The Guerrilla Curriculum: How to Get An Education In Spite of School by John Taylor Gatto

The Guerrilla Curriculum: How to Get An Education In Spite of School by John Taylor Gatto

Another thought-provoking article

I have taken the MySpace Plunge!

And the water is just fine.

Come visit me and be my friend :)


http://www.myspace.com/juliekenner

The Joy Luck Club meets Sex and the City in this fresh, exhilarating Asian-American novel -- GCC Tour!

This week, I'm hosting CHINA DOLLS By Michelle Yu & Blossom Kan on the GCC Tour!

This book sounds fabulous, and I don't think I'm biased since I just got back from China with our little girl. Seriously, check this one out.

Here's some info about the book: With the traditions and family closeness of The Joy Luck Club and the sass, girl friendships and humor of Sex and the City, comes a novel about three Asian-American women balancing life, love and one another in New York City.

CHINA DOLLS [Thomas Dunne Books/ Pub date: FEB 8th, 2007] by Michelle Yu and Blossom Kan is based on personal experience and introduces three remarkable characters named M.J, Alex and Lin.

➢ M.J is a tomboyish sportswriter struggling to fit into her family’s traditional Chinese culture and the predominantly Caucasian male world of sports.
➢ Alex is a confident no-nonsense attorney fighting the submissive Asian woman stereotype and the fear of taking risks after a heartbreaking romance.
➢ Lin is the risk-taking stockbroker trying not to relive her mother's mistakes— that is until she falls for the office playboy.

Authentic, intelligent and funny, CHINA DOLLS explores how culture can affect one’s personal and professional lives. As if dating isn’t hard enough in New York City, these women have to balance the expectations of family and exceed expectations in the workplace, all while looking for Mr. Right. CHINA DOLLS embraces the fusion of these two cultures – a phenomenon that will grasp both
commercial and young Asian-American readers today.

Check out what others are saying:
“A fun tale that weaves together the journeys of three very different, yet deeply bonded, women in their search for love and professional fulfillment in the big city.”
—Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus, authors of The Nanny Diaries

“A smart, sassy saga that explores the bonds of female friendship and the
cultural ties between generations.”
—Emily Giffin, author of Baby Proof

“A resoundingly upbeat and fun read, following three great friends in New York City. The insights into Asian culture are simultaneously amusing and illuminating. A highly promising debut.”
—Kavita Daswani, author of For Matrimonial Purposes

“The Joy Luck Club meets Sex and the City—a fresh, dazzling debut
from two exciting new voices.”
—Beth Kendrick, author of Fashionably Late

“Yu and Kan's heroines are eminently likable, and their adventures in love
and on the job ring true.”
---Booklist

And read what the girls had to say in response to my questions:

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL „WRITING DAY‰?

I'm a night owl, so after I get home from the day job, I'll have dinner and
write until midnight. Michelle is an early bird though, so she usually wakes
up at 7 and writes before work.

DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK?

Michelle and I love reading chick lit, but we thought that there weren't any
that spoke to our particular experiences. We thought we could add something
a little different (a certain multicultural twist) to the genre - and that's
how it all started.

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME
CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER.

Michelle shares a lot of the M.J. character's drive to achieve her
sportscasting dream. As for me, I like to think I share the Alex's
character's loyalty (even when it hurts) to her friends.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK
THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON
WHICH TO WRITE?

I would rather have limitless books to read, and Michelle would rather have
a limitless supply of paper.

BEER OR WINE?

Beer for Michelle, wine for me.

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA?

Michelle and I are both pralines n' cream gals.

WHAT‚S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE BOOK?

Michelle's all-time favorite book is Catcher in the Rye. I love anything by
Tennessee Williams - there's nothing I like more than messed up, alcoholic
characters.

Learn more here: http://www.chinadollsnovel.com/

My Netflix Envelopes

Currently by my television from Netflix:


As Time Goes By (season 4),








and Stick It (which my husband refuses to watch with me, but I think looks like a hoot!)

Wiki Wiki Me!

Julie Kenner - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I am such a geek. I just found out that I have a wikipedia entry. Totally made my night!

Vote on this cool trailer!

A friend of mine entered this clip in The Lot, where they compete to win a deal. I just watched it and love it!

If you do, too, please rate it high (you have to log in, but it's painless) and pass this bulletin on to your friends!

Here's the link: http://films.thelot.com/films/2070

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

I have a conference call scheduled tomorrow about a project that would be So Much Fun! Can't say what it is yet, but keep your fingers crossed that all the Ts that need to be crossed and the Is that need to be dotted get the proper treatment. I'll keep you posted!

Check out my new release!

Hard to believe it's been 7 years! My very first book hit shelves in February of 2000, and it's just been re-released, with a brand new cover (it's my current profile image).

If you missed it before, I hope you'll check it out now. Here's the back cover copy:

For author Paris Sommers, truth has become stranger than fiction. she's fallen in love with a man who exists only in her mind—a man she invented as a pseudonym for the fast-paced, testosterone-laden spy novels she writes. Now the man of her dreams is standing beside her, touching her, loving her.— But who is he?

