Zeitlin's new novel is Sophomore Year Is Greek to Me.From the author's Q & A at Adventures in YA Publishing:
Meredith, what was your inspiration for writing SOPHOMORE YEAR IS GREEK TO ME?The Page 69 Test: Sophomore Year Is Greek to Me.
I had a friend who mentioned that when she was a kid she used to live in Greece with her extended family for months at a time, during the school year. I thought that was such an interesting idea, to be IN school but not at YOUR school. Since the friend was Greek, I figured I’d make my character Greek, too - especially because, with all the recent economic issues in Greece in the last few years, there would be plenty for my character to discover and explore on her journey. I also wanted to continue writing the world I created for my first book (Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters) but through the eyes of a new main character.
What scene was really hard for you to write and why, and is that the one of which you are most proud? Or is there another scene you particularly love?
I don’t want to give anything away, so this is a hard question to answer… but I will say that the scenes between Zona and her dad were both very enjoyable and very difficult for me to write. My own father died when I was 21, and we were very close when I was growing up. In imagining the character of David Lowell I had to think a lot about details I hadn’t reflected on in a long time, and that was not so easy. There’s a scene at the end of the book where Zona is in a very vulnerable position and truly terrified, and it was painful to put myself through those emotions to get the scene just right. I’m very...[read on]
My Book, The Movie: Sophomore Year is Greek to Me.
Writers Read: Meredith Zeitlin.
--Marshal Zeringue