Weather missing? Click here

At Large Business Briefs Cartoons District Court Report Editorial Gone Fishin' Letters to the Editor Real Estate Transactions Sports Sports Highlights

Art Bestsellers Dance Edibles Film In Print Music Theater

This Week's Happenings Save That Date Ongoing Events Groups Libraries Museums and Tours Children's Resources Hotlines 12-Step Programs Religious Services Volunteer Opportunities

Achievements Astrology Birds Births Community Shorts Dean's List Engagements Garden Notes Honor Roll Obituaries Off North Road Short Subjects Town Meetings Visiting Vet Weddings

Aquinnah Chilmark Edgartown Oak Bluffs Tisbury West Tisbury

---

Directories

---

---

---

search the web MVTimes.com and archives

The Martha's Vineyard Times is a weekly publication.
June 9 - June 15, 2005 Edition
Web Comments - Email Submissions

In Print June 9, 2005 There is no new In Print story this week. "Tangerine" author shares writing tips June 2, 2005 By Julian Wise Oliver Filley reads "Tangerine." Bloor's book was the young adult selection for "One Book, One Island." Photos by JJ Gonson Author Edward Bloor with his daughter Amanda at the Edgartown School last Friday. Students across the Island got a unique treat as Edward Bloor, author of the best-selling young-adult novel “Tangerine,” spoke at the Edgartown School on May 27. “Tangerine” was selected as the youth title for the “One Book, One Island” program this spring. In response, Mr. Bloor made a special trip from his native Florida to speak about the novel and his own development as a writer. “Tangerine” chronicles the first-person experiences of Paul Fisher, a 12-year-old who moves with his parents and older brother to Windsor Downs, an upscale housing development in Florida. Throughout the story, Paul plays observer to natural disasters (fatal lightning strikes, sinkholes, crop freezes), class inequities, and dysfunctional family dynamics. Mr. Bloor captures the contours of early adolescent psychology in a droll, concise style that brings the characters to life. Mr. Bloor’s other novels include “Crusader,” “Storytime,” and the forthcoming, “London Calling.” Mr. Bloor was familiar with the one book, one community concept, but says this is the first time a book of his has been selected. “I was really flattered,” he said. His visit was coordinated by Ann Hoyle of the Edgartown School’s Enrichment Program with funding from the Rural Schools Grant, Stop & Shop, Cronig’s, and Dukes County Savings Bank. “I’d like to congratulate you younger kids for getting to the end of “Tangerine,” Mr. Bloor said to the assembled audience. “It’s a complicated novel.” Mr. Bloor noted that the litany of natural disasters detailed in the books are a fact of life in Florida. “When I get out of Florida, people talk to me like ‘Tangerine’ is science fiction,” he said. “People ask, ‘does all this stuff happen?’ Yes, it does.” He discussed the critical elements of fiction, focusing on setting, plot, character, and theme. “A character has to change,” Mr. Bloor said. “In ‘Tangerine,’ Paul literally grows out of his clothes at the end. Paul begins timid, then builds himself up. The question of the book is, how can you reinvent yourself?” “If you’re ever asked on a standardized test what the theme of ‘Tangerine’ is about, it’s in the title,” he said, noting that the tangerine is a delicate fruit that’s grafted onto a heartier plant. In the book, Paul switches schools and gets grafted into a tougher social group where he develops as an individual. Mr. Bloor shared some of his tricks of the trade, including carrying a portable tape recorder to capture images or scenes that popped into his head while driving to and from his job as a textbook editor. One student asked him what inspired him to write “Tangerine.” Mr. Bloor replied that on his drives to and from work in Florida he would see citrus groves plowed up to make way for upscale developments, which led to the fictional Fisher family moving to one of these housing communities. Another student asked why he created the brothers Paul and Erik as such dual contrasts, with Paul being ethical and Erik being sociopathic. Mr. Bloor cited children’s author Caroline Cooney, who encourages authors to “make your good guy good, your bad guy bad, and make sure your bad guy gets it in the end.” Mr. Bloor said the descriptions of the rough-and-tumble soccer games in the book were inspired by his own experiences as a youth in New Jersey playing on multi-ethnic teams. His depictions of junior high students came from his years as a junior high school teacher. “I put my students into a blender and they came out different ways in the story,” he says. Throughout the discussion, Mr. Bloor kept the students’ attention with his mix of anecdotes, advice, and humor. When a student asked Mr. Bloor how to overcome writer’s block, he replied, “It might mean you don’t have anything to write. Sometimes things need time to sort themselves out. Put it out of your mind for a while and it’ll come back....unless it’s an assignment due the next day. In that case, soldier on.” Julian Wise is a frequent contributor to The Times, specializing in music, film, and the performing arts.

Send this page to a friend: Your Name: Your Email Address: Recipient Email Address: Subject:

©The Martha's Vineyard Times 2005 - www.mvtimes.com