Harlan's a popular kid and Manny's a geek. But something strange is happening to both of them. Harlan is slowly losing his grip because he's plagued by panic attacks he can't control. And Manny has started having nerve-racking nightmares that leave him exhausted and terrified. In this complex and original novel, popular author Brent Hartinger takes us on an intense psychological journey as Harlan and Manny struggle with a fear they can't name. It's a journey that eventually leads downtown, where a secret lies at the intersection of Grand and Humble.
I am Brent Hartinger, and I live to write.
For the last twenty years, I have made my living writing just about everything that involves words.
I've been writing books since college, but I didn't sell any of them until the summer of 2001. Since then, I've sold a whole bunch of them--with many more in the works.
I like to write for all ages, but I particularly like writing for and about teenagers. I think it's because I identify so strongly with them (whenever I hear an adult complain about a teenager, I almost always take the side of the kid, even without hearing his or her version of the story!).
For the record, I try hard to write books that people *like* to read. (The most frequent comment I get from readers is that my books are "page-turners," which makes me very happy, because that is exactly what I want them to be!) My biggest complaint with books I hate is that they don't get to the point (or, worse, they don't *have* a point!).
My second great love is the theatre. My plays have been performed at dozens of theaters across the country. And I was recently asked to adapt Geography Club into a stage play, which was first presented (very successfully!) in Seattle in April 2004. I've also written a play version of my thriller Grand & Humble. (If you're involved with a theater and want a copy of either script, contact me at brentsbrain@gmail.com.)
I also have several screenplays under option, and there is a feature film version of Geography Club in the works.
And if that's not enough, I've written over five hundred published articles, essays, short stories, newspaper columns, cartoons, and even a few greeting cards!
I also sometimes teach writing, in the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College and elsewhere.
I live in Seattle, Washington, with my partner since 1992, Michael Jensen. Michael is also a writer, the author of two terrific gay westerns, Frontiers, and its sequel, Firelands. Together, we also helped found a very successful entertainment website called AfterElton.com (but we don't work there anymore).
I answer all emails (eventually), so if you have a question or a comment, or if you're interested in having me speak to your school or group, contact me brenthartinger.com.
Or if you want to send me something by mail, or if you'd like to request a signed bookplate, you can reach me here:
Brent Hartinger
PO Box 30542
Seattle WA 98113-0542
My "Official" Biography
BRENT HARTINGER is the author of a number of novels for children and teenagers, including Geography Club (HarperCollins, 2003); two sequels to Geography Club called The Order of the Poison Oak (HarperCollins, 2005) and Double Feature: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies/Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies (HarperCollins, 2007); The Last Chance Texaco (HarperCollins, 2004); Grand & Humble (HarperCollins, January 2006); Project Sweet Life (HarperCollins, winter 2009); and Shadow Walkers (Flux, 2011).
Mr. Hartinger's many writing honors include being named the winner of the Lambda Book Award, the Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award, a GLAAD Media Award, the National Best Book Award, and a Book Sense Pick (four times).
Also a playwright and screenwriter, Mr. Hartinger's ten plays have been produced in dozens of theaters nationwide (twice in New York); his screenplays have won many awards, including a 2009 Writers Network Fellowship and the $5000 Fort Lauderdale Film Festival Screenwriting in the Sun Award. He has several scripts under option and in the process of studio or network development, including a film version of his novel, Geography Club.
Mr. Hartinger lives in Seattle with another novelist, Michael Jensen, his partner since 1992. He has counseled dozens of teenagers, both as co-facilitator of Oasis, a 200-member gay teen support organization he helped found, and as a counselor at a group home for young people.
Mr. Hartinger is a co-founder of Authors Supporting Intellectual Freedom (or AS IF!), an anti-censorship group, and speaks frequently at schools, bookstores, conferences, churches, and civic groups on the subjects of censorship, writing, and social tolerance. He sometimes teaches creative writing, most recently at Vermont College in the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Oh, and there's lots more information about me at my website. Check it out! www.brenthartinger.com
