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WORK TITLE: The Hand on the Wall
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com/
CITY: New York
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 332
http://www.us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780399256615,00.html http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyeverafter/2013/03/21/maureen-johnson-interview-the-madness-underneath-shades-of-london/2004903/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born February 16, 1973, in Philadelphia, PA; married.
EDUCATION:University of Delaware, B.A.; Columbia University, M.F.A.; also briefly attended the University of Bristol.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Novelist. Presenter at schools; Says Who podcast, cohost, 2016—. Also worked variously in a restaurant, as a literary manager, with a stage show in Las Vegas, and as an editor.
AWARDS:Best Books for Young Adults designation, American Library Association (ALA), and Books for the Teen Age selection, New York Public Library, both 2005, both for The Key to the Golden Firebird; Andre Norton Nebule Award nomination, 2006, for Devilish; ALA Teens’ Top Ten designation, 2006, for Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes; ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults designation, 2012, for The Last Little Blue Envelope; Edgar Award nomination, Mystery Writers of America, and ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults designation, both 2012, both for The Name of the Star; Bram Stoker Award nomination, 2015, for The Shadow Cabinet; ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults designation, 2019, for Truly Devious; ALA Rainbow List, 2019, for How I Resist.
WRITINGS
Also author with Cassandra Clare of “The Bane Chronicles” series of short stories. Contributor to anthologies, including Let It Snow: Three Holiday Stories, Penguin, 2008; Vacations from Hell, HarperTeen (New York, NY), 2009; Zombies vs. Unicorns, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2010; Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles, edited by Jessica Burkhart, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2018. Contributor to periodicals and websites, including the New York Times, Buzzfeed, and the London Guardian. Books have been published in twenty-two languages.
Let It Snow was adapted as a motion picture, Netflix, 2019.
SIDELIGHTS
In Maureen Johnson’s young-adult novels, teenaged girls face unexpected circumstances and transcend them through optimism and love. Her stories, which include The Key to the Golden Firebird, Girl at Sea, and the companion novels Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever, have earned praise for their believable characters with whom teen readers can identify. Additionally, Johnson is the author of award-winning works in her “Shades of London” series of paranormal thrillers as well as her “Truly Devious” mystery trilogy.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Johnson knew early on that she wanted to become a writer and she draws on her own growing-up years in several of her books for teens. Her supernatural mystery novel Devilish, for instance, was inspired by her experience attending a Roman Catholic high school, an experience that “caused me to develop a lifelong aversion to polyester and knee socks,” as Johnson wryly noted on her home page. In the novel, Jane Jarvis and Allison “Ally” Concord attend St. Teresa’s Preparatory School for Girls in Providence, Rhode Island. Ally is a little lost at the school due to her naiveté about social interaction, so Jane looks out for her. When actual demons begin to plague the school, Jane realizes that Ally has also changed somehow. “Well-developed characters are Johnson’s forté,” Susan Riley noted in a review of Devilish for School Library Journal, while a Kirkus Reviews critic asserted that “Johnson writes with flair, intelligence and humor” and her “well-realized” characters ratchet up the “suspense as deftly as [noted horror novelist] Stephen King.”
After graduating from the University of Delaware and Columbia University, Johnson began writing in earnest. In her first novel, The Bermudez Triangle, she tells the story of Nina Bermudez’s last year in high school. Sent to summer camp prior to her senior year, Nina returns home only to find that her two best friends, Avery and Mel, have begun a homosexual romance. While at camp Nina had started her own relationship with a boy named Steve, whom she still contacts via e-mail and phone. The novel follows Nina and her friends through the school year as they make plans for college and try to deal with the fact that the relationship between Avery and Mel has strained the friendship of all three.
Reviewing The Bermudez Triangle for the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Deborah Stevenson commented that “the omniscient narration slips easily from viewpoint to viewpoint, which helps keep the girls sympathetic through good behavior and bad … and makes credible the final restoration and affirmation of friendship.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor called the book a “warm, humorous, and smoothly readable story” and noted that “the characterizations of love … are tender even when painful.” Susan Riley, writing in School Library Journal, deemed The Bermudez Triangle “exceptional” and a novel that “perceptively reflects the real-life ambiguities and shades of gray faced by contemporary adolescents.”
The Key to the Golden Firebird finds May’s strained family falling apart following the death of her father and her mother’s absences due to her need to return to work. Her teenage sisters Brooks and Palmer deal with the family tragedy: Brooks turns to alcohol and hangs out with a bad crowd while Palmer uses television-watching to escape from the fear and anxiety she feels. May deals with the situation better, however, and her longtime friendship with next-door neighbor Peter soon begins to become something more. The sisters’ road trip in their father’s beloved Pontiac Firebird transforms the way in which each deals with her loss. Miranda Doyle, writing in School Library Journal, called The Key to the Golden Firebird “poignant and laced with wry humor,” adding that Johnson’s “wonderfully moving and entertaining novel [is] full of authentic characters and emotions.” In a review for Booklist, Frances Bradburn deemed the work “a very special, unexpected coming-of-age” tale, while Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books contributor Deborah Stevenson called The Key to the Golden Firebird “an honest yet highly reassuring account of surviving loss.”
The chain of events that play out in both Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and The Last Little Blue Envelope begins after eccentric Aunt Peg passes away, leaving seventeen-year-old Ginny with a list of several European destinations to visit, and a stack of sealed, numbered envelopes she must open upon reaching each destination. Along the way, Ginny not only discovers much about her aunt’s life that she did not know, but also learns self-reliance. Her adventures in The Last Little Blue Envelope conclude during a trip to London and the discovery of Peg’s final letter. “As she comes to the last of the letters,” wrote Janis Flint-Ferguson in Kliatt, “Ginny has grown from the shy teenager she was to one who is more independent, more invested in the life around her.”
Gillian Engberg maintained in her Booklist review of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes that “readers will probably overlook any improbabilities and willingly accompany Ginny through her sensitive, authentically portrayed experiences—uncomfortable, lonely; giddy, and life changing—as she pieces together family mysteries and discovers herself.” According to Emily Garrett in School Library Journal, Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes “drives home the importance of family, love, and the value of connections that you make with people,” while Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Liz Sunderman wrote of The Last Little Blue Envelope that “this is one of the rare books that will delight both lovers of contemporary adventures and those who prefer realistic romances.”
Girl at Sea concerns seventeen-year-old Clio Ford, who is sent to live in Italy with her drifter father while her professor mother is off on a fellowship. Clio and her father created a popular computer game years before, and the family became quite wealthy, but Mr. Ford has since wasted most of that money. Now he hopes to recoup his fortune—and regain the respect of his daughter—by hunting for treasure at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. When Claire realizes that the treasure they are searching for is only part of the mystery, she must cope with her father’s archaeologist girlfriend, decipher clues as to the whereabouts of a shipwreck, and wonder if crewmate Aidan is really romantically interested in her.
A critic for Kirkus Reviews described Girl at Sea as “full of unforgettable moments and much more complicated than readers may grasp as they turn the pages.” “There is diving, excitement, adventure, romance—all in a beautiful setting,” noted Claire Rosser in her Kliatt review of the novel, while Cassady noted in School Library Journal that Johnson “does a great job of peppering enough interesting information and planting enough clues to keep the story moving along.” In Publishers Weekly a critic concluded of Girl at Sea that “spirited Clio is immensely personable and witty,” while Booklist critic Heather Booth deemed Johnson’s novel a “whirlwind of mystery and action, friendship and romance.”
Johnson takes readers to her adopted home town of Manhattan in Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever , both of which focus on the Martins, a resourceful but financially strapped family whose members operate the Hopewell, an aging residential hotel in the city’s Upper East Side. When the Martin children reach age fifteen, they also do their part: each one is assigned to care for one room in the hotel, along with that room’s often-eccentric occupant. Scarlett’s fifteenth birthday finds her turning assistant to demanding hotel guest Mrs. Amberson, a wealthy patroness of the city’s theatre groups. Mrs. Amberson’s support of a fledgling production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet seems a wise choice, especially since Scarlett’s older brother Spencer is involved, but when the woman’s interest wanes Scarlett is left to keep the production going. The teen’s ability to multi-task allows her to channel some energy into her personal life, namely a budding love affair with one of Spencer’s costars.
Mrs. Amberson’s dilettantish support of a locally produced television program requires Scarlett’s attention in Scarlett Fever, and here Spencer is again the beneficiary. While attempting to rein in Mrs. Amberson’s efforts to become an actor’s agent, the teen also finds herself the primary caregiver to the woman’s new dog. Reviewing Suite Scarlett, a Kirkus Reviews writer praised “the authentic charm of the characters and the endearing sweetness of their odd familial relationships,” and Thom Barthelmess wrote in Booklist that Johnson’s story serves up an “utterly winning, madcap Manhattan farce, crafted with a winking, urbane narrative and tight, wry dialogue.” Although Scarlett Fever “may be enjoyed for the light if slightly madcap romance that it is, it is notable for its attention to social class and to the Martins’ struggles with money,” noted School Library Journal contributor Amy S. Pattee of the sequel, and a Kirkus Reviews critic dubbed the same novel a “hilarious follow-up” in which “spencer and Mrs. Amberson’s antics … are uproariously funny.”
Johnson is also author of the “Shades of London” series. The series begins with The Name of the Star, which finds Rory, who serves as the series narrator, arriving in London from Louisiana for her senior year in high school. When someone tells her that a “Jack the Ripper” was pulled the previous night, Rory does not know what it means, but she soon learns that a horrible murder was committed on the same date of August 31 and at the same location where the infamous “Jack the Ripper” once killed someone. Shortly afterward, another murder is committed coinciding with another anniversary date of murder by the Ripper. When Rory nearly dies, she starts seeing people no one else can see and ends up joining a group of young people investigating the potential paranormal cause for the murders. “Departing from her previous works, she turns paranormal on its head, mocking vampires and werewolves while creating ghosts that are both realistic and creepy,” wrote Barbara M. Moon in School Library Journal. Sean Rapacki, writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, remarked: “Although the author mines some familiar tropes here … she does so with enough flair that nothing seems tired or recycled.”
The next book in the “Shades of London” series, The Madness Underneath, finds Rory in recovery after being attacked and almost killed by a ghost in the previous novel. Suffering from trauma, Rory returns to her London boarding school. Rory, however, has learned that she is a “terminus,” meaning she can essentially terminate ghosts. Recruited by a group that has other members with similar abilities, Rory finds herself battling an evil force bent on destruction and death. “Readers will remain on the edge of their seats as the leader of a cult that follows the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries drugs and kidnaps Rory,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor.
