Author Interviews

A Work in Progress: Jarrett Lerner Interview + Giveaway

By on May 5, 2023   /   Articles, Author Interviews  

A Work in Progress

Jarrett Lerner —Interview

I am been following author/illustrator Jarrett Lerner on Twitter for years. What really caught my eye is how during the pandemic he posted drawing activities for kids. He is the author/illustrator of the humorous EngiNerds and Geiger the Robot series as well as the new Nat the Cat series. Now he has a new book out written in verse on a more serious topic.

About the Book

Hi Jarrett! I was so honored to get to read A Work in Progress. Can you give us a short summary about the book?

Thank you! Here’s the official description from my publisher:

Will is the only round kid in a school full of this ones. So he hides…in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, in the back row during class, and anywhere but the cafeteria during lunch. But shame isn’t the only feeling that dominates Will’s life. He’s also got a crush on a girl named Jules who knows he doesn’t have a chance with—string beans only date string beans—but he can’t help wondering what if?

Will’s best shot at attracting Jules’s attention is by slaying the Will Monster inside him by changing his eating habits and getting more exercise. But the results are either frustratingly slow or infuriatingly unsuccessful, and Will’s shame begins to morph into self-loathing.

As he resorts to increasingly drastic measures to transform his appearance, Will meets skateboarder Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress.

 

Tell us who would especially enjoy this book?

I worked had to make sure this book would be enjoyable for as many readers as possible. The book is physically big – 360-something pages – but is only 18,000 words long (other Middle Grade books of that page length contain probably four or five times that many words). It’s also highly illustrated. I hope kids (and adults!) who see bits of themselves in Will’s story will read it, and that they’ll find comfort and hope. But I also hope just as many, if not more, kids (and adults!) will read it, too, and hopefully be left with greater empathy for their peers.

 

I saw your tweet about misconceptions of eating disorders. What misconceptions did you address in your book?

I think the biggest misconception is that disordered eating and eating disorders are things that are only developed by girls. Growing up, when I was going through what Will goes through in the book, I sought out books that addressed body image, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia (though I certainly hadn’t learned all those terms yet). I found very few, and all of them had two things in common: the protagonists were girls, and they were always extreme cases. It wasn’t until a couple years ago, when I had already begun working on what would become A Work in Progress, that I first read a book about a boy who had a troubled relationship with their body and food and eating, but whose troubles didn’t require medical intervention. I hope Will’s story helps fill that still-enormous gap in the literature. We need those books that I did find on shelves back when I was in middle school, but we also need ones about the kids silently suffering with problems that fall just short of grabbing adults’ attention. Unfortunately, when it comes to bodily insecurity and disordered eating, there are a tremendous number of kids suffering.

 

About the Author/Illustrator

How did your childhood help to shape this book (both content and format)?

Will’s story is a fictionalized version of my own. My own story took place over more time, and featured a larger cast of characters. In order to make the book as powerful as possible, I had to compress time and characters. And while having had all these experiences certainly gave me the ability to authentically tell this story, that doesn’t mean it was easy. Making A Work in Progress was the toughest creative challenge of my life. I’d been trying for over a decade to get the story out of me in a way that felt “right.” It wasn’t until I finally landed on the idea of telling the story as if it were being set down in real time in Will’s private notebook/sketchbook that things started moving in that “right” direction. And Will’s notebook looks very much like my own notebooks did back when I was his age – a mishmash of free verse, doodles, and drawings.

 

What authors and/or illustrators would you say influenced your writing and illustration style?

So many. Too many to name. There’s a quote I think about (and share) nearly every day of my life: “Reading is breathing in, writing is breathing out.” Pam Allen said that. It’s just brilliant. And so very true. You can’t write well without reading. And you can’t draw well without “reading” drawings. These two things – reading and writing (and drawing, if you tell stories visually) – are two parts of the same process. The more you do one, the better you get at the other. So I read constantly, and have been influenced by so, so many. Along with that, I’m constantly exposing myself to new authors and illustrators – always seeking to be influenced in new ways and continue growing as a creator.

