Dec 09, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 16 Comments »

Categories: Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games Movie

Collins, who’s gotten some flak for the kid-on-kid violence in the three books (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay), has responded by pointing to the powerful anti-war message in her story. And she also notes that not everyone sees the books as war novels. “People view the books differently — as romance, as dystopian, as action adventure, as political,” she tells EW. “So there seems to be more than one way into the story.”
If somehow you still have not heard of Katniss and her District 12 cohorts, you will soon. Now that the book series is finished (with Mockingjay‘s publication in August), all eyes are on the upcoming Hunger Games movies. The first film, which will be helmed by Seabiscuit director Gary Ross, isn’t due out until 2012, but fans are already arguing feverishly over who should play Katniss on the big screen — Kaya Scodelario? Alexandra Daddario? Emma Watson? Fortunately, Collins, a seasoned scriptwriter with several kids’ shows under her belt, wrote the first draft of the screenplay herself and says Lionsgate, who acquired the books, has “established a dialogue with me, making me feel my input was valuable and welcome.” “Obviously, you have to let things go,” she says of the process, “but it’s more than a question of condensation. You want to preserve the essence while making the film stand on its own. It’s an art in itself.”

Dec 03, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 14 Comments »

Categories: Lists, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games Movie

There’s a new girl in town, and her name is Katniss Everdeen, the savvy, gutsy, bow and- arrow-wielding heroine of the bestselling Hunger Games trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay). Katniss is the brainchild of Suzanne Collins, 48, the children’s-book author who dreamed up Games a few years ago while channel surfing, when images of reality TV and the Iraq war melded in her head. From that flash of inspiration, Collins fashioned the dystopian world of the Hunger Games, where an authoritarian Capitol forces its districts to hand over two “tributes” each year—teens who must fight to the death in an outdoor arena while the country watches on TV. If that sounds graphic, it is, and Collins has been criticized by some for the kid-on-kid violence. But the privacy-loving author, who granted EW a rare interview, believes the books pack a powerful antiwar message. “My dad was career Air Force, a Vietnam vet, and a doctor of political science,” she explains. “He felt very strongly about educating his children about war. And in turn, I feel drawn to creating stories for kids that might help them understand it.”

All three books have burned up the charts. The Hunger Games alone has more than 2.9 million copies in print and spent over 100 consecutive weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Now that the series is finished (Collins says, definitively, that Katniss’ story “was concluded in Mockingjay”), all eyes are on the upcoming movies. Lionsgate optioned The Hunger Games, and Collins, a seasoned scriptwriter with several kids’ shows under her belt, wrote the first draft of the screenplay. “Adapting a book into a two-hour viewing experience is a challenge,” she says. “You want to preserve the essence while making the film stand on its own.” With the script completed, fans are arguing feverishly over who should play Katniss—but the film, tentatively scheduled for 2012, hasn’t been cast. And though Collins has yet to meet Games’ director, Gary Ross, “we’ve spoken twice on the phone, and I think he’s going to be terrific. He’s full of genuine excitement; when he talks about a scene, you can’t help visualizing it. I can’t wait to see his vision come to life on the screen.”

Oct 21, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 26 Comments »

Categories: Suzanne Collins

“We received a wide variety of creative and visually stunning entries to the Mockingjay display contest,” said Rachel Coun, Executive Director of Hardcover Marketing, Scholastic Trade. “But Powell’s entry, which included the centerpiece of a 17-foot cornucopia, really stood out!”

And the staff at Powell’s Books couldn’t be more thrilled.

“A visit from The Hunger Games series author, Suzanne Collins, is better than birthdays and snow days!” said Suzy Wilson from Powell’s Books children’s team. “We are ecstatic for the legions of ‘Mockingjay’ fans in our area—many of whom waited for hours for the midnight release—to have won the Scholastic contest. It is an amazing opportunity for all those passionate readers to meet their favorite author. The celebration continues, and costumes are not required…but welcomed.”

Sep 23, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 38 Comments »

Categories: Books, Suzanne Collins

“Quite honestly, I knew from the very first paragraph I had a very gifted writer,” says Stimola, who still represents Collins. “It happens like that sometimes. Not often, but when it does it’s a thing of beauty. From the very first paragraph she established a character I cared about. She established a story and a mood that touched my heart.”
Collins sees her books as variations of war stories. The “Underland” series, she explains, tells five different aspects of conflict — the rescue of a prisoner of war, an assassination, biological weapons, genocide and the use of military intelligence. “The Hunger Games” series is an exploration of “unnecessary” war and “necessary” war, when armed rebellion is the only choice.
“If we introduce kids to these ideas earlier, we could get a dialogue about war going earlier and possibly it would lead to more solutions,” she says. “I just feel it isn’t discussed, not the way it should be. I think that’s because it’s uncomfortable for people. It’s not pleasant to talk about. I know from my experience that we are quite capable of understanding things and processing them at an early age.”

