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November 06 Writing Song LyricsIn my last post I discussed how John Lennon's "Mother" played a big part in my poetic awakening. I didn't start out by writing poems, though. I first tried writing song lyrics. My first songwriting partner was a member of my church and Boy Scout troop, Larry Keene. Larry, who is now a Lutheran pastor in Texas, was a very talented trombonist. He also played guitar and sang. I tried writing lyrics for songs, but they were largely unworkable. He did set the poem I mentioned in my last post, "Automobile," to music. The result was quite good. I don't think Larry wrote it down, but I still remember how it goes. He used a couple of my other lyrics, "Sorry Simple Day" and a religious one, "Spirit of God." It was a thrill to hear my words come to life in Larry's voice. He played all three at my Eagle Scout court of honor. It was a highpoint of my life. I later teamed up with singer/songwriter Tommy Fox, who has released two CDs featuring fifteen of our tunes and several he wrote with another lyricist. Tommy is an incredible guitarist, talented keyboard player, and a great singer. I will never forget hearing one of our songs for the first time. He handed me the headphones and hit the play button. It was the kind of amped up, driving rock tune I had always hoped to have a hand in, but even my wildest fantasy was blown away by the reality of what Tommy had done. Again a musician had taken my dream and handed back to me, bigger and more alive than I had ever imagined. Thanks for that, Tommy. I have contributed lyrics to more than 30 finished songs. I love them all, but there are only three I consider fully realized: Larry's "Automobile" and Tommy's "The Power to Choose" and "Let the Devil Decide." The music on the others is great, but the lyrics just aren't good enough. A great song is a gem, perfect in structure with an inner light that never dims. I have written 21 books, coauthored 7 more, published more than 70 poems, and had several one-act plays professionally produced. As an advertising copywriter, I have written ads, websites, direct mail pieces, voice-over scripts, and more. I used to write a column for a music magazine and have contributed articles to a range of publications. Having tried my hand at all of it, I can state categorically that nothing is harder than writing a good song lyric. To write even one song that achieves any degree of popularity is a huge accomplishment. To write dozens of them, as John Lennon did, is simply beyond my comprehension. October 12 Happy Birthdy, John LennonThe author of 21 books and coauthor of 7 more, I often am asked how and when I got started as a writer. One answer is the day my high school creative writing teacher, Jim Malone, identified one of my poems as publishable. He was right: About a year later the editor of a small literary review called River Bottom accepted that poem and another one for publication. Malone's encouragement made me look at writing as a possible career. But why did I write that poem in the first place? And why did it have the attributes it did? I had been writing throughout my school years, but I never took writing seriously until December 1970. I was 15, a freshman at Canoga Park High School in the San Fernando Valley. Everyone at school was buzzing about the release of John Lennon's first solo album. They called it the "Green" album, because it had no title, only a color photograph on the cover that was predominately green. After school, I rode my Schwinn 10-speed over to Topanga Mall, went into the record shop, and bought the mysterious album. I rode home with the 12-inch disk under by arm, wondering what was inside. Would it sound like a Beatles album? Like Live Peace in Toronto? I didn't know what to expect as I sat cross-legged in front of my stereo and set the needle on the outer rim of the record--least of all that my life was about to change. I remember thinking something was wrong with the record, because it sounded scratchy. I didn't realize it was a sound effect. The ominous gongs of a church bell tolled. I actually wondered if there had been some mistake at the record plant, if they had slipped the wrong disk into the record jacket. Then, without warning, John's clear voice cried out. "Mother, you had me, but I never had you. I wanted you, but you didn't want me." I had never heard anything like it. Here was a man talking about private things, pain and loss in his family--things never said out loud in my family or in any family I had known. It was the first time I realized that making up songs or poems can be serious business. The songs that followed--"I Found Out," "Working Class Hero," "Well Well Well," and others--widened the chasm opening inside me between the child who played with words and the young adult who would see and handle them in a completely different way. I never met or corresponded with John Lennon, but he spoke to me as surely as anyone I have known. Thank you, John. And happy birthday. June 03 Receiving the Theodor S. Geisel AwardIt is beginning to sink in. On May 17, 2008, my 