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WORK TITLE: Dear Rachel Maddow
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.adriennekisner.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2018077678
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2018077678
HEADING: Kisner, Adrienne
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670 __ |a Kisner, Adrienne. Dear Rachel Maddow, 2018 : |b t.p. (Adrienne Kisner)
PERSONAL
Female.
EDUCATION:Boston University, M.A., Ph.D.; Vermont College of Fine Arts, M.F.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
University chaplain, resident life administrator, and author.
AVOCATIONS:Plants vs. Zombies, tennis, viola.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Prior to launching her writing career, Adrienne Kisner attended Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she obtained a Masters of Fine Arts degree. Kisner has devoted an extensive amount of time to academic pursuits. She has spent much of her professional years working with young people, having served as a teacher of creative writing, a chaplain, and a manager of Residence Life.
Dear Rachel Maddow is one of Kisner’s creative efforts, and serves as her debut novel. In an interview featured on the A Plus website, Kisner explained part of her motivations for creating the novel. “I teach college-level writing and I still assign my students to write letters from time to time because it’s a format that should not die,” she said. “So, I thought, what would a reboot of Dear Mr. Henshaw look like today? Who would consistently write to a celebrity and who would that celebrity be? Thus emerged Brynn.” In another interview on the YA Books Central website, Kisner explained her motivations further to Beth Edwards. “Though it might seem a little too on brand to say so, watching The Rachel Maddow Show did. She is this person I’d see every day for an hour, sometimes twice if I were up late at night and I watched her again.” She continued: “Rachel Maddow became this cheerful, well-informed presence in my life. I started thinking, what if this was true for someone else?”
Dear Rachel Maddow focuses on a young protagonist by the name of Brynn Harper who, while still only in high school, has a lot on her plate. She is struggling to cope with losing her brother and this, in combination with learning difficulties, is impeding her ability to progress in school. On top of this, her former girlfriend has recently decided to end their relationship, leaving Brynn with further emotional fallout to deal with. To cope, Brynn turns to none other than Rachel Maddow, seeking her council in the form of emails Brynn writes to the political news figure on a regular basis, but never sends.
However, through her attempts to find stability for herself, Brynn also stumbles upon a potential purpose in life in the form of her high school’s student government. It all begins when her school reveals its intention to select a superintendent who can better meet its needs. They have turned to the student body to help make this choice. Brynn soon finds that she is the only one who is putting any real thought into this decision, so she takes it upon herself to get more closely involved in this task. In the process, she must contend with her ex, who believes only students with the best grades should have a say in the student body’s governmental decisions.
Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Richard Vigdor remarked that the book’s epistolary format “[gives] the reader an intimate look into the emotional struggles of the main character.” In Booklist, Molly Horan expressed that the book “joins the canon of epistolary YA novels as a charming yet, at times, heartbreaking addition.” A reviewer in Publishers Weekly felt that the content of Dear Rachel Maddow “playfully explores the very human manner in which a stranger like Maddow might come to feel like a friend and confidant.” Kathryn Kania, a contributor to the School Library Journal website, commented: “It is an underdog story, not necessarily of triumph, but of perseverance against terrible odds.” She later called the book “a necessary purchase wherever there are teens.” TeenReads writer Rebecca D. stated: “Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner is overall a good book with serious moments, sad moments, sweet moments and even funny moments, and it will leave you with one lasting question: What would Rachel Maddow do?”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 15, 2018, Molly Horan, review of Dear Rachel Maddow, p. 50.
Publishers Weekly, April 16, 2018, review of Dear Rachel Maddow, p. 93.
Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2018, Richard Vigdor, review of Dear Rachel Maddow, p. 58.
ONLINE
A Plus, https://aplus.com/ (June 26, 2018), Carson Blackwelder, “This YA Author’s Debut Novel Is About Rachel Maddow, A Few Emails, And One Relatable Teen,” author interview.
Adrienne Kisner website, http://www.adriennekisner.com (August 28, 2018), author profile.
Adventures in YA Publishing, http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/ (June 7, 2018), Jocelyn Rish, “Adrienne Kisner, author of Dear Rachel Maddow, on writing the book she wanted to see in the world,” author interview.
Book Riot, https://bookriot.com/ (July 9, 2018), Lucas Maxwell, “An Interview with Adrienne Kisner, Author of Dear Rachel Maddow,” author interview.
Salon, https://www.salon.com/ (June 4, 2018), Mary Elizabeth Williams, “In Dear Rachel Maddow, the MSNBC anchor becomes a fictional teen’s muse,” author interview.
School Library Journal, https://www.slj.com/ (June 6, 2018), Kathryn Kania, review of Dear Rachel Maddow.
TeenReads, https://www.teenreads.com/ (June 5, 2018), Rebecca D., review of Dear Rachel Maddow; (August 28, 2018), author profile.
YA Books Central, http://www.yabookscentral.com/ (June 11, 2018), Beth Edwards, “Author Chat with Adrienne Kisner (Dear Rachel Maddow)!,” author interview.
Adrienne Kisner
Adrienne Kisner lives in a dorm that is better and likely bigger than yours. She prefers the term "dormitory" to "residence hall." Her opinions are built out of cinder block. She went to school for a long time and has several degrees that have afforded her the professional opportunity to routinely opine to college students about the merits of subverting grammar. Her coolest degree is an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. In her spare time, Adrienne enjoys killing plants and zombies. Her current home is in Boston, but she will always be a Pennsylvanian at heart.
