An Interview With Author Rachel Stolzman

I was lucky enough to have had the chance to read and review Rachel Stolzman's first novel, The Sign For Drowning, and also to interview her. I learned a lot of interesting things about her, so I hope you will enjoy our interview!

Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi Stephanie, thanks so much for reading and reviewing my novel, and for conducting this interview. I’m a fiction writer, living in Brooklyn, New York. The Sign for Drowning is my first novel. I also work in the HIV/AIDS field, in adolescent HIV prevention. I’m currently working on a second novel.

What inspired you to write The Sign For Drowning?
The novel began as a short story, which was virtually the prologue as it is now. So it was a story about the disappearance and search for a five year old girl in the ocean, told through the eyes of her eight-year-old sister who stood there helplessly watching.

This is loosely based on a true story from my family. When my older sister was three she was washed out of a small raft in the ocean and lost underwater for a few minutes. My parents’ friend felt my sister brush against her leg and reached down and pulled her out. In the short story, and then novel I wrote, the child is never found.

About a year after writing the story, I became curious about it again, about what would happen to the characters after that terrible event. In particular I was interested in how, or if, the tragedy would follow the surviving sister into adulthood. So as a grad student in creative writing, I began writing The Sign for Drowning, as a full-length novel.

What made you decide to write about Deaf culture? Do you sign at all?
While I was doing my MFA and working on The Sign for Drowning, I was simultaneously taking American Sign Language classes. The silent and fluid movements of ASL made me think of being underwater. I saw this connection and its potential in my story, and the novel moved in a new direction. I decided to have a young Anna discover sign language in the months after her sister’s death. She grows to believe, or she pretends, that she can communicate to Megan by signing to her. This became a way of comforting herself, and then led to her adult career as a teacher for deaf children, and ultimately led Anna to adopting Adrea.

I worked with the deaf for several years. I was around interpreters everyday. I also had a hearing co-worker with two deaf parents and a mostly deaf family, and a deaf co-worker, all who made sure my ASL skills kept growing. So, yes I do sign, although I’m forgetting a lot of vocabulary!

If the book was made into a movie, who would you want to play Anna and Adrea?

At the book launch reading I did at McNally Jackson Bookstore, my neighbor said he imagined me as Anna, while he was reading the book. I told him for his own enjoyment he should imagine Angelina Jolie.

I did have my mom bring Marlee Matlin a copy of the novel when she was giving a reading in Los Angeles. There is a deaf character in the book, who is Anna’s closest friend, who I hoped might entice Matlin to seek the movie rights. One can hope!

Any new writing projects we can look forward to?
The book I’m currently working on is about a pair of twins from NYC, one of whom is born a bodhisattva, with an enlightened soul. The book depicts his journey to find his purpose as a bodhisattva and the impact his calling has on his twin sister. The twins, David and Jamila, alternate narration in each chapter. At times, we see their lives two-fold from each of their perspectives. September 11th occurs in the course of the novel.

I’m finishing the second draft of the book now, so I hope you can look forward to reading it in the near future! And since you asked me about casting for The Sign for Drowning, I’ll throw out there that my fantasy is for Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal to play the twins!

What is your favorite song?
I write about a number of songs in The Sign for Drowning. One way in which the family changed after Megan drowned is that they were previously a musical family and their enjoyment of music goes away after her death. My current favorite song is Iron and Wine’s, Innocent Bones- it’s a beautiful song! I listen to them when I write.


*Thank you so much to Rachel! Stop in at her website and say hi! You can also win a copy of The Sign For Drowning right here on my blog, so feel free to enter, or read my review of it.

Honest Scrap Award

I received this from Alexia's Books and Such, who is one of my favorite bloggers. Thanks, Alexia, for passing it along to me! I have to list ten honest thing about myself then pass it along to ten more bloggers.

1. I'm a full time student and part-time pharmacy technician. I have no interest whatsoever in being a pharmacist, though everyone asks. I am not a math and science person AT ALL.

2. In two years I'll graduate college with a bachelors in English and a certification to teach elementary special ed. I'm nervous to get out into the real world, but more excited than anything else. I plan on getting my masters in either education, English, or library science.

3. I LOVE musicals. I'm obsessed with Rent, especially. I saw it once in NYC for my 16th birthday, and twice when they came to my hometown on tour. The original broadway cast did a tour last year and I saw them and it was absolutely amazing! I'm writing about the movie for my film class research paper. Woo!

