Mighty Writers

Sign Up Now for Spring ‘10 Mighty Writing Workshops!

Tim Whitaker — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:10:27 +0000

Mighty Song of the Day

Tim Whitaker — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:09:17 +0000

But Do the 40-Year-Old Stockbrokers Hang Up the “Exclusive Poster Inside”?

Tim Whitaker — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:16:33 +0000

According to a story in the LA Times, grown-
ups are increasingly reading young adult books—
attracted by “well-written, fast-paced and enga-
ging stories.”

The LA Times story makes quite the case: young adult
stories are more fun, have better plots, etc., etc.

David Levithan, the editorial director and vice president
of Scholastic, is quoted thusly: ”You go on the sub-
way and see 40-year-old stockbrokers reading
‘Twilight.’”

Really?

Read here.

Mighty Quote of the Day

Tim Whitaker — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:53:25 +0000

“You gotta admit, sometimes Margene is just a plain airhead.”

—Ginnifer Goodwin (Margene in “Big Love”)

Read All About It!

Tim Whitaker — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:29:07 +0000

Your e-dition of Mighty Times, right here, ladies and germs!

Hard copies available at Mighty Writers World Headquarters now!

Big shout-out to our friends at Bartash Printing!

In Case You Missed These Stories

Tim Whitaker — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:21:46 +0000

“Building a Better Teacher,” by Elizabeth Green
Excerpt: “But what makes a good teacher? There have been many quests for the one essential trait, and they have all come up empty-handed. Among the factors that do not predict whether a teacher will succeed: a graduate-school degree, a high score on the SAT, an extroverted personality, politeness, confidence, warmth, enthusiasm and having passed the teacher-certification exam on the first try. When Bill Gates announced recently that his foundation was investing millions in a project to improve teaching quality in the United States, he added a rueful caveat. ‘Unfortunately, it seems the field doesn’t have a clear view of what characterizes good teaching,’ Gates said. ‘I’m personally very curious.’” New York Times

“Book Tour? More Like a Safari,” by Carolyn Kellogg
Excerpt: “As the business of publishing changes, book tours increasingly look like bad risks. ‘In 99.9% of cases,’ says Peter Miller, director of publicity at Bloomsbury USA, ‘you can’t justify the costs through regular book sales… Book tours used to be about local media. ‘You would go to these places to get reviews, interviews, TV and radio,’ Miller explains, but with print outlets closing down and cutting coverage and new technologies enabling long-distance video interviews, ‘it is becoming less important to do that kind of tour.’” LA Times

Mighty Quote of the Day

Tim Whitaker — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:19:30 +0000

“Character and emotionality don’t always have to be relegated to quieter, more simple constructs.”

— Kathryn Bigelow, director, “The Hurt Locker”

Tim Whitaker — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:47:45 +0000

Quiet Girl

I would liken you
To a night without stars
Were it not for your eyes.
I would liken you
To a sleep without dreams
Were it not for your songs.

— Langston Hughes

Tim Whitaker — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:45:52 +0000

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“Alice in Wonderland”: “Dark and Sometimes Grim” (NYT); “Old School” (LA Times); “Surprising if Gratifying Departure” (WP)

Tim Whitaker — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:52:32 +0000

Tim Burton’s much-anticipated “Alice in Wonderland,” starring Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska and Anne Hathaway, is opening this Academy Awards weekend with great fanfare. The Goth-influenced film, which some are calling “post-Apocalyptic,” combines live action and animation. The reviews for “Alice” have been unusually wide-ranging.

New York Times
Los Angeles Times
Washington Post

Trailer
Can kids handle it?
Where you can see it