This year, I decided to go all out and invite all of the authors from my bookshelf to a holiday party. The authors arrived in groups according to their genre, and together, we celebrated all things literary and seasonal. Here’s how the party went.
The picture book authors
The first to arrive were the classic picture book authors. They were also naturally the first to leave due to their early bedtimes. Their plus ones were their illustrators, and they brought bowls of red and green candy which were placed on the tables to double as centerpieces and appetizers.
These guests had the most childlike excitement about the holiday season. They spoke about how their stories are the perfect way to pass the time while counting down the days until Christmas and how honored they are to be the bedtime stories that children last hear before drifting to sleep prior to waking up Christmas morning.
My picture books are creased and worn. Many of the inside covers are tattooed in scribbles and stamps from playing “library” with my friends and siblings. However, they are well-loved, and some were even Christmas gifts back in the day. So, their authors were welcome first guests who I have a lot of history with and who reminded me that the season is about making it fun for the kids and building memories, both literary and non-literary, that make all of the chaos worth it.
The middle grade authors
Next to come through the door were the middle grade authors. Roald Dahl came in carrying a large chocolate cake resembling his famous scene from Matilda, and Judy Blume, and E.B. White were the first to dig into it, cutting thick slices for themselves yet still not even putting a dent in it. I still have Tupperware containers stored in my freezer, and I probably won’t get rid of it until after the new year.
The middle grade authors mingled well with the picture book authors and illustrators. They discussed story length and writing about tough, serious, and even controversial subjects in the most appropriate and clearest way for the kids to understand.
How do you do a story justice without scarring a kid for life? I don’t know if they ever got to the bottom of that because they soon began to realize that they were bringing down the room and decided to switch to more cheerful topics.
I learned a lot from the middle grade authors that night. After all, it is their careers that I’m trying to emulate, and they really inspired me to keep at it.
The classic authors
The next group of guests resurrected themselves from the past and pulled up in a horse-drawn carriage. Their driver parked in the yard, waiting patiently for them to enjoy the festivities. These authors stepped inside a bit taken aback by the modern surroundings. They wondered how the house could be so warm with just a fake fire glowing in the fireplace and how the bulbs on the tree could glow without being lit by a fire.
Laura Ingalls Wilder brought oranges decorated with cloves as a party gift while Jane Austen brought her piano sheet music and banged out some old school songs on my out of tune piano. The group mainly stuck together around the piano, belting out the songs that nobody else had ever heard before.
Despite my modern conveniences, I’m heavily drawn to old fashioned Christmas stories at this time of year. The minimalism has a calming effect that our fast-paced modern Christmases just can’t replicate. Some simple garland, bows, and homemade presents do really seem idyllic after you’ve been running around the malls, fighting with flickering strands of Christmas lights, and trying to think of what to buy for the Secret Santa exchange at work. So, I’m glad that I have these authors to turn to for that sense of traditionalism and lack of commercialism.
The non-fiction writers
Not long after, the nonfiction writers arrived. They brought a whole case of wine and their witty dialogue. They had a lot to say about a number of different topics, and they were very inquisitive about the opinions of the other groups, particularly Malcolm Gladwell who was taking notes on his phone, much to the confusion of my time traveling guests who had no idea what he was doing.
The biographers in the group were happy to answer questions about their famous subjects. However, they also never got too personal or overexposed anyone too much, but there was a lot of subtext that helped us to fill in the blanks.
Writing a non-fiction book is on my writing bucket list. It’s a tough genre to break into without some kind of expertise or connection. So, to pick their brains for the night and learn about how the ideas got from their heads to my shelf was a real eye opener.
The celebrity memoirists
The literal stars of the show arrived in a stretch limo and brought baskets of cheese and desserts from their favorite Los Angeles businesses. They also brought copies of their books as well as microphones, and they read excerpts from certain chapters and taking requests that nobody asked for.
I saw a few eyerolls from the non-fiction writers who prefer to keep themselves out of the limelight. The classic authors also weren’t crazy about having to stop the piano music during their readings. But everyone ultimately played along, and we let the celebrities have their 15 minutes.
Nora Ephron brought homemade fruitcake that everyone devoured. Always one to be in charge, I also had to coax her out of the kitchen where she was dictating the cleanup efforts and reminded her that she was there as a guest, not a host or head of the kitchen staff.
I feel that anyone can and should write a memoir. Even if your life isn’t interesting enough to make it in the publishing world, it’s something to leave behind for your family, friends, or even just to help make sense of your life for yourself. So, I’m always up for a good memoir and the life lessons it brings.
The contemporary novelists
The celebrities of the literary world arrived next, the bestsellers who are household names, even if those who know their names haven’t read a sentence of their work. They arrived like a band and even brought instruments which they busted out after the classic literary authors went home.