Read the full article HERE!

Thanks to DanceWeSteal for the tip!

Aug 20, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 40 Comments »

Categories: Suzanne Collins

Aug 13, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 91 Comments »

Categories: Suzanne Collins

Entertainment Weekly: Which classic have you never read—but pretended you did?

Suzanne Collins: I sort of half read Thomas Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge. It was assigned in 10th grade, and I just couldn’t get into it. About seven years later I rediscovered Hardy, and consumed four of his novels in a row. Katniss Everdeen owes her last name to Bathsheba Everdene, the lead character in Far From the Madding Crowd. The two are very different, but both struggle with knowing their hearts.

What book would you use to swat 
 a fly?

I try to catch flies in cups and put them outside. After
 I wrote The Underland Chronicles…well, once you start naming cockroaches, you lose your edge.

Tell us what your favorite childhood books were.

I’ve had a lifelong love of 
 mythology, so I’d have to top the list with Myths and Enchantment Tales, by Margaret Evans Price, which belonged to my mom when she was a girl, and D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths. Fiction standouts include A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle; The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer; and Boris, by the Dutch writer Jaap ter Haar, which I still think is one of the best war stories written for kids. Unfortunately, it seems to be out of print in this country.

Are there books you’ve gone back to and read over and over again?

It’s embarrassing to admit how many times I’ve reread the following: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, 1984, Lord of the Flies, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Germinal, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and A Moveable Feast.

Is there a book that scared the pants off you?

The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston. 
 I just read it a few weeks ago. Still recovering.

Is there a book you always meant to pick up but never did?

The Idiot. I read several stage 
 adaptations when I worked for the Classic Stage Company, so I have a general idea of the story, but that’s a different experience. And I love Dostoyevsky’s writing, so I’ve been meaning to read it ever since.

What do you want to 
 read next?

Okay, well, now it has to be The Idiot. Next book I buy.

Aug 03, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 41 Comments »

Categories: Book 3: Mockingjay, Mockingjay Book Tour, Suzanne Collins

August 23, 2010: Midnight Party at Books of Wonder, New York, NY
August 24, 2010: 1:00PM-2:30PM at Borders (Columbus Circle), New York, NY
August 24, 2010: 7:00PM-9:30PM at Barnes & Noble, Huntington, NY
August 25, 2010: 2:00PM-3:30PM at Bank Street Books, New York, NY
August 25, 2010: 7:00PM-8:30PM at Books, Bytes & Beyond, Glen Rock, NJ
August 26, 2010: 11:00AM-Noon at The Scholastic Store, New York, NY
August 26, 2010: 5:00PM-6:30PM at Oblong Books and Music, Millerton, NY
August 27, 2010: 1:00PM-2:30PM at RJ Julia Booksellers, Madison, CT
August 27, 2010: 7:00PM-8:30PM at Uconn Co-op, Storrs, CT
August 30, 2010: 7:00PM-8:30PM at Borders, Braintree, MA
August 31, 2010: 1:00PM-2:30PM at The Children’s Book Shop, Brookline, MA
August 31, 2010: 6:00PM-7:30PM at Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley, MA
September 20, 2010: 5:00PM-6:30PM at Harleysville Books, Harleysville, PA
September 21, 2010: 6:00PM-7:30PM at Barnes & Noble, Fairless Hills, PA
September 22, 2010: 6:00PM-7:30PM at Children’s Book World, Haverford, PA
September 23, 2010: 3:00PM-4:30PM at Politics & Prose, Washington, DC
September 23, 2010: 7:30PM-9:30PM at Books-A-Million, Hanover, MD
September 25, 2010: National Book Festival in Washington, DC
October 1, 2010: 4:00PM-5:30PM at Wild Rumpus, Minneapolis, MN
October 2, 2010: 2:00PM-3:30PM at Red Balloon Bookshop, St Paul. MN
October 3, 2010: 2:00PM-3:30PM at Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
October 3, 2010: 7:00PM-8:30PM at The Book Stall, Winnetka, IL
October 4, 2010: 3:00PM-4:30PM at The Magic Tree Bookstore, Oak Park, IL
October 4, 2010: 7:00PM-8:30PM at Borders, Schaumburg, IL
November 3, 2010: 7:00PM-8:30PM at Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park, CA
November 4, 2010: 7:00PM-8:30PM at Hicklebee’s, San Jose, CA
November 5, 2010: 7:00PM-8:30PM at Barnes & Noble, Lynnwood, WA
November 6, 2010: 11:00AM-12:30PM at Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA
November 6, 2010: 4:00PM-5:30PM at Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, WA

Aug 01, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 51 Comments »

Categories: Suzanne Collins

What does [the Mockingjay] have to do with Katniss?