 

Do you share any personality traits with Will Chambers and/or Markus?

I think there’s a part of me in every one of my characters. I’m not sure if it starts that way, or if the process of writing and drawing them engages my empathy in a way that I just, by the end of it all, feel so connected and close to them. I guess, when it comes to Will and Markus, I’d say that I’m just where Will is at the end of book – he’s still himself, but he’s trying his best to adopt some of the approaches to life that Markus embodies and shares.

 

 

For Artists

I love how the artwork adds an additional layer to the story. Do you incorporate the artwork in your brainstorming/early draft? Please share your process.

Yes. I start all of my projects longhand, usually in composition notebooks. I write and draw, back and forth, sometimes leaning more heavily on one or another – whatever language, verbal or visual, I can use to get my ideas out of my head and down onto paper at any given moment. Usually, once I’ve got a clearer idea of the story I’m trying to tell, I try to figure out what specific format will best serve the story. Sometimes, I decide that it’s best to stick with just text, that I want my readers to provide all the story’s visuals in their imagination. Sometimes I decide text with occasional illustrations will be ideal to tell a story in the most funny or exciting or powerful or emotionally resonant (or whatever I’m going for) way. And sometimes, I have to sort of create my own form. My editor has taken to calling many of my upcoming books “hybrids,” because the usual terminology can’t really capture what they are. They’re not traditional chapter books, but not full graphic novels – I’ve taken to telling each part of a story using whatever tool best accomplishes what I want that part to do. There are a lot of other creators who’ve begun doing this. Each season, more and more books get published that defy these easy classifications. I think it’s one of the most exciting trends in publishing right now, and will only grow in the coming years.

 

And are these illustrations done by hand or on a computer?

I work on all my art on paper, but once I’ve got a clear conception of what a final piece needs to be, I work digitally. The art you see in my books is all done on an iPad Pro using an Apple Pencil (second generation) and the Procreate app.

 

What’s your art background? Were you a writer or illustrator first? And how did the second one happen?

I’m self-taught, so to speak. Growing up, I took every art class and every creative writing course offered in school. But I don’t have any formal training in either writing or drawing. I read, and looked, and copied and copied and copied, gradually finding my own approach and processes and developing my own style.

More About Jarrett

How can we learn more about you?

Website: jarrettlerner.com

Twitter and Instagram: @Jarrett_Lerner

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JarrettLernerBooks

 

Thanks for your time, Jarrett!

Thank YOU! Really excellent questions. I appreciate them very much, and the opportunity to share.

 

Jarrett will be giving a copy of  A Work in Progress to a lucky reader. Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy. (U.S. addresses only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Welcome to Monsterville – Lauran Shovan Interview

By on April 26, 2023   /   Articles, Author Interviews  
Cover Art Welcome to mosterville

Welcome to Monsterville

I’m so excited that we at MUF got an early peek at Laura Shovan’s new poetry collection called Welcome to Monsterville. And we got to talk to her about it – even better!

About Welcome to Monsterville

Where the residents are anything but ordinary. The monsters here are “friendly! Thoughtful! Shy and scary,” much like their human neighbors. Readers will meet a monster house who plays hopscotch and makes the sidewalks quake, laugh at a bubblegum-headed monster’s epic tantrum, and cry with a monster called Sadness.

Cover Art Welcome to mosterville

Interview with Laura Shovan

MUF: Hi Laura! Welcome back to From the Mixed-Up Files … we’re so glad you’re here and excited to talk about your newest book, a collection of poems called Welcome to Monsterville. What a great title and a wonderful book! I’m still smiling as I think about lines like “Bubblegum head fell out of bed…” What prompted this collection and your partnership with illustrator Michael Rothenberg?

LS: This collection began with a simple gift between friends. I went to visit Michael and his wife Terri in January of 2020. Michael, a poet, was still reeling from the death of his son the year before. Unable to write through his grief, he turned to art therapy. He showed me some of those illustrations, which tended to be abstract.