2007 book, J.K. Rowling, won the San Diego Book Award for Best Young Adult Nonfiction. This was a surprise, because—as I mentioned in my previous post—the competition was stiff. Two of the other finalists in the category, Judith Pinkerton Josephson and Tina Kafka, had each won the award in previous years when I had been a finalist, leaving me as a runner up. The third finalist, Cynthia Jenson-Elliott had written a brilliant book about zombies. Imagine my shock, then, a few minutes later when Steve Kowit, the San Diego poet who had received the 2006 Theodor S. Geisel Award for the best published book by a San Diego County author that year, called my name once again. This time it was to receive the 2007 Theodor S. Geisel Award. Seated in the back of the auditorium, I looked from one person to another in disbelief. They were smiling broadly but also encouraging me to stand up and go receive the award. When I made it to the stage, Steve Kowit greeted me enthusiastically and handed me a large, Plexiglas trophy engraved with my name and that of one of my heroes, Mr. Geisel himself. Martha Barnette, the host of public radio's "A Way with Words" and the emcee for the evening, handed the microphone to me, beaming. I looked at the audience. A few members were on their feet, applauding. I think I heard a cheer or two. I shook my head in disbelief and struggled for something to say. I thanked the San Diego Book Awards Association and the judges—at least I hope I did. I continued: “My rational side knows the judges were responding as much to the subject matter of the book as to my writing of it. J.K. Rowling has led an extraordinary life, and I have no doubt that what makes this book stand out is her struggles, her words, and her artistic vision. In that sense, I share the award with her. There is another side, however, to receiving this award—an emotional side. When I see this trophy inscribed with the name of Theodor Geisel, I am deeply moved. His were the first books I came to love. My mother used to read them to me. She didn’t care for other children’s books, but when she read Dr. Seuss, she came alive. She read his poetry with an enthusiasm I had never seen her display before. It was at her knee that I fell in love with language. Mom has been gone since 1993, but one thing we have learned from the Harry Potter series is that our parents remain with us, even after they have left this world. So, in that spirit, I would like to dedicate this to award to my mother. This is for you, Mom.” Finalist in the San Diego Book AwardsI am pleased to announce that my People In the News: J.K. Rowling has been named as a finalist in the young adult nonfiction category of the San Diego Book Awards. 
In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I am the president of the San Diego Book Awards Association, Inc. The organization's bylaws allow its officers and board members to enter the awards, provided they do not participate in the judging. In addition to honoring local authors, the organization sponsors Read-4-Fun, a program that promotes literacy among fifth-grade students countywide through a joint effort with elementary school librarians. Only books by San Diego County authors are eligible for the awards, yet the competition is always stiff. After all, San Diego County is the third largest county in the United States by population. With 2,941,454 residents, it is more populous than twenty states.
My friend and fellow board member M. Robert Grunwald entered his manuscript, A Cat Named Turtle, in the unpublished young adult novel category this year. I had the pleasure of reading the first thirty pages of his work and found it artistically ambitious and wonderfully entertaining. Telling a story from the point of view of a cat is a daring thing to try, yet he pulled it off convincingly and gracefully. Turtle's take on the world of humans made me laugh out loud several times. I am surprised the manuscript is not a finalist. Many fine works must and do go unrecognized. A few years ago, a book by a well-known San Diego author was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection yet was not chosen to be a finalist in the San Diego Book Awards. It is all up to the judges. Each entry is read by a panel of three judges who, prompted by thoughtfully prepared questionnaires, score the books using a point system. Every attempt is made to be fair and objective, but ultimately the results reflect the personal tastes and interests of the judges. It cannot be otherwise, of course. The track record of the judges is pretty good, though. The winners of the Theodor S. Geisel Award for the "best in show" among all the category winners reads like a who's who of San Diego authors, including Susan Vreeland (three times), Daniel Reveles, Kathi Diamant, Steve Kowit, Jennifer Brennan, Lee Silber, and Mark Clements. Other renowned San Diego authors such as Richard Lederer, Ken Kuhlken, Jennifer Coburn, and Chet Cunningham also have won San Diego Book Awards. Martha Barnette, co-host of public radio's "A Way with Words," will host this year's awards ceremony. I can't wait to