I have lived my entire “adult” life in a college dormitory working in both Residence Life and college chaplaincy. I like the term "dormitory" better than "residence hall." I went to school for a long time so that now I get to swoop around in a fancy robe and silly hat (like at Hogwarts). I have an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts (a place like Hogwarts). I play both the viola and tennis with more heart than skill. I love my current home in Boston but will always be a Pennsylvanian at heart.
AN INTERVIEW WITH ADRIENNE KISNER, AUTHOR OF DEAR RACHEL MADDOW
LUCAS MAXWELL
07-09-18
In the new YA novel Dear Rachel Maddow, the only thing that is reliable in Brynn Haper’s life is the titular television presenter. Brynn watches her compulsively, and when she gets a reply email from Rachel as part of a letter writing assignment in her class, Brynn starts to write draft emails to Rachel.
These emails chart her life with her abusive stepfather, her breakup with her girlfriend, her job at a lingerie shop, and her foray into high school politics.
Dear Rachel Maddow cover
When Brynn’s ex-girlfriend and her enemy Adam join the political arena as well, Brynn takes her role more and more seriously, fighting to be the voice of the people in a world where “the people” are generally voiceless.
Dear Rachel Maddow is one of the funniest and sharpest YA novels I’ve read in a very long time. So I was very excited to sit down with author Adrienne Kisner to discuss it.
Lucas Maxwell: In Dear Rachel Maddow, Brynn is a reluctant hero throughout the novel; often pessimistic, yet you can see a faint spark of hope in almost everything she does. Was this your intention or was she a more positive character when you started out?
Adrienne Kisner: I didn’t ever think of her as pessimistic. I think she’s a realist. For years, her life has been disappointment and loss. There is no compelling evidence that things can be that different. Her favorite thing to do is watch the national news, so this reinforces the idea that Things Are Bad and Don’t Change. Because of this, she tries desperately not to care and fails every time. She still puts herself out there with her whole heart. In writing her, this is always who she was. To me, she was always relentlessly hopeful.
LM: Allowing Brynn to communicate to the reader via unsent emails means that she can be unfiltered. Do you have a cache of drafts that are rants about the injustices in your life, or is this just something I do?
AK: Oh I have many. I text a lot of them to my poor friends.
LM: Was Brynn’s high school experience similar to yours? Did you feel tremendous pressure to take on things you felt were unjust?
Adrienne KisnerAK: I had a much better support system than Brynn, so I had a much easier shot at things. But I felt drawn to try to change the world. I wasn’t very good at it. I was awkward and nervous most of the time. But I’d convince my mom to have backyard carnivals to raise money for causes, and I was on the school paper through college. Like Brynn, I always saw the free press as a muse.
LM: The character Lacey says she hates it when people call her brave because she has a disability. She says “…as if my mere existence is some sort of war. It’s not. I don’t think I’m any braver than another person just trying to live life. I just can’t do stairs.” We often unconsciously define people by a disability. What impact do you think this has on teens in particular?
AK: I don’t think I am qualified to speak to the experience of a teen with a disability per se. But! I can say that I know what it is like to be “othered” in some way. And that sucked. You can feel so alone, amidst an already fraught time when so many things seem stacked against you. I think the fortunate find a way out. They find either through real people or through books that they aren’t alone. We’re all just out here, trying to find our people in one way or another.
LM: Mr. Grimm is one of my favourite characters. He tells Brynn at one point that there is no shame in doing something that doesn’t require a university degree. It touches upon the idea that creative people often give up on their dream because of the perception from people around them that their dream is a waste of time. Do you agree with this, and did you struggle with this at any point in your life?
AK: I admit, I am all about having a day job. Or four. I am also one who spends too much time accumulating degrees. For what? Knowledge? I think so. But I still think I’m also trying to prove that I can do it. I was made to feel stupid and small by mean people growing up and should I be over that by now WHY YES I SHOULD. But those people were also a gift, because it instilled in me a work ethic, and a “kiss my ass” attitude that keeps me writing in the face of those who call it a waste of time. Keep writing, and painting, and creating, young artists! Do NOT give up, your dream is NOT stupid. But maybe also consider being a barista, because artists still have to pay the bills. There is great creative freedom in knowing that rent is covered.
LM: There is a hopeful futility to Brynn’s unsent emails in Dear Rachel Maddow, which I feel partially encompasses her character. Did you start out with Rachel Maddow in mind and work from there, or did Brynn’s need to connect to someone on a different level evolve over time?
AK: Rachel was the inspiration from the beginning. Brynn emerged out of, “Who would write to her as a celebrity hero?”
LM: Brynn’s foray into school politics was hilarious and exciting from my point of view. How much do you feel Dear Rachel Maddow reflects actual U.S. politics? For example, Brynn getting involved in the campaign, making promises, trying to be “of the people” yet not really fitting in at the same time?
AK: I don’t know anyone who feels they fit in. This might be the circles I travel in, but Brynn’s outsider status makes her much more accessible than the peers with social capital. I think it’s a little scary how politics in high school mirror politics at national levels. If there’s anything I borrowed from real life, it was the voter suppression tactics. I hate that.
