Starry-Eyed

by Ted Michael

  In 2004, Aiken penned a best-selling memoir, Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life. It was an instant New York Times bestseller, holding the prestigious spot for seven weeks.

  In addition to taking the stage on nine separate tours, in 2008 Clay began his critically lauded stint as the inept yet endearing Sir Robin in the Broadway musical Monty Python’s Spamalot.

  Clay has been an ambassador for UNICEF since 2004. The same year, he started the National Inclusion Project with cofounder Diane Bubel. NIP supports the integration of children with disabilities into the same environments as their nondisabled peers. In 2012, Aiken was runner-up to Arsenio Hall on the fifth season of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice to raise funds and awareness for the National Inclusion Project.

  Marc Acito wrote How I Paid for College: A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship and Musical Theater, which won the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction, was Editors’ Choice by the New York Times and a Top Teen Pick by the American Library Association. Translated into five languages, it inspired a sequel, Attack of the Theater People. He is also a book writer of musicals, including A Room with a View and Allegiance, which broke the box-office record at the Old Globe Theater. His comedy Birds of a Feather won the Helen Hayes Award for Best New Play. A product of the musical theater program at Carnegie Mellon, Marc has written about theater for Playbill, the New York Times, American Theatre, and National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” A book doctor to writers of all mediums, he teaches story structure at New York University. Visit him online at www.MarcAcito.com.

  Josh Berk is the author of The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin, which was awarded a Parents’ Choice silver medal and named a best book for teens by Kirkus Reviews and Amazon.com. His second comedy/mystery teen novel was Guy Langman: Crime Scene Proscrastinator, and his series for younger readers begins with Strike Three, You’re Dead. He is the executive director of the Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity and lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Josh was the star of the 1986 Hanover Elementary School fifth-grade musical Hanover Goes Around the World. He still knows all the words to “Waltzing Matilda.”

  Alex Flinn was nine when she took semiprivate violin lessons with a far-more-talented girl whom her mother dubbed, “Nancy First.” Though violin (and—ahem—clarinet) didn’t work out, Alex found her stride with vocal music, studying musical theater in high school and opera in college. She drew on these experiences for “Becca First,” and for her novel, Diva, about a performing arts high school. Alex is the author of such novels as Beastly, a #1 New York Times bestseller; Bewitching, a companion to Beastly; A Kiss in Time; and Cloaked. Her books have been translated into over twenty languages. She is a nonpracticing attorney who lives with her husband, daughters, and way too many pets in Miami, Florida. She is also the author of Towering, a modern retelling of Rapunzel.

  Garret Freymann-Weyr’s seven novels have been published both as young adult and literary fiction, and have been translated into several languages, including Japanese. Her stories have been published in the Greensboro Review and the now sadly missed Christopher Street. She is a Printz Honor Award winner for My Heartbeat, and her novels have appeared on several “best of” lists, including the ALA, Publishers Weekly, and New York Public Library “Best Books of the Year;” and the Booklist “Editors’ Choice Top of the List.” Her short story, “The Ugly Ducking,” was shortlisted for the Manchester Fiction Prize, and her first picture book was French Ducks in Venice. She is a native of New York City and now makes her home both in Davidson, North Carolina, and Chevy Chase, Maryland.

  Aimee Friedman is a New York Times—bestselling author of many young adult novels, including South Beach, French Kiss, Hollywood Hills, The Year My Sister Got Lucky, and Sea Change. She also writes for younger readers under the pen name Ruth Ames. Aimee is an Executive Editor at Scholastic, where she has worked for over a decade. A native of New York City, Aimee graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and received her BA in English from Vassar College. She attended a performing arts camp as a child, but had her parents take her home early. Aimee now lives in Manhattan and regularly partakes in New York’s rich performing arts scene, but only as a spectator. Visit her online at www.aimeefriedmanbooks.com.

