Alissa Grosso

New Jersey is a YA sort of state

Map found via Driko Land

A friend of mine alerted me to a book review in this past Sunday’s New York Times of Beth Ann Bauman’s YA novel Rosie and Skate. The novel sounds good, but that’s not why the review was pointed out to me. It’s because it opened with this line:

New Jersey is a teenage state: it looks awkward in places, has questionable ethics from time to time and plays perennial underdog to New York. Perhaps this is why it’s home to so much good young adult literature.

All along I thought that the reason I was drawn to writing and reading books for teenagers was because I was immature and really just a kid at heart, but perhaps it’s because like Beth Ann, I am a Jersey girl. These days, I am back in the garden state after living in Pennsylvania for the past seven or so years, excepting a six month stretch spent in Maine. It’s a weird and wonderful state in many ways, and although there may be nicer places to live there are few that are quite as colorful as New Jersey.

Tags: new jersey, ya, young adult

Thoughts on books and publishing | Alissa | January 19, 2010 9:40 am

4 Comments

By Runner Sami, January 19, 2010 @ 11:58 am

Thanks for the link shout out. I love that picture of New Jersey – it’s fits your blog perfectly! And although I too think I may be a Jersey Girl I refuse to buy a bumper sticker that advertises this (or any Exit numbers for that matter – what is up with that?).
Runner Sami´s last blog ..Race Swag
By Alissa, January 19, 2010 @ 3:13 pm

Yes, I am firmly opposed to Jersey Girl bumper stickers or the Exit Number things (like I want stalkers to know my highway exit!). As far as I know (and I guess I’m dating myself here) the exit number thing goes back to when Joe Piscopo (who is actually the cousin of one of my former neighbors) used to be on SNL and he would do this bit that went something like “You’re from Jersey? I’m from Jersey! What exit are you?” Hilarious, I know. Anyway, I think the exit number things only apply to the Parkway or the Turnpike, and I’ve never lived off of either of those roads.
By Carolyn Yalin, January 21, 2010 @ 9:16 pm

Sounds like an interesting book. I’ve been to NJ numerous times.

Unfortunately that MTV show probably isn’t helping Jersey.
Carolyn Yalin´s last blog ..Thanks to my supporting cast
By Alissa, January 22, 2010 @ 8:38 am

There was a big thing in the Newark Star Ledger around Christmas about the negative impact of Jersey Shore, and there’s actually a book out now called There’s More to New Jersey Than the Sopranos.