in light of the previous entry on defining YA, i HAD to post claire zulkey’s list of back-up ideas for YA novels recently published on mcsweeney’s.
y’all THIS STUFF IS GOLD. wait, no, IT’S PLATINUM.
here’s an example:
Are You There God? It’s Me, a Sexy Vampire
A sexy vampire wants to know when she will get her period, which is never, since vampires don’t menstruate. This causes a lot of frustration, which young vampires everywhere can identify with. There is also a school dance.
and ok here’s another one cos i can’t help myself:
Little Traveling Pants On the Prairie
They are just a soft, ordinary pair of thrift-shop jeans until four girls take turns trying them on. The four girls are close friends, about to be parted for the summer, with very different sizes and builds, not to mention backgrounds and personalities. Then they eat the jeans, because it’s a cold, cold winter.
I KNOW, RIGHT? LITTLE TRAVELING PANTS!!
go read the whole thing! or i will eat my jeans!
p.s. claire, i am totally going to read yr new book. although i do kind of secretly wish it will fail so that you’ll be forced to turn one of these brazilliant ideas into a real novel.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Now I want to read her book! My favorite on the list was “Potter in the Rye”.
If Chuck Bass doesn’t play Ponyboy in the eventual movie version of The Cliquesiders, I will eat my Burberry scarf.
“Then they eat the jeans, because it’s a cold, cold winter.”
That made me LOL. I have to go read the rest of the list now!