Bar owner Devin O'Malley wanted Paris the first moment he saw her. And he was willing to do just about anything to get her—including becoming novelist Montgomery Alexander, but his deception worked too well. Before long, he'd stolen his way into Paris's bed and into her heart. Was she in love with Devin—or the fantasy he portrayed?

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Temptation's Child

I'm doing something new with my website ... moving a lot of the fun little extras to my blog. And although I'm not moving some things (old, out of date) this one just had to come, too.

This is a cover that my wonderful editor at Harlequin, Brenda Chin, had the art department make for me when I was pregnant with Catherine. She gave it to me in 2001 at the RWA conference just a few months before Catherine was born. She and several of the Temptresses (other Temptation authors) had thrown me a baby shower.

Note the author's name ... and the fact that the guy looks like my dh ... if my dh were a cover model!

Needless to say, with such a cool present, such cool friends, and my raging hormones, I was a blubbery mess!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job and the writing community? Well, I do!

Ghouls ... and more Ghoul's!

Found another cover for THE GOOD GHOUL'S GUIDE TO GETTING EVEN online. How funny that I never saw this version!



Here's the true cover (I'm sure it's the right one because the style matches the cover for the sequel. Just in case, though, I'm double-checking with my editor!).



For the record! I like the "real" one the best!

Update on Hui!

I received this from the Love Without Boundaries Cleft Surgery Coordinator!

I have an update on the surgery with photos for Hui from Jiangsu Province. AFter his surgery on the 17th of January, he was dismissed from the hospital on February 3 and then we got the attached photos. He is so precious! I love the hairdo. His repair is looking very good and I'm sure will continue to improve. Thank you so much for helping this little boy have a transformation!

Here are the pics. Isn't he precious?

College Entrance Essay?

College Entrance Essay?

No idea if this was truly submitted as someone's entrance essay, but I ran across it before, and it's such a hoot I had to share.

Favorite line: "The laws of physics do not apply to me."

Not really a brush with fame, but ...

My wonderful friend and critique partner Dee Davis is on Letterman tonight ... well, she's in the audience, but, hey, it's the front row, and she and her husband were in a shot! Fun!

Me and Toby Keith ...

Okay, not really. But I'm trying to consolidate a lot of junk that's on my website onto this blog (I rarely update the website; it's such a pain with the FTP'ing and the, um, fact that the site is on the old, icky PC and not the shiny new Mac.) So I'm moving the links to some old interviews with me.

Thus, Toby. Or, as we say here, Chenchen's favorite song: Wanna Talk About Me:

Here's an old one from 2000, right after my first books came out! I didn't re-read it. Odds are good I sound dweebish!

RBL Romantica: SPOTLIGHT ON A JULIE KENNER

Ah, here's another early one from The Romance Reader.

Here's the bio from eHarlequin.com ... but don't send me mail at that addie. It's wrong! (I'm sending them a note!)

And, as if that weren't enough excitement for you, here is the last one I'm copying over from my website, from A Romance Review

Now, of course, I do sometimes fall prey to the evil that is "googling your own name," so I'll add more fascinatingly ego-centric tidbits as time goes by ...

Math Education: An Inconvenient Truth

Wow. The problem of our graduates being less than competitive in math and science is not going to be solved by putting a calculator in their pockets, nor by avoiding the teaching of basic, solid algorithms. The TERC and Everyday Math methods are interesting, and any student who fully understands how numbers work should understand how to fashion those solutions. But first the student needs to understand -- math, that is. Not how to press buttons on a calculator. (And can I just say for the record how pleased I am that we're using Singapore ... even though even that method will require more drilling of math facts than is set out in the books.)

Another update on Nian!

I just received this from the Love Without Boundaries Medical Heart Coordinator:

Dear Sponsor:

We have checked on Nian, and the hospital has reported that he is doing well except that he is congested. They report that he requires extra care due to his unrepaired cleft so they are keeping him in ICU where they can keep a close watch on him.

I am attaching a photo of Nian taken in the hospital after surgery. What a sweet and tiny baby!

Please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he recovers.

Thank YOU so much for helping Nian!

Here's his picture:




And thanks to everyone who participated in the fundraiser. I'm planning another one for later this year. I'll keep you posted!

First Seven Pages ...

The first seven pages of the new proposal just got the thumbs-up from the husband (and you can tell he's into the idea when he starts going over potential plot twists and threads). Yay!

Now fingers are crossed that the critique partners, agent, and editor love it, too!

(This is an exciting time in any story ... when you're just starting to get the idea on paper and the character is taking form and surprising you. Fun!)

Update on Nian!

I just received this update from the Medical Program Heart Coordinator forLove Without Boundaries:

Dear Sponsor:

We have received an update on Nian. He is still in ICU recovering. His breathing and circulation have now been stabilized. Although he can now breathe more steadily, he must still be watched carefully so they will keep him in ICU for one or two more days. He will probably remain in the hospital for 10-15 days once he moves to the regular ward to make sure that his recovery is successful.