  Laura Goode is a novelist, essayist, poet, and screenwriter living in San Francisco. Her first novel for young adults, Sister Mischief, was called a “Best Book You Haven’t Read of 2011” by Vanity Fair online, as well as “a provocative, authentic coming-of-age story . . . full of big ideas, big heart, and big poetry” by Booklist in its starred review, and a 2012 Best of the Bay pick by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. Laura is the cowriter and producer of the feature film Farah Goes Bang, and her work has appeared in New York magazine, the Los Angeles Review of Books, BOMB, the Rumpus, the Faster Times, Boston Review, Racialicious, Feministing, the New Inquiry, IndieWire, Denver Quarterly, Dossier, Slope, Fawlt, and other publications. She received her BA and MFA from Columbia University. Visit her online at www.lauragoode.com and via Twitter @lauragoode.

  Claudia Gray is the author of the Spellcaster trilogy, a young adult witchcraft series, and the upcoming Firebird young adult science-fiction trilogy. She has also written the historical werewolf novel Fateful and the New York Times—bestselling Evernight series. Before becoming a full-time writer, she was a radio announcer, a lawyer, and a very poor waitress.

  Cynthia Hand is the New York Times–bestselling author of the Unearthly series. During high school and college, she acted, teched, and directed in more than twenty-five plays and musicals, in which she got to kiss a variety of interesting guys. She currently lives with her husband and two small children in Southern California, where she teaches creative writing at Pepperdine University. Find out more at www.cynthiahandbooks.com.

  Antony John is an award-winning author and musician. As a teen in England, he spent every free moment singing in choirs, and playing flute in orchestras, double bass in jazz bands, and piano for anyone that would listen. He would regularly blow off his friends to compose late into the night. He graduated from Oxford University with a degree in music, and received his PhD in composition from Duke University. After teaching at Duke and the University of South Carolina, he became a stay-at-home dad, and turned to writing books instead of music. His novels include Five Flavors of Dumb, Thou Shalt Not Road Trip, and Elemental. He lives with his family in St. Louis, Missouri. Check out his website, www.antonyjohn.net.

  Nina LaCour was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has tutored and taught in various places, including Alameda County’s juvenile hall, Berkeley City College, Maybeck High School, and Mills College, where she received an MFA in creative writing. Nina’s first novel, Hold Still, is a William C. Morris Honor book, a Junior Library Guild selection, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and a Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books of 2009. Nina won the 2009 Northern California Book Award for Children’s Literature and was featured in Publishers Weekly as a Flying Starts Author. Her second novel, The Disenchantments, received five starred reviews.

  Josh Pultz knew show business was his calling after co-starring in his sixth-grade production of Alice in Wonderland. His portrayal of the Caterpillar earned him rave reviews from both the school newspaper and his parents. While he no longer appears onstage, he is a frequent theatergoer, avid writer, and enjoys singing in the shower.

  Tanya Lee Stone is an award-winning author of books for kids and teens. Her young adult novel, A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, received multiple starred reviews and was on several state lists, as well as an IRA Young Adult Choice, ALA Quick Pick, SLJ Book of the Month, and New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. When she was a teen, Tanya attended a performing arts high school in New Haven, Connecticut, and went on to study voice at Oberlin Conservatory. Like her main character in “Gravy and Mashed,” she has battled those stage fright demons and is still singing today.

  Jacqueline West is the author of the award-winning middle-grade series the Books of Elsewhere. Vol
ume One: The Shadows garnered starred reviews, several state award nominations, and a spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. In addition to the US, the series is published in such countries as Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Indonesia, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, and Catalan. Jacqueline’s short fiction has been widely published, and her poetry has received many honors, including two Pushcart nominations, a Rhysling Award nomination, and a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg prize. Jacqueline lives in Red Wing, Minnesota, surrounded by large piles of books and small piles of dog hair. Visit her at www.jacquelinewest.com.

  Kiersten White is the New York Times—bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy, the Mind Games series, and several other upcoming novels. Being able to sight-read alto parts is a skill she sincerely wishes she had never developed, as it leads to awkward requests for duets when really her voice is best left on paper. Visit her at www.kierstenwhite.com.

