I learned these empanadas as an Ecuadorian recipe (my maternal grandmother is from Ecuador), but I’ve since learned [...]]]> I know I said that vegetarian lumpia would be the next recipe I posted, but I haven’t had the chance to make them to get accurate measurements of what I put in them. So I’m doing vegetarian empanadas instead.

I learned these empanadas as an Ecuadorian recipe (my maternal grandmother is from Ecuador), but I’ve since learned that there is a version of Filipino empanadas that is exactly like this. That’s what colonialism will do.

Anyway, I love these, as I do any food that involves fried dough. (I’ll add pictures when I make them next.)

Vegetarian Empanadas

Filling
1/2 pound of  soy crumbles (I use St. Yves Meatless Ground)
1/2 cup raisins (I like golden raisins)
1/4 cup sliced black olives (optional)
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

2 hardboiled eggs, sliced
Swiss cheese (or any other white cheese you like), sliced

Brown the meat, onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Add raisins. Put eggs and cheese aside.

Dough
2 cups flour, sifted
2 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
About 1/4 cup water

Oil for frying
Sugar for topping

Mix salt and flour. Cut the butter into the flour — I just use my hands — until the mixture looks crumbly. Add enough water to work into dough , a tablespoon or two at a time. (Again, I just use my hands to work it in.) Roll the dough out, about an eighth of an inch thick. Cut the dough into about eight four-inch rounds. (I just use a bowl and a paring knife.)

Put about two tablespoons of filling on half of each round. Top with a slice of hardboiled egg and a slice of cheese. Fold over the top, seal, and then press edge with a fork.

Fry empanadas in oil until golden brown, flipping over of course. Take out of oil and sprinkle them with sugar while they’re still hot. Eat, but be careful not to burn your mouth. Delicious.

I did something for Comic-Con that I haven’t done in a long time: I made note of those I’d like to attend. Because of baby-imposed limitations, I probably won’t get to some of those that will require standing in line for long periods of time, but we’ll [...]]]> My latest Life in Comics is up at Publishers Weekly!

I did something for Comic-Con that I haven’t done in a long time: I made note of those I’d like to attend. Because of baby-imposed limitations, I probably won’t get to some of those that will require standing in line for long periods of time, but we’ll see how it goes. Here are the ones I picked out:

THURSDAY

10:00-11:00 The Spark of Imagination— Peek inside the minds of leading authors and filmmakers to explore how imagination informs the creative process. New York Times bestselling children’s author Tony DiTerlizzi (The Spiderwick Chronicles) details the precedent-setting augmented reality used in his new Simon & Schuster novel The Search for Wondla; LAIKA president/CEO Travis Knight (lead animator, Coraline) explains his studio’s commitment to bold subject matter; artist/writer Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy) pinpoints how and where inspiration strikes; director John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda) explores how creativity is enhanced by artistic collaboration in moviemaking; and graphic novelist and Comic-Con special guest Doug TenNapel (Earthworm Jim) describes exactly how a blank page comes to be inhabited with his compelling imagery. Join moderator Geoff Boucher, reporter and HeroComplex.com blogger with The Los Angeles Times, for this fascinating panel discussion and Q&A. Room 25ABC

MY NOTES: I would have liked to see some women on this panel, to perhaps see  how women and men develop their creativity differently. Being creative is often very self-centric — you have to believe that what your mind invents is engaging and important enough for others to be interested in it, and I think that boys and men are often socialized in such a way that makes it easier for them to accept such a belief. (I won’t be able to attend this panel because I won’t arrive in San Diego until 3.)

10:30-11:30 Danny Elfman— From Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure to Alice in Wonderland, composer Danny Elfman discusses his 25-year collaboration with director Tim Burton. Their legendary partnership includes such films as Beetle Juice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Joining Mr. Elfman will be Warner Brothers Records executives to announce their plans to celebrate this quarter-century milestone. Room 6BCF

MY NOTES: I’ll have to choose between this panel and the preceding one. Honestly, this is the one I’d drop. I love music, but I’m not a musician (I play the piano at a shaky intermediate level), so I think the other panel will be more relevant to my interests.

1:30-2:30 Spotlight on Dusty Higgins and Van Jensen— Pinocchio the Vampire Slayer creators and Comic-Con special guests Dusty Higgins and Van Jensen are spotlighted in a panel moderated by Heidi MacDonald. The pair talk about the origins of their project, their reactions to the positive feedback — which included having their debut graphic novel from SLG Publishing named as one of the top 10 best graphic novels for teens by the Young Adult Library Service — and show art from the upcoming sequel. Room 3

MY NOTES: I’ve mentioned before that when my boss told me about Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer I was a little dubious. It sounded so high-concept. But then I read the story, and was pleasantly surprised to find it full of heart — and the art is great. I’m really into young adult literature these days, so having Pinocchio named as one of the 10 best graphic novels for teens by YALSA made me very happy. I won’t be able to attend this one, either.

