American writer (born 1963)
Francesca Lia Block (born December 3, 1962) is an American writer of adult and
young-adult literature . She is known for the
Weetzie Bat series,
[2] which she began while a student at
UC Berkeley .
Early life
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 the
University of California, Berkeley .,
[4] and later studied for her MFA from the
University of California at Riverside .
[5]
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.
[5]
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.
[6]
In 2014, Block was named Writer-in-Residence at
Pasadena City College .
[7] 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.
[8]
Block is known for her use of imagery, especially in describing the city of Los Angeles.
[9] One
New York Times Book Review critic said, "Block writes about the real Los Angeles better than anyone since
Raymond Chandler ."
[10]
Personal life
Block has a son and a daughter.
[3]
[5]
Awards and nominations
Bibliography
Standalone novels
Ecstasia (1993)
The Hanged Man (1994)
Primavera (1994)
I Was A Teenage Fairy (1998)
Violet and Claire (1999)
The Rose and the Beast (2000)
Echo (2001)
Wasteland (2003)
Ruby (2006)
Psyche In A Dress (2006)
Blood Roses (2008)
Quakeland (2008)
The Waters and the Wild (2009)
Pretty Dead (2009)
The Frenzy (2010)
House of Dolls (2010)
The Elementals (St. Martin's Press, 2013)
Love in the Time of Global Warming (2013)
Teen Spirit (2014)
The Island of Excess Love (2014)
Beyond the Pale Motel (2014)
My Miserable Life (2016), as F.L. Block
Lost Children (2021), audiobook
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)
See also
References
^ Brodesser-Akner, Taffy (August 22, 2013).
"Francesca Lia Block and her post-apocalyptic year" .
Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2019-03-08 .
^ Dinitia Smith (2005-05-23).
"Writing Frankly, Young-Adult Author Pushes Limits" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-03-17 .
^
a
b Rogers, John (December 2, 2005).
"Weetzie Bat is back, and grown up, as her creator confronts middle age" . Foster's Daily Democrat . Retrieved September 22, 2023 .
^ Hotaling, Debra (November 14, 1999).
"The Scribe of Shangri-La" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 6, 2022 .
^
a
b
c Romanoff, Zan (May 7, 2018).
"Francesca Lia Block is a Lot More than Weetzie Bat" . Literary Hub . Retrieved March 19, 2024 .
^
"JUST WRITE: AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK" . www.loveispop.com . Retrieved 2018-04-23 .
^ Hillary.
"Francesca Lia Block - About" . www.francescaliablock.com . Retrieved 2018-04-23 .
^ N'Duka, Amanda (2018-07-11).
"Anya Taylor-Joy, Nick Robinson & Sasha Lane Star In 'Weetzie Bat' Film Adaptation" . Deadline . Retrieved 2018-07-16 .
^ Carolyn Kellogg (2012-03-12).
"Francesca Lia Block takes her mortgage woes public" .
The Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2012-03-17 .
^ Francesca Lia Block (2011-10-25).
"Author Francesca Lia Block on Occupy Wall Street: Meditations in the Dark" .
CNBC . Archived from
the original on 2013-09-27. Retrieved 2012-03-17 .
^
"2005 Margaret A. Edwards Award Winner" .
Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). American Library Association (ALA).
"Edwards Award" . YALSA. ALA. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
^
a
b
"Phoenix Award Brochure 2012" [
permanent dead link ] .
Children's Literature Association . Retrieved 2012-12-11.
See also the current homepage
"Phoenix Award"
Archived 2012-03-20 at the
Wayback Machine .
^
Francesca Lia Block at the
Internet Speculative Fiction Database . Retrieved 2014-09-04.
External links
International National Academics People Other