For this installment of The Huffington Post's "My D.C." Q&A series, we chatted with New York Times bestselling author -- and surprise banjo player -- Jodi Lynn Anderson.
Anderson wrote the much-loved Peaches series and May Bird trilogy.
Her new book, Tiger Lily, a new take on the Peter Pan story, came out on Tuesday.
"It’s a grown-up retelling of Peter Pan from a new perspective," Anderson told HuffPost. "That of the native princess Tiger Lily of J.M. Barrie’s original. I am reimagining the relationship between Peter (who’s an enticing mess), Tiger Lily (who’s large-hearted and strong-willed) and Wendy (who’s dainty, and loves to picture herself as a Jane Austen heroine)."
"Tiger Lily" has a great soundtrack and HuffPost Teen's editors chose it as one of the five things they are most excited about this week.
We caught up with Anderson to find out more about her life in D.C. and how much Neverland resembles the nation's capital:
The Huffington Post: What's a typical day like for you?
Jodi Lynn Anderson: Walk the dog. Eat. Procrastinate. Write. Watch the Bachelorette. Tear out hair. Write.
HuffPost: Where do you live and how long have you lived there?
Anderson: I’ve been in Dupont Circle for about a year. Before that, it was Mount Pleasant.
HuffPost: How long have you been in the D.C. area?
Anderson: About six years. But my extended family has lived here forever.
HuffPost: What's your commute like?
Anderson: I walk from my bed to the kitchen table, sometimes in pajamas, sometimes in real clothes if I’m feeling particularly fancy.
HuffPost: What's your favorite local spot to take out-of-town visitors?
Anderson: The Roosevelt Memorials (Franklin and Theodore). And Glen Echo Park, at night.
HuffPost: What's your position on D.C. statehood?
Anderson: We pay taxes, we have residents in the armed services…why on earth wouldn’t we have votes on the floor? So yes. Plus it would be fun to see how a flag designer handles the 51st star.
HuffPost: What's your favorite local neighborhood?
Anderson: I love Mount Pleasant. It’s so friendly and seems to be its own little world.
HuffPost: What's your favorite local restaurant?
Anderson: Sushi Tono in Woodley Park. Every time my husband and I go, we promise ourselves we won’t order three entrees again.
HuffPost: Should D.C. lift its height restrictions on buildings?
Anderson: No…no…please, no
HuffPost: What do people in D.C. complain about too much?
Anderson: The heat. But wow, it is hot.
HuffPost: What local issue should D.C.-area residents pay more attention to?
Anderson: AIDS. Our AIDS stats are through the roof.
HuffPost: Do you have to get inside the heads of teenagers to write young adult novels? How do you do that, if so?
Anderson: To me, people don’t elementally change all that much past their teens (or at least I haven’t), so I just try to write what feels real and genuine to me as an adult. I think YA literature is often more tightly paced than adult lit, and often less detailed and stylized –- but the good YA lit, I think, is relevant regardless of age. Then again, vampires!
HuffPost: What hobbies or talents do you have that your typical reader might not already know about?
Anderson: I just invested 100 more dollars in Claymation tools, which is kind of ridiculous! And the banjo: so far I can officially pluck three songs, which I like to do over and over and over, much to the chagrin of my dog. I am also a really good Googler –- I can find the impossible. Yesterday I found an old local bar that my husband’s great grandfather used to patronize in 1916 –- we went to see it. It’s part of the Spy Museum now…at least it’s not a Chipotle!
HuffPost: Is D.C. like Neverland?
Anderson: I think the interesting thing about Neverland is that there are all these really different settlements right on top of each other. Everything -- the pirate's cove, Tiger Lily's village, the Lost Boys' burrow -- is close together. So I guess maybe, in that way, D.C. is the same.
Email us at dc-tips@huffingtonpost.com if there's someone you think would make a good "My D.C." interview.