Out of my mind by sharon draper full#

Has she used the Medi-talker? Or other technology which has opened up her world? Modern technology is making these devices better every day.ĪLLISON: Your daughter has a disability. It is a wonderful help to those who have all their words and thoughts stuck inside. SHARON: Many real children with disabilities use electronic talking devices. I’ve always believed one should focus on what one loves, and the result will be wonderful.ĪLLISON: How did you come up with the idea of Melody to have a Medi-Talker? Why did you wait until halfway through the book for this to happen? I have no interest at all in even trying.

With fantasy being so popular among young people, have you ever been tempted to write it? And so I shall.ĪLLISON: According to some interviews, realistic fiction is your favorite genre to write. But Panic, on the other hand, just begs to be continued.

Out of my mind by sharon draper full#

Out of my Mind, for example, begins and ends with the same words, which literally brings it full circle. SHARON: Some books need to be continued, and some say it all, and there is no need to further the story. Which is your preference? How has the process differed? I love to travel, but the best flight is always the one that brings me back home.ĪLLISON: You have written stand-alone books and series. I’ve been to Moscow twice-it’s fascinating. The food there is unbelievably delicious, by the way. I guess the first really big one was to receive the New Talent Award by the American Library Association for Tears of a Tiger, my first book. I am always a little awed, and always very grateful for the recognition of my writing. SHARON: I’ve been blessed to receive many, many awards and honors. What the first one you received? And what was that like? What was it like to visit the White House? And to represent the United States in Moscow? You can read it today as chapter one of Forged by Fire.ĪLLISON: You have received many honors for your writing work. So I entered a short story contest and I actually won! The story was called “One Small Torch”. SHARON: One of my students, a young man who did not like to write very much, challenged me to do some writing for a change, instead of just assigning it. What was that challenge? What was “One Small Torch” about? And where might one find a copy? Adolescence can be survived!ĪLLISON: A challenge from a student started you on the path of literary recognition. Because I was studious and I guess kinda nerdy, I was left out of the more socially mobile crowd, but that turned out to be a good thing. All that reading probably got me started as a writer.ĪLLISON: People tend to love or hate their adolescence. I really did read most of the books in our small branch library. I’d take them home and read them, then go back the next week and get ten more. I went to the library every single Saturday and checked out the maximum number of books, which was ten. Draper, wherein she shares from her personal life as well as talks about Out of My Mind.ĪLLISON: If you could share only one thing from your childhood with readers, what would that be? Now I’m excited to post an interview with Sharon M. Out of my Mind was on the New York Times Bestseller List! I reviewed it on August 6. If she were stranded on a desert island, according to Fireside Musings, she would bring building tools, a satellite telephone, and the complete works of Shakespeare! As for the coolest thing to most recently happen to her. When researching her life, I found it interesting to learn random things from Fireside Musings about her such as she loves Hagen Daaz ice-cream and can’t swim. She gets to write, travel, read, sleep late, go to the beach, or do nothing.