4. My dream is to eventually pursue a Ph.D. in English and become a college English professor.

5. I am a huge cat person. I have three kitties and they are too cute.

6. Someday, I want to live in New York City.

7. I am and always have been really, really shy and hard to get to know.

8. I have three really close friends (Taylor, Chris, Stephanie B). I love them - they are the best.

9. Books make me happier more than anything else. I get super excited when I get new books.

10. I'm an aspiring writer. I've been writing since I was a kid, and want to be published someday.


I'm not sure who has and hasn't received this yet, so I'm going to pass this along to ten of my new blog buddies, and if you've already gotten it, please disregard this. :)

Allie at A Literary Odyssey

Emeraldfire's Bookmark

Sammee at I Want to Read That

In Which a Girl Reads

M.J. Macie at A Mystery Writer's Words

Alita Reads

Andrea at Buried in Books

Southern Princess

The Book Chubi

Shannon at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe

My First Reading Challenge(s)! Young Adult and 100+ books.

I've decided to sign up for my very first reading challenge! I guess this a week of firsts for me! Both of the challenges are over at J. Kaye's Book Blog.

1. The 100+ Reading Challenge - seems simple enough - read 100 books or more!

100+ List:

1. Bliss by Lauren Myracle
2. Crossing the Bridge by Michael Baron
3. Urban Gothic by Brian Keene

4. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
5. A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine
6. Knit, Purl, Die by Anne Canadeo
7. Hold Still by Nina LaCour
8. Falling for Romeo by Jennifer Laurens
9. Unlikely Angels by Michael O'Doran
10. McTeague by Frank Norris *
11. Ghostbread by Sonja Livingston *
12. Nocturne by Harrison Gradwell Slater
13. A Season of Eden by J.M. Warwick
14. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You by Peter Cameron *
15. Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
16. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton *
17. Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
18. Tempered Justice by Helene J. Smith

*Read for school


2. Young Adult Reading Challenge - There are 4 levels, and I've decided to start out small and go with the first level: The Mini Ya Reading Challenge - read 12 YA books. I may step it up to the next level once we get started. ;-)

YA List:

1. Bliss by Lauren Myracle
2. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
3. Hold Still by Nina LaCour
4. Falling for Romeo - Jennifer Laurens
5. A Season of Eden by J.M. Warwick
6. Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
7. Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt

I'm excited to participate in my first challenges. I think it will be a good motivation to make sure I get to read as much as I'd like to. I'll list the books as we go, on this page.

*January 1st through December 31st, 2010*

My First Ever Giveaway - The Sign For Drowning

Hey everyone, today I am announcing my first giveaway! It is for a brand spankin' new copy of Rachel Stolzman's wonderful novel The Sign For Drowning.

This is a beautiful story about family, loss, grief, and love. I highly recommend it. Check out my review here if you are interested in learning more about it.

In order to enter the contest, you must be a follower. If you are not a follower yet, just become one and then enter. No problem! It will be open only to U.S. and Canada (sorry - broke college student can't ship over the world). So leave a comment below with your e-mail address (if you are not comfortable leaving it, just make sure to look out for my post announcing the winner).

You can earn 2 extra entries for a total of 3.
+1 if you leave a comment for Rachel on her guestbook or blog.
+1 if you mention this contest on your blog. It can be any way - sidebar, mention it in one of your posts, etc.

In your comment, please be sure to let me know if you did either of the extra point things.

Last day to enter will be December 4th at 11:00 PM. I'll use random.org to select the winner. A HUGE thank you goes out to Rachel for providing a copy of this book for you guys to win!

Review: "The Sign for Drowning" by Rachel Stolzman

I have just finished the novel, The Sign for Drowning, by Rachel Stolzman and my initial reaction is that this story will stay with me for a long time. It is hard to explain, but sometimes a book is deeply moving and you aren't able to shake it from your thoughts.

The story begins with Anna as an eight year old on the beach with her family, which includes her mother, father, and five year old sister Megan. Along with them is a family friend Carla, and her young daughter, Bonnie. Anna sits on the sand with her mother, while her father is out on the water with Carla, Bonnie and Megan. The two girls are having fun on a small raft. When a large wave comes, the raft is covered, and when the wave is gone, Megan is gone with it. A frantic search pursues while Anna looks on in a state of unknowing and shock. Megan is never seen again.

The story picks up with Anna as an adult. She now works at a hearing center with deaf children. We discover that sign language has been important to her since childhood. When Megan died, she thought she could communicate to her with sign, so she became fluent in the language, and made it her life's work. Through her work, she encounters five year old Adrea, a deaf child who was abandoned by her teenage parents at 18 months. She feels a connection to this child, and decides to adopt her.

