In Meg Medina’s new young adult novel, a 13-year-old girl becomes a sea ghost
In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, author Meg Medina discusses her new young adult novel about a 13-year-old ghost who transforms forgotten objects into sea glass at the bottom of the ocean. Medina explains her approach to writing for young audiences, particularly when addressing complex themes like death and suffering, and emphasizes the importance of allowing young readers to choose their own reading material.
The conversation also explores Medina's writing process and the decade-long development of her latest work. She shares how personal experiences, including the death of her mother in 2013, influenced the novel's themes of regret and loss, and describes her practice of maintaining a "graveyard" of unfinished ideas that may find new life in future projects.
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1-Page Summary
Novel "Graciela in the Abyss" Themes
"Graciela in the Abyss" follows the story of 13-year-old Graciela Lima, who falls off a cliff and awakens as a ghost 100 years later at the bottom of the sea. In her new spectral existence, she takes on the task of transforming forgotten objects into sea glass, while the novel explores profound themes of mortality and the afterlife.
Medina's Approach To Writing For Young Audiences
Author Meg Medina tackles serious themes like death and suffering with a thoughtful approach, focusing on how characters live their afterlife rather than dwelling on death itself. She emphasizes the importance of depicting life's complexities, including mistakes and struggles, as valuable learning experiences for young readers. Medina advocates for making reading an enjoyable and liberating experience, arguing that young readers should have the freedom to choose their reading material rather than following a rigid curriculum.
Medina's Personal Writing Process and Experiences
Medina reveals that "Graciela in the Abyss" has been in development since 2010, with the death of her mother in 2013 providing a deeper emotional connection to the novel's themes of regret, death, and loss. She maintains what she calls a "graveyard" for her unfinished ideas and literary fragments, where she stores various elements that might find new life in future works. This repository allows her to repurpose and revitalize creative elements when the right opportunity presents itself.
1-Page Summary
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Actionables
- You can explore your own perceptions of mortality by journaling about objects you find meaningful and imagining their transformation after you're gone. For instance, consider a cherished book or piece of jewelry and write a creative narrative about its journey through time, potentially becoming something new like sea glass, as a way to reflect on legacy and memory.
- Create a personal "idea graveyard" in a notebook or digital document where you store unfinished projects, thoughts, or creative sparks. This can be a place to revisit when you're seeking inspiration or when an idea's time has come. For example, if you start a hobby project like knitting a sweater and lose interest, add it to your graveyard with notes on what you learned or what you might do differently in the future.
- Encourage young people in your life to choose their own books by setting up a book swap event with friends or family. Each person brings books they've enjoyed but are ready to pass on, allowing everyone, especially the younger participants, to select new reading material based on their interests, fostering a sense of autonomy and exploration in their reading journey.
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Novel "Graciela in the Abyss" Themes
"Graciela in the Abyss" is a novel that offers a profound exploration of death and the afterlife through the engaging and complex journey of its young protagonist.
Central Narrative: Young Protagonist's Afterlife Journey
The narrative of "Graciela in the Abyss" centers around Graciela Lima, a 13-year-old girl whose life is dramatically transformed by an accidental fall.
Graciela Falls Off a Cliff and Awakens 100 Years Later As a Ghost
Graciela's story begins with her fall off a cliff, a pivotal moment that leads to her awakening 100 years later at the bottom of the sea. However, she is not as she was—Graciela is now a ghost, facing the reality of her existence in the afterlife.
Afterlife: Graciela Turns Forgotten Objects Into Sea Glass
In her new role as a spectral figure, Graciela takes on the duty of converting forgotten items into sea glass. This task is emblematic of her journey, as she navigates the meanings of these lost objects and their transformations.
Book's Exploration of Death, Afterlife, and Life's Meaning
"Graciela in the Abyss" delves into themes of mortality, the afterlife and the essence of life with a poignant and sensitive touch.
Premise: Exploring Life After Death
The novel takes readers on an exploration of what happens after death. Through Graciela's experiences in her underwater existence, the book examines the life beyond our own, presenting a detailed and imaginative view of the afterlife.
The Book Sensitively Confronts Death As a Universal Experience
“Graciela in the Abyss” is not just abou ...
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Novel "Graciela in the Abyss" Themes
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Actionables
- Reflect on your legacy by writing a letter to future generations explaining the values and lessons you hope to pass on. This activity helps you consider the impact of your actions and how you might be remembered, similar to how Graciela copes with her legacy. Imagine your words being discovered a century later, and use this perspective to clarify what truly matters to you.
- Create a personal "sea glass" project by transforming a discarded item into something beautiful and meaningful. This mirrors Graciela's transformation of forgotten objects. Choose an item that no longer serves its original purpose, such as a broken piece of pottery, and repurpose it into art or a functional piece, symbolizing your ability to find value in the overlooked aspects of life.