In the third book in the series, The Shadow Cabinet, Rory is on the run while trying to save the boy she has fallen in love with, Stephen. Meanwhile, her therapist wants to use Rory’s abilities to locate Sid and Saide, twins in search of a magical stone to defeat death. Daniel Kraus, writing in Booklist, noted the plot “incorporates creepy bits of backstory, fascinating historical asides, and truly ghoulish side characters.” Johnson also wrote a prequel to the series titled The Boy in the Smoke.
In Truly Devious, Johnson opens a new mystery series featuring crime-buff Stephanie “Stevie” Bell, a first-year student at the prestigious Ellingham Academy. Founded by Albert Ellingham, a steel tycoon, the academy represented Ellingham’s unique vision of an educational institution—a mysterious complex with twisting pathways and riddles everywhere. Shortly after the school opened in 1936, Ellingham’s wife and daughter were kidnapped. The wife’s body eventually was found but the daughter, Alice, was never seen or heard from again, making the case famous in the annals of American crime. Stevie is determined to solve the case only to find another more pressing crime when a classmate is murdered. “There are many interesting characters with quirky personalities and mysterious behaviors and pasts,” noted Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Karen Sykeny. Kimberly Giarratano, writing in BookPage, remarked: “Murder sets up the story, but Stevie and her friends make this reading experience truly delightful.”
[NEW PROSE]
Stevie’s tale continues in The Vanishing Stair. Having been removed from Ellingham by her parents, who feared for their daughter’s safety, Stevie longs to return to the academy. She gets her chance when an unscrupulous politician, Edward King, agrees to help her cause, though not without some strings attached. Back at Ellingham, Stevie reopens her investigation into the past and present mysteries while also keeping King’s son, David, under surveillance.
“Johnson plays with linear storytelling in this novel, alternating between a contemporary timeline and the story of the 1930s kidnapping and murders,” Jenny Staller observed in Voice of Youth Advocates, and Booklist contributor Maggie Reagan noted that the author’s ability to juggle multiple plotlines “is a testament to her skills as a storyteller.” “Suspense and intrigue abound in The Vanishing Stair as Johnson illuminates suspects and teases out clues that will flummox even the most adept murder mystery aficionado,” Giarratano commented.
With The Hand on the Wall, Johnson concludes her “Truly Devious” series. Believing she is close to solving the 1936 Effingham case, Stevie grows anxious when David goes missing and her school adviser dies in a house fire. Convinced that the present-day tragedies are linked to the decades-old crimes, Stevie vows to uncover the truth, her mission complicated by a fierce storm that leaves Effingham’s faculty and students stranded at the academy. In The Hand on the Wall, according to Reagan, “Johnson pulls out all the stops, filling the thrillingly nimble narrative with classic mystery conventions.” A writer in Kirkus Reviews similarly applauded the novel, calling it “a richly satisfying, Poirot-like ending for Johnson’s inspired and inspiring teen sleuth.”
[END NEW PROSE]
Johnson is also editor with Tim Federle of How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation. The anthology includes essays by thirty activists from various walks of life who discuss their experiences. The essays are as wide ranging as the authors, from highly serious and personal to funny and irreverent. “This is an impactful, contemporary guide to activism that gives voices to individuals who are making a difference,” wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, September 1, 2004, Frances Bradburn, review of The Key to the Golden Firebird, p. 122; November 1, 2004, Frances Bradburn, review of The Bermudez Triangle, p. 475; September 15, 2005, Gillian Engberg, review of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, p. 57; October 15, 2006, Ilene Cooper, review of Devilish, p. 40; July 1, 2007, Heather Booth, review of Girl at Sea, p. 50; June 1, 2008, Thom Barthelmess, review of Suite Scarlett, p. 79; May 1, 2011, Cindy Dobrez, review of The Last Little Blue Envelope, p. 116; September 1, 2011, Danil Kraus, Daniel review of The Name of the Star, p. 117; December 15, 2012, Daniel Kraus, review of The Madness Underneath, p. 47; November 15, 2014, Daniel Kraus, review of The Shadow Cabinet, p. 46; November 1, 2017, Maggie Reagan, review of Truly Devious, p. 49; January 1, 2019, Maggie Reagan, review of The Vanishing Stair, p. 82; December 1, 2019, Maggie Reagan, review of The Hand on the Wall, p. 54.
BookPage, January, 2018, Kimberly Giarratano, review of Truly Devious, p. 29; February, 2019, Kimberly Giarratano, review of The Vanishing Stair, p. 28.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, July-August, 2004, Deborah Stevenson, review of The Key to the Golden Firebird, p. 471; November, 2004, Deborah Stevenson, review of The Bermudez Triangle, p. 128.
Horn Book, July-August, 2008, Claire E. Gross, review of Suite Scarlett, p. 450; November-December, 2008, Claire E. Gross, review of Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances, p. 648; March-April, 2010, Claire E. Gross, review of Scarlett Fever, p. 60; November-December, 2011, Christine M. Heppermann, review of The Name of the Star, p. 103; March-April, 2013, Christine M. Heppermann, review of The Madness Underneath, p. 108; March-April, 2019, Jennifer Hubert Swan, review of The Vanishing Stair, p. 84.
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2004, review of The Key to the Golden Firebird, p. 443; October 1, 2004, review of The Bermudez Triangle, p. 962; August 1, 2005, review of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, p. 851; July 15, 2006, review of Devilish, p. 724; May 1, 2007, review of Girl at Sea; May 1, 2008, review of Suite Scarlett; November 1, 2008, review of Let It Snow; February 15, 2010, review of Scarlett Fever; March 15, 2011, review of The Last Little Blue Envelope; August 15, 2011, review of The Name of the Star; January 1, 2013, review of The Madness Underneath; November 15, 2014, review of The Shadow Cabinet; October 15, 2017, review of Truly Devious; March 1, 2018, review of How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation; December 1, 2019, review of The Hand on the Wall.
Kliatt, May, 2004, Claire Rosser, review of The Key to the Golden Firebird, p. 10; September, 2004, Janis Flint-Ferguson, review of The Bermudez Triangle, p. 12; September, 2005, Janis Flint-Ferguson, review of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, p. 9; May, 2007, review of Girl at Sea, p. 14; July, 2008, Claire Rosser, review of Suite Scarlett, p. 16; November, 2008, Sherrie Forgash Ginsberg, review of Let It Snow, p. 24.
Publishers Weekly, December 6, 2004, review of The Bermudez Triangle, p. 61; September 5, 2005, review of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, p. 63; June 4, 2007, review of Girl at Sea, p. 50; May 12, 2008, review of Suite Scarlett, p. 55; June 27, 2011, review of The Name of the Star, p. 158; January 7, 2013, review of The Madness Underneath, p. 61; October 23, 2017, review of Truly Devious, p. 83.
School Librarian, autumn, 2015, Andrea Regan, review of The Shadow Cabinet, p. 183.
School Library Journal, June, 2004, Miranda Doyle, review of The Key to the Golden Firebird, p. 143; November, 2004, Susan Riley, review of The Bermudez Triangle, p. 146; October, 2005, Emily Garrett, review of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, p. 163; October, 2006, Susan Riley, review of Devilish, p. 158; June, 2007, Emily Garrett, review of Girl at Sea, p. 148; October, 2008, Madeline J. Bryant, review of Let It Snow, p. 94, and Emily Garrett Cassady, review of Suite Scarlett, p. 150; January, 2010, Amy S. Pattee, review of Scarlett Fever, p. 104; September, 2011, Barbara M. Moon, review of The Name of the Star, p. 157; March, 2013, Barbara M. Moon, review of The Madness Underneath, p. 162; January, 2015, Stephanie Klose, review of The Shadow Cabinet, p. 111; October, 2017, Stephanie Klose, review of Truly Devious, p. 108.
Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 2010, Amy Fiske, review of Scarlett Fever, p. 248; April, 2011, Liz Sundermann, review of The Last Little Blue Envelope, p. 61; October, 2011, Sean Rapacki, review of The Name of the Star, p. 404; April, 2013, Etienne Vallee and Ema Whipple McKie, review of The Madness Underneath, p. 675; February, 2015, Shana Morales, review of The Shadow Cabinet, Voice of Youth Advocates, February, 2015, p. 79; February, 2018, Karen Sykeny, review of Truly Devious, p. 56; February, 2019, Jenny Staller, review of The Vanishing Stair, p. 59.
ONLINE
A.V. Club, https://www.avclub.com/ (July 25, 2013), Laura M. Browning, “Maureen Johnson on Her Characters, Reader Expectations, and the Zombie Book She’d Write.
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (February 7, 2018), Deborah Kalb, “Q&A with Maureen Johnson.”
Frolic website, https://frolic.media/ (February 15, 2020), Aurora Dominguez, interview with Johnson.
Happy Ever After blog, https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/ (March 21, 2013), Joyce Lamb, “Interview: Maureen Johnson, The Madness Underneath.”
Hypable.com, https://www.hypable.com/ (January 17, 2018), Erica Ostergar, “Exclusive: Maureen Johnson talks Truly Devious, Agatha Christie, and More.”
Maureen Johnson website, http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com (August 15, 2020).
Nerd Daily website, https://www.thenerddaily.com/ (January 19, 2020), Elise Dumpleton, “Q&A: Maureen Johnson, Author of The Hand On The Wall.“
Publishers Weekly online, https://www.publishersweekly.com/ (November 7, 2019), Sue Corbett, “Q & A with Maureen Johnson.”
YA and Kids Books Central blog, http://www.yabookscentral.com/ (January 10, 2018), Kaya King, interview with Johnson.
About Me
Fancy bio you can copy and paste into things
Maureen Johnson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, The Name of the Star, and Truly Devious. She has also done collaborative works, such as Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle), and The Bane Chronicles (with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan). Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and The Guardian, and she has also served as a scriptwriter for EA Games. She has an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and lives in New York City.
Maureen Johnson
I sit around looking classy like this all the time. All writers do.
A shorter bio
I write books.
A longer bio
I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Many people claim this, but in my case it is true. I was born in a hospital that no longer exists! Well, it exists, but in a different building. They tore down the building I was born in and now it is just a smoldering hole in the ground! (Or a Subway or something. I don’t know. I don’t just hang around where I was born. I was born and I just got on with it! I never looked back! I URGE YOU TO DO THE SAME.)
I was an only child, which means that I know how to play Candyland by myself. I was always one of those reading and writing kids. After a little dalliance with astronomy (I had a glow in the dark star chart) and archaeology (I had a little shovel), I declared my intention to become a writer at the age of eight or nine or so. “I shall be a writer,” I said. “And I will develop no other skills to ensure I have no back up plan!”
