When Lorie Ann Grover grew to be six feet tall, everyone knew male dancers in the ballet company would have a hard time lifting her off the floor. Instead of plies and pirouettes, she now Repulses the Monkey, becomes the White Tiger Who Plays With Tail and stands as the Immortal Fairy Who Points the Way when she practices weapons tai chi. In her Doc Martens. Sitting down to write, she commiserates with teens and laughs with babies. And vice versa.
Lorie Ann is a co-founder of readergirlz www.readergirlz.com and readertotz.
You can visit Lorie Ann’s website: http://www.lorieanngrover.com
To contact Lorie Ann you can e-mail her at: lorieanngrover@clearwire.net
2016 Workshop: PROSE TO POETRY: Writing in Verse
Novelist Lorie Ann Grover leads those interested in writing from their own life experiences. With young adult novels springing from her own history, she’ll guide students in capturing their memories, writing in prose, and then converting the work into a verse format. No poetry experience necessary!
Featured books:
Firstborn
by Lorie Ann Grover
When Tiadone was born, her parents had two choices: leave their daughter outside the community to die, or raise her as male. Now, as the first female living as male in her village, Tiadone must prove her father didn’t make a mistake by letting her live. As her male initiation approaches, she desperately wishes to finally be accepted. Worse, she is drawn to her male best friend in ways that are in line with the female gender. Tiadone tries to become what she must be while dealing with what she has become: a young woman able to stand up and uncover her real purpose in life. (gr 7 and up)
Loose Threads
by Lorie Ann Grover
When her grandmother is diagnosed with breast cancer, and throughout the months after, seventh-grader Kay feels the fabric of her family will soon unravel. How can she deal with this tragedy, along with her own preteen problems with school, boys, and friends. Through her narrative, this series of brief poems relays the emotions of four generations of women affected by Grandma Margie's announcement, subsequent mastectomy, chemotherapy, and death. (gr 5 – 8)
On Pointe
by Lorie Ann Grover
For ten long years Clare has been taking ballet lessons, watching what she eats, giving up friends and a social life, and practicing until her feet bleed. And now, with the audition for City Ballet Company right around the corner, the dream feels so close. The competition for the sixteen spots in the company is fierce. Talent, dedication, body shape, size ‐‐ everything will influence the outcome. On Pointe soars with emotion as it explores what it means to reach for a dream
‐‐ and the way that dreams can change as quickly and suddenly as do our lives. (gr 7-10)
Hit
by Lorie Ann Grover
Sarah walks into a poetry class led by Mr. Haddings, a student teacher from the nearby University of Washington. Suddenly, life on campus seems very appealing, and Sarah finds herself using her poetry journal to declare her feelings for Haddings. Convinced he is flirting back, she sets off for school in the rain with a poem in her back pocket. Mr. Haddings has noticed Sarah's attention, but a relationship with a student is too great a risk, and he has decided to end all speculation. Everything changes when Mr. Haddings finds Sarah in the street with blood pooling beneath her. (gr 7 and up)
Hold Me Tight
by Lorie Ann Grover
"I'm leaving." Dad's words come as a complete shock to Essie. How can he just walk out on her and the family, especially when Mom is pregnant? Essie keeps her dad's leaving a secret. Then Essie's classmate is kidnapped. Is Chris okay? Is Dad ever coming back? Essie is left to wonder if people really have any control over what happens in their lives. Finally, Essie finds the strength to hold on tight to all that she has left ‐‐ and realizes that the bonds of love and family do hold a person together. Inspired by true events, Hold Me Tight is a moving and powerful novel. An author's note provides further information about kidnapping and the Amber Plan programs that are in use today to help communities find abducted children. (gr 5-8)
