Kate Scowen, author of
i.d.,
My Kind of Sad, and
My Crazy Life, is working on a new book for and about teenagers, and she's looking for your real stories. See below for Kate's call for teen interview subjects.
Hi – I am working on a new book for teenagers and I need your help...
You might remember that I was working on a book not so long ago, about identity. Well, it’s done and coming out at the end of this month! I’m not usually one to self-promote but I really LOVE this book. It’s called i.d.: Stuff That Happens to Define Us. The book was a wonderful collaboration between myself and Peter Mitchell, a super-talented illustrator. So wonderful, in fact, we are now working together on another book for Annick. This is why I am writing (aside from the blatant self-promotion, of course).
I am looking for teenagers (ages 13+) to interview about their experiences with friends who have been involved in destructive and/or dangerous behaviour. This could mean a friend who has gotten into heavy drugs or drinking, been involved in violence, assault or crime, perpetrated bullying, racism, homophobia, has started lying, cheating, stealing or other similarly difficult situations. The idea behind the book is to help kids navigate tough situations in friendships by reading about how others have dealt with them. The format will be the same as i.d., with illustrated stories and reflections from the storyteller. Here are some of the questions I might ask in the interview:
We’re here to talk about a scenario in which you dealt with a friend who was making unhealthy and/or dangerous choices.
1. How close were you to this friend? Give the back story on your friendship (how you met, became friends, etc).
2. What kind of person is your friend? Describe them (outgoing, risk-taker, shy, good student, athlete)?
3. What were they doing that you felt was not okay?
4. Why do you think they were doing it?
5. How did they get involved in this behaviour?
6. How did their behaviour make you feel – about them, you and your friendship?
7. How did you deal with this?
8. What happened? What did you do?
9. If you could do it again, what would you have done differently?
10. What did you learn from this experience?
11. Do you wish you had some help in dealing with this? If so, what kinds of help would have been useful?
If you think you know of a teenager who might be interested in talking with me, I would love to hear from them! If they are under 18, I will need a parent/guardian to sign a consent form for the interview. If you know someone who has a story they would like to share but does not want to be interviewed, they could also submit to me via email: krs [at] sympatico [dot] ca. All stories will remain anonymous and confidential.
Thanks for your help.
Kate
krs [at] sympatico [dot] ca