- Develop a "harpoon avoidance" plan to identify and ...
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Medina's Approach To Writing For Young Audiences
Meg Medina provides in-depth insights into her narrative choices and philosophies on engaging young audiences, mainly focusing on how to deal with serious themes and inspire a love for reading.
Medina's Approach to Serious Themes for Young Readers
Advocates Truthful Depictions of Death & Suffering
In her new novel, Meg Medina addresses the challenging subjects of death and suffering for a young audience. The story involves characters who are mostly ghosts, yet Medina uses this setup to focus on how these characters choose to live their afterlife, creating a narrative about living, not just death. She emphasizes the importance of not shying away from hard topics like death, preferring instead to tell children the truth about life’s challenges.
Medina Tells Stories of Life's Complexities, Including Young People's Mistakes and Struggles
Meg Medina further explains that her characters, such as Graciela and Jorge, make many mistakes, which she believes is crucial in teaching kids that life is as much about making mistakes as it is about how they fix those mistakes and move forward. She advocates for storytelling that reflects life's complexities, including the difficulties and missteps young people face.
Medina's Mission to Inspire Young Readers
Reading Should Be Joyful and Liberating, Not Just Academic
Medina promotes the idea that reading should be an enjoyable and liberating experience rather than merely an academic activity. She highlights reading as a means of joy, es ...
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Medina's Approach To Writing For Young Audiences
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Counterarguments
- While truthful depictions of death and suffering can be beneficial, they must be age-appropriate and sensitively handled to avoid causing distress or fear in young readers.
- Some educators and parents might argue that a balance is needed between exposing children to life's complexities and preserving their innocence and sense of security.
- While mistakes and struggles are a part of life, it is also important to provide young readers with stories that offer hope and positive outcomes to inspire and motivate them.
- The idea that reading should be joyful and liberating is valuable, but it should not exclude the importance of developing ...
Actionables
- You can create a book club focused on young adult literature that doesn't shy away from difficult topics. Start by inviting friends or community members who are interested in exploring complex themes in literature. Choose books that tackle issues like loss, hardship, and personal growth, and hold regular discussions to delve into how these stories reflect real-life challenges and what can be learned from them.
- Encourage young readers you know to explore a wide range of books by gifting them a 'literary freedom' subscription box. Curate a selection of books from various genres and themes, including some that deal with life's complexities, and send them out monthly. This not only promotes the joy of reading but also gives the recipient the power to choose what resonates with them.
- Volunteer to ...
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Medina's Personal Writing Process and Experiences
Meg Medina shares insights into her personal journey as an author and her unique methodologies dealing with unfinished work, highlighting the evolution of her novel "Graciela in the Abyss" and how her "graveyard" for ideas has played a part in her creative process.
The Journey Of Developing "Graciela in the Abyss"
Meg Medina had been nurturing her novel "Graciela in the Abyss" for years, relentlessly pursuing the essence of the story that she truly wanted to tell.
Medina Had Worked On This Novel Since 2010, Trying Repeatedly to Find the Right Story
Medina has been dedicated to "Graciela in the Abyss" since 2010. She faced particular challenges in crafting the opening sections and weaving the narrative threads together to form the cohesive and engaging story she aspired to tell.
Mother's Death Helped Medina Connect Emotionally
An emotive turning point for Medina came with the death of her mother in 2013. This personal loss plunged her into the depths of grief and introspection, granting her a more profound connection to the themes she wished to explore in her novel. The themes of regret, death, and loss became deeply engrained in the fabric of her storytelling, shaping "Graciela in the Abyss" into a more emotionally resonant piece.
Medina's "Graveyard" for Ideas and Unfinished Work
Beyond her work on "Graciela in the Abyss," Meg Medina reveals an intriguing aspect of her writing practice involving the management of her unfinished ideas.
Medina's Repository of Abandoned Ideas and Literary Fragments
Medina is disciplined in her approach to ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Medina's Personal Writing Process and Experiences
Additional Materials
Actionables
- You can start a personal "idea vault" in a notebook or digital app to store your unfinished thoughts and creative snippets. Whenever you're working on a project and hit a roadblock, sift through your vault to see if any past ideas can be adapted to your current work. For example, a character sketch from an old story might inspire a new one, or a half-written poem could become a song lyric.
- Reflect on significant life events and channel the emotions into a creative project, like writing, painting, or composing music. If you've experienced loss or change, use those feelings to add depth to your work. For instance, if you've lost a loved one, you might write a short story exploring themes of grief and memory, or create a photo collage that captures your emotions.
- Set a long-term creative goal, such as writing a novel ...
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