Dia Calhoun
Dia is from the West Coast and currently lives in Tacoma, Washington. She is a graduate of Mills College where she studied English Literature and Book Arts. Her goal in attending art school was to become a freelance lettering artist and work in the advertising field. When I asked her to describe Book Arts as a subject of study, she replied that it related to fine printing - letter press, broadsides, art books. She was most interested in the design aspects. But Dia found that that really wasn't all thet she wanted to do, so she begain writing two hours each day and crafted her first novel. To help hone her craft, she joined SCBWI and became a member of a critique group. Then it happened--her first published book was Firegold. Although as Dia told me, it didn't happen overnight. Winslow Press was the seventh publisher she had submitted to during a 5 year period. They held the book for a year, and then once the contract was signed she worked long (10 hour) days on the revisions. Happily, the result was a book that garnered favorable reviews.
During this period she wrote Aria of the Sea and again used her critique group to help with shaping and revision. Dia submitted the manuscript to her editor, and this time, contracts and revisions took less than a year. Aria of the Sea was well received and made the ALA Best Book List.
Now Dia has decided to write full time. The fact that she has some savings, a supportive husband and no children makes this possible. Each day she spends 4 to 5 hours on her craft. In addition, she is undertaking school visits, speaking events, and writing workshops. You can contact Dia by e-mail diacalhoun@aol.com or give her a call to make arrangements for author visits (253-627-2335).
Currently, she is working on a prequel to Firegold set 400 years earlier and she hopes that the book will be out later this year. A companion to Aria of the Sea is still in development. When asked about her inspiration, Dia noted that ballet lessons for more than ten years, her husband's family orchard and her affinity for the land in Eastern Washington have all played a role. Her fantasy comes in threads - the story begins to weave itself into a tapestry. She believes in letting her subconscious do some of the work "accessing that deep well" as she calls it. By working every day, it is like magnets are pulling her ideas together.
Dia has lots of ideas for future books and she keeps working journals. As a theme or idea develops, then it gets its own journal. Dia does not have an agent and she is very pleased with Winslow Press. Seeing foreign language editions of her books (Italian and German) has made her really happy.
Contributor: Marilyn Courtot
For further information about this author, visit her web site at www.diacalhoun.com.
Reviews
Aria of the SeaDia Calhoun
Thirteen-year-old Cerinthe Gale is the high-spirited heroine of this YA novel from the author of Firegold, and her quest to be a dancer is the moving force in the quick-stepping story. Hope lies in every action of young Cerinthe's even as it lay in the stitches her mother sewed into her dancing garments. Calhoun sketches her impulsive young heroine with grace. The story moves along at a comfortable pace, culminating in a satisfying conclusion in which Cerinthe achieves a goal nearly in danger of going unrealized and, more importantly, achieves a sense of self. The fantasy world of this story is rendered in a tapestry-like manner, barring only a few places where narrative seemed mildly anachronistic. 2000, Winslow Press, Ages 10 to 14, $15.95. Reviewer: Uma Krishnaswami
ISBN: 1-890817-25-2
Firegold
Dia Calhoun
Pictures by Herve Blendon
Jonathon Brae is blue-eyed in a land of dark-eyed people, and a strange mark appears on his forehead when he's tense, angry, excited, or afraid. His family loves and accepts him, but the people around him are wary. Now they're blaming him for the blight that has left them hungry. One day while Jonathon is fishing he sees a blue-eyed girl with the same marking on her forehead. But she is Dalriada, a different tribe, almost (the legend goes) a different species. Will he see her again? And how can he find her, when he's forbidden to go hunting with his father in the mountains until next year? A coming-of-age story with a twist - it's obviously not of our world, but the prejudices Jonathon faces are very real. 1999, Winslow Press, Ages 11 to 14, $15.95. Reviewer: Judy Silverman
ISBN: 1-890817-10-4
Added 03/01/01
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If you're interested in reviewing children's and young adult books, then send a resume and writing sample to marilyn@childrenslit.com.