writing, speaking, web-making, and best of all, I get to dance later
I'm the author of YA novels, Rhythm & Blues and Break On Through.More about me »
Just 10 days remain until I leave for Ethiopia. I thought it might be fun to answer some questions I’m getting, and share some other details about day to day life. Won’t it be hot? No! When we think of tropical regions in the time we call “summer,” it’s tempting to imagine the hottest weather [...]
I’m interviewed today by my neighborhood pal Alan Silberberg. Alan is a middle-grade author, cartoonist, and TV writer whose latest book, MILO is coming out later this summer. I’m really looking forward to reading it. He interviewed me about everything from food to writing… and then things got a little personal. ALAN: Did you have [...]
I’ve had the great pleasure of seeing Rhythm and Blues all over YA Book Shelf this week. Melissa is making tons of noise about YA on her blog, and the enthusiasm is infectious. If you love reading and YA, you should definitely check it out, and I’m not just saying that because of this glowing [...]
Well, that was exciting. Just when I thought I was getting on top of my to-do list– hacked blog! But luckily nothing important was damaged– other than my plans for Wednesday evening. Consider this your reminder to always back everything up. Now, on to some things I’ve been wanting to tell you about: THIS VERY [...]
Look at this neat view of Toronto I got as my plane landed at Billy Bishop airport the other day: And then the wind from the plane landing blew so hard, the buildings swayed in the gust: or, “it’s fun when my iphone camera makes art by accident”
A recent review of Rhythm and Blues focused on the celebrity aspect of the book. Fifteen year old Kayla said: “It definitally[sic] made me wonder if a lot of celebrities I’ve heard of are actually like they portray themselves on talk shows and in interviews or if they’re just playing a part for publicity reasons.” [...]
I had a GREAT time at CKUT radio’s Queer Corps yesterday, and I’m not just saying that because the host, John Custodio, assumed I was not long out of my teens. We talked about everything a YA author wants to talk about, and some things we don’t: what defines YA, how much variety there is [...]
Hello from snowy Montreal! Despite the snow, it’s great to be back home. I was in Toronto for a week, and I had an AMAZING book launch. Andrew Tolson took some marvelous photos, and you can see them over here on the Quill & Quire blog. A BIG thanks to everyone who came out. It [...]
I’m a part of this week’s broadcast of CBC Radio 1′s The Next Chapter. The theme of the episode is YA, and it covers some pretty wide and varied territory. The full list of guests is: Rukhsana Khan on Wanting Mor. Eric Walters on what kids oughtta know. Jill Murray on staying cool to teens. [...]
Online interviews are sprouting up like daffodils this week! My interview with My Ever-Expanding Library is now live. I got to talk about dancing, inspiration and the open-mindedness of teens, so I had a lot of fun. Here’s my answer to a question I liked, about the challenge of writing a second novel, compared to [...]
The first review of Rhtyhm and Blues has come in from Queer YA: Fiction for LGTBQ Teens, and… it’s a hit! “Murray really nails the voice here, and the plot is anything but trite. I want to read more by this author, and was delighted to learn this book is actually a sequel. Recommended for [...]
I’m on the National Post’s “Popcorn Panel” today, discussing The Runaways– the new movie about Joan Jett’s all-girl teen rock band, before she went solo. It stars that Twilight chick, Kristen Stewart, and lots of nice eyeshadow. I answered 20 Writerly Questions for BookLounge.ca. This one was my favourite: 17. Do you have any writing [...]
I have a bit of necessary horn-tooting to do this morning. First, an interview with the CBC Book Club: “Since I was into breaking at the time, it seemed natural and I was thinking about the group dynamics and how challenging it is to get a group together and keep it together with different personalities. [...]
My monologue about that one time in grade seven when I got in trouble for reading airs today on CBC Radio 1 at 3pm and and Sirius 137 at 1pm. You can also hear the episode podcast right now, or anytime. Note that Mariko & Jillian Tamaki of Skim fame are also featured in this [...]
