Interview With Laurie Halse Anderson

Today, I'm very excited. I had the opportunity to interview the one and only Laurie Halse Anderson for Once Upon A Bookcase's Body Image & Self Perception Month. If you don't know about this month, you should really take a look at Jo's blog for more details because it is going to be awesome.

1. You have written a number of diverse books for young adults. If you had to choose a favourite, what would it be?
That's like asking me which one of my four kids I love the most! Honestly? It depends on the day.

2. Most of your books have a serious topic such as eating disorders, slavery etc. What inspired you to write about these kinds of issues?
Teenagers have to navigate that difficult life passage between childhood and adulthood. Many of them run up against experiences that are hard or confusing or frightening. Books like mine give them information and insight to help them meet the hard challenges. Whether they are struggling with the challenges in their own life or not, reading honest stories helps kids develop compassion and strength.

3. What kind of research did you do when you were writing Wintergirls?
I talked to a number of women who were years into their recovery, doctors and counselors who work with eating disorder patients, and spent time watching the kinds of discussions on pro-ana and pro-mia chat rooms.

4. Did the idea of Wintergirls derive from any of your own experiences?
Yep. I've never had an eating disorder, but for many, many years I had disordered eating habits; part of the legacy of a very bad body image and depression. When Lia talks about the "snakes her head" you are really reading about the snakes in my head.

5. If you could be any character in your books, who would it be?

I would love to be Curzon, in my new historical thriller, Forge. He is a 15-year-old soldier at Valley Forge and the Battle of Saratoga.

6. What authors or books inspired you to write?
When I was young, I loved the Little House on the Prairie books. As a teen, I loved science fiction and fantasy. I adored the way that books transported me out of my reality and into the experiences of the characters.

7. What books dealing with body confidence would you reccomend?
Our Bodies, Ourselves: A New Edition for a New Era, Boston Women's Health Book Collective
Deal with It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL, Esther Drill, Heather McDonald, and Rebecca Odes
This Is Who I Am: Our Beauty in All Shapes and Sizes, Rosanne Olson

8. What advice would you personally give to those struggling with self-confidence?
Write down all the sad and ugly thoughts in your head. Write down ALL of them. Share them with someone you can trust - an adult family member or a counseler - and talk about how you feel inside when you read those thoughts. It might take a while, but your goal is to take control of your mind, to learn to love your body, your spirit, and all the things that make you unique. Trust me - if I can do it, ANYONE can!

Thank you so much to Laurie and her amazing friend Louise for this interview as well as an extra special thanks to Jo!