Posts Tagged Author Interview

Author Spotlight: Stephan Pastis

You’re in for an extra-special treat, Mixed-Up friends! Today, Stephan Pastis, the author/illustrator of the wildly popular and critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling Timmy Failure series—which was lauded by Kirkus as: “Wittier than the Wimpy Kid”—as well as the creator of the syndicated comic strip Pearls Before Swine, is here to chat about his latest illustrated MG novel, Looking Up. It’s out from Aladdin/S&S on October 10. (Spoiler alert: It’s AMAZING!!!) For a never-before-seen sneak peek at Stephan’s illustrations, read on…

Summary of Looking Up

Living alone with her mother in a poorer part of town, Saint—a girl drawn to medieval knights, lost causes, and the protection of birthday piñatas—sees the neighborhood she has always known and loved disappearing around her: old homes being torn down and replaced by fancy condos and coffee shops. But when her favorite creaky old toy store is demolished, she knows she must act.

Enlisting the help of Daniel “Chance” McGibbons, a quiet, round-faced boy who lives across the street (and whose house also faces the wrecking ball), Saint hatches a plan to save what is left of her beloved hometown.

Interview with Stephan Pastis

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Stephan. So happy to have you here!

SP: Thank you for inviting me! And for all the kind words!

MR: First and foremost, I gobbled up your novel faster than a pint of Cherry Garcia ice cream—and that’s saying a lot. I absolutely LOVED it. Can you tell us what inspired you to write this story?

SP: Well thank you! I wanted to write a Don Quixote-type story, but instead of with a man fighting giants, mine would be about a little girl futilely fighting against the redevelopment of her neighborhood. Also, I had never done a middle-grade novel with a little girl as the main character, so I liked that challenge.

The Saint Comes Marching In

MR: Saint, the big-hearted, piñata-rescuing 11-year-old protagonist is, hands down, one of the most lovable and unconventional characters I’ve encountered in middle-grade fiction. How did you capture the essence of this wonderfully quirky character, and lay it out for readers on the page?

SP: Hahah thank you! I think I had just read Catcher in the Rye before writing it, and I loved Holden’s voice, how he talked directly to the reader, so there’s a little bit of that influence in there — maybe mixed in with the slightly delusional perspective of Don Quixote. I like characters who are overwhelmed by their surroundings and ill-equipped to deal with change.

Word Up!

MR: A discussion of Saint wouldn’t be complete without a mention of her impressive vocabulary. Saint uses such words as: “mendacity,” “depravity,” “sanctity,” “pilfered,” “germane,” “critical juncture,” “legal ramifications.” This is a bold move, considering it’s common wisdom for middle-grade writers to employ vocabulary that most of their audience is familiar with. Your thoughts?

SP: I think I did that with Timmy Failure too. Maybe it’s just the appeal of words like that coming out of a little kid’s mouth. The incongruity of their age and the maturity of the words makes me laugh. I think I pilfered “mendacity” from the Burl Ives character in a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. He shouts it over and over.

The Truth About Turtles

MR: As a follow-up, can you tell me about Saint’s love for her pet turtle and “life partner,” Dr. Rutherford B. Hayes? There’s a ton of fascinating material to unpack here…

SP: Well, she doesn’t really have an active adult in her life. So I needed someone who could be the voice of reason, and give Saint perspective and wisdom. Of course, he’s also a blowhard, not to mention curmudgeonly, so he’s not the best at that. Plus, I liked the metaphor of the turtle—someone who retreats from the world into their own shell. 

Promises, Promises

MR: Let’s move on to Saint’s relationship with her mother. You set up the story with Saint’s declaration that: “My mother breaks all her promises.” How does this affect Saint’s life overall, and what does this say about promises—and promise breaking?

SP: Yeah, that’s a complicated relationship. I think Saint needs a lot more than she’s getting from her mom, especially at the point of her life she’s in. And since she’s not getting what she needs, she’s lashing out. I don’t know if Saint’s mom breaks any more promises than the average mom; I think Saint’s just at a breaking point and can’t take any more disappointment.

