Posts Tagged We Need Diverse Books

Interview with New York Times Bestselling Author Gayle Forman

By on August 22, 2024   /   Author Interviews  

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman to the Mixed-Up Files! Best known for her wildly popular YA novels, including the If I Stay series, Gayle is also the author of Frankie & Bug, which Kirkus lauded for its “superb” storytelling. Her latest MG, Not Nothing, described by Wonder author R.J. Palacio as “A life-affirming gem,” is out from Aladdin/Simon Kids on August 27.

Chatting with Gayle

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Gayle! It’s an absolute pleasure to have you here. Before we dive in, you should know that I finished Not Nothing in one sitting. And that’s not nothing. I’m a slow reader!

GF: Wow, that is high praise for an author. I love the experience of an immersive, addictive read so when I learn that I delivered that to someone else, I’m very happy.

Not Nothing

MR: Not Nothing is about a 12-year-old boy, Alex, who must endure court-mandated community service at a senior citizens’ home—but the story is so much deeper, and more nuanced, than that. Can you tell MUF readers more about the novel?

GF: At its core, Not Nothing is a book about what happens when you are not invited/encouraged to be your better self—or worse, when you are enticed to be your worst self—and the incredible things that happen when you are invited to rise to the occasion of your life, whatever that means to you. It is also a story about the power of intergenerational friendships, finding commonality with people who seem outwardly so unlike you, and about how stories can unlock so much within us.

Josey: A Bold Narrative Choice

MR: The story is told from the perspective of Josey Kravitz, a 107-year-old Holocaust survivor. For a middle-grade novel, having an elderly narrator is a bold choice. What prompted this authorial decision? (It’s a brilliant one.)

GF: I’m so glad you think so! Josey has always been the heart and soul of this book, and at first I didn’t see how I could do a children’s book with him as narrator. Maybe that’s why at first I tried it as an adult novel, which didn’t work because this book was clearly meant to be what it now is: a middle-grade novel for all ages. So why the old man narrator for a kids’ book? I wanted Alex, and by extension, readers, to benefit from Josey’s experience and perspective. It took some figuring out to have Josey be the narrator and have the voice sound like Alex’s, but once I got there, the unconventional choice of narrators made such sense.

The Power of Words

MR: When we first meet Josey, he hasn’t spoken for five years yet he opens up to Alex about his painful past as a young man in Nazi-occupied Poland. Alex, in turn, is able to address his own troubles, which he’s had to tamp down in order to survive. What is it about the power of words—and the exchange of stories—that’s so transformative, and so healing?

GF: Why do we read novels about total strangers who are made-up people? Because something about the transfer of story from storyteller to listener/reader creates connection. It is why storytelling is so essential in our evolution. Alex cannot begin to grapple with his own reality, and is trapped in a cycle of resentment and anger until he hears Josey’s story. Then he can see his story through another story and the parallels allow him to think about what he has done. And what he can do. When people say that stories change lives, I think this is what they mean.

The Central Story

MR: One of the most important stories Josey shares with Alex is about Olka, a seamstress-turned-resistance-fighter from his hometown in Poland, who saved his life—literally and figuratively—by teaching him to sew. Can you tell us more about Josey and Olka’s story?

GF: Among the many things of today’s world that saddens me is our propensity for sorting people into fixed binaries: good or evil, kind or mean. We are so much more complicated than that and we are often all of these things at different points in our lives and we can change. At the start of the book, Olka is angry and frustrated, shrinking rather than growing, because of what she (rightfully) perceives as the unfair circumstances of her life. She does something that could have sent her tumbling down a rabbit hole of resentment but because of an almost offhanded decision of Josey to ask her to teach him to sew, her life goes in the opposite direction and she winds up saving Josey—and so many other people’s—lives.

Real-Life Inspiration

MR: In the Author’s Note, you share that the novel is based in part on the true-life story of Jerzy Bielecki and Cyla Cybulska, an interfaith couple—he was Catholic and she was Jewish—who met as prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp. What was it about this story that inspired you to reimagine it as material for a middle-grade novel?

GF: That part of the story—aside from the star-crossed love story—was a classic heist adventure. It does not play out with Josey and Olka the way it did with the real-life couple, but I definitely incorporated some of the true story. If I say any more, there will be SPOILERS.

It’s All in the Research

MR: Since a good portion of the novel takes place during World War II, in Nazi-occupied Poland, what sort of research did you do to ensure authenticity?

GF: This is the second book I have written that takes place in that time frame (the other one is an audio-only book that draws on my family history), and both books rely heavily on the incredible resources of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, which has, among other things, thousands of survivor testimonies.

I also found a lot of the more granular small moments in memoirs written by both survivors from Krakow as well as allies, like the owner of the Eagle Pharmacy, a real-life pharmacy in the Krakow ghetto that features in the book. I also drew from my only family history—my grandparents fled Nazi Germany in 1938—and that of some of the elderly people I have become close with over the years at various assisted-living facilities. And finally, I was very lucky that the copy editor of the book was a daughter of a survivor and had incredible insights.