I graduated from the University of Delaware, home of the Fighting Blue Hens. I was a writing major, but I spent most of my time working on shows. After college, I became the literary manager of a wonderful (but now defunct) Philadelphia theater company. Soon after that, I moved to New York to study theatrical dramaturgy and writing at Columbia University School of the Arts. As a graduate student, I held at least a dozen different jobs to pay my way through school. These included: working in a haunted house theme restaurant, being a fake employee for a company to make it look like more people worked there than actually did, and working on a show in Las Vegas that had live tigers and malfunctioning smoke machines in the same enclosed area. I was also an editor.
I spend most of my time writing books. You can find out more about those books by clicking on the BOOKS link above.
FAQ
Hello! Welcome to my Frequently Asked Questions page! I have found that many people have questions to ask when they are doing HOMEWORK. Maybe this is you?
Sadly, I cannot answer individual requests for homework help. There are two reasons for this:
Homework questions are hard, and many. If I answered them all I wouldn’t get anything else done, including writing books. And writing books is my job. It takes up a lot of time. And if I didn’t write the books, no one would have any reason to ask me any questions. This turns into one of those chicken and egg situations. Except the answer in this case is CHICKEN, because I think we all equate chickens with books. Right?
Questions about things like symbols, themes, meaning . . . these are all for you to determine! I can’t answer those no matter what!
But do not think I do not want to help! Below, I have answered some common questions. Hopefully these will be of some assistance!
If you are not doing homework… you are also welcome to enjoy the FAQ!
About Me
Where were you born? In a snowstorm, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Why Philadelphia? My mom was there. I tended to go where she went back in those days.
What’s your birthday? The 16th of February.
Where do you live? New York City.
What do your parents do? Are they writers? My mother is a nurse. My father is a retired engineer. They are most assuredly not writers.
Do you have any siblings? Sadly, no.
Who is Zelda? Zelda is my dog.
Who is Oscar? An English person who lives in my house. He is not, as many people think, a cat.
Where did you go to school? For high school, I attended a private, Catholic prep school for girls. For undergrad, I went to the University of Delaware, and (briefly) the University of Bristol in the UK. For graduate school, I went to Columbia University.
What did you major in at school? Writing (classical rhetoric, technical writing, and nonfiction) and theatrical dramaturgy.
What’s dramaturgy? A dramaturg (someone who practices dramaturgy) is kind of a playwright-director-researcher-editor. Dramaturgs help put together seasons of plays, select and develop new plays, adapt books and stories for stage, choose translations, do research on historical plays . . . basically, anything that has to be done to a script . . . a dramaturg can be brought in to help do it. Mostly what I did was break up fights between directors and playwrights, put out small fires, and find missing actors and musicians.
Do you know that you have the same name as a character from Rent? Yes.
Are you her? No.
How often do you get this question? About 5-10 times a week.
On Writing and Publishing
I am an aspiring writer! What advice can you give me? Read everything you can. Write all the time. Keep writing and writing and writing . . . and don’t worry about publishing right away. Writing is a bit like playing an instrument or dancing or acting . . . you have to practice and learn for a long time before you go up in front of people.
How do you get over writer’s block? I just keep sitting down in front of the computer again. I don’t want to keep using analogies, but for me, it’s kind of like a physical activity—when you first start doing it, sometimes you get aches and pains and its hard to work for a long time—but then you build up, and you learn to deal with the aches and the pains and the slow days. You just work through them. I guess I recommend a regular schedule. Just keep going.
I have written a book! Can I send it to your agent? My agent, Daphne Unfeasible of Unfeasible Enterprises (a.k.a. Kate Schafer of kt literary) has a very thorough website. You can read her submission policy here!
I have written a book! Will you read it and tell me what you think? I wish I could. Honestly. The problem is, if I did this whenever I got a request, I would never have time to do anything else, including eat. And I get hungry.
I have written a book that is being published (not self published, but by a publisher). I would like you to blurb it! Can I send it to you? Thank you for thinking of me! Here is how this works. All blurb requests should go to my agent and should preferably come from your agent or editor. Kate manages the flow of requests. She will talk you through it.
Why did you make that distinction about self publishing? Because at this time I do not read self-published works for blurbing purposes. If the industry changes in the future I am sure my policy will change. But that’s how it stands now.
I am a teenager and I really want to publish this book/story I wrote. How can I get published right now? I seriously recommend that you wait to try to get published–and in truth, even if you don’t wait to try, your chances are not very good. I know this sounds harsh but, it is truthful and solid advice. Most books written by teenagers are nowhere near ready for publication. It takes a long time to learn how to write. John Scalzi explains this whole issue in a fantastic article you can read here. I really recommend it, because he’s right.
So, you’re saying I should give up? Definitely not. Quite the opposite. Keep writing. Write all the time. The publishing part is the least important part of this equation. That’s the part that’s a job. Publishing is a business. Writing is your craft. Every writer I know was a teenage writer who just kept going.
Touring/Appearances/Online
Where do you go on your book tours? I go where I am sent by my publisher, and where I go varies each time!
Can you come to my town? That would be awesome! Of COURSE I want to come to your town! But someone has to send me. Which means that someone at a bookstore or library has to make the request to my publisher, and my publisher has to figure it all out and schedule it. I can’t go everywhere I’m asked, sadly. But I can go to SOME of the places.
Do you do Skype visits? Sometimes I do. It depends on my work schedule. Sometimes I am just writing or just traveling, so I don’t do them then. But other times I am here and ready to stare you down via the tiny camera on my computer. Penguin works with Skype to set these up. You can email them here.
Why don’t you have a YouTube channel? I do. It’s here. I don’t make videos very often. I did substitute for John Green on vlogbrothers when he was on paternity leave on two occasions, and that almost killed me. Videos are hard and take away valuable time I could be using to eat snacks or write books. Also, I don’t think I am very good at them. Who knows? I may start making them regularly. I AM FULL OF SURPRISES, LIKE A CAN OF POP-UP SNAKES.
I would like to interview you! How do I go about this? Thank you! Email here with your information (media outlet/site/topic/timeline, etc.). I answer to the best of my ability–sometimes I’m working or away or having a “life” but I do what I can, as I can!
The Books in General
How long does it take you to write a book? Nine months to a year, generally. Sometimes much longer. But there’s one book I’ve been working on for about ten years (not consistently). It’s not done.
How many languages, besides English, are you published in? At the moment: twenty-four. I’ll forget to update this, so assume it is at least twenty-four.
Are you going to make movies out of any of your books? This one isn’t totally my call. Here is how this works: movie studios may see your book and get interested in it. If so, they get in touch and offer something called an option. An option is an agreement that, for a certain amount of money, they are the only ones who can make that book into a movie for a certain period of time. Movie studios and producers option stuff all the time, but they only make some of it. (This is why sometimes you hear a book you like has been “optioned” and then you sit around waiting for your movie and it never comes.) Sometimes, though, the stars align and they decide to make the movie! Which is nice. But often the author has very little to do with the whole process.
All of that being said…there are some things of mine in various stages of development. Should one of them materialize into a movie, I SHALL INFORM YOU.
Where do you get your ideas? Everywhere, all the time. Every moment, every day, there is something to observe!
Okay, but seriously, where do you get them? The Olive Garden.
Maureen Johnson
USA flag (b.1973)
Maureen Johnson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Like a lot of people who end up writing books, she was always reading. This paid off in the end, but also resulted in her not playing any sports, so she is spectacularly uncoordinated, and is easily injured by harmless household objects, like endtables.
She studied writing and theatrical dramaturgy at Columbia University. Before she could spend all her days writing, Maureen served up hamburgers in the company of mad scientists and talking skeletons in New York, tended bar in Piccadilly Circus, nervously worked alongside live tigers in Las Vegas, and once got mixed up with the entire cast of a major West End musical.
Maureen lives in New York City, and when she is not writing, spends her time in a relentless pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee. If you know where it is, get in touch with her at once.
Genres: Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Romance
New Books
July 2020
(paperback)
Ghosts of the Shadow MarketAugust 2020
(paperback)
Shadowhunters Short Story Paperback CollectionNovember 2020
(paperback)
The Hand on the Wall
(Truly Devious, book 3)
Series
Little Blue Envelope
1. 13 Little Blue Envelopes (2005)
2. The Last Little Blue Envelope (2011)
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Scarlett
1. Suite Scarlett (2008)
2. Scarlett Fever (2009)
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Shades of London
0.5. Boy In The Smoke (2014)
1. The Name of the Star (2011)
2. The Madness Underneath (2012)
3. The Shadow Cabinet (2015)
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Bane Chronicles
2. The Runaway Queen (2013) (with Cassandra Clare)
5. The Rise of the Hotel Dumort (2013) (with Cassandra Clare)
7. The Fall of the Hotel Dumort (2013) (with Cassandra Clare)
9. The Last Stand of the New York Institute (2013) (with Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare)
11. The Voicemail of Magnus Bane (2014) (with Sarah Rees Brennan and Cassandra Clare)
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Truly Devious
1. Truly Devious (2018)
2. The Vanishing Stair (2019)
3. The Hand on the Wall (2020)
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Ghosts of the Shadow Market (with Cassandra Clare)
3. Every Exquisite Thing (2018)
5. A Deeper Love (2018)
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Novels
The Key to the Golden Firebird (2004)
The Bermudez Triangle (2004)
Devilish (2006)
Girl at Sea (2007)
On the Count of Three (2013)
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Omnibus
Let It Snow (2008) (with John Green and Lauren Myracle)
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Collections
Vacations from Hell (2009) (with Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Claudia Gray and Sarah Mlynowski)
Ghosts of the Shadow Market (2020) (with Sarah Rees Brennan, Kelly Link and Robin Wasserman)
Shadowhunters Short Story Paperback Collection (2020) (with Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare and Kelly Link)
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Series contributed to
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
3. The Whitechapel Fiend (2015) (with Cassandra Clare)
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (2016) (with Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman)
Shadowhunters Short Story Collection (2019) (with Cassandra Clare)
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Non fiction
How I Resist (2018) (with Tim Federle)
Maureen Johnson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the author. For the character from Rent, see Rent (musical) § Maureen Johnson. For character by Robert A. Heinlein, see Maureen Johnson (Heinlein character).
Maureen Johnson
American author Maureen Johnson at LA Times Festival of Books 2012.png
Born February 16, 1973 (age 47)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation Novelist
Nationality United States
Period 2004–present
Genre Young adult fiction, Mystery fiction
Signature
Website
www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com
Maureen Johnson (born February 16, 1973) is an American author of young adult fiction. Her published novels include 13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Name of the Star, Truly Devious, and Suite Scarlett. Among Johnson's works are collaborative efforts such as Let It Snow, a holiday romance novel of interwoven stories co-written with John Green and Lauren Myracle, and a series of novellas found in anthologies The Bane Chronicles, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, and Ghosts of the Shadow Market.
