Between Two Lockers With Corrie

Earlier this year, we ran a Between Two Lockers special series featuring your fave FYA writers and contributors. (Peep the announcement.) Since April, a few new contributors have joined FYA HQ, so we’re bringing the series back to give you a chance to get to know them, too!

FIRST THINGS FIRST

What’s your name?

Corrie (Constance) Golando

Corrie’s the brains and beauty behind our Totally Lit Parties series!

Where are you from/located?

I am from Valparaiso, IN, but am currently located in Winslow, AZ.

What do you do when you’re not writing for FYA?

I work in a high school library, and run a newsletter for a greyhound rescue group. I quilt, obsessively watch my favorite movie, and I also write/read copious amounts of fanfiction.

What do you look like?

Where can you be found on social media?

Instagram, Twitter (Pretty much anywhere, I'm TheStanceyG)

THE ACTUAL YA-RELATED QUESTIONS

How long have you been writing for FYA, and how did you start writing for the site?

I began writing in August 2016, so not that long ago. My ability to throw a theme party (a vastly under-appreciated skill prior to FYA), was my golden ticket.

How did you come to read YA as an adult?

When I was an English teacher, my students would ask me to recommend books or give me recommendations, and suddenly a whole section of books that I seemed to somehow jump over due to too many advanced placement classes were all I wanted to read.

Why do you think YA is an important genre, for both actual Ys and those of us who are more A?

YA is a chance to see that we are not alone. There were so many experiences and feelings I had (especially in high school and college) that I couldn't seem to talk about to anyone. Maybe I was too embarrassed, maybe I thought I was weird, maybe I thought no one would understand. But YA books do. They allow people to not feel so cut off and different. Even if a book takes place in space or there's magic, the teenage experience is still there, and it's nice to know that some things are just universal.

What are five of your favorite YA books?

This question is so unfair. Beauty Queens, I Crawl Through It, Code Name Verity, Anne of Green Gables, Ready Player One

Do you have a favorite YA character or couple? If so, who are they, and why are they The Best?

Luna Lovegood. She was always herself and so pure of heart. Her steadfastness of character and courage is inspiring to me.

THE YA QUESTIONS

If your real life adolescence was a YA book ... What would you, the main character, be like?

The quirky girl that isn't popular and has a little too much school spirit.

Who is your secret crush?

Any tall, lanky nerd. Glasses and knowledge about space or WWII are a major plus.

What is your number #1 source of angst?

My best friends since 1st grade ditching me because I refuse to drink, smoke, or do drugs.

At what point would the reader pump his/her fist in victory?

When I decide to go to the tiny women's college and get a fresh start and a new outlook on life.

And who would play you in the film adaptation?

Realistically (like age and general looks)? Vanessa Bayer. In my dreams? Helen Mirren.

THE SLUMBER PARTY QUESTIONS

What is your #1 favorite food?

Pizza! I could eat pizza every day for every meal and still love it.

Tell me about your area of expertise.

I throw a mean theme party and am excellent at organizing pretty much anything you ask me to (including your sock drawer or pro/con list for dumping your boyfriend).

If you could assemble your own Ocean's 11 of fictional characters, who would you pick?

- Miss Texas (Beauty Queens) to create a master plan.
- Alice Cullen (Twilight) to tell us how well our plan might go.
- Hermione Granger (Harry Potter) to cast protective spells and get us out of sticky situations.
- Kady (Illuminae) to take care of all our tech needs.
- Queenie (Code Name Verity) to be underestimated and get the intel.
- Meg Murry (A Wrinkle in Time) to work hard and keep going even when things get weird.
- Sophronia (Etiquette and Espionage) to use her cunning and ability to change direction when a plan is going South.
- Sabriel (Sabriel) to make sure the dead stay dead.
- Theta (The Diviners) to be a showy distraction.
- Claudia Kishi (The Babysitter's Club) to help with disguises.
- Anastasia Steele (50 Shades of Grey) to bankroll us and be expendable.

What is your best karaoke song?

“Criminal” by Fiona Apple or “Wannabe” by The Spice Girls. It really depends on the mood I'm in.

Tell me something scandalous!

I married my high school boyfriend's best friend.

What is your favorite adult beverage?

Gin and tonic is my go-to, but there's a restaurant out here that does a prickly pear martini that is REALLY good.

What is the most crucial snack food and/or movie/or anything you'd bring to an FYA slumber party?

I'd bring a craft (probably with glitter) because there's something about creating things that makes people spill the good gossip.

What book have you read the most number of times?

Pride and Prejudice. I have a copy that someone stole from my high school and gave to me.

YA authors are so cool. Who would you give a BFF charm to?

A.S. King. I always buy her books right when they come out, and after I read it I immediately gift the book to someone I think would really appreciate it.

Out of all of the characters you’ve read, which one do you most wish you could be?

It's usually whoever I'm reading at the time because I'm a reader that really gets caught up in a story. If I can only pick one, though, it would be Mia Thermopolis. Secret princess and nerdy boyfriend? Sign me up!