The two form a bond as mother and daughter, but Anna has been unable to recover completely from the tragedy which has been haunting her for nearly her entire life. Her family has become dysfunctional, and she and her mother have become mostly estranged. Since the drowning, her mother has pulled herself away from Anna and fallen into a deep depression. This relationship has troubled Anna for years. She wonders if she adopted Adrea as a way to replace Megan, despite the love she feels for her new daughter.

As the story progresses, so too does Anna and Adrea's relationship which is really touching and special to see. Despite the bad relationship with her own mother, Anna has been able to form a loving and close connection to her own daughter.

The first thing that struck me about this story is how much it is unlike any other story I have ever come across. One of the best points for me is the use of ASL and the depiction of Deaf culture. This peaked my interest as I studied ASL for a year and found the language and lifestyle to be fascinating. I have not come across many books that have recognized this unique lifestyle, and was appreciative to have found such a book. It inspires me to want to pick up the language again.

As for the story, I found it to be simply stunning. It is full of metaphors as well as flashbacks which really help to tell Anna's story, as well as her mother's and Adrea's. Though it is only 192 pages, I began to feel quite connected to the characters and found myself caring very much about what would happen to them.

Adrea is an interesting character and we really get an opportunity to see her growth. Not only is she deaf, but she is also adopted. Despite the obstacles these might present, Adrea proves to be a strong and loving child who easily accepts Anna into her heart. It is a touching moment when she calls Anna her mother for the first time. The relationship these two forge really helps Anna begin to put the pieces of her life back together as well as make Adrea feel loved and accepted.

This is a story about love and what it means to be family. It speaks to us about regret, guilt and moving on. If you are looking for an action packed, exciting climatic story, this is not for you. However, if you are looking for something different, a unique, meaningful, beautifully crafted story, then I strongly recommend you pick up a copy of The Sign For Drowning.

This is Rachel's debut novel, though it certainly does not read as a first book. I enjoyed it immensely and will be eagerly anticipating more of Rachel's future work.

I will be hosting a giveaway for a brand new copy of this book later in the week provided by Rachel, so stay tuned. Next week, I will be having an interview with Rachel which I am looking forward to, so be sure to check that out as well!

My Favorite Memoirs

Over the past couple of years, I have read some really great memoirs. I thought it might be fun to highlight a few of my favorites that I think are worth sharing. Enjoy!

1. Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster (as well as her three subsequent memoirs): This is Jen's first memoir. She currently has four, and is at work on the fifth. Basically, her books are the funniest pieces of literature that I have ever, ever read. Not only is this my favorite memoir of all time, it is also my favorite book of all time, and Jen is my favorite author of all time. She's just this snarky, sarcastic piece of work and she tells it like it is. The memoirs just talk about her life but her writing style is a riot. I can't say enough about Jen, but I definitely recommend that you read this book! You won't be disappointed. She actually got started as a blogger, which turned into her book, so check out her blog too!

2. Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin: I just did a review of this last week, so I won't go into it too much, but this was another hilarious memoir. It managed to be both funny and touching at the same time.
3. Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler: I read this book when it first came out and thought it was hilarious. Chelsea is a well known comedian and TV personality. She's extremely witty and sarcastic. I'd recommend this one, as well as her first memoir, My Horizontal Life.
4. Save Karyn by Karyn Bosnak: I read this memoir a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. It chronicles her journey to debt, and how she managed to pay it off by becoming a "web panhandler." She created a blog asking for donations, which she actually received. This book was another hilarious one. I also enjoyed her novel 20 Times A Lady.
I'm seeing a pattern here . . . I love funny memoirs. I've enjoyed some more serious ones too, but these are my favorites! What are some of your favorite memoirs? I'd love to hear!

Also wanted to mention the awesome contest going on over at Reading With Tequila. She is giving away a copy of Melissa Senate's The Secret of Joy. Check it out!

Review "Hope in a Jar" by Beth Harbison

I recently finished Beth Harbison's new novel Hope in a Jar. Overall, I thought it was a cute and quick read.

Allie is a 38 year old temp worker. The book starts with Allie discovering her boyfriend in bed with another woman. She kicks him out immediately but realizes she didn't love him anyways, that she was just with him out of fear of being alone. Shortly after, she attends her 20th high school reunion where she awkwardly runs into her former best friend Olivia, whom she hasn't spoken to in years (the novel later reveals what caused their friendship to end). When her and Olivia discover that their mutual friend Noah is going to marry Vickie, the meanest girl from high school, they band together to rescue him from her, and in that time also repair their friendship. Allie also discovers she may have feelings for Noah. . .