Contents
1 Early life and education
2 Career and writings
2.1 First works
2.2 Series
2.3 On the topic of book banning
2.4 Further chronology
3 Social media presence, advocacy, and activism
3.1 YA for Obama
3.2 ShelterBox
4 Other creative projects
4.1 VlogBrothers
4.2 Welcome to Night Vale
4.3 Says Who?
5 Personal life
6 Bibliography
6.1 Standalone novels
6.2 Series novels
6.2.1 13 Little Blue Envelopes
6.2.2 Suite Scarlett
6.2.3 Shades of London
6.2.4 Truly Devious
6.3 Anthologized novellas
6.3.1 The Bane Chronicles
6.3.2 Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
6.3.3 Ghosts of the Shadow Market: An Anthology of Tales
6.4 Other publications
6.4.1 Anthologies edited
6.4.2 Short stories
6.4.3 Essays
6.4.4 Short works in support of the Harry Potter Alliance (e-book only)
7 Awards and nominations
8 References
9 External links
Early life and education
Johnson was born in Philadelphia and attended an all-girl Catholic preparatory high school. She graduated from the University of Delaware in 1995 with a degree in English.[1] Johnson later worked variously as literary manager of a Philadelphia theater company, a waitress in a theme restaurant, a secretary, a bartender in Piccadilly, and an occasional performer in New York City. She studied both writing and theatrical dramaturgy at Columbia University, where she received her MFA in Writing.[2]
Career and writings
Johnson, at right, along with fellow author Lauren Myracle at left while signing at the LA Times Festival of Books in 2012.
Johnson, at right, along with fellow author Lauren Myracle at left while signing at the LA Times Festival of Books in 2012.
First works
Johnson's debut novel The Key to the Golden Firebird was published in May 2004 by HarperTeen. Centered around themes of grief and resilience and set in the suburbs of Philadelphia a year after his passing, the novel depicts three sisters of different age as they individually process and come to understand their father's death, and their paths ahead. The Key to the Golden Firebird entered the market during a resurgence of popular interest in the young adult fiction genre.[3] In 2005, it received starred reviews from both School Library Journal and Booklist.
Johnson's second published novel, The Bermudez Triangle (later reissued as On the Count of Three in 2013), was released in October 2004. Following three high school seniors who have been best friends since childhood— Nina, Avery, and Melanie— two of whom have been dating secretly since the summer, The Bermudez Triangle explores the complexity of relationships and self-identity, from the changing nature of bonds, to the experiences of both platonic love and attraction, and the gifts and difficulties of first romances. It was selected as a Winter 2004 Book Sense Pick, as well as listed for New York Public Library's “Books for the Teen Age 2006”, and the American Library Association’s Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, GLTBQ list.
Johnson's third novel and first series, 13 Little Blue Envelopes was published in August 2005 by HarperTeen. The story follows seventeen-year-old Virginia (Ginny) Blackstone, as she embarks on a journey throughout Europe by following a series of instructions left to her within letters from her beloved, self-proclaimed "Runaway Aunt" Peg, upon notice of her passing. While written in the style of contemporary realistic fiction that much of her earlier work is known for, Johnson herself has said she considers Ginny's adventure to be "a little bit of a fairy tale," and has cited the song "Charmed Life" by Irish artist Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy for its likeness to the spirit with which the novel was written.[4][5] The Last Little Blue Envelope, the sequel to Johnson's 2005 novel, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, was later published in April 2011.[6]
In September 2006, Johnson's fourth novel Devilish was published by Razorbill, an imprint of what was then Penguin Group. Set in a preparatory school in Rhode Island where "barbed wire keeps the boys out and the ancient nuns keep the girls in," Devilish follows the travails of two senior students, Jane and Allison (Ally), as they experience seemingly supernatural upheavals within their friendship and school year, culminating in what appears to be a battle for Ally's soul. Marking Johnson's first full departure from contemporary realistic fiction, Devilish was shortlisted in 2007 for the Andre Norton Award, which celebrates excellence in YA science fiction and fantasy novel writing.[7]
Series
In May 2008, Johnson's sixth novel Suite Scarlett was published by Point. It explores the life of newly fifteen-year-old Scarlett Martin, whose family resides within and personally run the Hopewell hotel. Described as a small “jewel box of a hotel” built at the height of Art Deco style in the heart of Manhattan's Upper East Side, the Hopewell is a local institution in need of both repairs and guests. Scarlett explores family dynamics, coming of age, and some the strange opportunities of New York City for those who find themselves working in and adjacent to the performing arts. Upon her fifteenth birthday, as per Martin family tradition, Scarlett is handed the keys to one of their home's suites, as well as the responsibility of maintaining it and seeing after its guests. Scarlett's struggles to meet the eccentric demands of the Empire Suite's first and apparently now permanent tenant, Mrs. Amberson, become the basis of much of the experiences of her formative years. Suite Scarlett was selected by the American Library Association for their list Best Books for Young Adults 2009, and received a starred review by Booklist.
In September 2011, Johnson's tenth novel The Name of the Star was published by Speak. The first of four titles to be set in the Shades of London series, The Name of the Star follows Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux as she travels to London to begin boarding school, where she is quickly pulled into the center of a world of paranormal murders that mimic those of Jack the Ripper.[8] In 2012, The Name of the Star was nominated for an Edgar Award for excellence in the category of young adult fiction.[9] The second and third Shades novels, The Madness Underneath and The Shadow Cabinet, were published in February 2013 and February 2015, respectively.[10] A forthcoming novel is confirmed to conclude the series, with a publication date expected to be announced for sometime after January 2020.[11]
In November 2014, The Bane Chronicles, an anthology of novellas written with fellow young adult fiction authors Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan was first released in hardcover by Margaret K. McElderry Books. Prior to their print release as a collected anthology, each title was initially debuted separately in ebook and downloadable audiobook formats. The Bane Chronicles is set within the same world as Clare's The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices series, with the stated intent being to explore the life of the "enigmatic Magnus Bane," a character of Clare's whose "alluring personality, flamboyant style, and sharp wit..." had become a favorite among fans.[12] Johnson's principle contributions to the anthology and their first availability are as follows: The Runaway Queen (May 2013), The Rise of the Hotel Dumort (August 2013), The Fall of the Hotel Dumort (October 2013), and The Last Stand of the New York Institute (December 2013, co-written with Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan). The Bane Chronicles has appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list for children's series a number of times, beginning the week of July 7, 2013.
Truly Devious (Katherine Tegen Books, 2018) is the first in a trilogy of mystery novels to follow Stevie Bell, a true crime aficionado set to begin studies at the exclusive yet ideal-minded Ellingham Academy in the remote mountains of Vermont, where she's prepared to put her mind to one primary goal: solving one of the great unsolved crimes of American history. The second novel of the trilogy, The Vanishing Stair, was published January 2019. The third and concluding novel, The Hand on the Wall, is scheduled for publication in January 2020.[13]
On the topic of book banning
In June 2007, the parent of a student in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, challenged The Bermudez Triangle's presence within the school. The parent went on record saying "I didn’t appreciate that it was there", referring to the book being in the library. "I just don’t think homosexual materials belong in our schools."[14] While book challenges in the U.S. are not uncommon,[15] Johnson's response upon learning of the issue was to quickly publish a blog post on her website calling for greater transparency in the school system's challenge process.[16] In an attempt to resolve the controversy, the school board did not remove the book but instead placed it in a restricted area of the high school's library.[17] In an interview in January 2008 in retrospect of the situation, Johnson expressed the primary concern that censorship of stories on the basis of a character's identity will adversely effect all children, particularly those who happen to share that given identity. On the school's copy of The Bermudez Triangle ultimately being placed in a restricted area, Johnson stated: "To do so is basically saying to the gay kids, 'There’s something dirty about you.' Anyone who would say that is the true filthmonger."[18]
Further chronology
In May 2007, Johnson's novel Girl at Sea was published by HarperTeen. The novel follows seventeen-year-old Clio Ford's attempts to make the best of being suddenly cast away from her home for the summer in pursuit of a mysterious treasure abroad. Set primarily aboard a pre-owned yacht somewhere amidst the Mediterranean at the behest of her father, it explores Clio's perspective as she struggles with first romantic infatuations, dives at sea among shipwrecks, and navigates a series of new relationships and situations.
In May 2009, Johnson contributed her story "The Law of Suspects" to Vacations from Hell, a collection of supernatural tales on the topic of vacations gone awry, along with fellow authors Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Claudia Gray, and Sarah Mlynowski.
On November 27, 2009, Johnson first became a New York Times Best Selling author when Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances (October 2008, Speak) reached number ten on the Children's Paperback list.[19] A holiday romance novel of interwoven stories co-written with John Green and Lauren Myracle, Let It Snow begins with Johnson's "The Jubilee Express". The book is currently under adaption to film, with distribution by Netflix set for a November 2019 release.
Johnson worked a scriptwriter for EA Games in 2009, helping develop the Nintendo DS and PSP versions of the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince video game.[20]
In February 2010, Johnson's eighth book and the second title in the Scarlett series, Scarlett Fever, was published. According to Johnson later in June 2014,[21] a third entry in the Scarlett series was well underway, but no further news has been publicly available since then. At the time of her statement, both titles were receiving their first publication within the U.K. by Hot Key Books, an imprint of Bonnier Group.
In September 2010, Johnson contributed her story "The Children of the Revolution" to Zombies vs. Unicorns, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. Each of the twelve stories featured in Zombies vs. Unicorns aim to make a case for their respective side. Fellow authors in the anthology include Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Meg Cabot, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Carrie Ryan, Scott Westerfeld, Garth Nix, Kathleen Duey, Margo Lanagan, Naomi Novik, Diana Peterfreund, and Margo Lanagan.
In 2011, Johnson became the ongoing lead coordinator of LeakyCon's Lit Track programming, the literary focused experience for fans of young adult fiction more broadly. A production of Mischief Management, LeakyCon is the largest regularly held Harry Potter fan convention in North America.[22] Topics of the Lit Track have included the importance of supporting diversity within young adult literature, the experience of writing romance fiction that respects teenaged characters, use of critical thinking in examining the labels we ascribe to particular kinds of fiction, and panels discussing the stories that authors of popular fiction first wrote for themselves in their teenage years.[23]
In March 2014, Johnson was selected to represent the YA category for World Book Day in the United Kingdom[24] with the first publication of her novella The Boy in the Smoke, a prequel story to the Shades of London series.[25] That August, The Boy in the Smoke was additionally released to an international audience for free through the online reading and story writing platform Wattpad.[26]
In November 2016, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, an anthology of novellas written with fellow popular young adult fiction authors Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Robin Wasserman was first released in hardcover by Margaret K. McElderry Books. Prior to their print release as a collected anthology, each title was initially debuted separately in ebook and downloadable audiobook formats. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy is described as providing an epilogue to Clare's Mortal Instruments series, exploring the experiences of Simon Lewis, who now finds himself stripped of his memories and unsure of his identity but determined to figure it out as his journey continues. [11] Johnson's principle contributions and their first availability are the stories The Whitechapel Fiend (April 2015) and The Fiery Trial (September 2015).
