In As You Wish, thirteen-year-old Birdie’s plans for an awesome eighth grade are disrupted when the West African trickster god Anansi offers her three wishes, as part of a debt he owes her family. Naturally, nothing goes as expected, and Birdie is forced to reexamine her priorities, goals, and friendships, especially where her long-time best friend Deve is concerned…

MUF: Thanks for speaking with us, Nashae. This book is absolutely delightful. I’m a sucker for trickster figures, and Anansi is such a chaotic presence. What inspired this story?
NJ: Hi, I’m so excited to be doing this interview. I’ve been a huge fan of From the Mixed-Up Files for years now. I’ve always loved trickster characters, and Anansi is by far my favorite. In fact, the idea for the book started with Anansi and evolved from there.
MUF: You’ve also written Courtesy of Cupid, another story in which a mythological figure wreaks havoc on an unsuspecting mortal’s life. I’m sensing a pattern here. What about this theme appeals to you?
NJ: I have always been in awe of high-fantasy writers and their ability to weave together elements to create new, inventive worlds. But as an author, I like to write stories grounded in reality with just a touch of magic. I love weaving in the idea that magic is something fantastical and otherworldly, but not a crutch for my characters to use to fix their real-world problems.
MUF: On a related tangent, you’ve played around with several different mythologies. What other gods or pantheons would you like to explore, given a chance?
NJ: I love this question! I have a couple of different mythologies/folklores I want to take a go at including: the golem, Baba Yaga, and ciguapas (mermaids).
MUF: I understand that Courtesy of Cupid and As You Wish are loosely connected; do you want to write more in this setting, or try something unrelated in the future?
NJ: I think for right now, I really enjoy writing these type of middle grade books. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue to write more of these interconnected, magical stories.
MUF: Deve’s little sister Mishti is hearing impaired. Not only do Birdie and Deve use ASL to communicate with her, they use it as a secret way to talk to each other. What prompted you to include this in your story?
NJ: Growing up, I had a friend that was partially deaf, and I remember learning basic ASL signs so that we could communicate. It very much felt like we had our own secret language. I wanted to find a way to integrate that part of my childhood into the story.
MUF: Birdie’s mother struggles with anxiety, and her resultant overprotectiveness has a profound impact upon Birdie’s own everyday life. What do you hope readers will take away from this element of the story, especially in terms of the mother-daughter relationship?
NJ: Birdie’s mother’s anxiety is a catalyst to why many of the events unfold in the story. Birdie desperately wants to be normal, and she feels like her mom is a road block to achieving that goal. The middle school years are rough, and that can be especially so for mothers and daughters. While middle schoolers are trying to figure out who they are and where they belong, they have parents who are trying to adjust to their kids’ burgeoning need for independence. I hope readers will take away the fact that they aren’t alone in feeling this way about parental relationships—and that all relationships take work.
MUF: You make a point of noting that Birdie and her cousin Erin are Black in a small town where there aren’t that many people of color. Meanwhile, Deve and his family are Indian. Can you tell us more about your choice of characters and setting?
NJ: This was more of a personal choice. I live in a rural county where my family is one of the small number of Black families that live here. I wanted to write a story reflecting the town my children grew up and went to school in.
MUF: Your author bio says you’re passionate about diversity initiatives in children’s literature. Can you tell us more about that? Are you involved with any in particular, or any you’d like to recommend?
NJ: I’m a huge advocate for diversifying the children’s literary canon, so that we can include a variety of people and experiences for people to read about. Right now, the biggest initiative I am apart of is the Authors Against Book Bans. Book bans target BIPOC and LGBTQ+ stories, and they seek to silence the authors of these stories. I always recommend this coalition to any fellow authors or illustrators.
MUF: I see that you teach AP English in high school. What do your students think about your publications? Are they helpful when it comes to capturing authentic teenage voices and experiences?
NJ: My students love my stories. They’re very supportive, and they love the fact that a fictionalized version of their town is being centered in my stories. My experience as a teacher brings with it a wealth of insight into the teenage psyche and behaviors, and they are always informing my writing.
MUF: Not to spoil anything, but I saw that Courtesy of Cupid was inspired by Pride and Prejudice, while As You Wish was inspired by the movie Bedazzled. What other influences would you like to share with us?
MJ: Courtesy of Cupid is also lightly influenced by the 90s TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I really liked the concept of a teenager with new powers who messes things up sometimes. With As You Wish, one of my favorite things I got to include as sort of an Easter egg was the title itself. As You Wish is based on the famous line from The Princess Bride.
MUF: If Anansi popped into your life and offered you a wish, would you accept? If so, what would you wish for, knowing his talent for chaos? Or would you run away, very quickly?
NJ: I would love to say I would turn my nose up at Anansi, but I don’t think my curiosity would let me turn him down. Haha. I think that I would wish for a lifetime supply of warm chocolate chip cookies. Surely, he couldn’t mess that up…
MUF: What’s next for you as an author?
NJ: Right now, I’m working on some books in the young adult age group. I’m hoping to share more information soon.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Nashae Jones is a freelance writer and an educator. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, and October Hill Magazine, among others. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids, two cats, and one dog. She is passionate about diversity initiatives, especially in children’s literature.
Website: www.nashaejones.com
Instagram: @nashae.jones
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