Why Ann Rules (A Long Post)
Allow me to interrupt our harsh but fair critiques of the new cover art for a moment. I was digging through one particular drawer in my apartment that I reserve for my favourite nostalgic paraphernalia (yes, one drawer...I'm not very sentimental) and thought I would share the cream of the crop with this community. My BSC stuff from Ann!
Like most of you I was a pretty rabid fan. Started reading the books in 2nd grade, but didn't try writing Ann until I was junior-member age. I was never a fanmail-writing kid, this being a necessary exception. I got a couple form letters back, which I was pretty ecstatic about, especially since they were signed by hand. The first letter addresses her FAQ. The second one came after Scholastic asked readers to send letters to Ann when the series ended, which I dutifully did. They threw her a party and presented her with all the mail, and she was nice enough to write back to everyone.
Then in 2003, with my legs in full spaghetti mode, I met Ann at a literary convention in Toronto and gave her another letter in person. Funny sidenote: IIRC, in addition to lots of gushing, I actually wrote that I noticed her repeated use of the names Nancy White, Janet O'Neil, Nancy O'Neil and Janet White for bullies (A Corner of the Universe, and Poor Mallory, anyone? Great revenge, I presume, against real life mean girls). We chatted and she signed my copy of Corner, which had come out that past year.
And then...a month later, when I had almost fully recovered from my post-Ann tremors, I got a package. You'll notice her handwriting on both the address and the customs sticker. I did. And I died. She had crammed it full of stuff and autographed everything to my name. Big map of Stoneybrook (back side is Hodges goodness), BSC movie poster, some press photos, bookmarks, and a button.
The motherload:
Last but not least, in the envelope was a personal letter from Ann:
She calls my letter a "keeper" (!!!!). I do wonder if she still has it. And this is what she says in the 3rd paragraph, in case you can't read it in the photo - insightful and really beautiful to re-read now:
"As you might imagine, an author's life can be solitary ... I don't always know the effect the published book is having on its readers. (It's sort of like sending a daughter off to college and just hoping she'll do well out there, on her own.) I plan to keep your letter near at hand, as inspiration, to remind me of the effect books can have on readers."
It still truly amazes me, as an adult, that she took the time to do this. She was, along with her books, such a presence in my formative years. I work as a musician and songwriter now, but I wrote a lot as a kid, which explains what she's talking about at the end of the letter. Ann has always been very charitable, but this was such a personal experience and meant so much to me as a young reader of hers; it has always stuck with me and made me think that she is so deserving of her success for reasons beyond being incredible at designing fictitious outfits. I think the gesture says a lot about AMM as a person. Thoughtful, attentive, giving and kind, Mary Anne-style. See...2010 and I'm still gushing.
Like most of you I was a pretty rabid fan. Started reading the books in 2nd grade, but didn't try writing Ann until I was junior-member age. I was never a fanmail-writing kid, this being a necessary exception. I got a couple form letters back, which I was pretty ecstatic about, especially since they were signed by hand. The first letter addresses her FAQ. The second one came after Scholastic asked readers to send letters to Ann when the series ended, which I dutifully did. They threw her a party and presented her with all the mail, and she was nice enough to write back to everyone.
Then in 2003, with my legs in full spaghetti mode, I met Ann at a literary convention in Toronto and gave her another letter in person. Funny sidenote: IIRC, in addition to lots of gushing, I actually wrote that I noticed her repeated use of the names Nancy White, Janet O'Neil, Nancy O'Neil and Janet White for bullies (A Corner of the Universe, and Poor Mallory, anyone? Great revenge, I presume, against real life mean girls). We chatted and she signed my copy of Corner, which had come out that past year.
And then...a month later, when I had almost fully recovered from my post-Ann tremors, I got a package. You'll notice her handwriting on both the address and the customs sticker. I did. And I died. She had crammed it full of stuff and autographed everything to my name. Big map of Stoneybrook (back side is Hodges goodness), BSC movie poster, some press photos, bookmarks, and a button.
The motherload:
Last but not least, in the envelope was a personal letter from Ann:
She calls my letter a "keeper" (!!!!). I do wonder if she still has it. And this is what she says in the 3rd paragraph, in case you can't read it in the photo - insightful and really beautiful to re-read now:
"As you might imagine, an author's life can be solitary ... I don't always know the effect the published book is having on its readers. (It's sort of like sending a daughter off to college and just hoping she'll do well out there, on her own.) I plan to keep your letter near at hand, as inspiration, to remind me of the effect books can have on readers."
It still truly amazes me, as an adult, that she took the time to do this. She was, along with her books, such a presence in my formative years. I work as a musician and songwriter now, but I wrote a lot as a kid, which explains what she's talking about at the end of the letter. Ann has always been very charitable, but this was such a personal experience and meant so much to me as a young reader of hers; it has always stuck with me and made me think that she is so deserving of her success for reasons beyond being incredible at designing fictitious outfits. I think the gesture says a lot about AMM as a person. Thoughtful, attentive, giving and kind, Mary Anne-style. See...2010 and I'm still gushing.