Demetra Brodsky

DIVE SMACK • 2018 • Tor Teen/Macmillan

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Earlier Event: July 20
Comic Con International
Later Event: September 23
Southern California Writers' Conference Guest Speaker

Follow @demebrodsky on Instagram

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my looks. Always cursing why I wasn’t born with a small nose or slim hips. Why my thicc body was built for climbing mountains, but not for the clothes on racks that hang on spindly models like wet dishcloths. Never did I feel this more acutely than the 12 years I’ve spent living in Southern California, where so many faces are unremarkable and carved by the same wicked hand. The sad side effect of cunning and unrealistic marketing made to tear women down and hold them to a false standard for profit. A place where a friend who knew little about my family history or background once told me with offensive certainty that I wasn’t ethnic. Or perhaps, according to a narrow worldview not ethnic enough for her to consider me little more than American (IHHO). And then, I went Europe. A first-generation Greek American returned to the land of her ancestors. I saw my face mirrored in other Greek women, on statues, and in street art. My thicc legs carried me up 600 stairs in a Greek cave considered a worldwide geographic phenomena. They were my steadfast wings, given by Hermes, Eros, Zeus, carrying me up a mountain in Voreios Epirus where the air was crisp and clean, thin and dizzying so I could visit my Yai Yai’s birthplace and war prison and collect her history from people far older and wiser than me. My native tongue poured from lips in Greece like ambrosia. And when I drank from the same mountain stream my grandparents once did, it ran though my veins like mythological ichor and renewed my sense of purpose and belonging. I knew, then and there, at the top of that mountain I am, and always have been, more than enough. I am strength and resilience. War and revenge. History and heartache. Betrayal and love. And I carry the stories of my people, both mythological and historical, in my veins, my skin, my hair, and my bones with honor. 🇬🇷❤️🇺🇸 . #ioannina #athens #voreios #greece #europetravel #epirus #european #greekamerican #family #amplotting #history #newbookideacollection #ourstoriesmatter #greekhistory #yaauthorsofinstagram #demeter #ownvoices #greekgoddess #greekwomen #yaauthor #authorabroad #greekmythology #greekstagram
Three copies of #divesmack came to Europe with me to give to family & friends. I suppose Theo, Chip, and Iris are international travelers now. So many relatives and friends asked why it wasn’t translated into Greek. Maybe some day it will be. For now, it made my heart happy to have more people wanting to read this book and thankful for the handful of people that can read it in English. 🔥❤️💧 … #bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #yalit #yaauthor #thriller #suspense #torteen #macmillan #booknerd #hotread #readmorebooks #teammonarch #divesmack #writers #yougotthis
BEST PICTURE WINNER! I’m so proud of my daughter @poison.ava for winning top prize for her short film MANIC PIXIE DEAD GIRL at her high school film festival. The Carlsbad High School Gold-Certified linked learning film academy has been an amazing and supportive early launch pad for her career. Our entire family is excited to see what comes next! 🎥🎞❤️ … #proudmama #futurefilmmaker #highschoolfilmfestival #femalefilmmakers #thefutureoffilmmaking #thefutureoffilmisfemale @c.s.u.l.b #goldcertifiedlinkedlearningprogram
Posted @withrepost • @poison.ava First day of the film Festival done! 💛🎬🖤 I’m so proud of my daughter @poison.ava — She works so hard on her films. I’m so fortunate to bear witness to everything coming for her in the future. If anyone is looking for a kick-ass hardworking film intern, I’ve got a rockstar for you. 🔥 🎞 🎥 … #proudmama #futurefilmmaker #highschoolfilmfestival #femalefilmmakers #thefutureoffilmmaking #thefutureoffilmisfemale
Lake Pamvotida, Ioannina, Greece, the second largest lake in Europe is stunning at night. I love this city in the Epirus section of Greece. This is my Greece. The Greece where my mother was raised before coming to the United States. An area full of rapid rivers, stunning gorges, snow-capped mountains. A place where swans and geese swim. Where cats and dogs bask in the sun, and everyone greats you with a smile. Thank god my parents sent me to Greek school so I could learn to read and write Greek. It’s getting me baklava points wherever I go. I’d say brownie points, but...that’s not accurate. 🇬🇷❤️ … #ioannina #ioanninacity #greece #nofilter #europetravel #european #greekamerican #family #ioanninalake #amplotting #history #bilingual #itsliterallyallgreektome #nature #greekamerican #greeklife #nofilterneeded #newbookideacollection #naturalbeauty #yaauthorsofinstagram #yaauthor #authorabroad #besteuropephotos #authorabroad #writersabroad #ioanninalove #lakepamvotida #imhome #authorlife #tuesday #tuesdaythoughts
This goat was sitting in a plastic chair when we stopped in Albania on the way to visit grandmother’s birthplace. I wanted to take him home.🇬🇷❤️ … #ioannina #ioanninacity #greece #europetravel #european #albania #permetalbania #greekamerican #family #amplotting #history #fourcountries #newbookideacollection #yaauthorsofinstagram #yaauthor #authorabroad #besteuropephotos
The Ali Pasha Museum in Ioannina, Epirus, Greece. My mother’s home town. 🇬🇷♥️My sister Nia came today. More adventures await... … #ioannina #ioanninacity #greece #history #greekgoddesses #europetravel #european #greekamerican #family #amplotting #history #daughterofgaia #newbookideacollection #daughtersofzeus #yaauthorsofinstagram #yaauthor #authorabroad #besteuropephotos
