From the Archives: Ten-Year-Old Lauren Oliver, Budding Poet

Just because I've been writing for a long, long time doesn't mean I've been good for a long time. In fact, I always tell aspiring writers that it is critical to practice, to cultivate a discipline and a daily habit of writing, just as you would if you wanted to become a soccer player, cellist, marathon runner...or anything else, for that matter. Scientists spend years doing research; politicians spend years...well, I'm not sure what politicians do for years. Collect bribes, maybe?

The point is, I really agree with Albert Einstein when he said E = MC squared, and ALSO when he said that genius is 1 percent talent and 99 percent hard work. I didn't become decent at writing until very recently. And I can prove it!

Recently my father unearthed my attempts at poetic composition at the tender age of ten. We were living in France at the time, so the original (which is somewhat difficult to read) is written in French, although my ten-year-old self also handily included an English translation. In my defense, the poem does at least rhyme in French. In my counter-defense...there is no rhyme scheme; I am not sure why almost every line begins with "wooo"; and the subject matter...well, see for yourself.
Stay tuned for more "from the archives" posts!
xoLauren