How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation (Wednesday Books, 2018) is a collection of essays, songs, illustrations, and interviews on the topics of activism and hope, with all author proceeds donated to support the ACLU.[27] Edited by Johnson, and spurred by her concern for helping young readers navigate how they might respond to the political climate in the U.S. post the 2016 presidential election, the anthology features thirty artists of diverse experience sets. Contributors include Jacqueline Woodson, Malinda Lo, Jason Reynolds, Dana Schwartz, Jodi Picoult, Sabaa Tahir, Hebh Jamal, Javier Muñoz, Libba Bray, John Paul Brammer, and more.
Social media presence, advocacy, and activism
Johnson has maintained a personal website about her work and experiences as an author since 2005, with blog entries dating as far back as August of that year. In June 2008, she joined then-new micro-blogging platform Twitter as one of its early users, where she has likened her many posts about everything from the news of the day to searching the town of Guildford for a baking pan[28] to the habit she had developed of leaving post-it notes around for others to read while working in theater productions.[29]
YA for Obama
In September 2008, shortly before the general election, Johnson launched the inclusive political social networking community YA for Obama to support then U.S. Senator Barack Obama's candidacy for President.[30][31] Intended as a way to help organize support and interest for Obama's campaign among young people and provide safe avenues for them to engage the American political process, YA for Obama used the online community publishing platform Ning, and comprised discussion forums, user-generated content such as videos and photos, and daily blog updates written by popular Young Adult fiction authors. Notable contributors included Judy Blume,[32] Scott Westerfeld, Lauren Myracle, Cecily von Ziegesar, and Megan McCafferty.[33][34]
ShelterBox
In February 2011, in response to the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, Johnson took to Twitter in an effort to raise funds for ShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity established in 2000 in Helston, Cornwall, UK, that provides emergency shelter and other aid items to families around the world who have lost their homes to disaster or conflict.[35] A ShelterBox (the actual aid kit itself) is designed to provide families with stable, lasting shelter and a level of independence after a disaster, and include high quality aid items chosen to best suit to the particular situation at hand. As described by Johnson at the time:
When there’s a disaster, Shelterbox deploys trained volunteers (hardcore people who’ve done survival training) with their special shelters in a box. The kits vary, but all contain the basic life-sustaining materials people need to survive after a disaster. Tents that fit families of ten. Blankets. A stove. Tools. You can get a good look at the kits here. Use your mouse to examine the various contents. Each box costs £590 (about $950) and literally puts a roof over someone’s head.
Funds were raised through a general call to action and the giving away of signed ARCs (advance reader copies of books) and other literary materials to donors. The prizes themselves were donated by various authors in support of the aid effort. Donors were asked to make contributions to the charity directly, while sharing a common label so that their total as a group could be tracked. The amount raised was $15,202 USD, enough to fund 16 shelters and supplies.
Weeks later, when the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurred, Johnson returned to Twitter with fellow authors to attempt to replicate the aid that was raised, this time with the people of Japan and anyone directly affected by the earthquake and tsunami in mind.[36] Almost the same amount of money was raised, totaling $14,202 USD[37], enough for an additional 14 shelter kits to be deployed to those who needed them.
In May, in response to the tornado in Joplin, Missouri, Johnson and fellow authors used the same strategy to raise an additional $4,913.90 USD, with funds split between ShelterBox and the Red Cross.[38]
Johnson has continued to advocate publicly via social media for awareness on behalf of ShelterBox at times of disaster and particular need.
Other creative projects
VlogBrothers
In January 2010, Johnson was acknowledged as John Green's secret sister on the popular YouTube channel VlogBrothers. With the reveal of this honorary title, Johnson took on the role of creating videos for the channel during his absence to paternity leave. Johnson later reprised the duty after the birth of Green's second child in 2013.
Welcome to Night Vale
Since June 2014, Johnson has voiced the character Intern Maureen on the surreal fiction podcast Welcome to Night Vale, as well as occasionally performed the character live on stage. In June 2016, while in conversation at 92Y in New York, co-creator Joseph Fink explained that the character of Intern Maureen was initially written in the image of Johnson, but quickly killed off, as death is a kind of tradition for most interns of the Night Vale Radio station. Johnson, a vocal fan[39] of the podcast, in turn led a Twitter campaign in protest, leading Fink and Cranor to agree to bring the character back on the condition that Johnson perform the role herself. Intern Maureen's continued survival has since become an ongoing joke within the stories. Johnson provided the foreword for The Great Glowing Coils of the Universe (Harper Perennial, 2016), a collected volume of early podcast scripts.
Says Who?
In September 2016, Johnson began co-hosting the podcast Says Who? alongside former Punk Planet editor and author Dan Sinker. Self-described as a coping strategy, Says Who? was originally conceived as an eight-week project in which Johnson and Sinker would talk with political experts about how they were surviving news coverage of the 2016 Presidential Election. The podcast has since continued past the results of the election, and switched to a biweekly format in which the hosts attempt to humorously discuss the news of the day, and more personally, share how they are coping as citizens in the current political era.
Personal life
Johnson lives in New York City.[40] A self-described vegetarian since 1994, she has frequently shared her love for both vegan and vegetarian cooking through blog posts and tweets.[41] "I'm a vegetarian from Philadelphia, which means I spend my life trying to make a vegetarian steak sandwich."[42]
On June 23, 2018, Johnson was married in New York's Central Park at the Ladies Pavilion. The reception was held shortly thereafter at Housing Works, a non-profit bookstore and venue space whose mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS.[43] Reflecting upon the experience on Twitter, she wrote "There was no better place to have a party on Pride weekend."[44]
Bibliography
Standalone novels
The Key to the Golden Firebird (May 25, 2004)
The Bermudez Triangle (October 7, 2004), later reissued in America as On the Count of Three (April 18, 2013)
Devilish (September 7, 2006)
Girl at Sea (May 29, 2007)
Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances (Co-written with John Green and Lauren Myracle) (October 2, 2008)
Series novels
13 Little Blue Envelopes
13 Little Blue Envelopes (August 23, 2005)
The Last Little Blue Envelope (April 26, 2011)
Suite Scarlett
Suite Scarlett (May 1, 2008)
Scarlett Fever (February 1, 2010)
Shades of London
The Name of the Star (September 29, 2011)
The Madness Underneath (February 26, 2013)
The Boy in the Smoke (Prequel novella for World Book Day) (February 24, 2014)
The Shadow Cabinet (February 10, 2015)
Truly Devious
Truly Devious (January 16, 2018)
The Vanishing Stair (January 22, 2019)
The Hand on the Wall (January 21, 2020)
Anthologized novellas
The Bane Chronicles
Co-written with Cassandra Clare & Sarah Rees Brennan
The Runaway Queen (May 21, 2013)
The Rise of the Hotel Dumort (August 20, 2013)
The Fall of the Hotel Dumort (October 15, 2013)
The Last Stand of the New York Institute (December 17, 2013)
The Bane Chronicles (Compiled print edition - November 11, 2014)
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
Co-written with Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan & Robin Wasserman
The Whitechapel Fiend (April 21, 2015)
The Fiery Trial (September 22, 2015)
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (Compiled print edition - November 15, 2016)
Ghosts of the Shadow Market: An Anthology of Tales
Co-written with Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Kelly Link & Robin Wasserman
Every Exquisite Thing (June 12, 2018)
A Deeper Love (August 14, 2018)
Ghosts of the Shadow Market: An Anthology of Tales (Compiled print edition - June 4, 2019)
Other publications
Anthologies edited
How I Resist: Activism and Hope for a New Generation (May 15, 2018)
Short stories
"The Law of Suspects" in Vacations From Hell (May 26, 2009)
"The Children of the Revolution" in Zombies vs. Unicorns (September 21, 2010)
Essays
"Hot Sex and Horrific Parenting in His Dark Materials" in The World of the Golden Compass (January 28, 2007)
"Stupid Monsters and Child Surgeons" in Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles (April 10, 2018)
Short works in support of the Harry Potter Alliance (e-book only)
"1776: A Story in Tweets" first released to donors of the HPA's Equality FTW campaign (September 9, 2012)
"A Study in Sink" first released to donors of the HPA's Equality FTW 2013 campaign (February 11, 2014)
"The Sign of Tree" first released to donors of the HPA's Equality FTW 2014 campaign (February 20, 2015)
Awards and nominations
13 Little Blue Envelopes - ALA Teens' Top Ten 2006[45]
Devilish - 2007 Andre Norton Award nomination[46]
"Most Interesting Twitter User to Follow" Mashable Open Web Awards 2009[47]
Ranked as number 15 of TIME's "The 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2011"[48]
The Name of the Star - YALSA 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults[49]<
The Name of the Star - Edgar Award nomination for excellence in Young Adult fiction[50]
Maureen Johnson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, The Name of the Star, and Truly Devious. She has also done collaborative works, such as Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle), and The Bane Chronicles (with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan). Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and The Guardian, and she has also served as a scriptwriter for EA Games. She has an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and lives in New York City.
Q & A with Maureen Johnson
By Sue Corbett | Nov 07, 2019
Comments Click Here
Wrapping up two big projects is how YA author Maureen Johnson will end this decade and start the next one. The film version of Let It Snow, which she co-wrote with John Green and Lauren Myracle, debuts on November 8 on Netflix, and her Truly Devious trilogy, about a teen detective investigating a century-old murder at her Vermont boarding school, concludes with The Hand on the Wall in January. We spoke with Johnson just hours after her return from Los Angeles, where she and her co-authors attended the Let It Snow premiere.
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Was this your first time seeing the film?
We all saw it two to three weeks ago, also in Los Angeles, because Netflix wanted us to be able to talk about it and they wanted to make sure we liked it, which we all did. We genuinely love it.
The novel came out more than a decade ago. Was there a specific holdup?
It was optioned by someone initially, I don’t remember who. Then it was optioned by Universal and the producer who optioned it for them wound up moving to Netflix, so it was a long process. But as soon as it went over to Netflix, things happened very quickly.
On Twitter you said that there was some excellent swag for those who attended the premiere: holiday-themed skull caps with pom-poms. Did you snag one of those for yourself?
Absolutely. Everyone who saw the movie got a hat. That wasn’t the most impressive thing, though. There was a party after the premiere at a diner and the carpet in the entrance said “Let It Snow.” I have no idea who puts these things together.
One measure of success will be reviews. Has the film gotten any yet?
