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Wednesday, November 21, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
ELWOOD:
Author appreciates
background in Sisters
Continued from page 3
considered writing — and
writing about tech, which I’ve
done for eight years — if it
weren’t for those opportuni-
ties,” said Elwood from her
home in Portland.
Growing up in Sisters
gave Elwood insights into a
child’s small-town perspec-
tive based on boundaries and
limited exposure to a diver-
sity of opinions, lifestyles and
cultures. She harnessed her
experiences and wrote a book
in 2010 that takes her young
readers on an epic adventure
that doesn’t look like it will
end well. “Spartacus Ryan
Zander and the Secrets of the
Incredible” (ages 8 to 13), has
a kidnapping, scary clowns
and sibling squabbles most
kids can relate to in one way
or another.
Elwood has found that
a lot of kids grow up with a
reality that evolves, once they
explore other places and peo-
ple. They begin to question
what they’ve been taught and
become their own narrator.
“Kids in small towns
don’t know that until later,”
explained Elwood. “I intro-
duce the character to the
world outside of his little
town. He learned to ques-
tion things on his own, ques-
tion adults and then decide if
they are reliable. Often, kids
in small towns don’t have the
same opportunities to see var-
ious points of view.”
Elwood’s character learns
to ask more questions about
motives and points of view.
“I don’t know how many
kids’ books are covering that.
Things happen to kids in
books and they don’t ques-
tion why or see different
points of view about drawing
conclusions.”
Elwood has had her own
adventure in the publishing
world. After her book was
published, the publisher went
out of business. Like her resil-
ient character, she didn’t give
up and has rewritten the book
and found a new publisher,
Fitzroy Books. She’s applying
to book contests and pursuing
new ways to get her book out
into the world.
Combining her role as a
children’s book author and her
career at KEEN has its chal-
lenges. She’s talking in front
of classrooms of kids who
make up her reading audi-
ence. They can be scarier than
adults. One way she’s tackled
public speaking and readings
is by doing stand-up comedy.
“It fits in with my inter-
est in improving my public
speaking. I love dabbling in
stand-up comedy, so I’m fig-
uring out ways to tie that in
and make my book approach-
able. I want to appeal to par-
ents who would buy the book
for their children. I want to be
a smart feminist voice as my
‘in’ vs. just speaking as a chil-
dren’s book author,” she said.
In Portland recently,
Elwood ran into a former
Sisters classmate whose mom
had been her high school
English teacher.
“I ended up talking to her
mom on the phone that night,
and thanked her for teaching
such a wide range of books,”
she said. “She still had a
photo of our graduating class
in her home. It’s so nice to be
from a small town. I know
kids in small towns don’t
always feel like they fit in or
have the same opportunities,
but they can also get personal,
hands-on treatment that you
wouldn’t get in a big city.”
I love dabbling in
stand-up comedy,
so I’m figuring out ways
to tie that in and make my
book approachable.
— Molly Elwood
Elwood wants folks in
Sisters to know she appreci-
ates the education and people
she met growing up.
“I had Jim Cornelius edit-
ing my articles and an English
teacher who took the time
to talk me through my writ-
ing. I had a patient and kind
tech teacher who was also
my society teacher — hav-
ing teachers know me beyond
one class felt really important.
There was the possibility for
adult/teenager relationships
PHOTO PROVIDED
Molly Elwood has authored a children’s book.
that aren’t always possible in
larger places. Sisters has such
wonderful potential to help
students find their voice and
unique interests.”
Elwood’s book is available
at Paulina Springs Books
in Sisters (online at www.
paulinasprings.com), Powell’s
Books, and Amazon. For
more information, visit www.
mollyelwood.com.
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That’s a tough question when you don’t
have enough food for your family.
Sisters is fortunate to have the Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank
to ensure everyone in our community has food to put on their
table, but that requires year-round community support...
Cash Donations ... Food Donations ... Volunteers
Ready to donate? The staff at The Nugget will receive your donations
and deliver them to Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank during our food drive.
The Nugget Newspaper
FOOD DRIVE through Nov. 23
442 E. Main Ave. • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri
Financial donations and non-perishable food (not past
expiration) will be accepted. Sisters Kiwanis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Make checks payable to “Sisters Kiwanis Food Bank.”