When I got home, there was a surprise waiting for me. Michael had painted a blue creature with red fish lips, a crown, and six pink feet. I knew my friend was feeling low, so I wrote a poem that began, “A monster bought the house next door.” I recorded the poem and sent it to Michael, hoping it would cheer him up. I should have known the exchange would be the start of something. Michael was a force. He loved collaborating with musicians, artists, and poets on creative projects but also on social justice work.

monster illustration from Monsterville

Introversion

MUF: Another line that really resonates with me is the opening to the poem “Costavablink,” where you say

High on a mountain

called Costavablink

there lives a shy monster

who knows how to shrink

What are you hoping readers will take from this poem in particular?

LS: I hope this poem honors introversion. Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking opened my eyes to how much I – an introvert! – had absorbed American culture’s preference for extroversion. When I was growing up, my father was an extreme extrovert. I remember that feeling of wanting to shrink and get away from all of the talking and activity. I view the Monster of Costavablink is a poet. She uses quiet as an opportunity to think and appreciate the natural world.

MUF: (I love Susan Cain’s book — it has taught me so much about the introverts in my life. Invaluable!) Each poem has a child interacting with different monsters. Why use monsters as the common thread?

Monsters Represent Big Emotions

LS: There would be no book without the monsters. Our process was that Michael would create a sketch first. He said, “I found that drawing gave me oxygen, breath, allowed me out of myself to express emotions without narrative, without direction. It was colors and shapes, emotions. I didn’t have to interpret what I was saying … As we proceeded Laura saw something in them, and wrote poetry that motivated me to do more. I remember telling her that I was stunned by her imagination as she gave the creatures a voice and her reply that it was my imagination that was inspiring.”

We were both coping with a great deal of loss and anxiety while working on this collaboration. The Covid-19 lockdown happened about five weeks into the project. Eventually, we recognized a theme, that the monsters represent big emotions and what it’s like to welcome them.

MUF: Is there a poem in particular you wrote for yourself?

LS: That poem is “Green Cave.” I can’t tell you why Michael’s colorful bird monster reminded me of the forsythia bush in my parents’ back yard, but that’s the magic of the monsters. The forsythia bush is where I used to hide as a kid when I was overwhelmed by emotions. I love the idea that a magical bird might come along and show an upset child how to self-soothe.

illustration of monster from Monsterville

Collaborative Creations

MUF: Your imagery is just lovely … purple-blue moons and tears that crawl on fuzzy legs … when you’re crafting a poem, what is your creative process? Any craft tips for those of us aspiring to such stunning imagery?

LS: Those details are both Michael’s inventions, my poems simply pick up on his images and build little stories and characters around them. I love ekphrastic poems, which are responses to specific works of art. Because Michael’s monsters are so unexpected and rich with detail, my process for this book was to trust whatever strange idea popped into my mind and see where it led me. For example, Bubblegum Head’s toothy expression inspired me to write about his major tantrum. When the invented words in that poem came, I invited them in without judging them or saying, “That’s too silly.”

There were times when it was challenging to bring all of the elements in one of Michael’s illustrations together. The carrot-like monster in “Underground,” who is holding up flowers underneath a purple moon, took many drafts to get right. It was the emotion of the picture that eventually unlocked the poem for me. I began to ask myself how it would feel to be a Root Monster who “lives without sunshine or air.” On one level, it’s a silly story, but on another, this is a poem about coping with depression.

MUF: Can you talk a little bit about art therapy?

LS: I only know what little Michael shared with me, but I hope readers will check out the introduction to Welcome to Monsterville. It was written by Dr. Mercedes Ballbé ter Maat, who is a past president of the American Art Therapy Association.

MUF: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

LS: I’d love to see the monsters that your readers come up with. Here is my suggestion: Doodle, draw, or paint a monster first. Next, ask yourself, “How is Monster feeling?” Once you’ve identified the emotion, give a poem a try!

MUF: Thanks so much for giving me a chance to read your book and chat with you, Laura. It’s been a pleasure!

LS: Thank you, Heather. It means so much to me that you enjoyed the book!