I’ve been thinking it might be fun to backtrack and tell you about my trip to LA, and then Toronto, and then Kitchener in March. I have so many people, places and books to introduce you to! But first up, the flight to LA itself. My planned reading material for the flight was Lisa Yee’s [...]
I was interviewed on K.C. Dyer’s Darby Speaks yesterday. I’ve done a lot of interviews, but this was the first time by a fictional character. (Not too loud, I don’t know if Darby would be happy to hear me call her fictional). If you read the interview and post in the comments, you’ll get a [...]
The other day I conducted something I do far less often than you might think: a lengthy web search of my own name. I’m glad I did because it turned up two great things I didn’t know about: A excerpt from Break On Through on the truly excellent break culture blog, Celebreak. They thought it [...]
I know I’m not the only one around here who would rather work almost anywhere than at her desk. For me, cafes are where its at. Over on my other site– y-eh.ca, my Canadian YA and middle-grade books blog, I’m asking writers, editors and everybody to tell me where they like to work. I’m going [...]
Thank you, students, teachers & librarians at Blessed Trinity Catholic Secondary School, for being such wonderful hosts to Skribbs & I. Something I’m starting to notice with all these school presentations is how different one student body can be from another. The character of schools is almost as varied as the personalities of individuals. Tomorrow [...]
I have a scintillating new bookings package available. So if you think you might like me to speak, read or lead a workshop at your summer festival or school, or wherever, really, download it today!
I got this long-distance phone call from the road while I was on my way to brunch this morning: More Or Les: You’re on page nine of Exclaim! Fresh Killz: (yelling in background) You ARE page nine of Exclaim! So everybody, go grab yourself a copy of Canada’s music magazine. (It’s free!) Or check it [...]
The Toronto Star has a nice piece on Break On Through out this morning. Read about it here.
I got shot by photojunkie! Because I know me pretty well, I can see how tired and stiff I look in the photo. There is a good reason for that: I am sooo tired. And stiff. I somehow pulled a muscle in my armpit while I was at YTV earlier that day. But everything is [...]
Today is Break On Through Day on The Zone (YTV), so wherever you are in Canada, tune in to watch MaeHem and I chat and dance in high definition with two of our favourite hosts, Joyce & Carlos, between about 4:15pm & 6pm! And if you’re in Toronto, and morning is more your style, look [...]
Just a quick note to let you know about some media appearances I have coming up this week, in Toronto: Droppin’ Dimez CKLN, FM 88.1, Toronto Monday, February 11, 2008, 4:45pm Contest alert: I’ll be giving away two freshly-minted copies of Nadine’s Mixtape: The Official Soundtrack of Break On Through Here & Now CBC Radio [...]
It must be International National Post Day at JillMurray.com, because Rob Roberts– a man who clearly has exquisite taste and superior judgment in how to spend one’s mid-day leisure and/or school field trip time– has chosen MaeHem and I as a highlight of Harbourfront Centre’s ALOUD festival in the National Posted Toronto Magazine. Thank you [...]
I’m in the National Post today. As you should well understand by now, dance movies are one of my favourite things– in movies, generally, but more so, in all of life. So I was delighted when Alison Broverman invited me, along with Studio Sweatshop / Solid State‘s JoDee Allen to nitpick and shriek over Toronto’s [...]
Jenn Hollett interviewed me earlier this week for an article she was working on about bloggers who take a stance against ads on blogs. The article is up on GlobeAndMail.com now. I’m the lone “ads, why not?” voice. In case you’re new here (and if you are, welcome. Pull up a chair. Let’s be friends.) [...]
I’m being profiled on BlogTo’s The Bloggerati Files today. I’m proud to say, this is only my second interview so far this lifetime, and I think I handle myself masterfully. The first time was in June, 1997, in the West Island Chronicle. I was producing a show at the Montreal Fringe Festival and my local [...]
It’s been a little while since I posted a recipe on here. The whole bean saga wore me right out. For all of you who suggested I write a cook book, (Large White Moccha, I’m talking to you) here’s a little gesture in your general direction: And They Cook, Too is a fundraiser for Doctors [...]