LM: Dear Rachel Maddow has both romance and comedy in it, but I don’t consider it a romantic comedy and wouldn’t pitch it that way to our students. How conscious were you in writing a book with relationships that translated as realistic, considering many YA novels (in my opinion) fail miserably at this?
AK: In all things, I hope I’m being realistic. I have quite the store of beautiful but awkward life experience to draw from. I am good at remembering words, all words written or spoken, the way people say them, their context. I try to draw from that for my characters. I’m relieved to hear that I might have done right by them!
LM: Brynn has an up and down relationship with journalism in her school, yet deep down the reader knows she has loved it all along. She gets involved with it when she knows she has to, when faced with injustice. Do you think the current political climate in the U.S., which many feel is unjust, has been a shot in the arm for political and social journalism, or has it stifled it even further?
AK: I think truth might be an endangered species. The free press, the institution that preserves access to truth, is in peril. We have at the highest levels people who want power unchecked. They are willing to degrade the foundations of our democracy to get it. They sow distrust in the media, and delight in spreading falsehoods, because it is much easier to gain power in secret. “There is no truth,” they say. That is a clever, dangerous trick and it’s working. I think because of this current climate, the free press is that much more essential. The fight to report what is happening is essential. That must be exhilarating, to be a kind of superhero fighting to save the world. On the other hand, being a superhero is a tough road, not for the faint of heart. Everyone write to your favorite journalist who you think is trying to actually be unbiased. They might need the pick-me-up.
LM: Finally, and I ask this of every author I interview: You have been sucked into the television set for some reason and get to choose to live with a TV family. The only catch is, you have to live with them…forever! Which family would you choose?
AK: Well. I mean. The MSNBC family, obviously. Did I cheat on this question? I don’t care. I could be the plucky, side-kick cousin to Joy Reid, Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell and Brian Williams. I’d be so good in that role.
This YA Author's Debut Novel Is About Rachel Maddow, A Few Emails, And One Relatable Teen
"The books we read as kids form us into the people we become."
CARSON BLACKWELDER @CBLACKWELDER JUN 26, 2018
When you need someone to vent to, who do you turn to? Is it a family member, a best friend, or — and this is probably the case for many young people in our digital age — is it someone online? A new young adult novel, Dear Rachel Maddow from first-time author Adrienne Kisner, explores just that.
Dear Rachel Maddow follows the main character, a high school girl named Brynn Harper. She is dealing with a lot, including, but not limited to: a recent breakup with her first girlfriend, her brother's death, everyday struggles at school, as well as her less-than-ideal mom and stepdad. Brynn turns to none other than Rachel Maddow, drafting emails to the one person who has been a constant in her life but not sending them. She tells the MSNBC host about all these things happening in her life and, by asking herself what Rachel Maddow would do, tackles everything she faces.
A Plus got to chat with Kisner — who has a master of fine arts in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, as well as has a master's degree and a doctorate degree in theology from Boston University — over email and discuss Dear Rachel Maddow. Among the topics were what inspired her debut novel, why Rachel Maddow was the perfect cultural figure to write about, and about the current generation of tech-savvy young people and why she wrote this for them.
A PLUS: This is such a unique novel — and it's your debut. What inspired you to write this?
ADRIENNE KISNER: It started with [Beverly Cleary's] Dear Mr. Henshaw. For a long time I thought that it would make a great YA. I teach college-level writing and I still assign my students to write letters from time to time because it's a format that should not die. So, I thought, what would a reboot of Dear Mr. Henshaw look like today? Who would consistently write to a celebrity and who would that celebrity be? Thus emerged Brynn.
What made Rachel Maddow the perfect cultural figure to have your main character, Brynn, look up to?
For Brynn, it started because someone she loved looked up to Rachel Maddow. And then when that person dumped her, she kept watching because it was a way to try to hold on. Then she had to write to someone as an assignment and then she realized Rachel Maddow annoyed her parents. That sealed it. I admit when I started the book, I didn't realize Rachel would become one of the forces fighting for the continuation of the free press. That evolved over years.
Brynn has a lot going on in her life. She is clearly using these emails to deal with all that's happening. What does the book say about having an outlet to express how you feel?
There is a quote from Macbeth act IV, scene III:
Give sorrow words. The grief that does not speak / Whispers the o'erfraught heart and bids it break.
Isn't that just life? It's unsustainable to be utterly alone. In the beginning, Brynn feels she doesn't have anyone in real life so she finds the friendly, consistent person who is at a distance and reaches out.
Brynn is indicative of the current generation of young people creating change in the world. Do you believe fictional stories like this are inspiring them to do so?
That's hard to say, but I do think the books we read as kids form us into the people we become. That formation is a journey, so stories we encounter can inspire or encourage real life action along the way. I don't approach writing hoping something I create will cause someone to act. I just try to tell my characters' stories as authentically as possible. I write the books I would have liked to read growing up. If this connects with a reader and is a nudge towards action in their own life — awesome.
Why do you think it has become that folks are discovering their voices and using them to speak out at such early ages? What is to credit for this?
I think their lives depend on it. They are dying in school. The natural world in which they have to live in is straining to the breaking point. Adults in power are systematically denying the personhood of countless marginalized communities. People in danger who want to live tend to scream for help and try to save themselves. I think that's what today's kids are doing.
