his, ‘that I really like vanilla ice cream.’”

How can your book be used in the classroom?

• In regards to literacy, students can find passages in the novel that illustrate how the title Inconvenient applies. Why is this an appropriate title? How does it demonstrate irony?
• Students can also examine how the cover depicts the symbols in the novel. What does the butterfly represent? What is the significance of its colors? Students can provide passages from the novel that further focus on the butterfly’s theme as they see it represented. Additionally, students can examine how Alyssa’s and Lana’s Russian-Jewish heritage plays into the novel. Is it responsible for the events taking place? Is so, to what extent? How do the cultures of the students in a classroom compare with the culture of the book characters? Have they felt discriminated for their culture?
• Students can also focus on vocabulary in the novel, proving their comprehension of figurative language. For the Writing Component, students can write a persuasive essay on the novel’s ending. Do they agree or disagree with it? They should provide passages from the novel that support their points. As an alternative, they can write their own ending in Alyssa’s voice or in the voice of a character of their choice.
• Furthermore, this book can work across the curriculum. Students studying immigration and assimilation in their history classes can see how Inconvenient illustrates these concepts. Do the experience of Alyssa’s and Lana’s families fit into the immigrant mold? Why or why not? How do their experiences differ from what you learned? How are they the same? If you came from another country, how does your experience compare with Alyssa’s? Did the culture contribute to Alyssa’s mother’s alcoholism? Why or why not?
• I can provide additional activities as well. For example, students can demonstrate tactile learning and artistic intelligence by designing their own cover for Inconvenient, including their own thematic symbols.

Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.

Teens who like INCONVENIENT, would also enjoy books by Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Beth Kephart.

Now whet our appetites with a teaser.

“The cement beside the town pool is hot, the kind of hot where you can see steam rising off of it. The air is sticky, and the beads of sweat dripping off my arms and legs are forming a small puddle on my recliner.

‘This is disgusting,’ says my best friend Lana, who is lying beside me on her own recliner. ‘How can I look good under these conditions?’”

Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?

Yes, all of the above.

Are you willing to speak nationally?

Yes

List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.

• Publishing: It’s Not Just for Adults—This talk will provide teens with tips on how to get published. I will cover magazines (both mainstream and niche) that accept and encourage teen contributions (anything from articles to poems to fiction) and focus on the publishing world as well (from query and beyond) for those who want to get a book published.
• The Writing Game—I will present a variety of activities (from collages, to grab bags, to guessing what’s in your character’s locker) that will assist in spring-boarding a story and writing realistic dialogue in fiction. This workshop is intended for both the enthusiastic and reluctant writer.
• In addition to the above, I am open to workshop ideas. I have presented numerous creative writing workshops as well as Q&A sessions about writing and publishing. I also enjoy working with adults and can tailor the above presentations to just faculty.

This concludes our interview with our latest author, MARGIE GELBWASSER. We wish her much success with her debut novel INCONVENIENT. To see what Margie is up to these days, visit her website at http://www.margiewrites.com or her blog at http://www.margiewrites.com/blog.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Margie is giving away a signed copy of INCONVENIENT. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by November 8th, 2010 11:59 PM CST. (U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.)

Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our other AuthorsNow! giveaways.

About The Author

Margie Gelbwasser has written for a variety of magazines including Writer's Digest, SELF, LHJ, Girl's Life, and NJ Monthly. Her first YA novel, INCONVENIENT, will be published by Flux in November 2010. She's currently at work on her second YA novel out by Flux in Fall 2011.  Read more about Margie Gelbwasser.

Related posts:

1. INCONVENIENT by Margie Gelbwasser
2. Connect with Margie Gelbwasser: Diversity in Kidlit
3. Connect with Margie Gelbwasser: Getting Unstuck
4. Connect with Margie Gelbwasser: Embracing Boys’ Creative Sides
5. Connect with Margie Gelbwasser: The Broad Appeal of YA