Not to my knowledge. I assume it will turn up in a Google alert. Google alerts and Twitter are how I learn everything.
Sarah Urist Green
(From l.) Lauren Myracle, John Green, and Maureen Johnson at the Let It Snow premiere.
What’s your review, and your co-authors? Is the film faithful to the novel?
It’s significantly different than the book but they’ve improved it. In fact, it doesn’t bear much resemblance to the book at all. It’s a movie for 2019. But we all—me, John, Lauren—feel 100% behind it. They did a great job.
Turning now to 2020, you’ll start next year with the release of the conclusion to your Truly Devious trilogy, which your fans have to be very excited about.
It’s done!
It’s commendable how complex this story is and how you managed to churn out three books in two years. Did you have the whole arc of the story outlined before you began?
Yes, absolutely everything about this was planned. With mysteries you have to do that. This series started from the why. “Why?” is the question that drives the whole machine. But I had charts and graphs and I drew a lot of maps. I wrote an entire file of answers and explanations before I started writing. It’s against the rule of mysteries to try to write one as a series, so I had to have a delivery in each of the first two books. In the third book absolutely everything is resolved.
But I will never do this again. All my future mysteries will be contained in one book. That’s the correct way to do it.
You had written another trilogy—Shades of London—but it wasn’t a mystery. Was it easier?
It was different. It started from a different place, which was, ‘What if there were better quality ghosts?’ I had taken some historical tours of London and everything was haunted. I would ask, “How do you know it’s haunted?” and the answers were “Oh, there’s a cold spot in the room,” or “The door opens on its own.” These were really lame ghostings. I tried to imagine terrifying ghosts. Ghosts who mattered.
Kate Schafer Testerman
Maureen Johnson being interviewed on the red carpet.
So no more mystery series but perhaps more mysteries?
I don’t know why I had never written a mystery before because my passion really is mysteries. I am a lifelong mystery buff. Maybe there’s an aversion to doing the thing that’s closest to us, that means the most.
Who is your favorite detective?
Well I certainly love Sherlock Holmes. The Hound of the Baskervilles has a very special place in my heart. I was a big Agatha Christie reader as a kid. Before I started Truly Devious, I made a list not only of all my favorite detectives—who would be [main character] Stevie’s favorites, too—but a chart of all possible motives for a crime.
Did you ever want to be a real detective?
I’ve gotten that question more than once in my life. As a child, I wanted to be Encyclopedia Brown although I realize now he really wasn’t much of a detective because it was always Bugs Meany. “How did you know that Bugs did it?” My answer was, “It was always Bugs!” I mean his name is Bugs Meany. It’s sort of a giveaway that he’s going to be the villain.
You’re very vocal on Twitter about current events. Do you plan to be active in politics next year?
Oh, yes. More than ever! This is going to be quite a year. In fact, I’m deciding what to do right now because now is the time to sign up. I’ve been having conversations about what I can do to get teens and young adults involved. I’ve been doing that since 2008, but now it feels a little more urgent. So yes is the answer, a hard yes but I’m not sure yet exactly what it’s going to look like at this point.
Good, then, to have cleared the decks with the film coming out and the series concluding!
Well, there will always be something due. I’m pitching a new book and I have some other books to finish but, yes, I have just the Truly Devious book coming out next year. I’m very lucky. I would never use the word blessed lightly but I feel that way. To be able to write all the time is all I ever wanted to do. Now my husband is kind of eyeballing me a little bit because he thinks, occasionally, it’s okay to put your computer down. There are other things to do. He’s English. He’s trying to teach me to relax, but I’m trying to help him understand that I can relax with my computer on.
The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious #3) by Maureen Johnson. HarperCollins/Tegen, $18.99 Jan. 21, 2020 ISBN 978-0-06-233811-2
Maureen Johnson: “I wanted to make a proper game that readers could play along with.”
5 Questions With...
Maureen Johnson
Aurora Dominguez
By: Aurora Dominguez
February 15, 2020
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Note From Frolic: Our resident YA expert Aurora Dominguez got the opportunity to interview author Maureen Johnson and ask her five(ish) questions. Maureen’s novel ‘The Hand on the Wall‘ is out now!]
The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
Aurora: What was your inspiration behind your most recent novel?
Maureen: The story comes out of my love of mystery and out of some classic crime cases. I wanted to take some of the things I love and have loved about many mystery novels—like the remote mansion as both setting and character, the amateur detective, the analogue clues that you can touch and see. I wanted to make a proper game that readers could play along with.
What character do you most relate to and why?
Possibly Nate, the writer who is haunted by the fact that everyone wants him to finish his second book. For reasons. But definitely also Stevie, the true-crime obsessed student who wants to be a detective.
Why do you feel books with powerful and relatable characters are so popular and have such a voice right now?
I think this is always true. We look to stories to explain and expand our world, to open up possibilities to places and people we don’t know, and those we think we do.
Please describe the content of your latest book and what can readers expect from the read.
The Hand on the Wall is the final book in the Truly Devious trilogy. Truly Devious is about Stevie Bell, a true-crime aficionado who wants to be a detective. She’s come to Ellingham Academy, which is one of America’s most prestigious and unusual schools, with the hopes of solving the 1936 kidnapping of the founder’s wife and daughter. The kidnappers sent a mocking riddle signed Truly, Devious. This is an extremely famous case, considered the crime of the century, so the idea that a high school student is going to solve it eighty years later seems absurd to many. While Stevie is at her new school, some strange things happen, including an updated version of the Truly Devious letter being projected on to her wall at night. When a fellow student dies in a freak accident, Stevie is convinced it is murder and sets out on her own investigation that combines past and present. As this investigation continues over the books, Stevie will uncover things that have been buried for many decades, and others will die. In The Hand on the Wall, Stevie discovers how past and present are intertwined, and everything will come to an explosive conclusion up on the mountain.
What’s next for you in the book world?
I’m not sure I can give the specifics yet, but it is definitely a mystery and may have quite a bit in common with Truly Devious!
Who is your favorite writer right now and why?
There is absolutely no way to pick one person!
What makes for a good YA mystery?
The same things that make any mystery great! A good, solid puzzle that allows readers to play along. Mysteries are a game, and readers should be given the opportunity to spot the clues and catch the killer. That’s what I hope I’ve done in Truly Devious! This is a game. I hope you enjoy it!
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About the Author:
Maureen Johnson is the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, and the Shades of London series. Her collaborative books include The Bane Chronicles and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (with Cassandra Clare) and Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle), now a hit feature film on Netflix. She has been a finalist for both an Edgar Award and the Andre Norton Award, and her books appear frequently on YALSA and state awards lists. She lives in New York City with her husband and online on Twitter with everyone else (@maureenjohnson). Visit her website at www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com.
Q&A: Maureen Johnson, Author of ‘The Hand On The Wall’
Maureen Johnson Author Interview
Image Credit: Angela Altus
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New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson delivers the witty and pulse-pounding conclusion to the Truly Devious series as Stevie Bell solves the mystery that has haunted Ellingham Academy for over 75 years.
We chat to author Maureen Johnson about her latest novel The Hand On The Wall, which is the final instalment in the Truly Devious series!
You can find Maureen on Twitter and Instagram, along with at her website.
Hi Maureen! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m an author. I’ve written something like 14 novels? Something like that. I like dogs.
The Hand on The Wall is the final instalment in the Truly Devious series, which publishes on January 21st. If you could only use five words to describe it, what would they be?
Snowstorm. Explosion. Murder. Questions answered.
Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect from this “pulse-pounding” conclusion?
Truly Devious is about Stevie Bell, a true-crime aficionado who wants to be a detective. She’s come to Ellingham Academy, which is one of America’s most prestigious and unusual schools, with the hopes of solving the 1936 kidnapping of the founder’s wife and daughter. The kidnappers sent a mocking riddle signed Truly, Devious. This is an extremely famous case, considered the crime of the century, so the idea that a high school student is going to solve it eighty years later seems absurd to many. While Stevie is at her new school, some strange things happen, including an updated version of the Truly Devious letter being projected on to her wall at night. When a fellow student dies in a freak accident, Stevie is convinced it is murder and sets out on her own investigation that combines past and present. As this investigation continues over the books, Stevie will uncover things that have been buried for many decades, and others will die. In The Hand on the Wall, Stevie discovers how past and present are intertwined, and everything will come to an explosive conclusion up on the mountain.
Without any spoilers, did you always know how the series would end?
I had to have a structure for all three because a mystery is all about how it ends. Who did it? Why? From there, I worked backwards, putting down the clues, making sure everyone was in the right place at the right time. I created a framework for all three books then I outlined each one. That isn’t to say I didn’t make changes along the way! I draft, and then I throw out the draft. That’s my way. I’m a draft-trasher. But the fundamentals had to be there, and I always had to go back and check to make sure all the timelines and clues were correct. Mysteries are about planning. So much planning.
See also
Tricia Levenseller Author Interview
Writers' Corner
Q&A: Tricia Levenseller, Author of ‘The Shadows Between Us’
Is there a favourite scene or character that you really enjoyed writing in this series?
Possibly Nate, the writer always panicking about writing his sequel. I might relate to that. Maybe.
You published your first novel in 2004. What is the most important thing you have learned since then?
That things change all the time and that’s fine. How I write. How publishing works. Embrace change as a general principle.
What’s next for you?
There may be more in store for Stevie Bell…
Will you be picking up The Hand on the Wall? Tell us in the comments below!
KRRP INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR, MAUREEN JOHNSON
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Maureen Johnson’s novel, The Bermudez Triangle was recently challenged in Leesburg Public Library in Florida. It was also previously challenged in Bartlesville, OK. Click here, to view KRRP’s letter to the Bartlesville Board of Education and, here, to view KRRP’s letter to the Leesburg Library Advisory Board.
The Bermudez Triangle is a story about what happens when your two best friends fall in love with each other. That’s the dilemma Nina faces when she discovers that girlfriends Mel and Avery are lesbians in this gripping novel.
The Kids’ Right to Read Project: The Bermudez Triangle is widely acclaimed and well regarded by readers everywhere. How does it feel for this same book to be the center of a censorship controversy?
MJ: It appears to be extremely easy to get caught up in a censorship controversy. All you need is one individual with a personal agenda and some time on his or her hands. As to why they keep going after Bermudez—I can only guess that it’s because the book shows a homosexual relationship as a normal, positive thing.
KRRP: Did you anticipate any controversy over or challenges to The Bermudez Triangle or any of your other novels as you were writing them?
MJ: Not really. I don’t think it’s the kind of thing you plan for, and you never really know what’s going to hit someone’s buttons.
KRRP: Challenges against The Bermudez Triangle have focused on ‘homosexual themes.’ Some commentators have identified this as an increasing trend. Would you like to comment on this?