What do you hope readers come away from "Dear Rachel Maddow" with? Any specific lesson or idea about the world?
None whatsoever. (Well, maybe that you should vote.) I hope I got Brynn's story right and that readers laugh or connect with her in their own way. I find teens can sniff out when an author is trying to impart life lessons veiled in fiction and then rightly run the other way.
I have to ask: Have you had any reaction from the actual Rachel Maddow for this book? If so, what was her response to it? If not, what would you hope she would say about it?
She hasn't since its publication. I imagine it'd be weird to think of what to say to such a thing. But I hope she knows it's an earnest and sincere tribute to her work. I'm nothing if not earnest and sincere. Same with Brynn.
Dear Rachel Maddow is available now.
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Author Chat with Adrienne Kisner (Dear Rachel Maddow)!
Monday, 11 June 2018 Beth Edwards, Assistant Blog Manager News & Updates 461 Hits 0 Comment
DEAR-RACHEL-MADDOW
Today we're excited to chat with Adrienne Kisner, author of Dear Rachel Maddow!
Meet Dear Rachel Maddow!
In Adrienne Kisner's Dear Rachel Maddow, a high school girl deals with school politics and life after her brother’s death by drafting emails to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow in this funny and heartfelt YA debut.
Brynn Haper's life has one steadying force--Rachel Maddow.
She watches her daily, and after writing to Rachel for a school project--and actually getting a response--Brynn starts drafting e-mails to Rachel but never sending them. Brynn tells Rachel about breaking up with her first serious girlfriend, about her brother Nick's death, about her passive mother and even worse stepfather, about how she's stuck in remedial courses at school and is considering dropping out.
Then Brynn is confronted with a moral dilemma. One student representative will be allowed to have a voice among the administration in the selection of a new school superintendent. Brynn's archnemesis, Adam, and ex-girlfriend, Sarah, believe only Honors students are worthy of the selection committee seat. Brynn feels all students deserve a voice. When she runs for the position, the knives are out. So she begins to ask herself: What Would Rachel Maddow Do?
Amazon * B & N * Indiebound
Meet Adrienne Kisner!
I have lived my entire “adult” life in a college dormitory working in both Residence Life and college chaplaincy. I like the term "dormitory" better than "residence hall." I went to school for a long time so that now I get to swoop around in a fancy robe and silly hat (like at Hogwarts). I have an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts (a place like Hogwarts). I play both the viola and tennis with more heart than skill. I love my current home in Boston but will always be a Pennsylvanian at heart.
Website * Facebook * Twitter
~ Interview ~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Though it might seem a little too on brand to say so, watching The Rachel Maddow Show did. She is this person I’d see every day for an hour, sometimes twice if I were up late at night and I watched her again. Then I’d listen to the podcast the next day, just because I was alone with small children and didn’t have anyone else for company. Three hours a day is more time than I spend with most of my friends on a regular basis. So Rachel Maddow became this cheerful, well-informed presence in my life. I started thinking, what if this was true for someone else?
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
Definitely my main character, Brynn. She wants so desperately to stop caring about anything. It’d be way easier for her. But she just can’t stop herself. You have to love someone like that.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
The title, one hundred percent. Mostly because it was meant to be an homage to “Dear Mr. Henshaw.”
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I don’t know that I could pick a scene out specifically. But I do love whenever Brynn can’t stop herself from saying whatever is on her mind. That always makes me laugh.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?
It’s going to take a lot longer to write something people want to read than you think. It’s okay to want to write something you want others to read. Writing for yourself might be healthier, but it’s kind of boring. There will be heartbreak. You’ll have to keep at it. But if you keep at it, you’ll be more successful than you ever thought possible.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
The cover is perfect. It is the essence of the story, summed up neatly in one frustrated person. I am that cover.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2018?
THERE ARE TOO MANY TO MENTION. Ship It by Britta Lundin and The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding are my go-to joy-filled books. Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne for my gothic Sci Fi needs. And because I am a teacher, the books that I am most excited about giving my students are Dread Nation by Justina Ireland and A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney. I could go on and on.
YABC: What was your favorite book in 2017?
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME? How do people answer these questions? Probably Nemesis by Brendan Reichs, only don’t tell him I said that.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
A book about teen birders and environmental activism. There is kissing and bird puns. I mean. I’m living my best life right now.
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
Rachel Maddow, MSNBC, 9pm. Stick around for Lawrence O’donnell at 10. Or, start at 8 with Chris Hayes. I don’t receive any kickbacks for mentioning them. I don’t mean to brag, but I know for a fact that my grassroots promotional efforts have won them at least several dozen viewers.
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
Towards the end, poor Brynn really starts to spiral. She makes bad choices. I hate when characters do that.
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
The true antagonists in my stories are usually ones who lack empathy for others, who are in it just for themselves. I have a hard time making them well-rounded people. The same holds for the newest book.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
Drafting. Revising can suck it.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I have something called “Beastmode.” I can work, nearly non-stop, until I finish a draft. I have no revision Beastmode, which is unfortunate, because I don’t know if I made this clear in the last answer but REVISION SUCKS.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
This is like the favorite book question. If I had to pick the thing that makes me angriest, it would be voter suppression. It should be easy to vote. It should be opt out instead of opt in. Organizations that fight to preserve that right (and encourage people to do it) should be lauded on the daily.