Presenting Difficult Topics for a Younger Audience

MR: An overarching theme in the novel is what prompts a “good person” to become “evil” and a not-so-good person to become good—or even heroic. You also explore the power of redemption. These are weighty topics for a middle-grade audience, yet you present them with a light, deft hand. What’s the secret to presenting difficult concepts for a younger audience without coming across as preachy or heavy-handed? It’s no mean feat.

GF: Thank you! I’m pretty allergic to anything preachy or performative so that helps me avoid it in my own writing. I would argue that teaching young people about morality and what it means to be aiming toward their better selves is not weighty. It’s exhilarating. To teach someone how to feel good while doing good to others is teaching them how to create, give and receive joy. I don’t think there’s a secret to it beyond trusting your readers, and having written for young people for my 25-plus year career, I know how much they are capable of. It is my job, through my books, to invite them to rise to the occasion of their lives.

Lucky 7

MR: Not Nothing took you seven years to write. What was the process like for you, from initial idea to finished novel?

GF: My new process seems to be to write a novel, think it’s terrible and irredeemable, leave it on my hard drive for a few years, come back to it, see how it’s meant to go. I initially conceived of this as an adult novel (the terrible version) and once I realized it was middle grade, I showed the terrible version to my editor, Kristin, along with an editorial letter of how I would fix it. Once I nailed how to have Josey tell Alex’s story, it clicked, and things moved relatively quickly from there.

Writing MG

MR: Not Nothing is not your first novel for middle-grade readers. Your debut MG, Frankie & Bug, was released in 2021. As a hugely successful YA author—including the If I Stay series, the Just One series, and several stand-alone novels—what prompted you to turn your writerly attention to MG? 

GF: I know this sounds somewhat grandiose, but the stories demand it. With Frankie & Bug, the story I wanted to tell—about how it’s incumbent upon all of us to hurry toward justice—needed to be told in the near past and needed to be about younger people. With Not Nothing, I knew that Josey would be the narrator at the end of life (sorry, no spoiler, he’s 107!) and the grist of the story about his relationship with someone at the start of life.

Gayle’s Writing Routine

MR: What does your writing routine look like? Do you have a particular time of day when you prefer to write? Any habits or rituals?

GF: In my new version of slow novel writing, I actually spend much less time at the computer than I used to. (Would-be writers: this is not an excuse to slack; I think I had to spend all those hours to get to where I could spend less and create more, but it’s also an example of not pushing on a story when it’s not ready.) Maybe I write two or three hours a day when I’m drafting. After that, I run out of steam and the work suffers. When I’m revising, I can spend hours working and they fly by. This is when I get into the flow state. But other than coffee, I don’t really have rituals. I can work anywhere (I’m typing this from a hotel lobby between meetings), although I am probably a better writer in the morning.

MR: What are you working on now, Gayle? 

GF: I have a young-adult novel called After Life coming out in January of 2025, so I’m putting the finishing touches on that while starting to think on my next MG and YA novels.

Lightning Round!

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

Preferred writing snack? Any leftovers that are in the fridge are like manna to me. No cooking, only re-heating!

Coffee or tea? Cappuccino. I make them myself. I’m a decent barista.

Plotter or Pantser? Cruiser

Superpower? Getting stuff done. I know that sounds boring for a super-power but it’s pretty awesome. You can be the best writer in the world but if you can’t finish a novel, it’s going to be a harder road if you want to do it professionally. And I get lots of stuff that isn’t writing done, too.

Best piece of writing advice? My old journalism professor had a sign on her door that reads: A real writer is one who writes. If you want to be a writer, write. And then revise.

Favorite place on earth? Brooklyn

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?

  1. My dog
  2. A solar-powered e-reader with 1000 Libby library books on it that never expire. And enough blank pages to write.
  3. I was going to say my family but having been through Covid lockdown, I know this would make them miserable and crazy so I’m just bringing the dog who would be so happy to spend all his days with me.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Gayle—and congratulations on the forthcoming publication of Not Nothing!

GF: Thank you!!!!

About Gayle Forman

Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman has written several bestselling novels, including those in the Just One Day series, Where She Went, and the #1 New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been translated into more than forty languages and was adapted into a major motion picture. Her first middle grade novel, Frankie & Bug, was a New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2021. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Interview with Author Heather Murphy Capps + Preorder Swag Giveaway!

