Whatever happened to Crescent Dragonwagon?

Posted by Lizzie on 04/28/08

Just FYI, Fine Lines, my column on vintage YA lit for the website Jezebel, has been continuing apace. It’s interesting; I remain mystified at which columns receive larger reactions and which have a smaller readership, mainly because, starting at age 7 with Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret I did nothing but read and eat Steakums, AND ALL THESE BOOKS run through my brain on a constant, undifferentiated loop all the time. Either way, I am *thrilled* to be reminded that the most important things about A Gift of Magic are that YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PSYCHIC and that Lois puts herself at the end, of course! (I did have those in the first draft, but no excuse, ladies, I know, no excuse.)

FYI, the books many of the commenters are looking for are Seal Child and The Girl With the Silver Eyes, which I had COMPLETELY forgotten about and will be sure to get to. Other request for the column can be sent to jezziefinelines@gmail.com. If you have a cover, your request will be bumped up EVEN CLOSER to the top. Or if you have, you know, money.

Here’s the latest plotfinder. The prize is a column request:

What is the book that has a cover of a girl with her head on the table, looking sideways at — I kid you not — a marble green egg of the chochke variety? The girl, I believe, has bangs and long brown hair, and it’s an actual photograph, not an illustration. The book is about a very messy divorce in NY where the stepmother comes to live with the family.

Most recent columns are below:
Earlier: Are You There Crazy Psychic Muse? It’s Me, Lois Duncan
•The Secret Garden: Still No Idea What A Missel Thrush Is
•To All My Fans, With Love, From Sylvie: No Telephone To Child Services
•The Westing Game: Partners In Crime
• The Moon By Night: Travels With Vicky
•My Sweet Audrina: The Book Of Sister And Forgetting
•The Long Secret: CSI: Puberty
•The Cat Ate My Gymsuit: A Pocket Full Of Orange Pits
•The Witch Of Blackbird Pond: Colonies, Slit Sleeves And Stocks, Oh My!
•Are You In The House Alone? One Out Of Four, Maybe More
•Jacob Have I Loved: Oh, Who Am I Kidding, I Reread This Book Once A Week
• Then Again, Maybe I Won’t: Close Your Eyes, And Think Of Jersey City
•My Darling, My Hamburger: I Will Gladly Pay You Tomorrow For A D&C Today
•All-Of-A-Kind Family: Where I Would Put Something Yiddish If I Thought You Goyishe Farshtinkiners Would Farshteyn
•Island Of The Blue Dolphins: I’m A Cormorant And I Don’t Care
•Little House In The Big Woods: I Play With A Pig Bladder Like It’s A Balloon
•The Grounding Of Group Six: Have Fun At School, Kids, And Don’t Forget To Die