Laurie Halse Anderson author photo
Image via Wikimedia Commons, sous licence CC BY 4.0.

Laurie Halse Anderson

Né(e): October 23, 1961 – Potsdam, New York, United States

Laurie Halse Anderson is an American author of young adult and children’s literature whose work explores adolescence, trauma, resilience, and history. She is best known for Speak, along with Fever 1793 and Chains. A National Book Award finalist and Margaret A. Edwards Award recipient, she has been widely taught in schools.

Biographie et Parcours de l'Auteur

Laurie Halse Anderson grew up in upstate New York in a family that moved often and lived with limited means, and she has said that books became her refuge early. After attending Fayetteville-Manlius High School and spending her senior year in Denmark as an exchange student, she enrolled at Onondaga Community College, where encouraging English professors helped redirect her sense of herself as a student. She graduated in 1981 with a humanities degree, transferred to Georgetown University, and carried forward the discipline and confidence that would later anchor her writing life. ((https://www.sunyocc.edu/news/stories-inspiration-laurie-halse-anderson-81))

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Citations

quote
I write because it helps me breathe…because there are stories in my heart that only I can tell
-Why Write
quote
I write from anger, I write from curiosity, and I write from confusion
-Writing helps me make sense of the world
quote
We have little control over the bad things that happen to us in life
-Margaret A. Edwards Speech
quote
YA literature saves lives. Every. Single. Day
-Stuck between rage and compassion
quote
And really, we read history to help us understand our lives today
-Q & A with Laurie Halse Anderson
quote
To be a writer, you must write
-WFMAD Day 31 – celebration & reflection
quote
I just write what’s consuming me
-The WD Interview
quote
Stories have their own heartbeat, and they will unfold at their own pace
-Laurie Halse Anderson boils down the bones

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Voix de la Communauté

"Laurie Halse Anderson is one of America’s foremost writers for young adults"

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

"Laurie Halse Anderson masterfully gives voice to teen characters finding the courage to be true to themselves"

David Mowery

"It’s been 10 years since Laurie Halse Anderson burst onto the literary scene with her powerful debut novel, Speak"

BookPage

"In her tightly written novels, Laurie Halse Anderson gives voice to the search for meaning, identity, and truth"

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

"John Green called Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak “one of the first seriously good books published for teenagers to be read widely by them."

John Green

"Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times best-selling author whose writing spans young readers, teens, and adults"

Poets & Writers

"These gripping and exceptionally well-written novels by Laurie Halse Anderson reflect the growing realities facing teens"

American Library Association

"For nearly 30 years, Laurie Halse Anderson has been writing highly acclaimed books for young people of all ages"

Publishers Weekly

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"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

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"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

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@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
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comments
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117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

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star
star
star
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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
platform
comments
12
likes
108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments
254
likes
17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
star
star
star
star
star

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

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