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and have one's life together, and to make it look easy. At the start of the book, the reader is supposed to relate with the main characters and throughout their changes in the book, the reader should see that it is okay to not have everything together and not be perfect. Gragert asked Dessen about her anxiety coping mechanisms because writing tends to cause an author to be anxious. Dessen said that she likes to exercise and read in her free time because all writers are going to be anxious, it's part of the process, but it also opens their mind more because they see the world differently than readers.
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following, I have a responsibility to be aware of what I put out there." Several of the other authors who had supported Dessen initially also apologized to Nelson, noting that they had supported Dessen’s expression of her feelings but did not support the subsequent identification and bullying of Nelson.
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alumna regarding the
University's 'Common Read' program, which identifies books "representing diverse points of view" for undergraduate students to read as part of their curriculum. The student, Brooke Nelson, said she became involved with the program "simply so I could stop them from ever choosing
413:
In 2017, Dessen was interviewed by Anna
Gragert. During the interview, Gragert asked Dessen about the style she uses in some of her books, otherwise known as "effortless perfection". Dessen describes this term as the young girls in her books being able to have friends, look good, be a good student
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Dessen subsequently deleted her tweet and apologized for her remarks, acknowledging that it had resulted in her fans connecting her comments with their source to identify and harass Nelson that led to the former student deleting her social media accounts. Dessen stated, "With a platform and a
198:, Dessen wrote "for many years afterward, I took total blame for everything that happened between me and T. After all, I was a bad kid. I did drugs, I lied to my mom. You can't just hang out with a guy and not expect him to get ideas, I told myself. You should have known better. But maybe
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should have. When I turned 21, I remember making a point, regularly, to look at teens and ask myself whether I'd want to hang out with them, much less date one. The answer was always a flat, immediate no. They were kids. I was an adult. End of story."
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Dessen posted parts of this interview that were critical of her on
Twitter, redacting Nelson's name and the institution but stating that the comments were "mean and cruel”. Her post was supported by a number of authors, including
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and was Lee Smith's assistant while launching her writing career. It was Smith who passed one of Dessen's manuscripts to an agent. After the 1996 publication of her first book,
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As a teenager, Dessen was very shy and quiet. She became involved with a 21-year-old when she was 15 but cut all contact with him shortly after. In a piece penned for
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In June 2021, it was announced The Truth About
Forever was added to the Dessen books obtained by Netflix to be adapted into a feature film.
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1167:"'To All The Boys' Scribe Sofia Alvarez To Helm 'Along For The Ride' Adaptation For Netflix; Kate Bosworth, Andie MacDowell Among Cast"
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Sarah Dessen." Regarding Dessen's book, Nelson stated, "She’s fine for teen girls, but definitely not up to the level of Common Read."
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962:"A student opposed a YA novel for mandatory college reading. The backlash from famous authors was fierce"
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157:. Born in Illinois, Dessen graduated from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her first book,
1030:"The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting Into"
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937:"The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting Into"
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Today Dessen lives in Chapel Hill, North
Carolina, with her husband Jay and daughter Sasha Clementine.
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401:. Following this, Northern State University issued an apology for the alumna's comments.
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was also one of the two winners of the 1999 "School
Library Journal Best Book" award, and
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in 2009. After its publication, Dessen was referred to as a "best-seller machine".
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848:"School Library Journal Best Book of the Year - Book awards - LibraryThing"
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for some of her work. Two of her books were adapted into the 2003 film
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had purchased the rights to adapt three of Dessen's books into films:
777:"Best Sellers: Children's Paperback Books: Sunday, June 5th 2011"
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887:"Famous Authors Drag Student in Surreal YA Twitter Controversy"
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222:, resulting in her graduating with highest honors in 1993.
703:"Beloved Chapel Hill Author Sarah Dessen Takes a Look Back"
253:. She became a full-time writer before the 2006 release of
153:(born June 6, 1970) is an American novelist who lives in
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was no longer moving forward with other adaptations.
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Dessen waitressed at the Flying
Burrito restaurant in
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623:In July 2023 Dessen shared on her substack that
283:Some of her novels have been among the ALA's "
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721:"Sarah Dessen | Biography, Books and Facts"
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372:article quoted a comment from 2016 by a
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912:"Common Read hits 10 years at Northern"
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596:On May 30, 2019, it was announced that
177:Early life, education and personal life
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555:The 2003 romantic comedy-drama film
1472:21st-century American women writers
1462:20th-century American women writers
323:was the sole winner the next year.
