��ݮ��Ƶ��Ѱ�app

Theater

Being involved in theater both onstage and behind the scenes—as an actor and a manager—helped Madeleine L’Engle grow her writing during college and after graduation. “Hearing words was very good for me – you hear a lot of words in theater. I revised a lot – not every word that drops from our pen is a priceless pearl,” she told Scholastic students in an interview, “We can change, revise, deepen. The theater helped me with that.” L’Engle branched out from the types of writing she did as a child (fiction stories, poetry, journaling, and an introduction to theater through drama clubs) by learning how theater required a different way of treating words as spoken dialogue, stage directions, and worldbuilding.

Expanding on L’Engle’s theater participation as a playwright, actor, and stage manager, think about the connections between the literary arts and theater arts. A play’s text on a page can translate into a physical performance (from the playwright creating the play’s world to the actor becoming a character). The words can convey meaning to an audience based on the cues created by the actors and production team (from vocal delivery to body language to lighting and sound effects). The performing arts can offer different contexts for thinking about storytelling and the power of words.

Learn how theater artists made design decisions behind some of the Kennedy Center’s past Theater for Young Audiences shows by exploring the What I Do series.

Music

Growing up with two arts advocate parents, L’Engle learned to appreciate different types of art as a child. Remember that it’s possible to be an artist that does more than one type of art—after all, art can inspire art! “Music is, for me, a way of getting into this frame of mind where one can be simultaneously involved and detached. If I’m really stuck in something that I’m working on, if I’m absolutely blocked, if I go to the piano and play Bach and concentrate on Bach (preferably fugues) for about an hour or so, underneath this concentration on Bach my subconscious creative mind obviously has been working. When I’m through I usually realize, ‘Oh yeah, that’s what I need to do.’ But I’ve got out of the subjective and into the objective through the help of Johann Sebastian, who just happens to work very well for me.”

What type of music do you listen to or perform that might help jump start your creativity? Consider music without lyrics—from classical music, to instrumental versions of your favorite pop or Hip Hop songs, to video game soundtracks—that can allow your imagination to move with what you hear and be inspired.

Explore how the artistic process can work through inspiration, creativity, and execution; then watch and listen as a dancer, musician, and visual artist show how their art forms share elements and can inspire each other in the Moonshot@Home video activity: Pass It On.

L’Engle referred to the idea that her books knew more than she did. The act of writing a novel is a creative journey, and she would find herself embarking on adventures where she might learn about something new that transformed both her understanding of a topic as well as her reader’s understanding.

One amazement she had was how many different types of readers found A Wrinkle in Time helpful in understanding modern science, including people that would become astronauts! One anecdote she told was about NASA astronaut Edgar “Ed” Dean Mitchell, whose job at the time was:

...to explain scientific concepts of space to laymen [a term for someone who does not have professional knowledge, or is not an expert, about a specific topic]. And...he finds this very difficult to do; scientific concepts of space are not easy to understand. So he uses a book, a book which he said can get these concepts across far better than he is able to. “It’s supposed to be a children’s book,” he said, “but it really isn’t. It’s called A Wrinkle in Time.” So my book knows more about physics than I do, and I find this very exciting. I did, indeed, study physics while I was writing Wrinkle, but I’ve never taken a course in physics, and surely I could not have learned enough, reading on my own, to make my book useful to an astronaut.

While L’Engle believed in the value of researching topics and ideas, she was a firm believer in not letting one’s thinking habits conflict with the writing process. Pre-plan what you need to in order to write—research sources for inspiration; look up concepts to figure out what they mean; sketch out ideas, plot points, and characters you want to create. But once it’s time to write, give yourself permission to just write!

Watch L’Engle discuss the importance of “when you write, don’t think, just write,” recorded during the Veritas Forum talk at the University of California in 1998.

As an artist who taught writing workshops, spoke at conferences and book readings to diverse audiences, and was a creative mentor to many, L’Engle offered suggestions for those who identified themselves as writers (or would-be writers in need of inspiration). Here are a few concepts she championed for both overcoming her own writer’s blocks as well as encouraging others stuck in the process:

• Ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere: what you ate for lunch, a word you read in a textbook, a funny noise you heard. Observe the world around you and be open to anything being a source for inspiration.
• Speaking of inspiration, reading can be incredibly helpful. One of L’Engle’s recommendations to writers was to read for at least one hour a day, which should include something fun.
• Journaling can be both a creative and a cathartic type of writing. L’Engle journaled throughout her life: it helped her when she was away from family at boarding schools; and it gave her an outlet when she was an adult juggling being a mom, a writer, and a human being concerned about world events. Consider if a journal might be a helpful tool for you: journaling might provide a safe, honest space to describe what is going on in your life as well as your observations of the world.
• Getting started can be the hardest part of writing. For L’Engle, writing the first three sentences could be super difficult. But once you get those sentences down, the writing may take off.

• Schedule your writing time by making a plan. Some folks are fresher in the morning before responsibilities begin (like school, extracurricular activities, or jobs); other folks may have an afternoon breaktime to be creative; and other folks can focus in the evening or nighttime. Figure out what part of the day seems best for your focus and dedicate time to be creative.
• Read your writing aloud or have someone (like a family member, a friend, or a classmate) read your writing aloud so you can listen to how the words flow in the world. Hearing someone else’s voice bring your words to life can change what you think about the words you’ve chosen, the way you’ve described something, or the way characters sound talking to each other.
• Don’t be afraid to try something because it might fail or be rejected. L’Engle once said, “Risk is essential. It’s scary. …We are encouraged only to do that which we can be successful in. But things are accomplished only by our risk of failure.” Failure and rejection are parts of not only the artistic process, but of life in general. They can hurt and be disappointing, and it’s okay to feel sad as a result. They can also generate new determination, new ideas, new thoughts, or new pathways to learn about yourself and connect with others.
• Take a rest! L’Engle played the piano or walked her dog when she needed a break or had writer’s block. What might you do in your room, around your home, or wherever you are? Doodle for a few minutes. Have a dance party for the length of one song (or two if you have the energy). Play with clay or building blocks.

Here are some external resources to learn more about Madeleine L’Engle and those who were inspired by her.

Websites

• : The website provides general information about L’Engle; book lists and media resources for readers across age bands; national events related to L’Engle’s works and influence; resources for educators; and more.

Books

• Becoming Madeleine: A Biography of the Author of A Wrinkle in Time by Her Granddaughters, by Charlotte Jones Voiklis and Léna Roy: Learn about L’Engle from her early childhood up to her publishing A Wrinkle in Time, as expressed by her two granddaughters and the stories and memories they have from their grandmother, their family,  and her journals and writing. This book includes photos of Madeleine and her family, as well as peeks into her journal entries. 
• Madeleine L’Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life. Compiled by Carole F. Chase, this book offers a wealth of thought-provoking quotes from L’Engle related to the joys and challenges of writing.

Interviews

• NPR’s All Things Considered. Published September 8, 2007. An audio interview with Dr. Janice E. Voss, who was a scientist and space shuttle astronaut inspired as a child when she read A Wrinkle in Time. 
• Scholastic. An interview between L’Engle and Scholastic students. 
• Smith College. Published June 14, 2018. An article published in a magazine by L’Engle’s alma mater, Smith College. College graduates from across the decades talk about the importance that A Wrinkle in Time had on their lives. 

An image of the open pages of A Wrinkle in Time. Image created by and is under .