  Maryrose Wood made her professional acting debut in the original 1981 cast of the now legendary flop Broadway musical Merrily We Roll Along. The show’s magnificent score by Stephen Sondheim lives on in the original cast album and many subsequent revivals. She spent years as a playwright, lyricist, and librettist before working up the nerve to write fiction. These two worlds collided in her novel, My Life: The Musical, which captures the crazy fandom of two theater-obsessed teens. Maryrose has published a dozen books for young readers. She is the author of the Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, a critically acclaimed middle-grade series set in Victorian England about a young governess and her three unusual pupils, who were actually raised by wolves. Visit her online at www.maryrosewood.com.

  Eve Yohalem grew up in New Jersey, where she got kicked out of piano lessons in fourth grade. She survived high school thanks largely to her theater kid friends, including fellow Starry-Eyed contributor, Marc Acito. After a brief, unremarkable stint as an opera singer, Eve became a writer of children’s books. She’s the author of the novel Escape Under the Forever Sky and the series for young readers Grandpa Hates the Bird.

  EDITOR BIOS

  Ted Michael is a graduate of Columbia University and the Juilliard School and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He is the author of So You Wanna Be a Superstar?: The Ultimate Audition Guide (a YALSA Popular Paperback and a YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers nominee), The Diamonds, and Crash Test Love (a Books-A-Million and a Seventeen.com Book Club pick). He is thrilled to be collaborating with Josh on editing this exciting collection. Favorite high school musical roles include Anthony in Sweeney Todd, Freddy Eynsford-Hill in My Fair Lady, and Billy in Anything Goes.

  Visit him online at www.tedmichaelbooks.com and via Twitter @tedmichaelbooks.

  Josh Pultz is the senior agent at DGRW Talent, and his clients include stars of television, screen, and stage. He attended Pace University and Baruch College, worked for five years on-air at two New York radio stations and once owned a Halloween haunted house. He regularly appears as a guest and speaker for such venues as the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, the School for Film and Television, Actors Connection, and One on One Studios. Follow him on Twitter @joshpultz.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Special thanks to all of the fantastic writers, performers, and agents who made this anthology possible with their thoughtful and touching contributions. This collection wouldn’t be possible without your hard work, enthusiasm, and extraordinary talent.

  As well, thanks to everyone at Running Press Kids for making this dream come true, especially the incomparable Lisa Cheng, who believed in Starry-Eyed from the beginning and made it possible for you to hold this anthology in your hands.

  From Ted:

  Thanks to all of the teachers who believed in me as a young artist, especially Nina Pfeffer, Scott Stickley, and John McNeur at Herricks High School, and Lorraine Nubar, Jorge Parodi, Andrew Thomas, and Marlena Malas at Juilliard. Much appreciation goes out to the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA YoungArts) for helping to encourage and support so many teens—including myself—in their artistic pursuits. Heartfelt thanks go to Elizabeth, Steven, and Abby Malawer; Eileen, Alan, Laurie, and Leigh Honigman, and in loving memory of Arnold and Mark Honigman. And, of course, thanks to Josh for being an incredible partner on this journey.

  From Josh:

  To anyone with whom I shared a stage, taught me a box step, coached me on a song, or who came to watch me perform in a cafetorium, thank you.

  To my parents, who supported my every move, saw all my shows, and helped me survive in the greatest and most expensive city in the world, thank you.

  To my incredible friends and NYC-family, without whom I would be lost, for your support, encouragement, laughter, and advice, thank you.

  To my mentor Jim and the incredible team at DGRW for being the best work family a guy could ever hope for, thank you.

  To my astonishingly talented clients who I am honored to work for each day, you make my job exciting, challenging, and fun, thank you.

  To the ridiculously gifted writers and artists who have shared their stories with us, you are all stars, thank you.

  Finally, to Ted, without whom this remarkable project would not exist. Words can never begin to express my thanks. LTP.