Only the Lonely

MR: Loneliness is another prominent theme in your book. Both Saint and her across-the-street neighbor, Daniel, suffer acutely from loneliness. Without sharing any spoilers, can you tell us how Saint’s loneliness manifests itself in her life? What about Daniel’s?

SP: Well, without an active parent in her day-to-day life, she copes by making friends with turtles and piñatas (which she rescues from kids’ birthday parties), and by living mostly in her imagination. I think her imagination is her coping mechanism. Daniel’s as well.

Invasion of the Latte Sippers

MR: Looking Up also explores the issue of neighborhood gentrification; specifically, when one group of residents feels intruded upon by a new, unfamiliar population. What were you aiming to say about gentrification, and displacement in general?

SP: Well, you see a lot of it in the Marigny and Bywater neighborhoods of New Orleans, where I spend a lot of time. And when it happens, the neighborhoods slowly lose what’s unique about them—namely, long-time residents who really are what give the city its personality.

The Juggler

MR: In addition to being an author of illustrated middle-grade novels—including the über-popular Timmy Failure series—you are the creator of the syndicated comic strip Pearls Before Swine, which appears in over 800 newspapers. You’ve also cowritten the Disney+ movie Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. How do you juggle everything without dropping the ball? I can barely walk and chew gum!

SP: Thank you! Well, I work pretty much seven days a week, but because I love it, it never feels like work (or very rarely). That’s the real key—loving what you do. It’s cliché, but true. I had a truly stressful job as a lawyer for 10 years, so this never feels like work compared to that.

Timmy Failure: The Movie

MR: Speaking of the Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made movie, how much time did you spend on the set? And, maybe more important: Did you get to meet Wallace Shawn? 🙂 Also, is there a Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made sequel in the works? Rumor has it that you’ve been working on the script.

SP: I was on set every day for the entire four months of pre-production and filming, half in Vancouver and half in Portland. 

And yes, I did meet Wallace Shawn! I talked to Wally whenever I could. I wrote the script for the sequel, but I’m not sure if it will get made. Would be great if it did, though.

Stephan’s Writing Routine

MR: What does your writing/illustrating routine look like? Do you have any particular rituals?

SP: Crazy ritual.  I turn off all the lights (I just have the light of the computer screen), light incense, and play really loud music.

MR: What are you working on now, Stephan? Enquiring Mixed-Up Files readers want to know.

SP: A book of all my travel adventures. I travel a lot and have been to a lot of unique places. [For more on how travel opens our eyes as writers and readers, check out this article from the MUF archives.]

Lightning Round!

MR: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Those little pretzels stuffed with peanut butter.

Coffee or tea? Coffee for sure. I wouldn’t trust anyone who said tea.

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Yea.

Superpower? To shut out all distractions when I write. 

Favorite comic strip (besides Pearls Before Swine)? The Far Side.

Favorite place on earth? New Orleans, Louisiana.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole. The Joshua Tree by U2. Tacos.

 

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Stephan. It was an absolute pleasure, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

SP: Thank you!

All About Stephan

Stephan Pastis is the creator of the syndicated comic strip Pearls Before Swine, which appears in over 800 newspapers. He is also the creator of the Timmy Failure Book series and the cowriter of the Disney+ movie Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. He lives in Northern California with his wife and two kids. Learn more about Stephan on his website and follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

STEM Tuesday — Robotics and Artificial Intelligence– Author Interview

STEM Tuesday– Robotics and Artificial Intelligence — Interview with Author Darcy Pattison

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

Today we’re interviewing Darcy Pattison, author of A.I.: How Patterns Helped Artificial Intelligence Defeat World Champion Lee Sedol It’s a fascinating look at the use of artificial intelligence and how a common board game was used to demonstrate that, in some cases, a computer might possess superior skill levels.

Kirkus Reviews calls it, “An enthralling, contemporary tale of man versus machine.”
AI Cover

 

 

 

 

 

Christine Taylor-Butler: Darcy, you’ve been in the business for quite a while and you’ve written everything from science fiction and fantasy to contemporary stories and science. When did you know you wanted to become a writer? Were there detours along the way?

