Sarah Darer Littman, writer, mother, and unpaid chauffeur, is a living example of the cliche, "Life Begins at 40." After spending much of her adult life doing things she didn't really plan to, including such diverse occupations as financial analyst and farmer's wife, she has at long last found her true calling as a writer. She indulges her adult voice as a political columnist for the Greenwich Time and Stamford Advocate, and a blogger at http://ctlocalpolitics.net
She lives in Cos Cob, CT with her two children and an adorable Havanese puppy named Benny.
Sarah is a proud member of AS IF! (Authors supporting Intellectual Freedom) AS IF! champions those who stand against censorship, especially of books for and about teens. Check out our website: http://asifnews.blogspot.com.
Click here for some resources on censorship and intellectual freedom.
FAQ's:
Q: Where and when were you born?
A: I was born in New York City in the same year President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. No, I won't tell you what year that was. Look it up!
Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
A: I seem to remember wanting to be an airline stewardess when I was really little, which is pretty funny considering I really don't enjoy flying all that much. I also wanted to be an actress, which might be why I enjoy reading stories aloud to my kids, because I get to use lots of different voices. I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was in high school, but for various reasons I ended up being a) financial analyst and b) a farmer's wife before I finally got up the courage to do what I really wanted to do all along.
Q: Do you have any pets?
A: Not at the moment, unfortunately. We had to have our dog put down a few weeks ago, and it's been absolutely devastating. But we're expecting a new puppy in the next few weeks. I can't wait, because I'm a huge dog lover and the house just doesn't seem the same without a furry friend underfoot.
Q: Do you have any kids?
A: Yes, I have a son who is entering high school and a daughter who is entering middle school. Note to self: find good hair colorist because those grey hairs are going to start proliferating rapidly!
Q: Do you have brothers and sisters?
A: Yes, I have an older brother and a younger sister. And yes, that makes me the Tormented Middle Child, just like Jussy! I also have three nephews and three nieces whom I adore to bits.
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: I wish I knew! Seriously, I never know what will spark an idea. Sometimes ideas come from my own life. Sometimes I read something in the paper or online or I hear a story on the radio that makes me start thinking.
Q: Are you main characters based on you?
A: There's a bit of me in most of my characters, but what happens to them didn't necessarily happen to me. That's why my books are called novels rather than memoirs.
USELESS FACTS TO KNOW AND TELL:
Sarah's favorite:
Food: Dark CHOCOLATE, of course!
Ice cream: Chocolate Fudge Brownie or Butter Pecan. Both with hot fudge sauce. Yum!
Fruits: Cherries, Mangoes, Blueberries and Raspberries
Vegetables: Sweet Potato, carrots, artichokes, sugar snap peas, edamame, cherry tomatoes.
Sports: Tennis and swimming
Books: Too difficult. I love so many books. I moved earlier this year and the first thing I did in my new house was build bookshelves wherever there was free space. I will, however, admit to a huge fangirl crush on Markus Zusak. THE BOOK THIEF is a work of genius.
Movie: Also a hard choice because I've got so many, but I think my all-time favorite is Charade with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Poems: "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
And now for Sarah's LEAST favorites:
I have a few Pet Peeves. Here they are in no particular order:
1) People who don't put their cell phone on mute during movies or lectures (SO RUDE!!!)
2) Artists who use bad grammar in songs (Gwen Stefani, this means YOU! It should be "If I WERE a Rich Girl"! Grrrrrrrr.)
3) When people drive slowly in the fast lane on the highway. It is not a constitutional right to drive in the left lane. Pull over to the right and stop causing traffic bottlenecks, ok?
Least favorite vegetable: Cucumber (Yuck!) Look for cucumbers in my upcoming novel, PURGE, which is coming from Scholastic in April 2009.