Question

Kwame Alexander is an American writer of children's fiction. His novel The Crossover was written in poetic (詩歌的) form and won several awards in 2015. Alexander's most recent novel Booked is about a middle school student Nick Hall, whose love for soccer helps him deal with the challenges of growing up. Recently, a reporter had an interview with Alexander about his books.

(R=Reporter, A= Alexander)

R: 1.

A: It has to do with my love of sports. As a kid, I loved to play sports. I was a tennis player. I love to watch sports and to get excited about what happens on the field. Why not use sports as a way to tell these stories? I know kids are going to get into it. What kid doesn't love tennis or swimming or soccer?

R: 2.

A: I've always been interested in the power of poetry. I've been trying to write my feelings and ideas about the world we live in and poetry allows me to talk about some heavy and deep things in a pleasant way. I love poetry and for me, it's so cool.

R: 3.

A: Video games and television mostly offer fantasy (幻想). They offer interesting and unrealistic fantasy. Literature (文學(xué)) opens up a world of possibility to readers. As a writer for kids, I want to help readers imagine what's possible in the world — how to make it better and how to make themselves better in it.

R: 4.

A: Nikki Giovanni, Langston Hughes, E. E. Cummings — those are the main ones. It's the things they wrote about, the way they played with language and held the readers' attention.

R: Are you planning a new novel?  5. 

A: It will be. I'm writing a prequel (前傳) to The Crossover. It's about the father, Chuck Bell, when he was 12 years old.

A. Will it be in poetic form?

B. What can literature offer young people that video games and television cannot?

C. Why are both of your recent novels about sports?

D. Do you write from your experience or imagination?

E. Why did you write these two novels in poetic form? 

F. Which writers have had the greatest influence on your writing?

A. Will it be in poetic form?

B. What can literature offer young people that video games and television cannot?

C. Why are both of your recent novels about sports?

D. Do you write from your experience or imagination?

E. Why did you write these two novels in poetic form? 

F. Which writers have had the greatest influence on your writing?

Answer 1