NaNoWriMo Day #23: Interview with Pamela Klinger-Horn |

Happy weekend, everyone! Here’s our interview with Pamela Klinger-Horn, an enthusiastic book lover who’s dedicated to spreading her love of literature and supporting the MN literary community!

A little about Pamela:

During the past 9 years, Pamela been a children’s Book Club facilitator at Notre Dame Academy (formerly Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School) and the Excelsior Public Library. She is also currently on the Board of Directors at both the Rain Taxi Literary Review and the Excelsior Friends of the Library. She enjoys attending and promoting literary events throughout the Twin Cities and beyond, and has been nicknamed the “Local Literary Fairy Godmother.”

Pamela is excited to announce that as of November 22, she is the new Outreach and Sales Coordinator at Magers & Quinn!

1. What led you down your literary career path? How as the experience been thus far?

Nine years ago, I started a girls’ lunchtime book club at my children’s school. Over the years it has grown tremendously, and I have had the pleasure of working with some wonderfully bright, articulate, and enthusiastic readers. The club has hosted many authors at the school when we read and discuss their work. We are also famous for our field trips to author events all over the Twin Cities. We were even featured in the New York Times when the reporter spotted the club at a Kate DiCamillo event at the Fitzgerald Theater. I also facilitate a monthly book club for girls at the Excelsior Library.

2. What is your favorite local literary/book event?

My favorite local literary event is a three way tie: I have been a Pen Pals ticket holder ever since it began. I also trek over to St. Paul for the wonderful Talking Volumes program. Finally, the Twin Cities Book Festival sponsored by Rain Taxi is a full day of literary fun. We are so fortunate to live in a metro area where there are too many events to be able to attend them all.

3. What is your favorite local bookstore?

My favorite suburban bookstore is Excelsior Bay Books. When my boys were younger, Excelsior Bay would even call my house to recommend new reading material for the kids. They also let me unpack their mail and explore their new galleys! The staff really knows and loves books, and you can tell you are among true readers when you enter Excelsior Bay.

After many years of driving to my favorite uptown bookstore, Magers and Quinn to attend their frequent literary events, I am thrilled to announce that I will be joining the staff. I have the pleasure of continuing my work with schools and students as part of a new marketing outreach plan. This is a dream job for me.

4. What is your favorite place to read?

My favorite place to read is in bed – mostly because that is when my day is over and I can finally read to my heart’s content. During the summer, however, my favorite place is floating in the pool. I just have to make sure the book is a page turner so I don’t doze off and drop it in the water.

5. How has living in MN influenced/affected your goals in publishing?

Living in MN has helped me connect to the literary community. I know people at the Loft, all the independent bookstores, the library staff & foundation, etc. The literary community here is unique in its generosity and vibrancy. Authors here are so generous with their time and talent. No one has ever turned me down when I have asked them to speak to my book club girls. I have been introduced to so many people in the writing community through the staff at the bookstores, the Children’s Literature Network, and the Loft. This is just an amazing place to be a writer or a reader. MN is a frozen literary gem!

6. Is there a special project you’re working on? If so, what?

I started my new job at Notre Dame Academy in Minnetonka. I am thrilled to be able to work with a new group of book club girls. The good news is that there are 21 girls who are ravenous readers and want to join the club. The sad news is that I only have 10 positions available. My special project is going to be finding some funding to pay for a second club so that everyone can participate. I hate to ever turn away a child who wants to read. That is just wrong!
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Quick Poll:

What are you reading now? – I just finished reading Cascade by Maryanne O’Hara; The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker (audiobook); and Counting By Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan (middle grade fiction, and possibly my favorite book of the year).
Are you participating in NANO? – No.
Do you own a cat? If so, how many? [The Official Cat-O-Meter Publishing Poll] – No cats at my house, but we do have a trio of lovable Labradors: Tank, Snugs, and Moose.