I'd love to see more middle and high school teachers who are not teaching English develop classroom libraries. Our message to kids should be that reading is for everyone. Rae Carson classroomdevelopenglish Change image and share on social
I saw 'Star Wars' for the first time when I was four years old. Sure, I thought Princess Leia was awesome. But the character I identified with most was Luke Skywalker. I left the theater certain the Force was strong with me, that I could train to be a Jedi and wield a lightsaber just like Luke. Rae Carson awesomecharacterforce share on social
When you write about faith, people will be upset with you no matter what. I've heard from readers who were disgusted with the depiction of monotheistic religion. I've also heard from readers who were upset because my portrayal of faith did not adhere to their specific doctrines. Fortunately, I have high risk tolerance. Rae Carson adheredepictiondisgust share on social
I must be honest here; I don't think there's such a thing as 'unconventional' when it comes to YA. YA readers are the most open-minded in the literary world. They'll read anything. Rae Carson honestliterarymind Change image and share on social
Competing in pageants made me hyper-aware of the unfair expectations society places on women in terms of youth and beauty. But it also gave me empathy for women who use beauty as a creative exploration. When expressed healthfully, dressing up, doing hair, crafting makeup, etc., is an art form. Rae Carson artawarebeauty share on social
I have tremendous respect for teens who navigate the quagmire that is modern religion. If there is any message in my books, I want it to be that it's okay to ask questions, and it's okay to come up with a belief system all your own. Teens who change their worldviews in the face of tremendous social pressure are heroes to me. Rae Carson beliefbookchange share on social
The message was always, 'It's good to be pretty, but don't look like you're trying to be pretty!' Inherent in that is a lot of misogyny, I think, because the implication is, 'You must work hard to achieve a feminine ideal for which society has nothing but contempt.' Rae Carson achievecontemptfeminine share on social
'Lord of the Rings' was a childhood favorite, though the adult Rae wishes the women in those books had more significance and agency. Rae Carson adultagencybook Change image and share on social
I'm an atheist and a humanist, so I have no desire to evangelize anyone. Rae Carson atheistdesireevangelize Change image and share on social
I've had a love affair with the desert ever since I can remember. No matter what I wrote - contemporary romance, spy thriller, high fantasy - it was going to have a desert in it. Rae Carson affaircontemporarydesert Change image and share on social