Symbolically, I suppose, Katniss is something like a mockingjay in and of herself. She is a girl who should never have existed. And the reason she does exist is that she comes from District 12, which is sort of the joke of the 12 districts of Panem. The Capitol is lax there. The security is much less. The peacekeepers, who are the peacekeeping force, are still the law, and they’re still threatening, but they intermix more with the population in District 12 than they do in other districts. And also things like the fence that surrounds 12 isn’t electrified full time.

Because of these lapses in security and the Capitol just thinking that 12 is not ever really going to be a threat because it’s small and poor, they create an environment in which Katniss develops, in which she is created, this girl who slips under this fence, which isn’t electrified, and learns to be a hunter. Not only that, she’s a survivalist, and along with that goes a degree of independent thinking that is unusual in the districts.

So here we have her arriving in the arena in the first book, not only equipped as someone who can keep herself alive in this environment—and then once she gets the bow and arrows, can be lethal—but she’s also somebody who already thinks outside the box because they just haven’t been paying attention to District 12. So in that way, too, Katniss is the mockingjay. She is the thing that should never have been created, that the Capitol never intended to happen. In the same way they just let the jabberjays go and thought, “We don’t have to worry about them,” they thought, “We don’t have to worry about District 12.” And this new creature evolved, which is the mockingjay, which is Katniss.

Your books send a strong message that grown-ups have messed up the world big-time, and kids are the only hope for the future.

Absolutely. I can’t remember how much we talked about Theseus and the Minotaur the last time we spoke, but Theseus and the Minotaur is the classical setup for where The Hunger Games begins, you know, with the tale of Minos in Crete….

Right. As punishment, Minos ordered the Athenians to throw seven young men and seven maidens into a labyrinth to be devoured by the Minotaur—until Theseus finally kills the monster. I remember you telling me that as an eight-year-old, you were horrified that Crete was so cruel—and that in her own way, Katniss is a futuristic Theseus.

But once the “Hunger Games” story takes off, I actually would say that the historical figure of Spartacus really becomes more of a model for the arc of the three books, for Katniss. We don’t know a lot of details about his life, but there was this guy named Spartacus who was a gladiator who broke out of the arena and led a rebellion against an oppressive government that led to what is called the Third Servile War. He caused the Romans quite a bit of trouble. And, ultimately, he died.

This is a minor point, but I’m curious: Why does President Snow’s breath smell like blood?

Oh, I can’t tell you that. [Laughter] I see what you’re doing. You get me going, and then you have this list of book-three questions you’re trying to slip in.

Actually, the entire interview has been carefully leading up to that very question.

[Laughter] Well, I absolutely cannot tell you. No, I really can’t. But you’re right. That will be answered in book three. I’ll tell you that, OK? That can be your header.

Jul 27, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 25 Comments »

Categories: Book 3: Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins will be making an appearance at The Scholastic Store in SoHo on Thursday 8/26 at 11am to celebrate the release of Mockingjay, the third and final book in The Hunger Games trilogy! Named one of TIME Magazine’s Top 100 People of the Year, Ms. Collins will read from her new book and meet fans!

For the Fall 2010 Mockingjay tour, Suzanne Collins has commissioned a special custom made stamp that she will be using for all appearances. Due to existing hand strain, she will not be signing or personalizing. Ms. Collins will also only be able to stamp one book per guest.

We know how many Hunger Games fans are in the New York area so we’re sure this event will be busy! The event will end promptly at 12pm, so here are some tips to make sure we can accommodate as many Hunger Games fans as possible!
- Pre-order your copy in person at The Scholastic Store in SoHo anytime before the event! (Less lines = less wait!)
- You are welcome to take photographs but Ms. Collins will not be able to individually pose with fans. If you’d like a photo of when your book is being stamped, bring your camera and we’ll have store staff on hand to take a quick picture!

Jul 14, 2010

Posted by Kimmy • 21 Comments »

Categories: Book 3: Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

August 23rd, 8:00pm – 1:30am
Books of Wonder, New York City, NY
Collins will be appearing at the official launch party for Mockingjay at Books of Wonder’s midnight release party.

August 24th, 7:00pm
Barnes & Noble, Huntington Station, NY

September 21st, 6:00pm
Barnes & Noble, Fairless Hills, PA