Francesca Lia Block Explained

Francesca Lia Block
Birth Date:December 3, 1962
Birth Place:Los Angeles, California, US
Occupation:Writer
Language:English
Alma Mater:University of California, Berkeley
Period:1989–present
Children:2[1]

Francesca Lia Block (born December 3, 1962) is an American writer of adult and young-adult literature. She wrote the Weetzie Bat series,[2] which she began while a student at UC Berkeley.

Early life and education

Block was born in Los Angeles in 1962. Her mother was a poet and her father was the screenwriter and painter Irving Block.[3] She attended North Hollywood High School[4] and the University of California, Berkeley,[5] and later studied for her MFA from the University of California at Riverside.[6]

Career

Block writes both novels and poetry. Her first two books, Moon Harvest (1978) and Season of Green (1979), were small-press illustrated poetry collections, now out of print. Since then, she has released several standalone collections of poetry, as well as incorporating poetry and lyrics into many of her novels. She has published over 40 books.

Block did not originally start out with an editor, but was published by using her connections. She attributed her success partly to publishers being interested in shorter books.[7]

In 2014, Block was named Writer-in-Residence at Pasadena City College.[8] Block is a member of the Authors Guild, Authors League of America, and the Writers Guild of America.

In 2018, it was confirmed that Weetzie Bat would be produced as a feature film, with Justin Kelly attached as director. Block wrote the screenplay for the film.[9]

Block is known for her use of imagery, especially in describing the city of Los Angeles.[10] One New York Times Book Review critic said, "Block writes about the real Los Angeles better than anyone since Raymond Chandler."[11]

Writing style and genres

Block sees her books as being in the tradition of magical realism, and she has said that she was heavily influenced by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende,[12] as well as Emily Dickinson. She has been compared to S.E. Hinton because of themes like sex, death, drugs, and broken homes that occur in her works. Many of her books have been categorized as young adult fiction, but Block has also written adult fiction, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry.[13] [14]

Personal life

Block has a son and a daughter. She lives in Los Angeles.[15]

Awards and nominations

Bibliography

Weetzie Bat, or Dangerous Angels series
  1. Weetzie Bat (1989) — winner of the 2009 Phoenix Award
  2. Witch Baby (1991)
  3. Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys (1992)
  4. Missing Angel Juan (1993)
  5. Baby Be-Bop (1995)
  6. Necklace of Kisses (2005)
  7. Pink Smog (2012), prequel
Omnibus editions
  • Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books, volumes 1–5 (1998)
  • Beautiful Boys: Two Weetzie Bat Books, 4–5 (2004)
  • Goat Girls: Two Weetzie Bat Books, 2–3 (2004)
Standalone novels

House Of Hearts (Rare Bird Books, 2022)

Collections
  • Moon Harvest: Poems (1978), poetry
  • Season of Green: Poems (1979), poetry
  • Girl Goddess #9: Nine Stories (1996), short stories
  • Nymph: Nine Erotic Stories (2003), short stories
  • Blood Roses (2008), short stories
  • How to (Un)cage a Girl (2008), poetry
  • Open Letter to Quiet Light (2009), poetry
  • Roses & Bones (2010), omnibus of Psyche in a Dress, Echo, and The Rose and the Beast
  • Fairy Tales in Electri-City (2011), poetry
  • Love Magick (2012), editor
  • Dead Girls (2019), poetry
Non-fiction and other
  • Zine Scene: the do it yourself guide to zines (1998)
  • Guarding the Moon: A Mother's First Year (2003)
  • Wood Nymph Seeks Centaur: A Mythological Dating Guide (2009)
  • Evidence of Angels (2009), with photographer Suza Scalora
  • The Thorn Necklace: Healing Through Writing and the Creative process (2018)

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Francesca Lia Block and her post-apocalyptic year. Brodesser-Akner. Taffy. August 22, 2013. Los Angeles Times. 2019-03-08.
  2. Web site: Writing Frankly, Young-Adult Author Pushes Limits. . 2012-03-17 . 2005-05-23 . Dinitia Smith.
  3. News: Rogers . John . December 2, 2005 . Weetzie Bat is back, and grown up, as her creator confronts middle age . Foster's Daily Democrat . September 22, 2023.
  4. Campbell . Patricia J.. January–February 1993 . People are talking about ... Francesca Lia Block . The Horn Book Magazine.
  5. News: Hotaling . Debra . November 14, 1999 . The Scribe of Shangri-La . Los Angeles Times . October 6, 2022.
  6. Web site: Francesca Lia Block is a Lot More than Weetzie Bat . Romanoff . Zan . May 7, 2018 . Literary Hub . March 19, 2024.
  7. Web site: JUST WRITE: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK. www.loveispop.com. 18 August 2016 . en-US. 2018-04-23.
  8. Web site: Francesca Lia Block - About. Hillary. www.francescaliablock.com. en-gb. 2018-04-23.
  9. News: Anya Taylor-Joy, Nick Robinson & Sasha Lane Star In 'Weetzie Bat' Film Adaptation. N'Duka. Amanda. 2018-07-11. Deadline. 2018-07-16. en-US.
  10. Web site: Francesca Lia Block takes her mortgage woes public. The Los Angeles Times. Carolyn Kellogg. 2012-03-12. 2012-03-17.
  11. Web site: Author Francesca Lia Block on Occupy Wall Street: Meditations in the Dark. CNBC. 2012-03-17. 2011-10-25. Francesca Lia Block. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20130927233713/http://www.cnbc.com/id/45016703/Author_Francesca_Lia_Block_on_Occupy_Wall_Street_Meditations_in_the_Dark. 2013-09-27.
  12. Williams . Wilda . August 1, 2005 . Q&A: Francesca Lia Block . Library Journal.
  13. Pepper . Rachel . April 2003 . Francesca Lia Block (Notes from Far-Flung Places) . Curve . Avalon Media.
  14. Di Marzo . Cindy . May 18, 1998 . Harper Introduces Francesca Lia Block to a Wider Audience . Publishers Weekly . September 17, 2024.
  15. Bolle . Sonja . July 21, 2008 . Francesca Lia Block: staying in the force field of her audience . Publishers Weekly . September 17, 2024.

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