see who is honored this year. Appearance at the California Readers LuncheonHumbled. That, more than anything, is how I felt at the “We Love California Authors and Illustrators” Luncheon sponsored by California Readers on February 23, 2008. I was one of more than thirty authors who joined hundreds of librarians and students in the celebration of the 2008 California Collection, the centennial birthday of Leo Politi, and the various awards presented to schools participating in the California Readers’ programs. As the keynote speaker, I was provided with a table in a prominent location to sell and sign books before the festivities got underway. Business was so brisk that I found it hard to keep up. “I have to get better at this,” I remarked to Mary, the volunteer who was handling the cashbox. “I am way too slow.” She smiled. “You’re doing fine,” she said. I have signed books before, but never while people waited in line. I felt like a popular author, if only for an hour. Before lunch was served, the attending authors stood in line and were introduced one by one. The collection of talent was impressive: Newberry Medal winners, Golden Kite Award winners, California Book Award winners, authors whose books have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list, even a couple whose books have been made into movies. “Are you sure you want me as your keynote speaker?” I asked the audience when I finally took the stage. “It seems as if there has been some mistake.”  Bonnie O’Brian, the board member in charge of Authors and Awards, brought me to the stage with a one-of-a-kind introduction. She remembered that in my California Readers interview a couple years earlier I had revealed that I was “a Seussoholic” as a child. I also recounted how my third grade teacher chastised me for checking out Dr. Seuss books from the library. “You need to select more challenging books,” my teacher said. I was devastated. I didn’t realize that there was anything wrong with rereading my beloved books. O’Brian recounted this story in her introduction then offered do what she could to heal the old heartbreak. “Today,” she began, “unlike Humpty Dumpty, Bradley, we will put your broken heart back together again.”O’Brian assuaged the hurt by paying tribute to five of my books with light-hearted, line-for-line parodies of works by Dr. Seuss: Giants, based on One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish; Free Speech and Censorship, drawing on The Foot; J.K. Rowling, borrowing from I Can Read with My Eyes Shut; and—my favorite—Ibn al-Haytham: First Scientist< First al-Haytham: Ibn to>, with apologies to The Eye Book: Eyes Eyes Light Light My eyes Your eyes Ibn-al-Haytham’s eyes Steffens’s eyes Wink eye Blink eye Think eye Think eye
Ibn-al-Haytham’s eyes My eyes see Your eyes see
Ibn’s eyes see Steffen’s eyes see Ibn sat in his cell and observed the light.
He saw it in the morning and he saw it at night. Ibn’s experiments were simple, physical, and concrete.
Designed to let anyone repeat and repeat. The scientific method he did create.
It has been used ever since without debate. Ibn developed the first device for projecting an image on a wall.
Then he used his eyes as he was enthralled. He sat and he stared and he did observe That vision occurs when light enters the eye and stimulates the optic nerve. His Book of Optics about vision and light. Much enthusiasm did invite. I see him And he sees me. Our eyes see blue.
Our eyes see red. They see a bird. They see a bed. They see the sun.
They see the moon. They see a fork, a knife, a spoon. They look down holes. They look up poles. Our eyes see rings. Our eyes see strings. They see so many, many things! So many things! Like rain and pie… And dogs and airplanes in the sky! And so we say,
Hooray for eyes! Hooray for Ibn al-Haytham’s eyes Hooray for Bradley Steffens’ eyes Hooray, hooray, hooray… For eyes! The amount to time O’Brian spent composing these burlesques must have been substantial. I was impressed. And humbled. Bradley Steffensauthor, poet, playwright Thanks for visiting!
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Last year's winner in the biography category, 
The other two finalists in the young adult category this year are Zombies by Cynthia Jenson-Elliott and Cloning by Tina Kafka, winner of the 2004 San Diego Book Award for young adult nonfiction. Zombies, published by Kidhaven Press, is in the same Monsters series as my Giants. I have not had the pleasure of reading Cloning, but I did have a chance to read Zombies. I was deeply impressed. I know how hard it is to write such a tightly formatted book, and Jenson-Elliott did a fantastic job. She took the kinds of risks I seldom do when writing nonfiction, using metaphors and similes. For example, she wrote that the flesh of the zombies resembles "moldy cheese or rotten meat"— images sure to horrify and delight young readers. She did a great job explaining the science behind reputed recipes for turning people into zombies, and she thoughtfully explored why zombies hold a fascination for so many people.
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