Darcy Pattison: I have always been a reader! In sixth grade, I read THE LORD OF THE RINGS (the Harry Potter of my day), and even then, I thought about being on the flip side of the story. I wanted to write stories that people love to read. But I also grew up questioning everything so science writing is a natural fit for me, too.

CTB: You’ve been published by a number of trade publishers. What lead you to create Mims House?

Darcy: In the last twenty years, publishing has changed because of technology. The introduction of ebooks and print-on-demand services means that publishing a book is a low-cost investment up-front. It meant I could publish the books that I was passionate about and bring them to market myself. I had a long history in the industry and knew what pitfalls to avoid and where to focus attention. It’s been a hard journey, but I’m thrilled to be still publishing books of my heart.

CTB: Long before STEM was a trend in children’s literature, you developed a track record for writing well received nonfiction. Where did you get the idea for writing about the board game match between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol?

Darcy: A.I.: How Patterns Helped Artificial Intelligence Defeat World Champion Lee Sedol was written when I got interested in A.I. I’m always looking kid-friendly ways to approach a topic. When I realized this story featured a world champion board game player, I thought it would appeal to kids. This game was actually a pivotal game in the development of A.I Before this, programmers tried to write rules for artificial intelligence programs. For example, they might write a rule on how to identify a photo of a cat.

Sample rules:
A cat has a round face and triangular ears.
A cat has a tail.

It worked up to a point. But what if the cat is curled up sleeping? Or perhaps, it’s stretched out to run hard as it chases a rat? It required too many rules to deal with all the positions a cat might take, and all the exceptions to the rules.

Instead, artificial intelligence today works because we provide thousands of images to a computer program, a big dataset. Each image is labeled either CAT or NOT CAT. The program analyzes the images and creates its own mathematical formula for identifying a cat.

The AlphaGo program was the first time such an A.I. program was used to challenge a human in a complicated board game. Amazingly, it won four out of five times. Also amazing—Lee Sedol, the world champion, found a way to defeat the A.I. once. The series of games redefined our relationship to A.I.

Note to readers: A documentary about the AI program and the match with Lee Sedol can be found on Youtube: AlphaGo: The Movie.

Lee Sedol 1 Overhead of Go

 

 

 

 

 

CTB: The illustrations are so fun, as is the layout of the book. How did you find that illustrator?

Darcy: Yes, Peter Willis is amazing! He has illustrated ten books with me now because his distinctive digital collages are fun and funny for kids. I first saw his portfolio on Behance.net, the Adobe social media program where artists display portfolios. Look for more about Peter Willis and his work here: https://mimshousebooks.com/blogs/books/willis1

Meet the man

 

 

 

 

CTB: There’s a lot of concern now about AI eventually being able to do more than play games. But I love that you explain that even the phones in our pockets are partially fueled by AI technology. For example, I’m a frequent user of “Siri” and my Mac laptops as far back as OS9 were voice activated and had a digital assistant.  Did you have any “aha!” moments when researching this book?

Darcy: It was fascinating to dig into the discussion of A.I. technology. Understanding the difference in the two types of approaches to A.I. helps me make decisions about how I choose to use A.I. The rules-based approach was ultimately unusable because there are too many exceptions to any rule. When A.I. analyzes big datasets, though, it can mathematically account for exceptions. It’s a brilliant solution that means A.I. can tackle a wide variety of questions. For example, from a photo, it can predict if a mole is likely to be cancerous. Or, it can help create a chemical formula for a new medicine.

One problem with A.I. is that need for big datasets. Where will programmers find the data to feed into the program? Current lawsuits revolve around the allegedly illegal use of their copyrighted or patented information. Artists object to their copyrighted images being used to train A.I., and authors object to their copyrighted novels and writings being used to train A.I.

For me, that “aha” moment was understanding how current A.I. works. It’s easier to see how the programs can help my work or fit into a lesson plan when I understand that it’s trained on selected big datasets.

