Interview with Author Maya Van Wagenen
A Little About the Book
Stuck at the bottom of the social ladder at pretty much the lowest level of people at school who aren’t paid to be here,” Maya Van Wagenen decided to begin a unique social experiment: spend the school year following a 1950s popularity guide, written by former teen model Betty Cornell. Can curlers, girdles, Vaseline, and a strand of pearls help Maya on her quest to be popular? The real-life results are painful, funny, and include a wonderful and unexpected surprise—meeting and befriending Betty Cornell herself. Told with humor and grace, Maya’s journey offers readers of all ages a thoroughly contemporary example of kindness and self-confidence.
A Little About Maya Van Wagenen
Maya Van Wagenen is fifteen years old. When she was eleven, her family moved to Brownsville, Texas, the setting of Popular. When not hunched over a desktop writing, Maya enjoys reading, British television, and chocolate. She now lives with her parents and two siblings in rural Georgia. She is a sophomore in high school but still shares a room with her sixth-grade brother. Remarkably, they have not yet killed each other.
The Interview
11.) How has the success of Popular affected you
as a high schooler?
MVW- It’s strange working as a writer while still
being in high school. Often it feels like I’m living a double life, one where I
deal with the very adult world of my career, and the other where I’m just
trying to get my driver’s license. I’ve had to miss a lot of school for the
publicity of Popular, and my rigorous writing schedule has not allowed me to
participate in all of the extracurricular activities that I would have wanted.
I’ve learned how to constantly make compromises and prioritize my time. Still,
I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.
22.) At the end of your book, we saw you move away
from your friends and school in Brownsville, Texas. Have you attempted any
other social experiments in your new school in Georgia?
MVW- Much to the disappointment of my current
classmates, my next book is not a social experiment or a memoir (and therefore
not about them). While I loved Popular and everything that has come from it, I
have always been drawn to fiction above anything else. My next book is a novel
and I am very happy not being the main character.
33.) Did you expect that your book would come this
far with this much success?
MVW-I
never thought anyone outside my family would find my journal even remotely
interesting. Why would they be invested in characters that they didn’t know
personally? And was my story really that interesting? Needless to say, I was
shocked when I got a call from an agent in New York who wanted to represent me
and my manuscript. Every honor, award, and new development in the aftermath of
my little project has been a beautiful, wonderful surprise. I’m so immensely
grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given to spread a message I believe
in.
44.) Do you think appearance or personality is
more important in the search for popularity?
MVW-Is
popularity really what it's cut out to be? So often in movies and TV shows,
popularity is shown as something based on bullying, peer pressure, exclusion,
and appearance. That’s not the kind of popularity I found through Betty
Cornell’s book. Instead, her definition, at its core, was based on putting your
best self forward, living boldly and kindly, and presenting yourself in a way
that makes you feel confident. And unlike the 80s-movie-type popularity, this
is totally achievable. This is the definition I want to spread, because it’s
timeless and universal and far from overrated.
55.) How do you define your self?
MVW-I
am one of almost 7.4 billion individuals looking for love, acceptance, and a
purpose. I try to make beautiful things in the ways that I know how, whether
through my words or through my deeds toward others. My part in history is a
small one, but I can still make a difference in creating the world I want to be
a part of.
66.) What advice would you give to young aspiring
authors?
Sites to Buy Popular:
Maya's Website:
I want to take the time and thank Maya for doing this interview for me. I loved reading Popular, and the world it opened up! To all my readers....This is a awesome book! Spend time reading!
Keep Reading,
Austin Caine-Cook
Looking At Lit
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