The celebrity memoirists gravitated towards these writers, hoping that they could collaborate on their next project together. However, the novelists shut them down, reminding them that they were there to party, not negotiate deals, especially without their literary agents around.
These authors are the ones who are considered to have “made it.” Any time the average person hears that someone has written a book, they assume that they will be as rich and famous as these writers. But these guys are the exception, not the rule, and they are well aware of this. Their journeys are also so diverse that it reminds you that success is just as much about luck and opportunity as it is about talent.
The male novelists
The next group to arrive was a barrage of male novelists who grace my bookshelves. They came in like old friends, chatting away. They clomped in wearing big, heavy boots and shaking the snow out of their hair. They didn’t bring anything, but I had specifically written on the invitations not to. Still, they looked sheepish when they realized that they were the only ones who arrived empty handed.
The guys found a corner table and sat around drinking the hard liquor from the celebrity stash and chain smoking, creating ash trays from sheets of foil that they formed into little bowls. They hung back in their own little world, though they were very cordial to anyone else who stopped by their table to exchange a friendly word or two. At one point, they went out into the backyard to continue their chat, and you could occasionally hear roars of laughter through the frosty windows.
Male authors tend to have a bit of a cynical point of view, but they can equally be funny, sensitive, and entertaining. I don’t need to identify with a character in order to follow along on their journey. And I will follow good writing to wherever it wants to take me.
The female novelists
A group of female novelists from my shelves arrived next. They came more formally dressed than anyone, except maybe the classic authors in their hoop skirt and corsets. They brought trays of hors d’oeuvres, though by then, the dinner food had already been devoured. However, the guests chipped away at everything.
The women mingled more and asked a lot of questions about the other writers’ processes. They also weren’t guarded about the projects they were working on next. They exchanged a lot of phone numbers, at least among those who have a phone, and they too took a lot of notes, particularly whenever anyone mentioned an interesting fact or had a good tip about a new literary tool, organization, or contact in the publishing industry.
I didn’t purposely separate the females from the males or mean to imply that they write in different genres just because they are different genders. They just seemed to break off into these separate groups due to their stories’ content and protagonist. I feel like these authors would have more in common with their own genders on a personal level, but they are all equally and universally great authors.
The superhero graphic novelists
Arriving fashionably late were the graphic novelists. They arrived timidly and stood near the front door for several minutes as if unsure as to how they would be received. However, they soon joined in the festivities and even ended up at different ends of the house, mingling with various other guests.
I don’t think these writers set out to prove themselves that day, but once the other authors heard about some of the deep messages and poignant dialogue that was contained in their stories, they had won over the entire party. It helped that Kevin Smith, a writer who overlaps across multiple genres, came to their aid and provided a countdown of his favorite moments from each of their work. There was not a dry eye in the house after he broke down in tears recalling how expertly these writers pulled off their intended messages.
The comic book writers brought with them a variety of tea and coffee which really paired well with the various desserts. If there’s one thing that will bring a group of writers together, it’s a hot drink.
The non-superhero graphic novelists
Once the coast was clear, another batch of graphic novelists and the final group of writers arrived for the evening. They too came in quietly and appeared to slip under the radar, aside from the large fruit basket that they had trouble fitting through the door. The celebrities in particular were happy to have something to munch on that wasn’t full of sugar or carbs.
Those who had adapted classic novels into graphic novel forms were so pleased to meet the original authors of these works. Some even brought copies with them for the fellow guests to flip through, and they were so happy to see their story adapted into this alternate format.
The memoirists also bonded as they discussed how pairing a life story with hand drawn images brings so much to the table in terms of sharing their stories with readers. It really helps to set the scene without completely telling the story for them. The words are still the most important storytelling element but with a cushion of support.
Every story deserves consideration as a great piece of literature, regardless of its genre. Reputation as a genre has nothing to do with who deserves a seat at the table, and I made sure that my graphic novels got as equal representation as any others who came to life that evening, and I hope they taught the other authors who may have had a more close-minded opinion on such a topic a new perspective on an underrated genre.
The end of the party
By the early morning hours, the writers of the younger genres had departed, and the music chatter ceased. The male novelists decided to keep the party going by hitting up some nearby bars while the female novelists made plans to get together for breakfast the next day.
I was so happy to see the friendships that were formed and how writers from every part of my bookshelves came together. They may not all have a lot in common, but one thing they do have in common is my love for their stories.
Which famous writers would you invite to a holiday party? Leave your answers in the comments below!
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Thanks so much for bringing me to a complete halt as I stopped my manic party-host preparations long enough to savor this brilliant and entertaining piece. May the coming year bring you even more fine books plus lots of time in which to do your own writing.
Thanks so much for taking the time out to read it. I hope your party was a hit!
Fun post! I always love seeing round-ups of thematic books. ☺️
Thanks for reading!