6:00-7:00 Universal: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World— Genre-bending filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz), graphic novel author Bryan Lee O’Malley, and the cast of Universal Pictures’ Scott Pilgrim vs. the World provide a sneak peek of summer 2010′s epic of epic epicness. Joining Wright will be our hero, Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera of Superbad); Scott’s two current girlfriends, Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of The Thing) and Knives Chau (Ellen Wong of Unnatural History); his band, SEX BOB-OMB: Kim Pine (Alison Pill of Milk) and Stephen Stills (Mark Webber of Broken Flowers); SEX BOB-OMB super-fan Young Neil (Johnny Simmons of Jennifer’s Body); Scott’s awesome roommate, Wallace Wells (Kieran Culkin of Igby Goes Down); and four of Ramona’s seven evil exes: Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha of Fair Game), Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh of Superman Returns), Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman of Funny People) and Roxy Richter (Mae Whitman of Parenthood); plus Scott’s younger sister, Stacey Pilgrim (Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air), and the obnoxious Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza of Parks and Recreation). Q&A to follow. Hall H

MY NOTES: I don’t anticipate being able to get into this one, not even if I say something like, “C’mon, I liked Bryan Lee O’Malley before it was cool! I have the first printing of Lost at Sea!”

FRIDAY

10:00-11:00 From Fan to Creator: Goal Setting for Creative Types— Which side of the convention table do you want to be on, artist or fan? And what’s keeping you from getting there? If you have a project in mind that you’ve had trouble bringing into reality, you might benefit from this fun and practical goal-setting workshop, designed specifically for the Comic-Con crowd. Hailed as the “Tony Robbins of Geeks,” motivational speaker Douglas Neff will give you simple, proven techniques for achieving your most important goals. Whether you want to write your own screenplay, draw your first comic, or shoot your independent film, you’re sure to get something useful from this informative and energizing workshop. Room 24ABC

MY NOTES: I’m not so keen on someone branding themselves the “Tony Robbins of Geeks,” but we’ll see how this goes. I like workshops. I have an MFA, after all.

5:00-6:00 Girls Gone Genre: Movies, TV, Comics, Web— Meet and talk with women who write, read, game, and perform in arenas that are historically and statistically dominated by men. What’s it like to try and get a job in a field where most of your competitors and colleagues are guys? Can women write men, and vice versa? And what happens when traditionally “male” genres are reinvented by female writers and embraced by female fans? Sex and the City it ain’t! Meet the women who like to play with trucks and Barbies…and Wolverine action figures. And flux capacitors. Featuring Felicia Day (writer/producer, The Guild; actress, The Guild, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog), Kathryn Immonen (writer, Patsy Walker: Hellcat, Runaways, Heralds), Laeta Kalogridis (screenwriter/producer, Shutter Island, Ghost in the Shell, Avatar), Marti Noxon (screenwriter/producer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Mad Men, I Am Number Four, Fright Night), Melissa Rosenberg (screenwriter/producer, Dexter, The Twilight Saga), and Gail Simone (writer, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey).Moderated by Io9′s Annalee Newitz. Room 24ABC

MY NOTES: Oh, so there are the women I hoped would be on that first panel! I do think giving women their own forum to talk about creative work in male-dominated industries is smart, but wouldn’t it be nice if it weren’t necessary?

SATURDAY

12:45-1:30 Futurama— Celebrate Futurama‘s triumphant re-return to the airwaves! World-premiere footage will offer an exciting and informative glimpse of Comic-Con in the year 3010. Panelists include executive producers Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, cast members Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, and Maurice LaMarche, director Crystal Chesney-Thompson, writers Ken Keeler and Patric M. Verrone, and animation producer Claudia Katz. Ballroom 20

MY NOTES: I went to the very first Futurama panel at Comic-Con way back when (at least I think it was the first one), and it was loads of fun. They had an advance screening of a new episode. “These balls are making me testy!”

1:30-2:30 Comics Criticism— Comics are a staple of the arts and book review sections of everything from The New York Times and Publishers Weekly to a current golden age of published biography and history, such as Gerard Jones’s Men of Tomorrow, R. C. Harvey’s Meanwhile…, and David Michaelis’s Schulz and Peanuts. Some of the nation’s leading critics discuss the state of the art and the state of its journalism, 2010. Panelists include Gary Groth (The Comics Journal), Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics), Brian Doherty (Radicals for Capitalism), Ben Schwartz (editor, Best American Comics Criticism), and R. Fiore (Funnybook Roulette). Room 4

MY NOTES: Mmmm… seriousness. I’ve been considering how to get started at writing comics criticism professionally. My background is in literature , so I know how to read and analyze. I’ve been wary about conflict of interest because of my job, but I’m starting to think that doesn’t matter.

