about alaska (herself).

"a wrinkle in pages" is a blog about books, mostly of the young adult variety, despite not being a teen for a while. I believe honesty is the best policy, and that's what you'll find here. Madeleine L'Engle inspired me greatly at a young age to read, read, and read more, to ask questions of the universe around us. One of my favorite places in New York is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine - a couple blocks down from my college and the setting of main parts of The Young Unicorns.

I also strongly believe that the most creative writing is being done in the YA field. What started as me trying to get a grasp of this whole genre (when I was a kid, there wasn't a "teen" section!) so I could recommend books to my younger sisters, their friends, people at the library, and my students, has grown into something much bigger. What can I say? I love books that push limits (see my love of James Joyce, William Faulkner, etc. etc.) and I really do think they would be writing YA today. (After all, doesn't Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man technically qualify if it were to come out today?)

Contrary to popular belief, "alaska" is a) not my real name, and b) in no way referencing John Green's Looking for Alaska, despite my fondness for the book. Rather, it's a take on my real name from a song by some crazy fabric loving dudes in the seventies. If you get the reference, I'll give you a cookie! ;)

Right now, my state of residence is California, though I make at least four trips back East a year. I lived in New York for almost ten years, and loved all of it. I went to an Ivy, didn't go to a single club downtown, but have encyclopedic knowledge of where water fountains and restrooms can be found. (Also the best trivia nights and dive bars in the city.)

I am in the process of applying to graduate school for fall 2013, and am currently at the local Humane Society, where I have created the Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation Program and have at any given time over 30 horses in my care. (Basically I work on a farm - checking chickens, goats, turkeys, rabbits, horses, driving tractors, spreading manure, etc.) My eclectic resume includes being a successful fine art photography salesperson, an autism tutor, a seventh grade Special Ed teacher in the South Bronx, an election consultant for a local city council woman, a constituents services representative for two major female Senators, a paralegal, a group therapy leader, an unsuccessful receptionist for a desk-selling company, a transciptionist, and a research assistant many times over. (Paid to read and collect documents! The best!) I am not a vegan, was raised Catholic, wore an imported Canadian wool kilt and knee highs every day in high school, adore accessories (hats and scarves and bags, oh my!) and "Survivor". I have never been to Canada though I have been to Tibet.

Important things to know about me that might shape my opinions about the books I read: I have degrees in history, political science, and psychology. (And am currently working on becoming a veterinarian technician.) Because of this, my suspension of belief can be shattered pretty easily. Luckily for me, plenty of authors are willing to do their homework and take care in what they write.

For me, the best books are the ones that encourage a dialogue. That is my main hope for this blog - that in the comments, conversations will happen, or a review might tickle your fancy and you'll pick up the book and then tell someone else about it. I love that each reader brings something different to the table, and each reader has a different experience. It's a magical thing, words strung together into sentences into paragraphs into pages into books.

When you open a book, you open a universe of unlimited potential.

Go visit one of my favorite artists, Sean Kernan, at his website to see his incredible series, The Secret Books. If I had unlimited funds and a massive library, I would decorate room after room with his work. But my absolute favorite is "Stars (Constellation)", and I'm sure you'll understand why once you see it.