Local Author Comes to Hasbrouck Heights Library

It's not every day that teen readers get the opportunity to discuss the Young Adult novel they just read with the author herself. The teens who attend the Speak Out book discussion program at Hasbrouck Heights Library get this opportunity every summer.

At Tuesday night's group discussion moderated by Catherine Dodwell, head of teen programs at the library, and Lisa Traina, president of the Library Board of Trustees, the teen participants met and spoke with Margie Gelbwasser, author of the Young Adult novel Inconvenient. Her novel tells the story of Alyssa, a Russian Jewish teen living in the fictional North Jersey town of Glenfair (an amalgam of Glen Rock and Fair Lawn). Alyssa deals with issues most teens face in high school: fitting in, the pressures of interpersonal relationships, and sex.

The heroine has the added pressure of dealing with an alcoholic mother.

The Russian Jewish culture that produced Alyssa is a central part of the story, Gelbwasser explained, and figures into the drinking problems of Alyssa's mother.

"Alcohol is a large part of the Russian Jewish culture," Gelbwasser explained. The author grew up in the Russian Jewish culture, and drew from her knowledge while writing the story. "It's a part of the heritage and cultural identity; it's so prevelent that if someone was an alcoholic, how would you know?"

This culture is also a source of ridicule for Alyssa and her best friend Lana in their high school. Lana, in an effort to join the ranks of the popular kids, downplays her heritage to gain their favor. In the process, she distances herself from Alyssa, who must deal with the loss of her friend.

The high school hierarchy as portrayed in the book rang true for the teens in the group, who all agreed that they have witnessed similar social structures in their schools, as well as similar antagonistic behavior by the popular kids.

Gelbwasser also drew inspiration from her stint as a high school English teacher during the creation of the fictional high school's hierarchy.

In order to capture the language and behaviors of modern teens, she visited popular hang outs -- such as Dunkin' Donuts and the Garden State Plaza -- observing how teens interact, and writing down bits of dialogue she overheard.

"I also did a lot of research on alcoholism," Gelbwasser said, "by attending AA meeting, Alanon and Alateen meetings, and talking with Jewish organizations."

Gelbwasser also wanted to capture the essence of North Jersey life, having herself grown up in Fair Lawn. While the story's town is fictional, real world New Jersey locales appear throughout the story, such as the Garden State Plaza.

"I really appreciated how well developed the characters were," Dodwell commented on the novel. "And it was nice to see the use of New Jersey locations."

Beyond the details of the story, the teen participants also questioned Gelbwasser on the craft of writing, and how she works. They learned that from start to finish, it took her four years of writing and editing before the Inconvenient was published. These revisions included rewriting the ending twice, to conclude the story on a realistic yet satisfying tone.

"Initially," Gelbwasser explained, "I had Alyssa's mom go to rehab, but I realized that her character wouldn't do that. And I couldn't have her just get better, because that's not realistic."

Ultimately, Gelbwasser realized that this was Alyssa's story, and in the end in needed to be about her.

"So the end focuses on Alyssa coming to terms with her mom's alcohol problem and detaching herself from it," Dodwell surmised.

As the discussion drew to a close, the group got copies of the book signed by Gelbwasser.

The Speak Out book discussion group is a six week summer program for teens in grade 10 through 12. The group meets once a month in the library.

"We want to give them a relaxed, safe environment to meet and talk and have fun," Dodwell explained. "And by creating a sense of trust, they can say what's truly on their minds."