3:00-4:00 Spotlight on Ray Bradbury— He was at the very first Comic-Con and we kind of think he’ll be at the very last one, too, far off in the future. Science fiction author Ray Bradbury is literally a national treasure. Ray talks with biographer Sam Weller and moderator writer/producer Arnold Kunert in his yearly visit with his fans at Comic-Con. Room 6DE

MY NOTES: Ray Bradbury!

3:00-4:00 NBC’s Community Cast and Creative Team— The cast and producers — Joel McHale (The Soup), Chevy Chase (Hot Tub Time Machine), Donald Glover (30 Rock), Yvette Nicole Brown (Rules of Engagement), Danny Pudi (Greek), Gillian Jacobs (Choke), Alison Brie (Mad Men) and executive producers Dan Harmon (The Sarah Silverman Program), Joe Russo (Arrested Development), Anthony Russo (Arrested Development), Neil Goldman (Scrubs), Garrett Donovan (Scrubs) and Russ Krasnoff (The Soloist) — are on hand for an animated discussion and Q&A session about what’s in store for viewers this fall. Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront

MY NOTES: God, I love Community. It’s streets ahead any new show out there. It taps into pop culture in a way that’s funny and sweet, and somehow it reminds me of the best parts of John Hughes movies. (With the improvement that the people of color aren’t there just for… well, color.)

3:30-4:30 Comics in the Classroom— Comics are becoming increasingly common in elementary and secondary classrooms. But how can teachers incorporate comics into their course curriculums? This panel provides practical strategies for teachers to do just that. Presented by Anastasia Betts (UCLA), Christina Blanch (Ball State University), Deborah Ford (San Diego Unified School District), and Tracy White (NYU). Moderated by Chris Butcher (The Beguiling). Room 26AB

MY NOTES: Once upon a time, my ambition was to be a college professor or high school English teacher. My interest in academia is long-standing, but I’m not sure what I might get out of this, seeing as I’m not a college professor or high school English teacher. Maybe I will be someday, though, who knows.

Devouring a homemade loaf of bread on the floor of the hotel room. You live a kind of in-the-moment existence when you’re at Comic-Con as a fan. The [...]]]> Conventions aren’t always about falling into humiliating pitfalls, no. Sometimes, there are small, great moments that make it all worth it. Here are a few, again in chronological order:

Devouring a homemade loaf of bread on the floor of the hotel room. You live a kind of in-the-moment existence when you’re at Comic-Con as a fan. The first year I went, my husband and two of our friends drove down from the Bay Area. Our friend Igor had a loaf of bread that his mother had made for us. By the end of the first day, we were so exhausted and hungry that we collapsed on the floor and tore it apart with our bare hands, leaving nothing but miniscule crumbs.

Praise from Will Eisner. I never got my wish of shaking Will Eisner’s hand, but one year he stopped by the SLG booth and praised our comics, telling SLG Prez that he was the “future of comics.” It was a great moment.

A compliment from Noel Neill. Despite my indie-comics credentials, I love Superman. Specifically, I love the innocent, fun Superman as embodied by the 1950s TV show The Adventures of Superman. (A recent topic on “Talk of the Nation” on NPR was about making Superman more relatable — I didn’t hear it all, but I wish someone would have mentioned the best way to accomplish it: To remember that Superman is actually Clark Kent.) I also adore Lois Lane, who was played in the TV show by Noel Neill. Brian is even more of a fan than I am, as he grew up watching the show. When we went to get Ms. Neill’s autograph at Wondercon one year, Brian was too thrilled to say much of anything, so I told her how much we enjoy the show and all that pleasant chit-chat you try to make at conventions. Ms. Neill replied, “You’re so pretty!” I was elated. (Oh, vanity!)

Talking stories with Lynda Barry. Lynda Barry has a profound understanding of creativity and storytelling, and is so friendly and easy to talk to that you wish you could just hang out with her all day. (Don’t do this, though. I am still mad at the Canadian guy who talked in line to Guy DeLisle for so long that I didn’t get to have my books sign and talk to him.) Somehow, when she was signing my copy of What It Is, it came up that I had be re-reading The Epic of Gilgamesh. We exchanged a few words of how primal that story is, how it touches on the heart of human doubts and desires, and then parted. It was great.

