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Overview
Hailed for her wit and skill at wordplay, M. E. Kerr has written some twenty-five books for young adults in the past quarter century. For novels like Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!, Gentlehands, Night Kites, and the autobiographical ME ME ME ME ME: Not a Novel, Kerr was honored with the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1993. Notably, she is the first young adult novelist to speak openly about her lesbianism. With Presenting M. E. Kerr, Updated, Alleen Pace Nilsen provides a fresh, thoroughly revised look at the achievements of this popular writer for young adults. Like its warmly received predecessor, the study presents a biographical profile of Kerr and discusses the features characterizing her books, among them Kerr's deftness at creating names and her skill at composing dialogue. But this new edition also inspects the substantial body of work produced by Kerr in the intervening decade - including the acclaimed young adult novels Linger and Deliver Us from Evie - as well as the extensive critical literature written about her efforts. In addition, Nilsen traces homosexual elements throughout Kerr's work, examining with sensitivity and respect the ways in which the writer uses various other forms of prejudice, such as ethnic and socioeconomic differences among people, as metaphors for homophobia. In separate chapters, Nilsen treats Kerr's larger body of work - comprising adult fiction and nonfiction, works of mystery and suspense, and novels for children in the middle grades - and analyzes her style, humor, and concern with the underdog. Throughout, readers are treated to a wealth of insights into the writer's art and life, ranging from quotations from Nilsen's interviews with Kerr to selections of Kerr's photographs.A critical introduction to the life and work of the young adult novelist M. E. Kerr.
Synopsis
Hailed for her wit and skill at wordplay, M. E. Kerr has written some twenty-five books for young adults in the past quarter century. For novels like Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!, Gentlehands, Night Kites, and the autobiographical ME ME ME ME ME: Not a Novel, Kerr was honored with the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1993. Notably, she is the first young adult novelist to speak openly about her lesbianism. With Presenting M. E. Kerr, Updated, Alleen Pace Nilsen provides a fresh, thoroughly revised look at the achievements of this popular writer for young adults. Like its warmly received predecessor, the study presents a biographical profile of Kerr and discusses the features characterizing her books, among them Kerr's deftness at creating names and her skill at composing dialogue. But this new edition also inspects the substantial body of work produced by Kerr in the intervening decade - including the acclaimed young adult novels Linger and Deliver Us from Evie - as well as the extensive critical literature written about her efforts. In addition, Nilsen traces homosexual elements throughout Kerr's work, examining with sensitivity and respect the ways in which the writer uses various other forms of prejudice, such as ethnic and socioeconomic differences among people, as metaphors for homophobia. In separate chapters, Nilsen treats Kerr's larger body of work - comprising adult fiction and nonfiction, works of mystery and suspense, and novels for children in the middle grades - and analyzes her style, humor, and concern with the underdog. Throughout, readers are treated to a wealth of insights into the writer's art and life, ranging from quotations from Nilsen's interviews with Kerr to selections of Kerr's photographs.
VOYA
This new addition to the well-known and well-respected critical biography series published by Twayne is an updated version of the 1986 edition. To her credit, Nilsen did not simply tack on additional chapters to accommodate Kerr's newer novels and her Margaret A. Edwards Award honor. The entire book has been rewritten and reorganized reflecting Nilsen's ongoing study of this significant author and her works. Kerr's Night Kites (HarperCollins, 1986), a turning point in young adult literature, and the other three books cited by the Edwards selection committee are highlighted in one chapter, along with Deliver Us From Evie (HarperCollins, 1994/VOYA October 1994). In other chapters, Nilsen covers Kerr's personal and professional life, her remaining young adult novels, and her foray into books for intermediate readers, as well as her writing style and tone. The final chapter, refreshingly honest and respectfully written, "traces homosexual elements throughout Kerr's work" and her ongoing defense of the underdog. Literary criticism of Kerr's short stories is woven throughout as appropriate. The book is well researched and includes numerous quotes from two lengthy interviews. Nilsen skillfully combines biographical information and literary criticism in an inviting manner, creating a professional resource that can be enjoyed for personal reading and utilized for research. This definitive critical biography is not only a solid addition to the series but also a rich and memorable tribute to one of young adult literature's popular and well-respected writers. Index. Photos. Biblio. Source Notes. Chronology. Appendix.