 

About Author Laura Shovan

Smiling brown haired woman author Laura Shovan

 

Laura Shovan is a novelist, educator, and Pushcart Prize-nominated poet. Her work appears in journals and anthologies for children and adults. Laura’s award-winning middle grade novels include The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, Takedown, and the Sydney Taylor Notable A Place at the Table, written with Saadia Faruqi. Laura is a longtime poet-in-the-schools for the Maryland State Arts Council’s Artist-in-Education program. She teaches for Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA program in writing for children and young adults. Her latest book is Welcome to Monsterville

Stay in touch with Laura via her website and Instagram

About Illustrator Michael Rothenberg

Illustrator Michael Rothenberg white man in fedora hat and beard

Michael Rothenberg was a poet, editor, artist, and publisher of the online literary magazine BigBridge.org, co-founder of 100 Thousand Poets for Change (www.100tpc.org), The “Read A Poem To A Child” Initiative, and co-founder of Poets In Need, a non-profit 501(c), assisting poets in crisis. Before his death in 2022, he published over 20 books of poetry, most recently The Pillars (Quaranzine Press) and Drawing the Shade (Dos Madres Press). His editorial work included several volumes in the Penguin Poets series: Overtime by Philip Whalen, As Ever by Joanne Kyger, David’s Copy by David Meltzer, and Way More West by Ed Dorn. He was also editor of The Collected Poems of Philip Whalen published by Wesleyan University Press. He served as Florida State University Library’s Poet in Residence. His book of poetry, In Memory of A Banyan Tree, Poems of the Outside World, 1985-2020, (Lost Horse Press) was published in 2022. Welcome to Monsterville is his first book for children.

 

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STEM Tuesday– Architecture– Interview with Nancy Castaldo!

By on April 25, 2023   /   Architecture, Author Interviews, STEM Tuesday  

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today, I’m delighted to interview a founding member of STEM Tuesday, Nancy Castaldo!

Nancy’s most recent book is an exploration of a very cool topic – green buildings! And not painted green. No, these buildings are growing, thriving, and . . .  breathing!

BUILDINGS THAT BREATHE: GREENING THE WORLD’S CITIES takes young readers on a journey around the world to discover ecological, sustainable architecture practices such as incorporating trees and other forms of native vegetation into buildings.

Why design buildings that breathe? Because it’s healthier – for humans, wildlife, and the planet. And, these buildings are beautiful!

Learn more about Nancy’s research and writing process:

cover Buildings That Breathe

Andi Diehn: What a great title – what sparked the idea for this book?

Nancy Castaldo: As an Italian-American, I have Italian news stories on my radar. I was excited when I came across the story of Bosco Verticale in Milan. In addition, I studied architecture in graduate school after all my earlier science studies. This project dovetailed with both of those interests. I wasn’t sure what direction the book would take until I attended the United Nations Forum in Urban Forestry in Mantua, Italy in 2018. The book formed out of that participation. I had the opportunity to meet with so many global leaders in urban greening.

AD: Boeri refers to a “new Renaissance” when talking about the future of cities. What does he mean by this?

NC: The Italian Renaissance was a period of recovery from disasters that occurred in the 14th century and a period of tremendous innovation. Milan was home to Leonardo da Vinci, a Renaissance master of innovation. Boeri, the architect for Bosco Verticale, is calling for the opportunity for tremendous innovation in the world’s cities today. His design and his collaborations in Milan and elsewhere are at the forefront of that innovation.

AD: The story of Seneca Village was fascinating – why is it important to remember the people who lived there before the land became Central Park?

NC: Seneca Village and the dissolution of it is important to everyone everywhere. It is an historical example of social injustice that went on and that still occurs in gentrification projects. The residents of Seneca Village that were displaced had their lives disrupted just as many still do today.

green skyscraperAD: Boeri’s vision of a building that incorporates trees and essentially becomes one great tree that “incidentally houses humans” is a real shift from our traditional way of thinking of architecture as serving humans—these buildings serve the land. Why do you think that shift is happening now?