CTB: Your book ran into a roadblock at the US Copyright office. In scanning the text the office assumed the book was illustrated by A.I. rather than a real person. Can you tell our readers a bit about that experience? 

Darcy: The US Copyright has decided to check books to see if a book might include text or images created by A.I. I applaud this careful look at the books! However for my A.I. book, they asked if A.I. had been used to create the book. Just because the topic of the book is artificial intelligence doesn’t mean I used A.I. to create it! After I answered their question, they came back again and asked about this specific page of the book.

AI Example page

Here, the illustrator Pete Willis is demonstrating that some common objects are or are not based on A.I. programing. We know that artificial intelligence can be used for some cell phones, robots, and video games. But cats, ice cream and board games are not based on A.I. The US Copyright office specifically asked, though, if the images labeled “A.I.” had been created using an A.I. program.

“No,” I answered, “Peter Willis illustrated the entire book, even those labeled A.I.”

They accepted my answer and the book’s copyright was approved without any further questions.

CTB: I love that you call yourself, “Queen of Revisions” in your biography. Do you have any advice for young writers who might want to follow in your footsteps?

Darcy: Over the years, I have learned that I need to revise many times. When kids ask me how many revisions I do for a project, I answer, “Until it’s right.”

It’s not a matter of getting it right in three tries. It’s getting it right that matters.

If you want to write, read! Read everything you can, putting information and language into your memories so that when you need it, the words are there to draw upon.

CTB: Thanks for being such a gracious guest. What’s up next? Any projects or books you’d like readers to watch for?

Magnet coverDarcy: Peter Willis and I are collaborating on a new book, MAGNET: How William Gilbert Discovered that Earth is a Great Magnet. The story goes back to the middle of the 1600s when scientists were first figuring out what a magnet was. Gilbert gathered lodestones, natural magnetic stones, from around the world: from Greece came red and black lodestones; from Spain came white lodestones; Chinese lodestones were dark blood-red, while Ethiopian lodestones were amber or yellowish.

We follow the natural phenomena of stones that attract other stones as scientists start to unravel and make sense of the strange properties of the stones. Look for the book in April, 2024.

 

*****

Darcy headshotDarcy Pattison is the author of science books for kids, writes award-winning fiction and non-fiction books for children. Five books have received starred PW, Kirkus, or BCCB reviews. Awards include the Irma Black Honor award, five NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, three Eureka! Nonfiction Honor book (CA Reading Assn.), two Junior Library Guild selections, two NCTE Notable Children’s Book in Language Arts, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book, an Arkansiana Award, and the Susannah DeBlack Arkansas Children’s History Book award. She’s the 2007 recipient of the Arkansas Governor’s Arts Award for Individual Artist for her work in children’s literature. Her books have been translated into ten languages. Always active, before her tenth birthday, she (almost) climbed the Continental Divide, turning back at the last twenty yards because it was too steep and great climbing shoes hadn’t been invented yet. She once rode a bicycle down a volcano in Bali, Indonesia and has often hiked the Rockies. She recently hiked New Zealand’s backcountry for a taste of Kiwi life, and then strolled the beaches of Australia. On her bucket list is kayaking the Nā Pali Coast of Hawaii and eating curry in Mumbai. Follow her: @FictionNotes on Twitter and @DarcyPattison on Instagram.

author christine Taylor-butler

Photo by Kecia Stovall

Your host is Christine Taylor-Butler, a graduate of MIT and author of Save the… (Tigers, Blue Whales, Polar Bears)  with Chelsea Clinton and many other nonfiction books for kids. She is also the author of the STEM-based middle grade sci-fi series The Lost Tribes. Christine was appointed as an MLK Visiting Scholar for the 2023-2024 academic year at MIT focused on STEM and children’s literacy. Follow @ChristineTB on Twitter/X, @ctaylorbutler on Bluesky or @ChristineTaylorButler on Instagram. She lives in Missouri with a tank of fish and cats that think they are dogs.

Interview with Sachi Ediriweera — Author of Enlightened

Author photoWe’re excited to have Sachi Ediriweera on here today to talk about his new release. Let’s start with learning a bit more about you, Sachi, and then we’ll talk more about Enlightened.