MJ: This “we aren’t banners, we just think those are adult themes and therefore the books must be labeled/moved to the adult section/require permission to take out” nonsense . . . why, exactly? What is particularly adult about being gay? There are gay kids, gay teens. They have to go on awkward first dates, like all the wrong people, obsess over their crushes, have their hearts broken, fall in love with friends, get permission from their parents to go out, try to borrow the car . . . There are loads of YA books about those things featuring heterosexual characters, and no one bats an eye. Why is it so adult if gay kids are doing it?
It’s not. It’s the same thing. Gay kids need to see their lives reflected in stories. And straight kids want to read these stories as well! Gay characters can’t be relegated to some dark corner of the shelf that you need a map to find and an ID to check out. To do so is basically saying to the gay kids, “There’s something dirty about you.” Anyone who would say that is the true filthmonger. Period.
KRRP: What is important about the ‘controversial’ parts of your books? What role do those excerpts play in the narrative as a whole?
MJ: I don’t see this book as controversial. Neither do most of the kids or parents who have read it. Three people have labeled it as controversial. Three. (At least that I know of. I’m sure it’s on some other list somewhere. But we aren’t talking about huge numbers of people.) And from what I can tell, none of those three read it in its entirety, or very well. What’s been so astonishing is how quickly the conversation can get away from you—and you get labeled by people who haven’t read the book and know nothing of what it’s about.
I watched the report on the local Orlando news about the challenge to Bermudez, and the Fox News report about the case. In both cases, the news outlets took it at face value that the books were “racy” and “XXX rated.” The reporters clearly hadn’t read them. The story just barreled forward, right to “Don’t parents have the right to remove RACY things from the presence of INNOCENT CHILDREN?”
Meanwhile, I’m still scratching my head and asking, “What racy scenes? What XXX scenes?” From what I could tell, they went through the book with a highlighter, tagging every word or phrase that even sounded remotely sexual, even if it was, “We do not have sex.” They’re obsessed . . . in a really unhealthy way. They treat sex like a disease. Again, it seems best not to bring this kind of distorted view into the classification system.
So again, the only “controversial” issue that remains is the fact that the book tells the story of two girls in a romantic relationship. And there is nothing wrong with that.
KRRP: Your book, The Bermudez Triangle, has been challenged both for its inclusion in a school’s curriculum (Bartlesville) and, just recently, for its presence in the Young Adult section of a public library (Leesburg). How did you response to these challenges differ? How was it similar?
MJ: In the case of Bartlesville, the librarian wrote to me and asked for my help because the book was being removed in violation of public policy. One person objected to having a copy of it in the school library (it wasn’t on any reading requirement lists, it was just on the shelf).
From what I was told, the school was agreeing to remove it just to keep things peaceful and get this parent off their back. The librarian stood her ground. She’d been working in that school district for over 30 years and said she’d never seen anything quite like what was going on. So she asked me if I could do anything. I started talking about it and drew a lot of attention to what was going on. The local news got involved. They got hundreds of letters from people in support of the book. They were truly caught with their pants down. In the end, the book was re-shelved and now requires a permission slip to take out—and the librarian was forced out of her job for bringing attention to their actions. It wasn’t the best outcome.
In the case of Leesburg, their request to have the book moved was rejected by the library and the city counsel. I just read this article about them, which says that they’ve gone back to the library and found more books they think are inappropriate, and are trying to get a labeling system put in place. They seem extremely puzzled by the fact that no one else seems interested in this idea. It’s a fantastic article that fills me with optimism. The librarians held their ground, and the city counsel members voted unanimously to keep the books right where they were. It’s so great when the system works.
KRRP: What do you hope librarians, teachers and school administrators take away from the controversy over The Bermudez Triangle?
MJ: I feel for the administrators and the librarians and teachers who have to deal with book banners and challengers. Book banners and challengers feel that they know what’s best for everyone (or, everyone else’s children). They’re so pleased with themselves and their standards, that they feel that they should be the community norm. I can’t even imagine having that much deluded chutzpah. I can’t imagine being that bored, either. Can you imagine going around your neighborhood with a piece of paper that says, “I went into the LIBRARY and found a BOOK with a DIRTY WORD in it, and now I want it LOCKED IN THE BASEMENT and GUARDED by a WOLVERINE so that THE PRECIOUS CHILDREN do not see the WORD. Please sign my petition.”
I guess the only thing I would say is this . . . if you’re facing one of these challenges and you feel like you’re dealing with it all alone, many authors are reachable now. Many have large online presences. There are so many ways we can work together.
KRRP: What sort of responses have you received about the book from youth who have read it?
MJ: Generally very positive. There have been some kids who told me that they really needed a book like this, and that it really helped them. That’s amazing to hear, and I’m so glad for that.
When I tell kids that the book has been challenged and show the news segment with the moms reading the “racy” passages—the ones who’ve read it just laugh. They know the controversy claims are absurd.
KRRP: What would you like youth to know about books that have been challenged or banned?
MJ: The kids I talk to the most tend to be very heavy readers, and the moment they hear that a book has been challenged, they often respond with, “Well, I’m going to go and get it now and read it!” Which is fantastic. They’ve got the situation covered. Really, the challenges have been a great way of promoting the books.
I’m sure they exist, but . . . I’ve never met a kid who supported a book banning. There are obvious reasons for this, like the fact that kids usually want things that are seen to be mature. But I think the main reason is that book banning and challenging are really bad and embarrassing parental behaviors. It’s done under the guise of protecting the child. In reality, the opposite is true. Responsible parents monitor things in the privacy of their own homes. Book banning and challenging parents often make a big show of themselves, sometimes dragging their (probably mortified) kids into the picture as an excuse for their own bad behavior.
KRRP: What advice would you give to fellow authors facing censorship controversies?
MJ: Well, I’ve found resources like this site to be hugely helpful. Talking to librarians and fellow authors who have been through this before—that’s useful too.
And again, since so many of us are online, there have to be loads of ways to help each other out—putting the attention on the book and the importance of librarians, and taking it away from the banners.
A Q&A with Maureen Johnson, author of “Truly Devious”
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Photo credit: Angela Altus
Samantha Dickerson, Lifestyles Editor
February 12, 2019
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During The Seahawk Summer Book Club in 2018, a novel was reviewed called “Truly Devious.” After months of following along with the characters of the “Truly Devious” series, extending the book club into the winter months, The Seahawk was able to have an interview with the writer of the series, Maureen Johnson.
Johnson is a New York Times Best Seller in the young adult category and has written four books series, also including “The Shades of London,” “The Scarlett Series,” and “The Blue Envelope.” Johnson has collaborated with many authors, such as John Green and Lauren Myracle on “Let It Snow,” which is also a New York Times Best Seller.
Along with having many writing accolades, Johnson’s take on writing is interesting and unique. Her love of mysteries is captivating. Her interview further provides information into her writing process and how she crafts a story to create a great modern mystery series.
Q. Why did you decide to incorporate examples of negative and positive spans of mental health for the characters in this book? How do you believe perceptions of mental health in media, such as YA books, can be helpful for teenagers?
A. I absolutely do think it’s helpful. Mental health is health, and health is always a situation in flux. Many, many people have anxiety and depression, or other issues. It’s just a part of life for them. For me, anxiety has been an issue, and the way I have worked with it is to accept it as a part of me. I do stuff with it. It’s just there.
Q. Most of these characters are very distinct because of their abilities, fashion sense, ability to get into trouble, etc. Where did you find inspiration for the main characters of the book?
A. Well, there’s Nate, the writer. That one was easy. I gave him some lines from the writing life. Janelle is a maker. I know makers—people who build constantly, who get parts, who love tools and wires and bits and creating. Ellie is the artist and Hayes the actor. I went to theater school. I work in the arts. Everyone here is familiar to me, and David is the computer programmer who makes video games. This I got from my husband, who makes video games. So, basically, I went around and stole bits and pieces, like a magpie. But also, I was doing the classic setup, like Clue, or any country house mystery—the actor, the artist, the writer, the inventor, dark horse scientist, and the detective, Stevie. This is a detective story, first and foremost!
Q. Were you a big fan of the mystery genre before you wrote the book, or did you learn more about it as you were writing? Did you learn anything that you decided not to put in the book but found interesting?
A. Oh, definitely. As a kid I was a mystery obsessive. Mysteries were my food, and as an adult, I’ve only expanded. This is a good time to be into mystery and true crime. There’s so much for us to read and listen to. When I set out to write this book, I wanted to write a proper mystery—one with a detective, one with clues placed along the trail, one where everyone can play along. And the country house mystery is one of the most fun, in my opinion. “Truly Devious” is all about the game of the mystery. The country house mystery is about a single, distinctive place—kind of out of the way, so the cast of characters, and therefore the list of suspects, is clear. We know the layout. We know who might be involved. And, because the characters usually stay at the location even after the first murder, there is always the potential for more. The country house keeps it contained and gives the reader a chance to get to know all the variables.
When you work on a book that involves research, you learn so much stuff. You use very little of what you take in. You’ll read entire books and maybe just need one small fact. There’s so much I learned about. Here’s one thing about a wood expert: There were several high-profile kidnappings in the 1930s, the most famous of which was the Lindbergh kidnapping. It’s amazing to see how crime scenes were handled. The Lindbergh crime scene had people walking all over it, and a complete stranger, a civilian, did the negotiations with the reported kidnapper. It was completely bananas how the thing was handled. They literally sent some guy who said he was willing to do it. And yet, that case turned on a piece of wood. A single piece of wood. Arthur Koehler, from the Forest Products Laboratory, took the ladder found at the crime scene and methodically traced it back to where it was produced, and from there to where it was shipped, and finally to a cut beam in the attic of Bruno Hauptmann, who was convicted and executed for the crime. This was an incredible piece of work. Nobody had seen anything quite like it. That case is an amazing mix of bizarre encounters and brilliant scientific work.
Q. Ellingham Academy seems like a perfect place for readers with big aspirations and curious spirits. When you were younger, did you dream of attending a school like this?
A. I would have, if I had any sense that they existed. Ellingham is a creation of my imagination, though I am certain there are schools out there that it resembles.
Q. Dottie Epstein cites Maria Montessori and John Dewey in the series. What aspects of their ideologies did you decide to incorporate into your creation of Ellingham?
A. I’m laughing because I know very, very little about them. I knew enough to write that sentence. See above note about research. The pedagogy underpinning Ellingham is just a small part of the stitching, but the connection was interesting.
Q. Politics are at the forefront of this book in many instances. How would you say the political arena has shaped your character, Edward King, and Stevie’s parents?
A. Quite a lot. We live in extreme times, and detective novels are about cracking puzzles and righting wrongs. It’s very natural that Stevie wants to look at what’s going on and do something about it.