Dear Rachel Maddow
By: Adrienne Kisner
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: June 5th, 2018
Thursday, June 7, 2018
0Adrienne Kisner, author of DEAR RACHEL MADDOW, on writing the book she wanted to see in the world
We're delighted to have Adrienne Kisner stop by to chat about her debut novel, DEAR RACHEL MADDOW.
Adrienne, what was your inspiration for writing DEAR RACHEL MADDOW?
For years I thought a YA version of DEAR MR. HENSHAW would be cool, particularly written to a journalist. When The Rachel Maddow show debuted I thought, YAAAAASSSS someone write a book to this woman! But no one wrote the book I wanted so I figured I might as well do it myself.
What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?
Main character Brynn suffers a lot of heartbreak. She reflects on what each loss means and spirals into herself. I felt like such a jerk doing that to her. I burst into tears in the middle of the Boston Public Library writing a scene near the end. But Brynn’s also really funny. In my daily life I’m not really one to swear (SEE MOM, I’M A PROFESSIONAL), but Brynn just lets every vulgar thought in her head fly. That was a lot of fun to write.
What book or books would most resonate with readers who love your book--or visa versa?
Hmmm. Well, I can tell you books that resonated with me, and that I would like to proselytize as much as possible. Nic Stone’s DEAR MARTIN is brilliant, and I shove it into my students’ hands whenever any of them stand still long enough. Jennifer Mathieu’s MOXIE is great for its civically involved, creative girls. Amy Spalding’s THE SUMMER OF JORDI PEREZ (AND THE BEST BURGER IN LOS ANGELES) is funny with tremendous heart. And Britta Lundin’s SHIP IT is a love letter to fandom and happy, hopeful endings everywhere. These books span topics and genre, maybe, but they all include characters I loved.
What are you working on now?
A book about queer girl birdwatchers/nature photographers who reluctantly become environmental activists. For fans of kissing and bird-related puns.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Dear Rachel Maddow
by Adrienne Kisner
Hardcover
Feiwel & Friends
Released 6/5/2018
Brynn Haper's life has one steadying force--Rachel Maddow.
She watches her daily, and after writing to Rachel for a school project--and actually getting a response--Brynn starts drafting e-mails to Rachel but never sending them. Brynn tells Rachel about breaking up with her first serious girlfriend, about her brother Nick's death, about her passive mother and even worse stepfather, about how she's stuck in remedial courses at school and is considering dropping out.
Then Brynn is confronted with a moral dilemma. One student representative will be allowed to have a voice among the administration in the selection of a new school superintendent. Brynn's archnemesis, Adam, and ex-girlfriend, Sarah, believe only Honors students are worthy of the selection committee seat. Brynn feels all students deserve a voice. When she runs for the position, the knives are out. So she begins to ask herself: What Would Rachel Maddow Do?
Purchase Dear Rachel Maddow at Amazon
Purchase Dear Rachel Maddow at IndieBound
View Dear Rachel Maddow on Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adrienne Kisner lives in a dorm that is better and likely bigger than yours. She prefers the term "dormitory" to "residence hall." Her opinions are built out of cinder block. She went to school for a long time and has several degrees that have afforded her the professional opportunity to routinely opine to college students about the merits of subverting grammar. Her coolest degree is an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. In her spare time, Adrienne enjoys killing plants and zombies. Her current home is in Boston, but she will always be a Pennsylvanian at heart. Visit her at www.adriennekisner.com
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Have you had a chance to read DEAR RACHEL MADDOW yet? Are you a jerk to your characters? Have you ever made yourself cry in a public place while writing? Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments!
Happy Reading,
Jocelyn, Halli, Martina, Charlotte, Anisaa, Erin, Susan, Shelly, Kelly, Laura, Emily, and Lori Ann
Tweet this! Posted by Jocelyn Rish at 6:00 AM
Labels: YA Author Interviews
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Rachel Maddow (Getty/MacMillan)
In “Dear Rachel Maddow,” the MSNBC anchor becomes a fictional teen’s muse
Novelist Adrienne Kisner’s outsider heroine is having a very bad year
MARY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS
JUNE 4, 2018 9:05PM (UTC)
High school can be hell. It's certainly a torrent of problems for Brynn Harper, the heroine of author Adrienne Kisner's sad, funny, wise — and already widely acclaimed — debut young adult novel. Facing grief, academic challenges, a troubled home life and the rejection of her first girlfriend, a class assignment becomes a lifeline and a television icon turns into an unlikely beacon of hope.
Salon spoke recently to Kisner about "Dear Rachel Maddow," dangerous owls and finding your family of choice.
I loved your book. It also gave me many feelings and I cried a lot, so thanks.
I've read that you started the idea for this 10 years ago when you had your first baby. You thought that someone should write "A Dear Mr. Henshaw" but for Rachel Maddow. The world has changed a lot in the past decade, Adrienne. I'm curious how you've evolved this book that you've spent so long with, and how it changed while you've been watching the world change.
I religiously watched Rachel Maddow. It debuted when my daughter debuted. It seemed to always be on. My daughter just never slept; she liked to scream. But she was calmed by bouncing on a yoga ball. That's it, that's the only thing that would work. We used to have really good cable — I live in a college campus so we had this amazing cable. I would always watch "Women Behind Bars," because that was reliably on between 12:00 and 4:00 am. Then our cable changed and I was devastated because we lost the WE Network, and so really only infomercials were on and I didn't really have the mental capacity to focus on anything.