2. Taking a nap really is in your own best interest.

3. Screaming is not the best method of communication.

4. Mom and Dad’s hands are not teething rings.

5. The kitty is not a [...]]]> 1. Strained peas are the most delicious food you will ever eat.

2. Taking a nap really is in your own best interest.

3. Screaming is not the best method of communication.

4. Mom and Dad’s hands are not teething rings.

5. The kitty is not a teething ring.

An “interlude” chapter (these are chapters that take place between the main action of the novel — they’re set before [...]]]> There’s nothing like an Internet meme to distract the writer from writing! This time it’s “I write like,” which analyzes an excerpt of your writing and tells you whom you write like. I tried a few excerpts.

An “interlude” chapter (these are chapters that take place between the main action of the novel — they’re set before the time of the novel and are written in present tense) of my young adult novel produced:

I write like
Vladimir Nabokov

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Which is kind of funny because the novel involves the sexual relationship between a fifteen-year-old girl and a twenty-seven-year-old man.

I put in the most recent story I’ve written, “Beggars Would Ride,” and got this:

I write like
H. P. Lovecraft

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Which is just weird. Is it because that story has long sentences? But it also deals with themes of isolation, madness, and individual fantasy, so I guess it’s fitting, even if it takes place in an Oregon farm house and not in a New England town beset by Elder Gods.

Then I put in the first chapter of my young adult novel, and I got this:

I write like
Margaret Atwood

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

I’m pretty happy with that!

Via the New York Times Paper Cuts blog, I found “Bad Books for Kids,” an essay on young adult fiction by David Mills, first published in Touchstone, a Christian magazine. Mills expresses his shock at what he calls “commercial depravity” in literature for [...]]]>

"Not quite Sophie Beer" by Dan Foy, www.flickr.com/photos/orangeacid/, used under Creative Commons License

Via the New York Times Paper Cuts blog, I found “Bad Books for Kids,” an essay on young adult fiction by David Mills, first published in Touchstone, a Christian magazine. Mills expresses his shock at what he calls “commercial depravity” in literature for young adults, and claims that these “problem books”  ”appeal to the worst in every teenager.” He prefers classics, such as Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, which deal with problems of adolescence at a “prophylactic distance.”

I could easily make fun the phrase “prophylactic distance” and respond to Mills’s argument, but I realized, as I read the essay, that it would be pointless. Mills and I have a difference at the foundation of our views about what the purpose of young adult fiction is. I’ve come to think of it as reformative versus formative.

In reformative young adult fiction, readers are presented with an idealized vision of adolescence. The main characters in these books experience some difficulties without getting too sullied by them. They do not despair. They do not rebel in any significant or dangerous way but learn from their troubles and come out better for having had a life lesson. They are adolescents as adults wish them to be: curious and seeking their individuality but not hurting themselves or their parents in the process. These books depict adolescence in a muted way — the troubles of growing up are there, but they are easily met and resolved. The overriding virtue of these books, as Mills sees it, is their virtue: they are “morally serious.” I don’t think there is necessarily anything wrong with books like these; some of the books Mills cites are favorites of mine, like Anne of Green Gablesand His Dark Materials.

However, I don’t think books like these offer a full complement of experience to contemporary young readers. As a young adult, I adored classic books about teenagers, but I also read Judy Bloom and V.C. Andrews– and classics that would probably fail in Mills’s scrutiny, like The Catcher in the Rye and The Bell Jar. As the reformative point of view has it, books like the latter indulge the teenager’s propensity to be self-centered, self-pitying, values-questioning, and, ultimately self-sufficient. Reformers like Mills do not want adolescent problems to be too “tawdry,” and he does not want those problems to be solved without God and family. But as I see it, self-pity, misery, desperate longing, foolish experimentation, and real problems, are natural parts of adolescence, and to deny the (sometimes uncomfortably graphic) depiction of adolescence from the adolescent point of view (as much as adult writers like me can recapture it) is to deny teenagers the reality of their experience.

And this is key: So much of how teenagers are regarded is as a sort of liminal species whose concerns are both temporary and not as important as they think they are. Recently, my therapist asked me what characterized therapy that I had responded well to in the past — I thought back to being sixteen and sullen, of being twenty and scared, in a psychologists’ office, and the common factor worked its way through the memories of talking and crying into the foreground: My problems had been taken seriously. I was not treated as if I was in a stage, as if my mind’s workings (and non-workings, as it were) weren’t important as long as that mind was still forming. I wasn’t temporary, a rebellious teenager or a fickle young woman (as I had been characterized), to the therapists, or at least they didn’t treat me that way.

And that’s what, from a formative point of view, I think the best contemporary young adult fiction does. It doesn’t treat teenagers as if their minds are too fragile to contemplate themselves, as if their angst is unfounded or exaggerated. It says, “You are not alone or abnormal.” (Or in the case of V.C. Andrews, “See, you’re not abnormal. This is abnormal!”) And it sometimes even says, “Yes, things could be worse.”