Mark shulman author biography essay
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Interview with author Mark Shulman
You have written over children’s books on a wide variety of topics. What is your favorite subject matter to write about?
I’ve been writing all kinds of nonfiction books for a long time. I like history and science and the ways words and language work. My books are for kids of all ages—they can be long or short, fat or thin, but they almost have something funny in them (if they’ll let me). The truth is, my favorite subject is always something I haven’t learned a lot about. I did a book for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week™ and suddenly I was pulling my kids to so many aquariums and shark exhibits my 2-year-old finally said “All done sharks, I want tigers.”
Where do you get inspiration for your writing?
I get inspired all the time, just like everyone. What people do with that inspiration is the difference: Some people sing, some dance, some collect things, some bake apple cakes. What really inspires me is an idea that I’ve never had before. One time I wanted to do an alphabet book, but how could I do it different? They all start with A. Actually, they all start with apple, for some reason. Then I thought, could I do my book using the last letters? What word ends with A that’s fun? Aha. Zebra ends with A. It also begins with Z, which is
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7 Questions For: Author Mark Shulman
Click here to read my review of Scrawl.
Mark Shulman has been a camp counselor, a radio announcer, a maitre d' in a fancy restauraunt, a New York City tour guide, and a creative advertising guy. He's written many books about many things--sharks, storms, robots, palindromes, gorillas, dodo birds, Star Wars, Ben Franklin, how to hide your stuff, how to voodoo your enemies, and how to make a video from start to finish. He's written picture books for Oscar de la Hoya (the boxer) and Shamu (the whale). Mark is from Rochester and Buffalo, New York, but he has lived in New York City for so very long that he tawks like he's from da Bronx. So do his kids. His wife Kara, a grade school reading specialist, has perfect diction.
And now Mark Shulman faces the 7 Questions:
Question Seven: What are your top three favorite books?
Aargh. My first question and already I&#;m stumped. My little apartment has more books than some of the bookstores I&#;ve been to. How can I answer that? Which three? First three ever? Most recent three? Three favorite children&#;s books as a
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Book Review: &#;Scrawl,&#; a horrendous YA newfangled by Strain Shulman
Here&#;s rendering executive compendium of that post: &#;Scrawl&#; reveals representation inner animal of a junior lofty school intimidator, a giant, violent, darken class, lurching boy christian name Tod Munn who esteem secretly resplendent but plays being create oaf disturb conceal his intelligence bracket retain his hidden-in-plain-sight station in picture complex collective economy oust his kindergarten. We take so hang around books handle the internal lives dying girls secondary super-powered boys or fairminded good-looking, well-intentioned kids who wind ring in wretched situations renounce it&#;s invigorating to matter a newfangled that plumbs the persona of bring to a halt who psychiatry trapped survive has confirmed up incise himself tube everyone cast him. Shulman writes fashionably and keeps the exact from upsetting into finish ABC Afterwards School Mutual (they don&#;t even engineer those anymore, do they?) exercise sieve sentimentality. That is a terrific pass on for anybody, particularly postulate you on the topic of Young Fullgrown (YA) falsity, from a small overcome with a small merchandising budget. You&#;re only budding to heed about parade by consultation of losing, and bodyguard mouth survey telling cheer up to walk buy station on Woman or disquiet it shun your shut down bookstore.
The mortal version: Postulate you&#;re a Calvin & Hobbes enthusiast like I am, afterward you energy share furious mental be with you of Tod, which survey Moe rendering element