When Rachel's show came on, I feel like they replayed it. My memory is a little murky, so this all might be hallucination. It was always new, even though it replayed, because I had no short term memory at that point. She was just so soothing and friendly, like, “All right little baby, we will watch this woman. Look, look at how successful she is!” As the show went on, it was different than it is now. Now very rarely is there a "best new thing in the world." These little quirks of the show, I basically had to take out because they're a remnant of a simpler time.
There was a time when there was an owl — the owl still might be there in Oregon — who would swoop down and like try to get people, and her staff designed a sign warning people about this swooping owl. There's just nothing like that anymore. Now it's Russia, Russia, Russia, collusion, here's this crazy thing that happened in news. It's a different experience watching the show. She still goes back, and she still explains the news from history, but it's much more breaking news. Before, it had a laid-back feel, and now it's, "Well, this is our reality. I want to tell you about it because it's a big deal."
It's like code blue all day, every day.
Exactly. Even early on she'd be like, "It was a big day in the news" and I'd always say, "You say that every day." But now you can tell because there's no filler. They don't have these little things that would fill the time because there's just no time to fill.
I think sometimes we need five minutes to think about an owl attack, please. That would be great. That would be amazing.
Putting this in the context of our ridiculous current news cycle, this is also a book that feels in many ways really a timeless coming of age story. I know that "Dear Mr. Henshaw" was the template that you moved from this epistolary tale. Someone going into it seeing Rachel Maddow's name on the cover might not know what they're getting into is really about this girl. It's her story and about her imaginary sounding board for her thoughts and feelings during this year-long period in her life.
I think the books for me come from the character. Initially, one of the earliest drafts of this book was really a rip-off of "Dear Mr. Henshaw." I was going to fictionalize Rachel Maddow, but in my mind I'm like, "You know what? No one's ever going to read this. I'll do whatever I want. Who cares?” Then it got out of hand. I’m like, "Oh well, I just wrote a book to Rachel Maddow. It's out there in the world and it's separate from the reality of her."
Brynn, the character, was inspired randomly by Twitter. Someone had tweeted that a lot of YA books have people who aspire to go to Juilliard and Harvard and do these grand things. Often at the end of the story, they succeed. Where are the books for people who really aren't on that kind of path, who aren't aspiring to this? I thought, "You're right, that's a thing, I should write that book." You know, you don't have to be a genius to be a thinking, feeling person.
Brynn is very smart, in my experience. It's interesting to see readers interpret her because she struggles academically. Some reviewers have said that she has dyslexia, and that might be true. My experience in learning challenges has always been in the "not otherwise specified" realm, where there are clear challenges, but there's this diagnostic criteria that you don't fall into. You're in this murky realm, and that's where I envisioned Brynn. She's getting the help at school but she's not necessarily on this path towards academic greatness. That isn't what she really wants.
In terms of all my characters, they tend to lose. That is where I feel in my comfort zone. You want all these great things and you're probably not going to get them. But I went to a wonderful MFA program and there they drill into your head that you have to figure out what your character really wants. I do hope that my people in the book figure out what they want and maybe get it.
For a great majority of us, as we're looking around and comparing ourselves to everybody around us, sometimes it's just about being able to survive. Brynn survives and her brother did not. A big part of her triumph is that she is able to get her education, she is able to learn, she is able to grow. She is able to do all these other things. Life's not just about those kind of things that you can tick off in a box that are the metrics of success.
She struggles with deserving to make it. There are people who will make it regardless of what they do, and they just have the deck stacked in their favor. But something intrinsic to her character is she can't stop herself from caring. She desperately wants to stop, but she just can't. What compels her to do most of the stuff that she does is the spark within her that really should have been extinguished but just can't, because that's who she is.
She connects with readers because she is a person who, despite the evidence of her life, has hope.
There are all these compelling reasons to not to. I wouldn't blame her if she did. In writing the book, earlier she had few allies. I couldn't figure out what wasn't working. Why would she bother caring? There's nothing going right. That's where her crew evolved. Then she did have people rooting for her, which is important as well. Her found family really made it for her, I think, in the end. You do need people, even if it's not the people that you want or expect to be in your corner. Having people in your corner makes all the difference.
It's about finding your family of choice. I’ve got to give you all the credit in the world because you really aimed high with this book in terms of, I'm going to write about LGBT issues, I'm going to write about learning issues, I'm going to write about grief, drug abuse, family abuse, bullying, shame.
I did not go into it with any of that. All I wanted to do was, "Hey, there's this chick who writes to Rachel Maddow!"
The only thing that I really remind myself in writing is that I usually write about teenagers. They aren't going to make the best choices all the time. I am inclined to make them pretty happy and maybe they go out to dinner and then they're in love and it's great. And then I have to go back and fix it. I don't want to do bad things to people. But then, when you let your characters be who they are, they aren't going to make these choices. Who Brynn is and how she got where she is, is because of all this stuff. It just emerged. At times I was reading over like, "Wow, poor Brynn. I just want to give you a hug."
