Camp Sunshine, and Inspiration Plus Imagination Equals Fiction

Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:00:33 — 55.5MB)

In this episode 354, we feature Jarrett Krosoczka, the New York Times bestselling author/illustrator behind more than forty books for young readers, and his book Sunshine: How Camp Taught Me About Life, Death, and Hope, the follow-up to his National Book Award finalist Hey, Kiddo. Marjorie Klein talks about the relationship between inspiration, imagination, and research, and we share our latest book recommendations. 

Today’s Featured Authors

Jarrett Krosoczka Time Stamp: 4:12

Jarrett Krosoczka is the New York Times bestselling author/illustrator behind more than forty books for young readers, including his wildly popular Lunch Lady graphic novels, select volumes of the Star Wars: Jedi Academy series, and Hey, Kiddo, which was a National Book Award Finalist. His signature blend of heart, humor, and respect for his young readers is on full display in Sunshine, based on his high school experiences as a counselor at a camp for seriously ill children. There he witnessed the hope and determination that gets people through the most troubled of times, the captivity of illness, and the freedom a safe space can bring.

Marjorie Klein Time Stamp: 32:22

From Marjorie Klein’s blog post “Inspiration + Imagination = Fiction,” we take the following points:

  • Inspiration can be triggered by sensory experiences, memories, life experiences, or research.
  • You can’t force inspiration, but you never know what alchemy of experience will bring it up, so embrace it when it comes.
  • Allow yourself to dream or daydream as a source of ideas.

Community Updates:

         Listen to our episode for updates on the Charlotte writing community, including events from the Charlotte Writers Club, Charlotte Lit, and more.

Book Recommendations: Time Stamp: 47:46 

         Hannah recommends:

         Less by Andrew Sean Greer

         Sarah recommends:

         Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

         Landis recommends:

         The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan

Mark West, Storied Charlotte Blog, recommends:

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

Solito: A Memoir by Javier Zamora 

The Write Quotes Series:

Go to https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/writequotes/ to learn more about our series of quote books, download Book 1 for free, or support the show and get more free books by joining our street team.