First frappe and gyro in Ioannina, Greece. Being in my mother’s home city, seeing the ruins from the war with the Turks, the history of the Ottoman Empire, and the people has the blood in my veins rushing. I feel so alive and filled with my culture. 🇬🇷❤️ … #ioannina #ioanninacity #greece #europetravel #european #greekamerican #family #amplotting #history #newbookideacollection #yaauthorsofinstagram #yaauthor #authorabroad #besteuropephotos
Today we went to Le Marais and Jardin du Luxembourg. The weather is unseasonably chilly and a little rainy, but Paris is beautiful in the rain and everyone is embracing the cold snap with good cheer and friendliness. It was a beautiful day to visit the book store and get a book stamped by @shakespeareandcoparis. I chose jack Kerouac Satori in Paris and Pic. We had delicious crème glacée. I chose chocolate noir. We ate delicious fondue, drank French hot chocolate, drank lots of wine, and brought baguettes, cheese, and wine back to the apartment. It was an amazing first full day. There’s so much to love here. 🇫🇷❤️ … #paris #travel #eurostar #francophile #londontoparis #europe #comeawaywithme #yaauthorsofinstagram #yaauthor #wander #france #lesjardinduluxembourg #Europe #gosomeplacenew #tresbien #palaisduluxembourg #yaauthorineurope #londonparisgreece #threecountries #marais #fondue #frenchwine #cremeglacee #shakespeareandcompanyparis
We had the unbelievable good fortune of getting a table at the all-female run Darjeeling Express in London after seeing powerhouse chef @asmakhanlondon on @chefstablenetflix — Meeting this incredible woman and eating her outstanding food based on her family recipes at a shared table, which was her vision for bringing people together, was an experience I will never forget. 🇬🇧🇮🇳 Asma and Darjeeling Express are also supporting The Lotus Project, which raises funds to establish new Cafes for female ISIS survivors. She is truly one of a kind. … #london #visit #uk #asmakhan #chefstablenetflix #thisamazingwoman #bestindianrestaurant #ataleoftwocities #kingleycourtcarnabystreet #darjeelingexpresslondon #calcuttacanteen
The Eurostar from London to Paris was an incredible, comfortable, and relaxing experience. The meals they gave us were so good. The country, stunning. The French are truly world-class. Seriously, swipe through. That’s my train meal. 🥰 Our Paris apartment rental is so cute and quirky. I feel so lucky to be here. A bit of a fish out of water in Paris and glad to be in a new element. So many stories can be written just about the place we’re renting, the building it’s in, the neighborhood. Strange and wonderful things are afoot in Les Jardin du Luxembourg. 🇫🇷 ❤️ … #paris #travel #eurostar #francophile #londontoparis #europe #yaauthorsofinstagram #yaauthor #wander #france #lesjardinduluxembourg #gosomeplacenew #tresbien
Amazing first day exploring London. I’m in love with this city. 🇬🇧♥️ … #london #visit #uk #riverthames #Buckinghampalace #thetoweroflondon #theshard #thelondoneye #jubileewalk
Our London apartment for the week has me ready to move 🇬🇧 … #travelauthor #london #explore #toweroflondon #reaearch #takemetotea #worldtraveler #besthubby #chevalthreequays #wander #authorsofinsta #travel #authorsofinstagram #towerpier
Brodsky, the band, going on tour in T minus 36 hours. It appears they’ve made me their roadie. … *photo @demebrodsky taken at The Old Stone Church in West Boylston, and featured in #divesmack … #accidentalgreatness #travel #fakeband #yalit #yaauthor #thriller #suspense #travel #booknerd #hotread #readmorebooks #weout
This mug sums up my week. #amrevising 📚🖤 … #bookish #bookaddict #bookaholic #amwriting #authorsofinstagram #authorlife #yaauthor #writersofinstagram
Admiring my new haircut in traffic, as one does. … #grateful #friendship #freshhaircut #amrevising #ondeadline #takebreaks #selfcare #salon839 #iwasntusingmyphoneofficer #isolomnlyswearthatiamuptonogood
Signed copies of #DIVESMACK are available at #barnesandnoble Oceanside. I never get tired of looking at thIs cover. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ ⁣ #bookish #bookstagram #bookworm #yalit #yaauthor #thriller #suspense #torteen #macmillan #booknerd #hotread #readmorebooks #bookaholic #igreads #divesmack#booksbooksbooks #yaauthor #yaauthorsofinstagram #bookobsessed #bookpassion #alwaysreading #bookphoto #booksarelife #writers #yougotthis #signedbooksunday #sunday #SBS⁣ ⁣
Almost done revising. I’m a beast. Breathe in, breathe out. The blood of dragons. Jk. It’s some salted cucumber rye lemon mint deliciousness that I very much deserve. . . . #notbookish #writertreat #youdeserveit #campfire #craftcocktails #delicious #meandmyboo #Friday #workhardplayhard #writersofig #authorsofinsta #amrevising
Somebody made this mix tape for me in the 90s. I'm not 100% sure, but based on the songs, I think it was an old boyfriend. I found it in the garage. It still plays. Memorex wasn't joking around with that hi-fi quality. ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ ⁣ #kindabookish #yaauthorsofinstagram #obsessed #mixedtape #memorex #TBT #musicislife #writers #yougotthis #Thursday #throwbackthursday
Happy Birthday to my beautiful friend @robinreul — The herb to my peaches — Here’s to another trip around the ☀️ together full of laughs, literature, love, and loyalty. PS: you’re never too old to pub crawl. That could be another metaphor. Ha! Cheers! 🎂🍻❤️ . . . . . #authorsofinstagram #friends #friendshipgoals #foreverfriends #authorbirthday #bookish #stillstanding #friendstilltheend #carlsbad #critiquepartners #yaauthors #writersofinstagram #writers #campfirecarlsbad #cocktails #alwayscelebrate #smores #peachesandherb