Q. And finally, If you could give aspiring writers one piece of advice what would it be?
A. Don’t be afraid to fail. To do it wrong. To write badly. Everyone writes badly on the way to writing well. All writers have to write bad drafts before good ones, loads and loads of them. Writing badly is a natural and correct part of the process. Never, ever be afraid of it. It’s all part of learning.
_
This interview has been edited for clarity.
ALL BLOG POSTS, GUEST POSTS & INTERVIEWS, LET'S TALK YA!
INTERVIEW: MAUREEN JOHNSON, AUTHOR OF THE HAND ON THE WALL (TRULY DEVIOUS #3) + US GIVEAWAY- FFBC TOURS
JANUARY 24, 2020 L.M. DURAND 2 COMMENTS
The Hand on the wall by Maureen Johnson banner
Today, I’m thrilled to host this Q&A with the author of The Hand on the Wall (the third book in the Truly Devious series). Maureen Johnson answers a few questions about her writing and her creative process. Released on January 21, 2020, this book is published by Harper Collins and this Q&A is part of her Blog Tour hosted by FFBC Tour.
Now, let me introduce you to Maureen Johnson.
Maureen Johnson, Author of The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious #3) – Q&A
The Hand on the wall by Maureen Johnson
Credit: Angela Altus
What inspired you to write this book? How do you keep ideas flowing?
I wanted to write a proper mystery, with a detective. A mystery in a remote place, with a distinct cast of characters. The book is set at a remote boarding school called Ellingham Academy, which was the setting of what was called the crime of the century in 1936—the kidnapping of the founder’s wife and daughter and the death of a student. In the present day, the main character goes to the school in the hope of solving the case once and for all—and in the process, the events of the past come back in a very dangerous way. I took some pieces of real historical crimes for the backstory, as well as many elements of classic crime novels. This is a mystery, first and foremost!
Did you know how this book would end when you first started?
Pretty much, yes. I had to have a structure for all three because a mystery is all about how it ends. Who did it? Why? From there, I worked backwards, putting down the clues, making sure everyone was in the right place at the right time. I created a framework for all three books then I outlined each one.
That isn’t to say I didn’t make changes along the way! I draft, and then I throw out the draft. That’s my way. I’m a draft-trasher. But the fundamentals had to be there, and I always had to go back and check to make sure all the timelines and clues were correct. Mysteries are about planning. So much planning.
What were some of the challenges you faced when writing this book?
Technically, you shouldn’t write a mystery over three books. You should get your solution. But this was a big story with a lot of movements and twists, so I plotted it out over three books, with each book giving you a bigger piece of the puzzle. All the rewards come in book three!
Is there something about this book you can share with us that isn’t in the blurb?
I’d suggest taking a good look at the book itself—the art. There may be a clue in there.
What is your favorite place to write?
Anywhere my dog is.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAUREEN JOHNSON, FOR ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS! I NOW HAVE TO GO STUDY THE ART OF THE BOOK COVER! 🙂
Interview - Maureen Johnson, Author of The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious #3). A Ya Thriller/Mystery.
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The Hand on the Wall – Synopsis
The Hand on the wall by Maureen Johnson book cover
New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson delivers the witty and pulse-pounding conclusion to the Truly Devious series as Stevie Bell solves the mystery that has haunted Ellingham Academy for over 75 years.
Ellingham Academy must be cursed. Three people are now dead. One, a victim of either a prank gone wrong or a murder. Another, dead by misadventure. And now, an accident in Burlington has claimed another life. All three in the wrong place at the wrong time. All at the exact moment of Stevie’s greatest triumph . . .
She knows who Truly Devious is. She’s solved it. The greatest case of the century.
At least, she thinks she has. With this latest tragedy, it’s hard to concentrate on the past. Not only has someone died in town, but David disappeared of his own free will and is up to something. Stevie is sure that somehow—somehow—all these things connect. The three deaths in the present. The deaths in the past. The missing Alice Ellingham and the missing David Eastman. Somewhere in this place of riddles and puzzles there must be answers.
Then another accident occurs as a massive storm heads toward Vermont. This is too much for the parents and administrators. Ellingham Academy is evacuated. Obviously, it’s time for Stevie to do something stupid. It’s time to stay on the mountain and face the storm—and a murderer.
In the tantalizing finale to the Truly Devious trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Maureen Johnson expertly tangles her dual narrative threads and ignites an explosive end for all who’ve walked through Ellingham Academy.
BOOK DETAILS
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: January 21, 2020
Book Length: 384 pages
Genre: YA Mystery/Crime/Thriller
The Hand on the Wall. By Maureen Johnson. Jan. 2020. 384p. HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen, $18.99 (9780062338112). Gr. 9-12.
At the end of The Vanishing Stair (2019), Stevie Bell solved the infamous, impossible mystery of the Ellingham disappearances. But it's an accomplishment that she's kept to herself: people have been dying in strange accidents around Ellingham Academy, and Stevie, always the detective, is starting to wonder if there's more going on than meets the eye. As Stevie puzzles her way through the mysteries of the past and present, a storm barrels toward Ellingham Academy, and if Stevie is right, it could trap her and her friends with a killer and bring with it a reckoning that will redirect the future. In this hotly anticipated trilogy finale (beginning with Truly Devious, 2018), Johnson pulls out all the stops, filling the thrillingly nimble narrative with classic mystery conventions. Stevie's anxiety reaches a fever pitch as the storm hems her in, and her struggles with her disorder remain honest to the core. A striking foray into an examination of what mysteries can ever truly be solved, and a satisfying send-off for a series that will be missed.--Maggie Reagan
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Reagan, Maggie. "The Hand on the Wall." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 7, 1 Dec. 2019, p. 54. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A609538853/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ebfb3a01. Accessed 17 June 2020.
Johnson, Maureen THE HAND ON THE WALL Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (Young Adult Fiction) $17.99 1, 21 ISBN: 978-0-06-233811-2
The final, riveting chapter of the Truly Devious murder series.
The initial incident in the series involved the 1936 abduction of newspaper tycoon Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter; the present volume probes several unsavory events that transpired afterward, including Ellingham's own death in 1938, in a sailing accident on Lake Champlain, and the recent immolation of University of Vermont history professor and Ellingham mystery enthusiast Dr. Irene Fenton. Fenton was introduced to protagonist and contemporary "Ellingham Sherlock" Stevie Bell in The Vanishing Stair (2019). As Stevie gets closer to making good on her resolution to solve the Ellingham case's past and present riddles, Johnson makes the most of the exclusive institution's remote, wooded mountain locale, provocatively setting the climax of Stevie's investigations during the throes of a cataclysmic blizzard. Stevie and her motley crew of misfit high school geniuses are stranded a la Agatha Christie with members of the Ellingham Academy administration, who may have a stake in the revelations of several secrets linking the Ellingham kidnappings with present-day murders. Throughout this intricately woven, fast-paced whodunit, Johnson demonstrates how proximity to wealth and power can mold and bend one's behavior, whether with good or--here largely--devious intent. The brainy secondary characters' quirky talents and interests complement Stevie's sleuthing skills; while mostly white, they include diversity in socio-economic background, mental health challenges, physical disability, and sexual orientation.
A richly satisfying, Poirot-like ending for Johnson's inspired and inspiring teen sleuth. (Mystery. 14-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
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Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Johnson, Maureen: THE HAND ON THE WALL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2019. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A606964400/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=4a8641d8. Accessed 17 June 2020.
The Vanishing Stair
By Maureen Johnson
Katherine Tegen
$17.99, 384 pages
9780062338082
Audio, eBook available
Ages 14 and up
Mystery
The cleverly plotted, pageturning sequel to Maureen Johnson's hit bestseller Truly Devious (2018) manages to outshine its predecessor as true crime aficionado Stevie Bell returns to posh private school Ellingham Academy and unearths even more confounding clues in her investigation of a classmate's mysterious disappearance.
Stevie promised school officials and her parents that she would refrain from inserting herself into any more real-life murder investigations and decades-old cold cases. But when she gets an internship with the wacky Dr. Fenton --who wrote the book on the 1936 unsolved kidnappings of Academy founder Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter--she makes a gruesome discovery that rattles the school once more.
To further complicate matters, Stevie has made a deal with corrupt Senator Edward King to keep tabs on his son, David, the boy with whom she shares a burgeoning romance. And then there's Dr. Fenton's handsome nephew, who has some revelations of his own for Stevie. It's not just several murders that Stevie is trying to puzzle out, but her social life as well. All the adults keep warning her away from investigating, but Stevie can't resist a good mystery, and her murder obsession might get her killed.
Suspense and intrigue abound in The Vanishing Stair as Johnson illuminates suspects and teases out clues that will flummox even the most adept murder mystery aficionado. Like the humorous and intellectually curious Stevie, Johnson is a true crime lover, and she dedicates this sequel "to all the murderinos" (fans of the popular "My Favorite Murder" podcast).
Savvy sleuths will devour this sequel in one gulp, but they'll have to wait until 2020 for the next installment.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 BookPage
http://bookpage.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Giarratano, Kimberly. "The Vanishing Stair." BookPage, Feb. 2019, p. 28. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A570439477/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=17e593e2. Accessed 17 June 2020.
5Q * 4P * S Johnson, Maureen. The Vanishing Stair. Katherine Tegen, January 2019. 384p. $17.99. 978-0-062-33808-2.
Stevie Bell was pulled out of her dream school, Ellingham Academy, after the murder of one classmate and the disappearance of another.. Her desire to return to Ellingham goes beyond reuniting with her friends or facing David, the elusive boy she kissed. Stevie wants to solve the famous murders that took place at the school more than fifty years ago. When given the opportunity to go back to Ellingham, albeit with strings attached, Stevie begins to unravel the decades-old mystery and also discovers new information about the recent tragedies at the school. Can Stevie piece together the truth before somebody else gets hurt?
Johnson plays with linear storytelling in this novel, alternating between a contemporary timeline and the story of the 1930s kidnapping and murders. This is effective at building tension and ensuring that the reader is invested in the resolution of both murder plot lines. Because this novel is a sequel, there is some necessary exposition, which may slow down readers familiar with the first book but also ensures that those new to the series will have no problem keeping up. The characters are relatable and interesting, and Johnson's distinctive humor is woven throughout the book. While the novel wraps up some plot threads, it ends in a cliff-hanger that will make readers anxious to get their hands on the final book of the series. This is a recommended purchase for all mystery collections.--Jenny Staller.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Staller, Jenny. "Johnson, Maureen. The Vanishing Stair." Voice of Youth Advocates, vol. 41, no. 6, Feb. 2019, p. 59+. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A580887178/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=133bd638. Accessed 17 June 2020.