Stephanie
Written by Ann Dee Ellis   
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Tomorrow has been declared NieNie Day by Design Mom and I want you to know about it. Stephanie and I grew up in the same neighborhood and I know her sister Courtney well. We sang together in church when we were ten, we carpooled in high school, and more recently she blogged about my book. Well, a week or so ago, Stephanie and her husband were in a plane crash. You can read more about it on Courtney's blog or you can read Stephanie's blog that she updated daily before the crash. This tragedy is hard to understand and comprehend. By going to any of these blogs you'll find numerous ways to help.

For me, I've struggled to reconcile my feelings.  It feels strange to have someone I know from my childhood go through such a horrible thing. She has four small children. Children that can't possibly understand what's ahead. This isn't fiction, this is reality. I'd put an "in other news" section and talk about small things that happened to me today. A doctor's visit. Some string cheese. A new dress. But I think I'll just leave this here how it is.
Add Comment (0)
 
Advertisement
Because I Can . . .
Written by Ann Dee Ellis   
Tuesday, 05 August 2008

So I'm backlogged with emails and other things that I plan to get to VERY soon. Summer term is almost over so I should have more free time/think time in about a week. If you think I've forgotten you I most definitley have not. Seriously. I've just been, whew, really hot and really runningaround and really oneyearoldthrowingkiwisatme. Don't despair.

 I've been trying to write a little something every day. It works sometimes, other times, umm, no. It does not work. But that's okay. Today I wrote for about twenty minutes and it made me so happy. Like really happy. I took a nap first (does that make me sound busy?) because I couldn't see past the blur. Then, because I had a few minutes before baby woke up, I went for it. Usually I don't. I think, ugh, another day gone. But today i MADE myself do it and lemme tell you, it's worth it. I'm gong to be more diligent about it. I used to get up early and do it but I've been going walking instead. 

 Question: Is it better to stay healthy or write a book? Hmmm. Obviously both are important and there's no way I'm walking in the heat so I have to improvise.

Writing Prompt for today: A girl has shoes for hands. 

 Also, if you're local, there's a big yard sale/bake sale/raffle on Saturday to raise money for an orphanage that desperately needs help. If you'd like to donate or come buy some delights, I'll post more details ASAP.

UPDATE: Here is the info -


Add Comment (0)
 
Sunscreen smells good
Written by Ann Dee Ellis   
Monday, 30 June 2008
Dear Everyone,

Thanks for all your kind comments and other things about BYU and Angeline Jolie. It means a lot.

I have been in Park City all last week. It is nice there. It is not so nice here. I am hot. I like to walk around in my underwear. When I'm in my underwear, I feel free but not too free like naked free. I also feel like the neighbors can see me and I think, "am I the disgusting underwear wearer on the street?" That is gross. But not gross enough for me to stop immediately taking off my jeans as soon as I walk in the door.

I also started teaching my summer term class last week. While I was at Park City. This meant I had/got to drive down twice during the week to get things a rolling. I am not going to complain about this because both times I was with my husband which meant I could enjoy the reservoirs, the canyon, the people on the side of the road selling things, etc. Not bad. I also got to revisit my personal essay past. Which brought back painful yet surprisingly fond memories of essays about getting kissed upside down and then dumped, of essays about feeling ugly and too hippy for all my jeans, and of my first workshop experience after everyone read my personal essay and rather than offer genuine/useful writing feedback, they all just looked embarrassed and sad for me and quietly said,  "It'll be okay."

My aunt died. This is the second aunt to die in two weeks. My first aunt's funeral was last week week. On the fourth of July we're having a memorial service for a cousin who died last winter in Seattle. Many of us couldn't go to the funeral so we're having one here.  On the fifth of July we're having a viewing and a funeral for my second aunt (mother of the cousin who died). All this has pushed me to think about death and viewings and aunts and family and bodies and how it all fits together. Death is a strange and separating and uniting thing.

If you see me in my underwear, it's your fault not mine. I've warned you.

Love, Me.

P.S. I am going to the hot air balloony thing this week. I must. At six thirty a.m. on the fourth of July. I will even wear clothes.

Add Comment (2)
 
BYU Writing and Illustrating for Young Reaers
Written by Ann Dee Ellis   
Monday, 23 June 2008

I'm going to try to get my blog back on because for a few reasons:

  1. I had a WONDERFUL week at the BYU WIFYR conference and I didn't blog about it every day and  I should have. In fact, if I was smart, I would have stolen all the freewrites from the students in my class and posted them. They were all really incredible and funny and then I would have looked popular and smart because there would be incredible funny things posted right here and who cares if I didn't write them?
  2. ALSO, I wish i would keep up on things better. I wish I kept contact. I wish I ate grapefruit. I wish I could tell you everything I learned last week and I wish everyone could get as energized by a conference as I did even though I was about to die by the end because I was so tired and so fat pregnant and so runningaroundtryingtogetthebabysitterthingworking and all that. It was a great conference and I if anyone reads this who was there, please let me know. And say you want to be a reader of the week. And encourage me to blog because I don't and i wish I'd taken pictures and I have problems.
  3. I'm starting my BYU class today and I think perhaps blogging about it would release stress.
  4. I miss having some kind of contact with the outside world other than reading about Angelina Jolie and how much the twins baby pictures are going to go for.
Okay. That's not really anything but at least it's something.
Add Comment (4)
 
IRA Honor Book
Written by Ann Dee Ellis   
Tuesday, 27 May 2008

I just found out that This is What I Did: (along with Sara Zarr's Story of a Girl) is an honor book on the International Reading association's 2008 list. Yay! So happy I could eat a whole juicy watermelon. Also, for those interested, Everything Is Fine

Glossary: Everything Is Fine
Close
Everything Is Fine  Author(s): Ellis, Ann DeeISBN10:  0316013641ISBN13:  9780316013642Format:  HardcoverPub. Date:  3/1/2009Publisher(s): Little Brown & Co
will be out in March. Kind of a long time but less than a year, right?

Thanks everyone.  

Add Comment (1)
 
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>

Results 1 - 5 of 67
Close




Welcome

Ann Dee's debut YA novel, This is What I Did: is now available in stores.

Click on the nice silhouette to start shopping around.

Ann Dee's second novel is due out March 09.

Ann Dee's in Class of 2K7

Glossary: Class of 2K7
Close
The Class of 2k7 is a group of first-time children's and YA authors  with debut books coming out in 2007. We're helping to promote each  other's books with this joint Class of 2k7 website as well as a  collective blog, newsletter, forum, chatroom, and brochure. Our authors  hail from 20 states and D.C. representing an extensive range of genres  and publishers.

And, if you want some backstory, go ahead and read some of Ann Dee's old Live Journal posts. Warning: It really is sort of like her journal so give her a break.

Take a look around, comment, eat some popcorn, send Ann Dee an email, comment, floss and then take a nap because here's why: Why not?
 

Who's Online

Check out the updates in Books 


Ann Dee Ellis dot com - Home