336: Realistic Middle Grade: Balancing the Light and Dark— Interview with Marcella Pixley

Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Marcella Pixley, the author of four acclaimed books for young people. Her novel Freak was a Kirkus Best Book of the Year for 2007, Without Tess was a Junior Library Guild Selection, and Ready to Fall was a Bank Street of Education Best Book for 2017. Her most recent novel Trowbridge Road was just recently named as one of ten books for children for the National Book Awards 2020. Marcella first began her writing career as a poet and has published in several literary journals including Sow's Ear Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner and Poet Lore, plus she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her fiction has a lyric quality, which makes sense given her roots in poetry, and teaches 8th grade Language Arts at the Carlisle Public Schools. Today we'll be discussing Marcella's most recent book, Trowbridge Road. In this episode Marcella and I discuss: How her personal childhood experiences and her diagnosis of OCD inspired her book Trowbridge Road. Why she believes that MG should be written authentically to reflect realistic, traumatic, and difficult childhood experiences. What character voices, detailed moments, and scenes she specifically crafted to reflect her experiences.  Plus, their #1 tip for writers. For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/336