What was your life like growing up in Sri Lanka?

I grew up in the southern part of Sri Lanka, which is quite lush and tropical. And life was even more different for me as our home was in a little village an hour away from the main city. I grew up surrounded by nature, little lakes, rice paddy fields, and calming drizzles which were commonplace in April every year.

Can you tell us a little about how you first learned about the Buddha as a child?

Sri Lanka’s population is primarily Buddhist. It’s hard to miss seeing a statue of the Buddha wherever you go. You’re likely to see one in every Buddhist household, roadside shrines and even miniature ones on top of vehicle dashboards. However, my curiosity about the Buddha’s life began in Sunday school, which I didn’t enjoy attending at first as most of the lessons consisted of memorizing verses. However, the lessons about the Buddha’s life itself–his origins as a prince who had everything fascinated me. Learning about the Buddha became more than just memorizing verses and a challenge of understanding his mythos, which eventually influenced my work as well.

Did you have any childhood dreams for your adult life? If so, did they come true?

I wanted to become a movie director! I loved watching movies and learning how they were made even more. Movie DVDs where they had bonus content about how they made the movie was hard to come by in Sri Lanka and I would go out of my way to find them and spend hours re-watching those clips over and over. Apart from that I was experimenting with graphic design as well at the time. I did get to make my own short movies eventually, which screened in multiple international film festivals. However, I realized my passion was ultimately telling stories and I decided that graphic novels were a better medium to express my creativity. So yes, the dream did come true, for a while.

Did you love to read as a child? If so, can you tell us some favorite stories? 

My parents fueled my love for reading. Also going back to growing up in Sri Lanka, the village we lived in had terrible TV transmission reception so there wasn’t much for me to watch on screen. Instead I surrounded myself with books of all sorts. My favorites were Agatha Christie’s detective stories and anything that had to do with comics.

Sounds like not having much TV time turned out to be a big plus later on.

Did you have any early experiences where you learned that written language had power?

When I was 10 or so, our class had a monthly contest where the teacher gave a topic and you had to research and make a zine about it. These mostly revolved around the subjects we were learning. In one particular month, we were asked to make a story book and I remember writing an anthology of sorts with 3 stories. I won that month’s contest and was quite pleased about it.

What was your biggest fear when you were young? Did you get over it?

Being left behind, and I think it was largely due to growing up in a rural village in Sri Lanka. I had to put in extra effort if I wanted to learn anything–the TV air transmission signals were bad, and there was no internet. Eventually I moved to the city, and after that, I leaped at the opportunities–anything that would help me move my passion and career forward. It certainly helped me in the long run as I spent much of my twenties experimenting with my creativity–from film to illustrations.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Be passionate about what you do and have faith in yourself.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? 

When I wanted to direct movies. As I didn’t know any screenwriters, I had to do it myself.

What other careers have you had besides writing?

Apart from being a former filmmaker, I work in advertising as an experiential design lead.

What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a writer? 

The complete freedom you have on the page is probably my favorite part of being a writer. Sometimes you end up discovering a completely unplanned moment in your story, a minor character suddenly becomes a bigger supporting character, you figure out a plot twist that makes everything ten times better! Writing largely happens in solitude and when you suddenly see your story in a completely new angle, it makes that entire process rewarding.

It’s exciting to see words and pictures actually turned into a book. It also can be magical seeing others reading what you’ve written.

And now that we know more about Sachi, let’s find out about more about his book, Enlightened.Book cover of Enlightened

What inspired you to write about the Buddha?

Siddhartha’s journey from a young prince to discovering the truths of this world as an enlightened monk is one that has been retold by hundreds of authors through centuries. However, most of these stories approach the Buddha as a God-like figure whereas I knew there was a grounded version of the story in which we get to explore him as a man who wanted to understand the world better. As I was in-between projects and with the world going through a pandemic, I remembered the stories which fascinated me back in Sunday school and wondered if there was a way I could retell the mythos through my own voice.

We’re grateful you made good use of the shut-downs during the pandemic.

