As I continued to write, I joined critique groups and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. I read tons of novels—mediocre ones and masterpieces, middle grade and young adult and adult. I finished a draft of My Brother Has AIDS, found an agent, and sent the manuscript to publishers, expecting another quick acceptance—and was surprised to receive rejection letters. Focusing on the editors’ positive comments, I rewrote the entire story. In 1992 legendary editor Jean Karl, who was semi-retired from Atheneum, wrote to say, “…this is basically a fine book. But it does need some attention…before it can truly be a publishable work.”

I wrote back to ask if she would help me make it publishable, and she said yes. So I rewrote that manuscript yet again. It grew to 270 pages, and Jean was pleased with my revision but told me, “the manuscript is now too long.” When I asked her for a target length, she suggested 190 pages. “No way!” I thought but fortunately never told her that and went to work instead. Jean offered general guidance—“condense it a bit, draw it in…more continuity in some places…a little less detail in others”—as well as many specifics—“I am not sure you need the sequence about ear piercing” and “You might cut down some of the details about Jack’s AIDS.”