This is important because this is not fanciful. This is not too much, this is not over the top. This is very much a book about issues that kids are facing. It's really important to identify that kids don't just get one issue. It's not just, "Oh, I'm the gay teen and I'm the kid with the learning issue and I'm the kid who's grieving for a family member." Sometimes you're all of those things. I also really love teenagers and I think they're the most interesting human beings.
I live amongst them; they keep my dialogue young. Sometimes in my darker moments, I think I will rip off Shirley Jackson's ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle" and my version would be "We Have Always Lived In the Dorm."
The past several months, we've watched this rising generation of activists, this generation of kids who are different. They are responding to the world in a different way and they are looking at these issues, not just about violence and gun control, but gender, harassment, online bullying, sexuality, in a different context. They have different frames of reference than people who are even 10 years older than they are. I'm wondering how you write to that and how you write to a voice of a generation that is unique.
These kids have to deal with the reality that if they go to school, they might get shot. It's real and it's heightened. It's closer now, because there's more information to be had and it's very, very accessible. And you can wield it with little oversight.
I went into this thinking, I exist now and I existed as a teen at one point — what would I have wanted to hear then? Who would I want to read about? What would I have wanted to hear encourage me in this crazy world? Because though it is different, there's always war, there's always mean people. They find new ways to come at you and to use the tools available to them. It's more about writing authentic characters who try to navigate whatever is thrown at them. Maybe they come out on top, maybe they don't, but what do you do with that? I would hope that's the kind of writing I'm crafting. And if that connects with this generation of involved, passionate, amazing kids, then I am humbled that I was able to do that.
This conversation has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.
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Print Marked Items
Kisner, Adrienne. Dear Rachel Maddow
Richard Vigdor
Voice of Youth Advocates.
41.2 (June 2018): p58+.
COPYRIGHT 2018 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
Kisner, Adrienne. Dear Rachel Maddow. Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, June 2018. 272p. $17.99. 978-1-
250-14602-1.
3Q * 3P * S
Her brother's death scars Brynn even more than she realizes. Struggling with depression, her grades drop.
No one supports her at home. In fact, her stepfather becomes abusive. Brynn feels completely alone. Sarah,
her long-time girlfriend, decides to end the relationship because of Brynn's changes. All of a sudden, a tiny
flame ignites within Brynn when the school needs a student to help select the next superintendent. When no
one else seems to care about the fate of the school, Brynn, the girl who thought she cared about nothing,
decides to fight for equal representation in her school government.
Kisner employs a letter (email) format for her debut novel, giving the reader an intimate look into the
emotional struggles of the main character. Brynn teaches young readers that anyone, no matter the
circumstance, is capable of making a positive difference in a community--even when very few people are
willing to lend a helping hand. Throughout the book, Brynn uses profanity to convey her messages about
the very real topics of family violence, drug abuse, depression, poverty, inequality, and love. Adam, Brynn's
adversary, makes vulgar jokes about Brynn's sexuality. The story focuses on two student government races,
creating a slow-moving story until the very end. Dear Rachel Maddow shares hundreds of e-mails that
Brynn sends to news talk-show host, Rachel Maddow, who never actually answers any of them. --Richard
Vigdor.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Vigdor, Richard. "Kisner, Adrienne. Dear Rachel Maddow." Voice of Youth Advocates, June 2018, p. 58+.
General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A545022901/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=de41540a. Accessed 26 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A545022901
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Dear Rachel Maddow
Molly Horan
Booklist.
114.18 (May 15, 2018): p50.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Dear Rachel Maddow.
By Adrienne Kisner.
June 2018. 272p. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99 (9781250146021); e-book, $17.99 (9781250146014). Gr. 9-
12.
Brynn Haper is not having a good year. Her girlfriend broke up with her, her grades are plummeting, and
she stills feels the loss of her older brother every day. Which is why she needs someone to talk to; someone
she respects and admires. Someone like Rachel Maddow. What starts as a class assignment turns into a
collection of journal entries poured out to the MSNBC host, who Brynn feels sure would understand her
decision to jump into high-school politics and her indecision when it comes to her ex. This relatable debut
joins the canon of epistolary YA novels as a charming yet, at times, heartbreaking addition. Kisner perfectly
captures the dueling emotions of hope and hopelessness as Brynn attempts to carve out a place in an oftenhostile
world, weaving wry humor into some gutting looks at addiction, loss, and abandonment. Dear
Rachel Maddow is the perfect book for anyone who has ever felt truly understood by a comforting, friendly
face smiling at them from the TV screen.--Molly Horan
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Horan, Molly. "Dear Rachel Maddow." Booklist, 15 May 2018, p. 50. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A541400919/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a911afdf.
Accessed 26 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A541400919
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Dear Rachel Maddow
Publishers Weekly.
