| | | With the 13-book A Series of Unfortunate Events, Daniel Handler established himself as a unique voice in children’s and young adult literature. Moody, macabre, mischievous, and, most of all, incredibly engaging, his — or rather his alter ego, Lemony Snicket’s — body of work stands out because of its quirky tone, compelling characters, and his comfort with dark themes. Dastardly deeds happen on the regular. Loveable characters must make terrible decisions. Villainous characters aren’t as bad as we once thought. The fallibility of parents is a common refrain. As Lemony Snicket, Handler helps kids face their fears and recognize parents are people too. We sat down with Handler to talk about his body of work and the messaging therein. When it comes to thinking about Handler’s influence, separating the author from his shadowy nom de plume isn’t nearly as important as digging into the lessons of both. |
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