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun chick-lit book and quick read about friendship and love. I didn't enjoy it as much as her previous books Secrets of a Shoe Addict and Shoe Addicts Anonymous, but I did think it was enjoyable overall. It was slow at times and not the most exciting story, but I'd recommend it if you're looking for a light easy read. I would, however, strongly recommend her Shoe Addicts books (Shoe Addicts Anonymous is the first one, so read that one first).

Rating: 3/5

Currently Reading: The Sign for Drowning by Rachel Stolzman. This is a fascinating novel about a woman who tragically lost her younger sister in a drowning when they were children, and now works with Deaf and hearing impaired children. Rachel is really awesome so look out for a review, giveaway and author interview later this week!

Library Loot

Library Loot is a weekly event that is co-hosted by Marg and Eva that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.

I am in love with the library. Seriously. The librarians know my mom and I by name. I got a lot of awesome books there this week that I cannot wait to read. I'm just going to highlight a few of them.

First up are some YA vampire books. As I mentioned before, I just read Beth Fantaskey's Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, as recommended by my friend. It was the first fantasy/vampire book I read, and I loved it, so I just have to read some more!

1. Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley. It looks like a cute, quick read. Summary from the book says "When sixteen-year old Mina is forced to take a class to help her decide whether or not to become a vampire like her parents, she also faces a choice between her life-long best friend and the boy she has a crush on versus new friends and possible boyfriends in her mandatory 'vampire lessons.'"

2. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. This is the first book in the Vampire Academy series that I have been hearing a lot about, so I hope it's good! This seems a bit darker than the previous one, but looks equally as interesting.
...Now onto non-vampire related books.

3. Strange Nervous Laughter by Bridget Mcnulty. I checked this book out from the library before, but never got around to reading it. I had to get it again because it looks really interesting. The inside flap starts with this: "Strange Nervous Laughter is, quite simply, a brilliantly told story of wht love does to us - and how our lives are changed by being in love, out of love, or on the brink between the two. Set in the hottest summer Durban has ever known, this debut novel follows six rather quirky characters as they muddle their way through life."I discovered this from an e-mail book club I signed up for about a year ago called Read it First with Suzanne Beecher. Each week features a new book, and she e-mails you an excerpt every morning to decide if it's a book you'd like. I've found many new books from this program and I'd recommend checking it out!

4. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. I recently read and LOVED his book Invisible Monsters. He's a brilliant writer and uses words in such a unique and beautiful way. I also checked out Haunted and Rant from the library this week. Be forewarned, his books are very unusual and out there, but so incredibly unique and different from anything else you're likely to have read before. He has quite a loyal following, but he's either a love or hate him kind of author. I happen to love him.

5. Outtakes From a Marriage by Ann Leary. This is a pretty slim book I found in the new fiction section at the library. The title and cover urged me to pick it up, and the blurb on the back sounds really interesting. Julia, a stay at home mom hears a voicemail left on her successful actor husband's phone from a woman who is "clearly more than just a friend."



I have quite an eclectic taste in books as you can see. Haha. Have you read any of these books? Did you get any good books out from the library this week? Happy reading!

"Official Book Club Selection" by Kathy Griffin

Before I jump into the review, I just want to say thank you and welcome to my new readers. I joined bookblogs.ning.com last week and since then, have found so many awesome book bloggers! It's a wonderful community, and I am so excited and happy to be a part of it. It's nice to find other people who love books as much as I do, and everyone has been so nice and welcoming. It's been a lot of fun reading other people's blogs and reviews, and I've found many new books I'm interested in. I'm really happy to be a part of all this! :)

Now onto the book. . . I just finished Kathy Griffin's new memoir, Official Book Club Selection, and thought it was fantastic. I'm sure most people know who she is, but if you don't, she's an actress and Emmy Award winning comedian. The television show that made her popular was the sitcom Suddenly Susan in the 90's, and she currently has her own reality show called My Life on The D-List, which is on Bravo, and has been doing stand up comedy for many years.

This memoir chronicles her life, particularly the years she spent trying to make it in show business. It deals with many different issues, both personal and professional. From reading this book, I definitely saw a more clear picture of Kathy Griffin and a side of her that she has rarely shared with the public before. Not only was the book hilarious and witty, as expected with Kathy Griffin, but she had some serious moments as well which made it more meaningful and genuine. She talks a lot about her family, including her late brother Kenny who she severed ties with after she discovered he was sexually assaulting people. She also discusses her parents a lot as well, with plenty of funny stories to go along. The book even included a very sarcastic Reading Group Guide and Discussion Questions at the end which were hilarious! If you read this book, be sure to read those two sections afterwards.

