Adult Adults and Young Adult

A reporter covering the upcoming Printer's Row Lit Fest asked me why I read YA, because I'm not technically young anymore. This is a popular topic as YA fiction continues to be hot. One theory is that a lot of us "old" people are reading it, which must be true. I also think it's so popular because the category is clearly defined and is marketed like crazy. But obviously there's more to it than that. Adults don't turn to YA because it's lighter fare, as anyone who reads YA knows. So much of it deals with difficult issues, like death or addiction or broken families. Perhaps adults turn to it as an escape to an earlier life, one viewed through younger eyes, and revisiting these difficult topics with the perspective of years can help us to assimilate them. The formative years shape people, and issues that are important during that time will likely continue to be important. So reading YA might open the door to a better understanding of the adult self. Adults reading YA is so popular... there's a blog about it. Forever Young Adult contains book reviews and fun discussions and pictures of "adult" adults drinking martinis while reading "The Hunger Games." Glad to be in good company.

I Published Something

I did publish something. It's an article in the Jan-Mar 2011 issue of Science Editor called "Setting the Record Straight: Publishing Errata in the Print and Online World" and there's a blurb about it on the CSE blog. I went to the Council of Science Editors meeting last week and met with other science editor types. I always enjoy these meetings because I learn new things and meet nice, like-minded folks. Surprisingly, my technical editing background has been really helpful for fiction writing. I'm a pretty good editor because I have a lot of practice at it, and these editing skills help me when I write. Being around words so much, no matter the capacity, makes a person comfortable with them. It's also nice that I get to work with people every day who like words and all kinds of books (not just medical dictionaries and style manuals). An appreciation for the written word is a beautiful thing.