NC: Cities need to be made more livable for residents and healthier for our planet. Urban greening projects do both. The shift is important to combat human-caused climate change that damages our planet and individual health. Cities produce three-quarters of carbon dioxide emissions along with many other pollutants. As city populations increase, so do those emissions. We can do better. Urban greening is one big tool in our toolbox.

AD: You write about Boeri’s team members and their backgrounds, including Laura Gatti and Emanuela Borio. Is it important to have many voices contributing to the plans? Why?page from Buildings That Breathe

NC: Everyone has their own specialties in creating such extraordinary, innovative designs. All contribute to the project’s success. I’m hoping that young readers, of all genders, will find inspiration from these individuals in STEM careers.

AD: I had no idea that growing trees and bushes on buildings was so complicated! What are some of the things the designers have to consider?

NC: The book describes how the team had to deal with issues of wind and weight on the structure and its trees. When groundbreaking projects like Bosco Verticale are constructed, lessons can be learned for all buildings going forward.

AD: In March, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change announced that we’d be crossing a critical global warming threshold in the 2030s if we didn’t make major changes—how do books like yours help younger generations understand the climate situation?

NC: I hope that Buildings That Breathe can not only inform my readers but inspire them to think about other creative solutions to our global climate crisis. I’ve included ways readers can also get involved in their own communities throughout the book and in the backmatter.

AD: I love the idea of making our living spaces more welcoming to wildlife and birds. How do we balance the benefits of living near and among animals with the possible risks?

NC: Coming to the realization that humans and wildlife are all sharing the same spaces on the planet is the first step. Respecting those creatures that inhabit our world comes next. Learning how to live with wildlife can be a fulfilling and a healthy way to enhance our lives. Do your homework. Think of things like adding bird feeders and native plants to yards and terraces.

AD: I like how you discuss modern innovations alongside ancient technology like sod roofs. What can we learn from looking at old ways of doing things?

page from Buildings that Breathe

NC: If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. That old adage is often true. A look back at traditional solutions might inspire how we develop new ideas, like green roofs.

AD: I love the story about people celebrating rooftop gardens and posting their pictures to social media. Why is this kind of connection an important part of combatting climate change?

NC: Good news should be spread, don’t you think? It’s one of the best uses of social media. Let’s hope it will inspire action and change.

AD: You include a discussion of pros and cons in most chapters – why is it important to look at innovations from all different sides?

NC: All voices need to be heard. In that way, solutions can be addressed. Everyone’s voice matters. And we all know that “there is no free lunch.” Solutions are not always 100% risk free. We should acknowledge that and attempt to make the best decisions going forward to mitigate any problems.page from Buildings That Breathe

AD: I like that you discuss green architecture happening in lower-income areas, and the problem of eco-gentrification. How are innovators addressing the need to reach all populations, not just the wealthy? How might they work with existing neighbors to ensure no one is forced out of their home for the sake of green building?

NC: This is a huge topic, but one that needs to be addressed. I included it because all stakeholders in urban projects need to be considered. Sadly, not all city neighborhoods have the same amount of parks and greenery. More parks are needed to even this out and create healthy places for all city residents. In addition, residents who suffer from eco-gentrification projects need to have their voices heard and their properties considered. Suggestions for how readers can attend public forums and ways to turn your community green are included in Buildings That Breathe.

 

 

Nancy Castaldo has written award-winning books about our planet for over 20 years from New York’s Hudson Valley. Her love of reading and writing outdoors began in her childhood, when she wasn’t searching for frogs, turtles, and salamanders, and climbing trees. Her curiosity led her to study science. As an environmental educator, Nancy combined all of those interests. She still enjoys spending her time exploring in the wild as she did while researching over two dozen books and many articles.

***

Andi Diehn grew up near the ocean chatting with horseshoe crabs and now lives in the mountains surrounded by dogs, cats, lizards, chickens, ducks, moose, deer, and bobcats, some of which help themselves to whatever she manages to grow in the garden. You are most likely to find her reading a book, talking about books, writing a book, or discussing politics with her sons. She has 18 children’s books published or forthcoming.

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