265.16 (Apr. 16, 2018): p93.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Dear Rachel Maddow
Adrienne Kisner. Feiwel and Friends, $17.99
(227p) ISBN 978-1-250-14602-1
Brynn Harper, 17, a former honors student, has been relegated to the "blue room," the place where the
"applied" or academically challenged juniors go. Brynn is whip smart, but dyslexia and a difficult home life
make it hard for her to excel at school. As part of an assignment to write to a "celebrity hero," Brynn
reaches out to MSNBC host Rachel Maddow. Brynn sees Maddow as a fighter for truth and fairness, and
she begins to write drafts of diary-like emails to her, without the intention of sending them. Things get
complicated for Brynn as she finds herself challenging injustice during a school election while juggling a
new romance, an ex-girlfriend who may be using her, and an increasingly dangerous home situation. In her
debut novel, Kisner uses the epistolary format to portray the life of a girl who has very little parental
support and is seemingly falling through the cracks at school. By writing in a first-person confessional style,
Kisner allows her character to express herself with blatant honesty. She also shares other characters'
correspondence, offering additional insight into Brynn's personality. Revealing Brynn to be an individual
with realistic insecurities, biases, and complexities, Kisner playfully explores the very human manner in
which a stranger like Maddow might come to feel like a friend and confidant. Ages 13-up. Agent: Catherine
Drayton, InkWell Management. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Dear Rachel Maddow." Publishers Weekly, 16 Apr. 2018, p. 93. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536532796/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c0e105b1.
Accessed 26 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A536532796
Dear Rachel Maddow by Adrienne Kisner | SLJ Review
by SLJ
Jun 06, 2018 | Filed in Reviews+
redstarKISNER, Adrienne. Dear Rachel Maddow. 272p. Feiwel & Friends. Jun. 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781250146021.
Gr 8 Up –Brynn Harper had a cute girlfriend and a spot on the school newspaper, both of which she loved, but she began having troubles concentrating on either after her brother died. When her teacher tells her to start writing to her hero, she chooses her ex-girlfriend’s instead; Brynn isn’t the type of girl to have heroes. But slowly, it morphs into something genuine and she continues to write—and not send—missives about her life to political commentator Rachel Maddow. What unfolds is a heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful tale of a struggling student who sees an injustice and steps in. She does so unwillingly, but still, she does. Brynn is realistically depicted and even though this novel is epistolary, the supporting characters are well fleshed out, too. Lacey, Brynn’s tutor and best friend who is a wheelchair user, is never tokenized as a disabled sidekick and has her own arc and love interest. There are some depictions of abuse and the aftereffects of a loved one overdosing, so some may find it a hard read. It is an underdog story, not necessarily of triumph, but of perseverance against terrible odds. VERDICT A necessary purchase wherever there are teens.–Kathryn Kania, Pelham Public Library, Pelham NH
This review was published in the School Library Journal June 2018 issue.
Review
Dear Rachel Maddow: A Novel
by Adrienne Kisner
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Adrienne Kisner enters the young adult world with DEAR RACHEL MADDOW, her debut. Kisner has also worked in a college dormitory in both Residence Life and in college chaplaincy. Kisner went to Vermont College of Fine Arts for college and then Boston University. From Vermont College of Fine Arts, Adrienne Kisner has received an MFA in Writing for children and young adults and from Boston University, Kisner received a master’s degree and a doctorate degree in theology. She was inspired to write DEAR RACHEL MADDOW by her work with both high school students and college students.
"The minute I started reading DEAR RACHEL MADDOW, I was immediately sucked into the story and read the entire book in one day."
Some people have diaries or journals in which they write about their days and feelings. Brynn Harper does something a little different. Instead of a diary, Brynn writes but does not send emails about her life, thoughts and feelings to Rachel Maddow, the well-known American television host and political commentator. What started as school project becomes more personal as Brynn slowly starts to enjoy her not-actual confessing to Rachel Maddow about her pretty rough life. She talks about her life as an applied student, the horrible honor students, her horrible honors ex-girlfriend Sarah, her mother and terrible stepfather, her pretty good friends like Lacey and lots of other things.
Then when the opportunity arises for one student to help choose the new superintendent for the school, things start to get crazy. First, Sarah --- along with some other honors students --- tries to get everyone to sign a petition that makes it so only an honors student can get the position. Then, inspired by Rachel Maddow, encouraged by her friends and fueled by her anger at the honor students, Brynn ends up deciding to run for the position herself. Now she’s facing Adam --- possibly the slimiest, most elitist and worst honors student at her school --- in the election for the position on the committee for choosing the new superintendant.
The minute I started reading DEAR RACHEL MADDOW, I was immediately sucked into the story and read the entire book in one day. The storyline is so good. I was immediately attached to the characters in the book, worried about Brynn’s problems and very eager to learn the results of the election. The book’s format was really creative and really helped show Brynn’s emotions and opinions about the events in her life. DEAR RACHEL MADDOW feels so real. The things that happen in the novel do not seem like an adult’s impression of teen life, which is a common thing I’ve seen in many books, movies and TV shows. Instead, what happens is believable and true to the story.
I’d recommend DEAR RACHEL MADDOW by Adrienne Kisner to any teen who enjoys unique contemporary novels. DEAR RACHEL MADDOW is good for a quick read. While it does cover some tough problems that do happen in real life, it is not too hard to read. DEAR RACHEL MADDOW by Adrienne Kisner is overall a good book with serious moments, sad moments, sweet moments and even funny moments, and it will leave you with one lasting question: What would Rachel Maddow do?
Reviewed by Rebecca D., Teen Board Member on June 14, 2018
Buy this book at IndieBound Buy this book at Amazon Buy this book at Barnes and Noble
Dear Rachel Maddow: A Novel
by Adrienne Kisner
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Genres: Dating, Family, Fiction, Love & Romance, Sex, Young Adult 13+
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
ISBN-10: 125014602X
ISBN-13: 9781250146021