 20 years of Master Class to Masterpiece |
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2018 FACULTY: Bios Senior Editor Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Krista’s editorial background is impressive. In recent years at Simon & Schuster, she’s worked with New York Times bestselling author Tommy Wallach, Scarlett Thomas, Sean Easley, Beth Turley, award-winning author Susan Hood and critically-acclaimed author Barry Denenberg. Previously, at Delacorte/Random House, Krista worked with New York Times bestselling authors Colleen Houck and Alyson Noel, multi-state award winner Dana Alison Levy, and award-winning author Donna Gephart... plus debut authors! Krista Vitola adds: "I’d love to participate in your whole-novel seminar. It sounds like a wonderful editorial-filled weekend. I look forward to reading your manuscripts and seeing you all in September!” Agent
Author
A glimpse of Crutcher’s 2018 novel, Losers Bracket: “When it comes to family, Annie is in the losers bracket. While her foster parents are great (mostly), her birth family would not have been her first pick. And no matter how many times Annie tries to write them out of her life, she always gets sucked back into their drama. Love is like that…” Crutcher’s stories are a powerful mix of tragedy and humor, speaking to those who know the angst and challenges of being a young adult. He’s drawn to the “powerful community” that our workshop has created for writers—especially teens, with whom he'll be working directly. Chris adds: “What drew me to this workshop, besides the director’s cheerleading [urging him to teach our enrollees], was probably the heart driving that cheerleading… From what I know about the Pacific Coast Children's Writers Workshop, one filter into this event is the passion to write. Passion is a powerful engine. When I worked as a group therapist, I found that the best information, the most useful information, came from group members to each other, and that I could best lead from the rudder position. I find that true with groups of any kind, focused on a common goal... Agent
Molly’s career has included editorial roles at Chronicle Books and Dial Books for Young Readers, early social media development for a major teen magazine, and serving as National Programs Director at the Children’s Book Council, the trade association of American children’s book publishers. She has also been a bookseller, and a past board member of the U. S. Board on Books for Young People. As an agent, Molly is primarily looking for middle-grade and young adult fiction with polished, assured writing. "The stories need to be absorbing and irresistible. I like to be astonished!" She leans toward the literary and away from the super-commercial, noting, "My first research paper, in fourth grade, was on the history of Newbery Medal. I was a fun kid.” In brief, Molly seeks fiction that’s “inventive, well-crafted, and rich with emotion… If you’ve got a terrific story, well-told, I want to read it.” Due to extenuating circumstances, Molly Ker Hawn participated minimally as adjunct faculty—we hope to see her year at one of our future events. Agent and YA author John Cusick (Folio Jr) kindly filled in. |
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Senior Editor Krista Vitola (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) edits literary and commercial middle grade and YA fiction in a wide range of genres. Their common denominator: VOICE. (“I will fall head-over-heels for any story with a great voice. Draw me in!”) Some of Krista's favorite narratives include those with a dark and twisted plot, emotionally-layered complex stories, multicultural with diverse characters, sports novels, animals, friendship and/or sib stories, conflicting relationships, and environments that spark one’s imagination (“I was always going on adventures in my backyard”). Krista isn’t drawn to high fantasy or science fiction, but feel free to submit other fantasy or magical realism, and ask about additional genres. 
Vice President at Folio Literary Management, John represents a diverse list of voices in young adult, middle-grade, picture books, “and everything in between.“ As a YA author, John says he brings “both a creative and commercial sensibility to my agenting style. I’m an editorial agent who works closely with my clients, whether it’s developing a debut project or helping a seasoned author achieve that breakout novel. My goal is always to match authors with their dream editor, to secure the best deals possible, and grow an author’s readership over a long career.” John’s projects include Dumplin’ (a major motion picture on Netflix) and Puddin’ by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy, and Ash Princess by New York Times bestselling author Laura Sebastian. 
Bestselling, award-winning author Chris Crutcher has written “strikingly authentic and unflinchingly honest” fiction for 35 years, including at least eleven novels and two short story collections. In 2000, he received the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association (ALA) for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens; the ALA has named at least eight of his publications to its annual list of Best Books for Young Adults. Titles include Whale Talk, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Deadline, The Crazy Horse Electric Game, Athletic Shorts (short stories). 
Agent Molly Ker Hawn, director of The Bent Agency-UK, lives in London and works with authors and publishers in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia, selling directly into all four markets. Established in 2009, the Bent Agency is actively looking for new clients and solicits manuscripts from authors, both published and unpublished. Books represented by this agency all “speak to the heart in some way: they’re linked by genuine emotion, inspiration and great writing and storytelling.”