Category — Sherman, Me, and Absolutely True Diary

Sherman and I did a reading today at Top Ten Toys, and I brought him a present, the very first drawing I did for Diary. Four years ago, he emailed me to ask if I was interested in doing cartoons for his next novel: “I’m thinking it’ll be something like this: ‘I was born with water on the brain. [cartoon of a fish tank with a brain floating in it, with a confused fish] Okay, so that’s not exctly true. I was actually born with too much cerebral spinal fluid inside my skull.’”

As I told the audience today, I figured, “show, don’t tell,” and instead of replying, YES PLEASE, COUNT ME IN!!!!!!!!!!!!, I did the drawing right away (on tracing paper. I’m not sure why. It was in close grabbing range?), inserted it into his text, and sent it back. He replied right back and said, you’re in.

Today he told me he had a gift for me, too. He just signed with Little, Brown for the next book in the series, The Magic and Tragic Year of My Broken Thumb, and I should expect a call from the editor soon. Wow! I grabbed his sleeve and kind of hyperventilated when he told me. Hooray!!

Sort of. Stephen Colbert interviewed Sherman last night, and held up a copy of Absolutely True Diary. You can see my name if you kind of squint!

Thanks for the heads-up, Amy!

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a New York Times Book of the Year.

Diary won the National Book Award!!!!

Sherman accepting the award in NYC last night:

Sherman and I exchanged quick emails last night. Me: “I’m so happy and proud! You must be out of your mind!!!” Sherman: “And to you too crazy crazy crazy”

Wow!!

He also thanked me in his acceptance speech at the big huge gala ceremony.

In the current Sunday NYT review of Diary, Bruce Barcott says, “I keep flipping back to re-read the best scenes and linger over Ellen Forney’s cartoons.” It’s a great review and he loved the book.

The illustration they chose to include is Arnold at his grandmother’s funeral, as he feels the silent support of his tribe.

Jennifer Hunt, our editor at Little, Brown, asked how Sherman and I did a reading together. (”With gusto!”) I put together a PowerPoint presentation with the comics and illustrations from the chapter Sherman told me he would read, and projected them at the appropriate moment: (The sound guy took this photo, can you tell?)

After that chapter, I’d lined up about 12 more graphics, which I clicked through while Sherman and I talked about them – the characters, the scenes, my process, our collaborative process, and some side anecdotes.

“Thanks for the presentation!” “Thanks for coming!”

This time I’ll remember my camera. I hope.

Tuesday, October 30, 7:00 PM

Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park Towne Centre
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
206-366-3333

With the purchase of this book at Third Place Books, receive a limited-edition poster created to celebrate Mr. Alexie’s new novel and autographed by the author, while supplies last.

ALSO!: I just got word that the New York Times is going to run a review of Diary in their November 11 issue. Am I excited? I am excited.

The lovely Whitney Matheson wrote a lovely review of Diary for USA Today, with a really nice nod to me:

Adolescence is difficult for everyone, but it’s especially tough for Arnold “Junior” Spirit, a boy who lives with his poor relatives and was born with serious medical problems. Junior has transferred from his school on an Indian reservation to an all-white high school. He copes by cartooning — Forney’s flawless artwork is invaluable to Alexie’s story — and developing unlikely friendships. [more here]

Rick Simonsen of Elliott Bay Books wrote a lovely blog entry for Publishers Weekly about the National Book Award nomination, and Sherman’s and my reading at the Seattle Public Library. He included this about me:

“This night Sherman has with him Seattle graphic novel creator Ellen Forney, herself a popular bright spark. Her sensitive drawings give visual texture to the story Alexie writes – which is the closest thing to true memoir he has yet written. I’m not sure if he had cartoonist aspirations as young Arnold/Junior does in The Absolutely True but it’s a nice part of the story, which Forney’s work fleshes out with empathy and wit. Part of the evening is the two of them doing a power-point stroll through parts of the book.”

Sherman and I did a reading together at the Seattle Public Library this past Thursday, and it went GREAT. Lots of people (700-ish)… laughter (of course)… tears (literally!). I didn’t tell Sherman what I’d put together for the PowerPoint presentation, so our repartee was not ONLY witty, but spontaneous, which went over well. As always, I forgot to plant a camera in the audience, so I’m trying to track down some photos.

I’ll be joining Sherman again at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park on October 30, 7:00pm.

Big news!!: Diary was nominated for a National Book Award!!!! Jen Hunt, our editor at Little, Brown, sent me a huge bouquet of roses.