1053:Dessen, Sarah (16 November 2019).
987:"The Strawman of the Teenage Girl"
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1492:Margaret A. Edwards Award winners
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326:In 2017, Dessen was awarded the
1452:21st-century American novelists
1437:Writers from Evanston, Illinois
1417:20th-century American novelists
1447:American young adult novelists
960:Shepherd, Katie (2019-11-15).
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1427:Novelists from North Carolina
796:Schwartz, John (2009-08-13).
759:"This Lullaby – Sarah Dessen"
620:was released on May 6, 2022.
285:Best Fiction for Young Adults
1128:"The Sarah Dessen Interview"
985:Alford, Emily (2019-11-14).
885:Shapiro, Lila (2019-11-16).
187:University of North Carolina
1028:Graham, Ruth (2019-11-15).
935:Graham, Ruth (2019-11-15).
865:SKUENN (27 February 2012).
745:"Abandoning. And listening"
155:Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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212:Greensboro, North Carolina
1477:Greensboro College alumni
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374:Northern State University
328:Margaret A. Edwards Award
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1457:American women novelists
1357:What Happened to Goodbye
685:"Sarah Dessen Biography"
514:What Happened to Goodbye
409:Themes and writing style
352:What Happened to Goodbye
1482:Novelists from Illinois
1325:The Truth About Forever
1079:"Sarah Dessen Is Sorry"
910:Katherine Grandstrand.
471:The Truth About Forever
362:Common Read controversy
344:The Truth About Forever
249:, Dessen taught at the
1146:The Hollywood Reporter
165:Margaret Edwards Award
117:Young adult literature
1389:The Rest of the Story
725:www.famousauthors.org
651:www.famousauthors.org
544:The Rest of the Story
366:In November 2019, an
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852:www.librarything.com
181:Dessen was born in
37:Texas Book Festival
35:Dessen at the 2017
1349:Along for the Ride
1195:"The Friday Five!"
1085:. 15 November 2019
802:The New York Times
617:Along for the Ride
606:Along for the Ride
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208:Greensboro College
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1365:The Moon and More
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522:The Moon and More
279:Awards and honors
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107:Realistic fiction
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1301:Keeping the Moon
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140:.sarahdessen
98:1996–present
56:June 6, 1970
47:Sarah Dessen
23:Sarah Dessen
1412:1970 births
1333:Just Listen
1285:That Summer
834:www.ala.org
584:That Summer
571:Dylan Baker
563:Mandy Moore
558:How to Deal
479:Just Listen
426:That Summer
340:Just Listen
309:Just Listen
289:That Summer
256:Just Listen
240:That Summer
235:Chapel Hill
170:How to Deal
160:That Summer
77:Nationality
1406:Categories
1271:Novels by
1152:2019-05-31
1113:2018-04-18
1089:2020-09-07
1064:2020-09-07
1039:2019-11-15
1014:2019-11-15
993:2019-11-15
971:2019-11-15
946:2020-09-07
921:2020-09-07
896:2020-09-07
815:2018-04-03
782:2018-04-28
730:2018-04-02
656:2018-04-03
631:References
579:Trent Ford
395:Roxane Gay
69:Occupation
52:1970-06-06
1309:Dreamland
810:0362-4331
561:starring
455:Dreamland
332:Dreamland
301:Dreamland
268:made the
262:Dessen's
246:Dreamland
195:Seventeen
502:Infinity
358:(2002).
350:(2010),
346:(2004),
342:(2007),
338:(2000),
334:(2001),
315:(2010).
307:(2003),
303:(2001),
299:(2000),
295:(1999),
291:(1997),
123:Children
80:American
72:Novelist
1083:Jezebel
1059:Twitter
1055:"Tweet"
891:Vulture
625:Netflix
598:Netflix
533:2017 –
527:2015 –
519:2013 –
511:2011 –
506:novella
500:2010 –
492:2009 –
484:2008 –
476:2006 –
468:2004 –
460:2002 –
452:2000 –
439:1999 –
431:1998 –
423:1996 –
131:Website
113:Subject
1392:(2019)
1384:(2017)
1376:(2015)
1368:(2013)
1360:(2011)
1352:(2009)
1344:(2008)
1336:(2006)
1328:(2004)
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1296:(1998)
1288:(1996)
808:
608:, and
541:2019 –
397:, and
229:Career
95:Period
64:, U.S.
1034:Slate
103:Genre
1220:IMDb
806:ISSN
587:and
577:and
142:.com
44:Born
1218:at
259:.
210:in
138:www
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