Ellen Hopkins at Clearwater Library Wednesday, March 18 @ 7:00

Ellen Hopkins, one of my all-time favorite authors, will be speaking at the Clearwater Library on Wednesday, March 18th at 7:00.  Full details are here. 

If you don’t know who Ellen Hopkins is, you should.  She does these amazing novels, all in verse.  I first picked up one of her novels when I was making my way through the American Library Association’s Quick Picks For Reluctant Readers list.  I read Crank straight through without stopping.  This is odd for me, because I AM short-attention-span girl when it comes to novels, and I generally find most poetry either pretentious or self-indulgent.  With Ellen’s books, though, I can’t get enough.

I must confess here, I couldn’t write poetry if I were suspended over a pit of rabid weasels, about to be nibbled to my death if I didn’t deliver.  Last year I was asked to contribute two lines to a collaborative poem for a good cause, and I think it took me six weeks.  I say this so you’ll understand just how in awe I am of Ellen Hopkins.

If you are within driving distance of the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday, March 18th, you MUST go see Ellen Hopkins speak at the Clearwater Main Library at 100 N. Osceola Ave. in Clearwater, Florida at 7:00 pm.  You will not be sorry.