Where did you go to do your research?

I referred multiple textbooks which were written about the Buddha and his teachings as well as reached out to a couple of researchers who were well-versed in the subject.

What was one of the most interesting facts you learned while researching?

With the Buddha’s teachings being centuries old and spanning across multiple regions around the world, certain elements of the core mythos had their own interpretations depending on where the material was originating from. It was interesting to compare different versions of the same story elements and how they had shaped those cultures.

Can you tell us a little about how you wrote and designed your graphic novel?

Enlightened was particularly challenging as I was adapting a story which had hundreds of interpretations (including children’s books and movies!) and importantly, as the Buddha’s story is so vast, I had to map out which part of the story I was going to adapt and how it would still be intriguing from a narrative perspective. Of course, the process began with writing a story outline and then doing some character sketches. Once I was happy with those, I created 15-sample art pages which I used for my pitch.

The subtle use of blue and orange in the illustrations give the graphic novel a striking look. What inspired those complimentary colors? And do they have any significance to this story?

My original pages were only in different tones of blue. However, I had used the orange on the pitch cover, as a spot color for the Buddha’s robe. Greg Stadnyk. my wonderful art director at Atheneum came up with the brilliant idea of using it throughout the book. Orange color is often associated with Buddhism as it’s the color of robes worn by Buddhist monks.

What comes first for you—the words or pictures?

Mostly pictures, but I do try to keep it between a balance of both.

How do your filmmaking and design backgrounds influence your graphic novels?

Back when I was doing short films, I spent a lot of time doing pre-production on my own. This included storyboarding scenes, to make sure you have the right shots, which you use to create a shot list for the day of the actual shoot. A crucial part about filmmaking is that you learn to be economical with your shots (because filming things cost a lot of money!). For instance, if you want to show a car exploding, you can film a scene of a car passing a pedestrian and then show his reaction with a loud sound effect, reacting to an explosion, instead of actually blowing-up a car. It’s a similar challenge with sequential storytelling, where you have to figure the best possible way to visually tell the story you want.

It’s fascinating how shooting films and creating graphic novels use many of the same skills. I’m sure it also helped in laying out each picture because those are like framed camera shots.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

The story of the Buddha is much larger than it could be fit within these pages. If someone gets inspired to learn more about the Buddha’s teachings, that would be a win for me. Also, I do hope readers enjoy the story on its own.

I’m sure they will.

Can you tell us about your other books?

My two earlier books were self-published with my debut being a graphic novel called Lionborn, which was the first English language graphic novel published in Sri Lanka.

What are you working on now?

Enlightened took me almost two and a half years to make. So right now, I’m spending time exploring art styles and potential story ideas before diving into what I want to do next.

Thanks ever so much for agreeing to the interview, Sachi! I know our young readers, as well as teachers and librarians will enjoy learning more about you and Enlightened! And we look forward to seeing what you come up with next.

About Enlightened

Prince Siddhartha lives in a beautiful palace in the heart of Kapilavastu. His father, the king, ensures that he has the best of everything—he just can’t go outside. He is locked up away from the city, away from anything that might cause him pain. He knows nothing of illness, aging, sorrow, or death, yet Siddhartha feels the pain regardless, and it instills a burning curiosity to understand the world outside—and the nature of human suffering.

Based on the life of the real man who was known first as a prince, then as a monk, and now as the Gautama Buddha, Enlightened is about one boy’s quest to learn the truth that underpins our endless struggle against suffering—and in understanding, break the cyclic existence that perpetuates it.

About Sachi Ediriweera

Sachi Ediriweera is an accomplished designer, filmmaker, and comic book artist. He is the writer and artist of the graphic novels Lionborn, which was the first English language graphic novel produced in Sri Lanka, and Enlightened. Apart from his design and illustration work, he has also built a career in filmmaking as a writer, producer, and director of acclaimed short films that have screened in numerous film festivals around the world. When he’s not drawing or writing his third-act plot twist, Sachi enjoys reading art books and comics, eating pizza, and overthinking cosplay ideas for comic cons. He divides his time between Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Dubai.