National Book Award Winner M. T. Anderson Discusses His Writing Experience for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure in Video Interview
In a video interview for Reading Rockets, M. T. Anderson discusses the history of the exquisite corpse art form and how he and a motley crew of 19 other celebrated authors and illustrators pooled their limitless imaginations to create The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, a 27-episode story game!
"Writing an Exquisite Corpse Adventure episode is like playing a game of hot potato, tossing the spud from person to person, passing it down a line of friends. Sure, everyone wants the potato to stay in the air. But it's also really fun if you can put some spin on it when you throw it so the next person has to really reach to grab it. The fumble and save is part of the thrill of the game."
M.T. Anderson is the author of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party, a National Book Award Winner and Michael L. Printz Honor Book. His novel Feed was a National Book Award Finalist and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. Anderson’s most recent books include Agent Q, or the Smell of Danger! and The Suburb Beyond the Stars. He is a member of the board of directors of the NCBLA. Learn more about Anderson and his books on his website.
What Is The Exquisite Corpse Adventure?
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a progressive story just like the one many families play on road trips, at camps, at parties, at home when there is a power outage. It is a game where one person begins a story, stops at a cliffhanging moment, and the next person picks it up, continuing on until everyone in the group has the opportunity to contribute. And just like in those games, in The Exquisite Corpse, characters spontaneously erupt out of our authors’ imaginations; plot lines tumble forth, some realized, some lost; and we are often poised at the edge of a cliff with no logical solution in sight!
Originally published on Read.gov as the foundation of a national reading and writing initiative created by The National Children’s Bookand Literacy Alliance and the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is now available from Candlewick Press in paperback and hardcover. It is also available on audio.
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure authors and illustrators are: M.T. Anderson, Natalie Babbitt, Calef Brown, Susan Cooper, Kate DiCamillo, Timothy Basil Ering, Jack Gantos, Nikki Grimes, Shannon Hale, Lemony Snicket, Steven Kellogg, Gregory Maguire, Megan McDonald, Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, James Ransome, Jon Scieszka, and Chris Van Dusen.
Ask for The Exquisite Corpse Adventure
at a library or bookstore near you!
at a library or bookstore near you!
