Postcard For Reader

Interview: Garen S. Wolff

Today on WORD, Garen S. Wolff is swinging by! She's the author of the middle grade series The Girlz of Galstanberry, which works to send a pretty positive message to girls everywhere. And guess what - in a few hours, we're giving away a copy!

From the boroughs of New York, to the beaches of San Francisco, girls hail from all walks of life, to sport the violet blazer and pink beret of the Galstanberry Girls Academy.

But until then, tide yourself over with THIS INTERVIEW. Do it.

N: Welcome to WORD, Garen! It's not often that we get an MG author stopping by. What inspired The Girlz of Galstanberry series?
G: The diversity of girls around the world--tall, short, blonde, braided , spunky, shy! In fact, while walking down the street, I see no two girls that look alike! Every girl has a story to tell due to their varied experiences, geographic location, ethnicity, family structure, etc. Therefore, I wanted to create a series that truly reflected the diversity of girls' voices.

N: Are any of the girls based off of people you know in real life?
G: Yes!!! The diverse girlfriends I made at Wellesley College-East Asian, Latina, Indian, etc. are reflected in the personalities and ethnicities of the girls in Galstanberry girlz.
Also, I see myself in each of the girls. I definitely have the energy and spunkiness of Lillian, and, as my family and friends attest, the determination of Brandi. On certain occasions (when I'm annoyed), I can be sassy like Tabitha, with clever comebacks like Nisha. When I speak at book singings, I muster the strength of Fei :-)

N: Where did "Galstanberry" come from?
G: My imagination :-) I wanted the name to sound fancy BUT fun. The first part, "Gal" is pronounced with a long "a", like the exaggerated pronunciation of Ha-a-rvard. The second part of the word came from my sweet tooth. One of my favorite snacks is raspberries. So, when you put the two parts together, you get Galstanberry, pronounced, "Ga-a-lstanberry".

N: What is your favorite scene in the series' first book, The Girlz of Galstanberry?
G: My favorite scene is in the chapter, "Welcome Home!" Girls around the world converge on a beautiful twenty acre campus that rises up from the horizon like a French chateau with high-spiraling turrets that seem to touch the clouds. It is flanked by a magnificent rose garden and horse stables. Each girl's reaction to the pristine campus and Galstanberry traditions is interesting.

N: What is your favorite time of year?
G: Fall! I have TONS of blazers and coats! Emerald green, Purple, canary yellow coats-I wear them all!!! And, I love to accessorize with matching berets. Infact, the inspiration behind the Galstanberry uniform was a blazer I found on my 1000th shopping trip for coats, and ofcourse my love for berets!

N: If the Galstanberry girlz could turn into animals, what would they turn into?
G: HAHAHA! I will translate the one word descriptions for each girl that are noted on GalstanberryGirlz.com Here it goes...
Lillian à Dolphin. She is playful and full of energy like a dolphin..
Brandià Lion. She stands tall and prominently wears her determination like a lion proudly shakes its mane.
Fei à Cheetah. Her confident spirit is analogous to a cheetah's spots-bold and distinguishable.
Tabitha à Great White Shark. She comes off aggressive, but like the Great White (thanks to the infamous JAWS movies) is greatly misunderstood.
Nisha à Owlà She is contemplative-constantly thinking about the world and her place in it.

N: If YOU could turn into an animal, what would you turn into?
G: I'm a natural born wolf (hence the name) However, instead of following the pack I lead it with ingenuity and strength.

N: What books do you recommend for us to read, besides your own?
G: I encourage everyone to read a diverse set of novels-from the classics, multicultural to fun. Here are examples of each one:
Classic: House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Multicultural: House of Spirits by Isabel Allende
Fun: Cheetah Girls by Deborah Gregory