After reading this book, I feel a great sense of respect for Kathy Griffin because I'd never realized before all the obstacles she has had to overcome. She also shares a lot of the experiences she's had by generally saying whatever she wants whenever she wants. While it's gotten her into trouble quite a bit, it's both hilarious and admirable, because she's someone who is not afraid to be who she is, which is the best thing about her.

Many memoirs can be dry and slow-paced at times, but this one was not. It was great and kept me interested the entire way through. I am a Kathy Griffin fan, watching her show from time to time, but have never been a HUGE fan, and I still loved the book. I would certainly recommend this to anyone who has even a slight interest in her, or has ever watched and enjoyed My Life on the D-List. She is a riot, for sure. All in all, this was an excellent book and I loved it.

In other book related news, I got some used but new-for-me books this week. I got them for free from a woman on Craigslist (which I love, by the way, for getting cheap books!). It was about 10 books or so, most of which were Dean Koontz and Harlan Coben, so those will be fun to read. They write a lot of suspense and thrillers. My friend also had a Halloween party and decided to do a book exhange there. Unfortunately, one of my friends (also named) Stephanie and I were the only ones who brought anything. I traded her a Marian Keyes book for The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler which looks pretty good (though I wasn't thrilled with the movie. . . but the books are almost always better so I have faith in this book)! Hope you all found some good books this week too!

Rating: 5/5

Currently Reading: Hope in a Jar by Beth Harbison, who wrote Shoe Addicts Anonymous and its followup, Secrets of a Shoe Addict, both of which I really enjoyed when I read them last year. I would classify her novels as fun chick-lit with a bit of a serious side at times, so not total fluff (which I also love). She's a great author, and I've been looking forward to Hope in a Jar for a while. Review should be up next week sometime.

"Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side"

I finished Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey a couple of nights ago and I LOVED it! My good friend, also named Stephanie, recommended it to me with rave reviews and I am so glad she told me about it.

This is a young adult novel about a high school senior, Jessica, who encounters Lucius, a foreign exchange student from Romania. As it turns out, Lucius is a vampire, and Jessica is too! She was born a vampire in Romania, but during dangerous times, her vampire birth parents were killed and she was adopted by an American couple. She was brought up as a typical American, and had no idea about her past. Lucius has come to America because a pact was made when the two were babies that they must be married. Their families had long been enemies, and they were betrothed to bring a long-awaited peace to the vampire community. Jessica, of course, is very upset about this startling news, and even disbelieving at first. However, she soon discovers that it is true. Now not only does she have to deal with all the ups and downs of being a high school senior, she has to handle this vampire business too.

Like I said, I adored this book. I thought it was fun, engaging, and funny. It truly was a book I did not want to put down, and it went everywhere with me this past week. I even broke it out for a quick 5 minute reading session before each class all week if I was a little early, and read it as much as I possibly could. This was one of those rare books you HATE to see end. I was a bit wary going into it because I've never read much fantasy or vampire type books, but now I will definitely be reading some more like this! This was also the perfect book to have been reading during Halloween week. I highly recommend it and am looking forward to the author's next book Jekel Loves Hyde, coming out next spring. Fantaskey also wrote a mini sequel to Jessica's Guide on her website which I am looking very forward to delving into this week just as soon as I get some school work done... which always gets in the way of my reading!

Thanks again to Steph for the wonderful recommendation. I'm always looking for book recommendations and this was a great one.

Rating: 5/5

Now I want to talk a little about books and my love of reading because I am just very passionate about the subject. If the purpose of my blog doesn't make it completely obvious, I love reading; it's pretty much my life, or at least a gigantic portion of it. Books make me happy. I was thinking about this the other day because many people ask me "how do you have time to read with school and work?!" It can be tough, but books are my passion in life. I would not be who I am if I did not love them as much as I do. I could talk books all day, I could read books all day, I could write about and recommend books all day. I make time to do it during the hectic semester because I would go crazy if I couldn't or didn't read every day. I am fortunate to have found my passion in life and I hope that everyone else can too. What are you passionate about? What makes you happy? That's all I have for now.

Currently Reading: Official Book Club Selction by Kathy Griffin of "My Life on the D-List" fame. I've been looking forward to this one for a while because I think she's a complete riot! Come on, even the book's title is pretty hilarious. Hopefully have it finished with a review up within a week, but we'll see how that goes what with school and all... I am also reading The Turn of the Screw by Henry James for my Lit. Analysis class. It's a ghost story written in 1898. The "ghost story" part intrigues me a bit... but the 1800's part?... not so much.