We have asked if they can go ahead and do his cleft lip repair before he is discharged, but they have requested that we wait approximately 3 months before bringing him back to the hospital for this repair.

Please keep Nian in your thoughts and prayers as he recovers.

Thank YOU so much for helping him!

Booksigning next weekend!! "Mystery & Mayhem"

I'll be signing books next weekend at the Barnes & Noble (Arboretum) in Austin, Texas on Sunday, February 11, at 3:00 p.m.

Also signing will be Jo-Ann Power, Kit Frazier, and Jimmie Ruth Evans.

Join us for some mystery and mayhem!

Continually Updated List of Upcoming Appearances and Booksignings

Click Here to go to the "Julie's Appearances" section of the sidebar. All of my upcoming appearances, chats, booksignings and the like will be listed there!

Copyrights & Wrongs

This article isn't intended to be legal advice, but rather an intro to understanding the copyright laws you might trip over during your career. My goal, as both an author and a lawyer, is to prevent you from tripping altogether, or at least give you some info to help break the fall. (For serious questions, always consult an attorney.) {Note: At the time this article was written, I was working as an attorney full-time.}


Who Has a Copyright?
You do, so long as youve written something. Years ago, copyright protection required registration. That is no longer the case. Now, your work is immediately copyrighted the moment it comes into existence. While it is no longer necessary to include a copyright symbol (which I have no idea how to insert into a blog, but you know it: the circle with a c inside) there are a variety of reasons why it is still a good idea to include that symbol, your name and the date. For example, by doing so, you will be helping to refute a later claim by a copier that the infringement was innocent.


Why Bother Registering?
Why have you (or your publisher) been bothering with all those tedious copyright forms (and fees)? Because registration is a prerequisite to recovering certain damages if someone infringes your work. Without getting into too much detail, the general rule is that without registration, you can recover only actual damages (money that you can prove you lost because of the infringement). That can be hard to prove. But if youve promptly registered, and if you prove infringement, you are entitled to recover damages within certain limits set by statutewithout having to prove you actually lost a dime.


Do I Own the Copyright or Does My Publisher?
Copyrights are property and can be transferred just like your house or car. So its possible that someone else could own the copyright on something you wrote. Generally, however, you own the copyright, and you assign to a publisher a bundle of rights that fall under you copyright, such as North American rights, foreign rights, book club rights, etc. Also, if you are an employee and part of your job is to create written material, it is possible that your work falls within a particular category that makes it a work-for-hire, and your employer owns the copyright. Remember that you cannot orally transfer all of the bundle of rights that comprise copyright. Some of these rights may be transferred only in writing.


I Have This Idea about a Guy and a Girl
An idea is not copyrightable. So if you mention to your friend who works in Hollywood your idea about a girl who falls in love with the man of her dreams after hearing him on a radio talk show, and a year later Sleepless in Seattle hits the screen, you don't have a copyright claim. (You might have another type of claim, however.) While an idea isnt copyrightable, the tangible expression of that idea is. For writers, that means the specific words on the page that make up the way you tell your idea --in other words, your story, or even the plot line or character treatment, if sufficiently developed.

So a Million Monkeys Banging on a Million Typewriters ?
Copyright is different from trademarks and patents. Like the name suggests, copyright requires copying. If someone really does come up with an identical idea (and text) entirely on his own, there's no copyright infringement. In fact, in order to prove copyright infringement, you have to prove that the defendant had access to your material. This is different than the law of trademarks. If I've been living in a cave all my life, open a web-based business, and decide to use a logo that looks like two golden arches or to call my company Microsoft, I'll have problems even if I've never seen a McDonalds or heard of Bill Gates company. Similarly, if I invent a widget, but the widget has already been patented, the patent-holder can prevent me from manufacturing my widgeteven if I didn't copy his widget, and even if the patent holder has no desire to manufacture widgets himself. In copyright, it's different. So if our million monkeys coincidentally cranked out the latest John Grisham novel, there would be no copyright infringement (unless maybe the monkeys were reading Grisham during their lunch breaks).


This Is Just Fascinating. How Can I Learn More?
If you want basic information on copyright, you can call the U.S. copyright office at (202) 707-3000, or visit the website at http://lcweb.loc.gov /copyright. If you think you may have a legal issue, the best thing you can do is consult a lawyer. If cost is your concern, contact the local or state bar association. It may be able to refer you to a lawyer who does low or no-fee work for artists and writers.

(I wrote this article in 2001 ... please note that it hasn't been updated. Like the article says: hire a lawyer if you have concerns!)

Writing Articles - Tips, Thoughts, and Meanderings

I'm going to start something new on the blog -- writing tips and useful articles for pubbed and unpublished writers. My goal is once a week, but don't hold me to it! To find the posts, search for "writing articles" in the sidebar to the right.

The first one will go up later today. I'm posting an article I wrote in 2001 on copyright and trademark. Hope folks find the info useful!