By on June 17, 2024   /   Author Interviews  

It’s always a pleasure to welcome an author back to the Mixed-Up Files, but when the author happens to be my friend and former MUF contributor Heather Murphy Capps, it’s an extra-special treat! Today, Heather is here to talk about her sophomore novel, The Rule of Three, which focuses on racism and generational trauma. Lauded by Publisher’s Weekly as “noteworthy” and “illuminating,” the novel is out from Carolrhoda Books/Lerner on August 6. (To learn more about Heather’s fantastic preorder swag giveaway, scroll down for details 👇👇👇)

Interview with Heather

MR: Welcome back to the Mixed-Up Files, Heather! The first time you were here, your debut novel, Indigo & Ida, had just been released. How has life changed for you, now that you’re a published author?

HMC: I actually tell people I am an author. The thing is, my day job is instruction: I teach leadership, writing, and briefing skills to federal employees. Before Indigo and Ida, that was the only way I described my professional life. Now I say, “I teach writing skills to adult professionals and I am a children’s book author.” It’s an amazing feeling.

Why didn’t I do that before? Because I was super self-conscious about how to answer the inevitable question: “Oh, what have you published?” And I would have to say, “well, I am a pre-published author.”

Honestly, I hope all our pre-published friends do NOT follow my lead in keeping their work a secret. I think it’s great to be proud of who you are and what dreams you are seeking, regardless of where you are in the journey. I wish I had realized that before!

The Rule of Three

MR: Let’s turn our attention to your latest book, The Rule of Three, a contemporary novel with fantastical elements. Can you tell us about it? 

HMC: This book is so important to me for so many reasons—it’s got baseball, magical realism, mental health rep, and an important, often overlooked historical story.

When we first meet our protagonist in The Rule of Three, Wyatt, he is working on the first part of his three-part plan for life: 1) land a spot on the local elite travel baseball team; 2) play baseball in high school; 3) play baseball in college.

But his plans derail in the face of mounting racial tensions and microaggressions at school. On one particularly stressful day, he suddenly begins spewing smoke from his hands and feet in response to his stress. He’s watched his father do the same thing his entire life; he just never knew it was a trait he could inherit.

At the same time, he loses faith in his best friend’s willingness to stand by him, and then he gets kicked off the baseball team. Isolated and frustrated, he decides to use his smoke as a superhero talent to target bullies. But then he discovers that the smoke is linked to a painful family history. He and his father can heal if they are both able to face the past.

The Story Behind the Story

MR: What was the inspiration behind the novel?

HMC: I first decided to write this story years ago, when I happened to be talking to friends and mentioned the 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia. They hadn’t heard of the incident and were naturally skeptical. I mean, who wouldn’t be? A city dropping a bomb on its own neighborhood?

Because my friends were so incredulous, I was halfway convinced that even though I lived on the outskirts of Philly that summer and watched the whole thing play out on television, I was remembering it wrong.

When I confirmed for myself that I was correct, I did a VERY informal and limited poll—and interestingly, it seemed most people I asked remembered extreme government responses in places like Waco, TX and Ruby Ridge—not Philadelphia.

Thus, I felt strongly that I needed to tell this important story. It’s sad, but it’s also one that offers a message of hope and resilience. The MOVE survivors eventually returned to their old neighborhood—and bought their childhood home.

I also wanted to write about the way families can pass on a genetic legacy of pain.

Three-Pronged Coping Strategy

MR: At the beginning of the novel, Wyatt puts up with racist comments from classmates, and from his coach, just to fit in. He also uses a three-leveled system to measure—and to cope with—his distress. Can you tell us more about Wyatt’s coping strategy? How does it serve him? How does it hinder him?

HMC: The number three is important to Wyatt—and for good reason. He notes himself at one point in the book that “3” is significant in baseball, math, and survival, to name a few. He organizes his life in threes because the number speaks to him and gives him structure—including his three-part system of reactions to people who stress him out.

Level One: pretend to laugh it off and eventually the bad feeling goes away;

Level Two: pretend to laugh it off but take the bad feeling out on someone else;

Level Three: unable to laugh it off. Eventually, Level Three becomes smoke.

The smoke hinders and scares him, but ultimately it also leads Wyatt to the counselor who helps him and his father begin the healing process.

MR: In a similar vein, Wyatt doesn’t say anything about the mistreatment he’s receiving because he doesn’t want a reputation as a “troublemaker.” This is, unfortunately, a common reaction from kids who are bullied, whether it’s for their skin color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Can you speak more to this?

HMC: It’s such an unfortunate misconception that you’re being “whiny” or “extra” if you call people out on bad behavior. Even in today’s more aware, evolved culture, the onus is still too often on the person experiencing bullying to put up with it, and I think we still praise those who can look the other way or have a “stiff upper lip.” It’s true that those responses can help deflate a bully—and you can always refuse to dignify their behavior with a response. But while those responses help turn the bully’s attention elsewhere, they don’t get at the root of the problem.

While I think we’ve come a long way in learning to listen to the victim and stop excusing the perpetrator, we still have more work to do.

Understanding Epigenetics

MR: Inherited racism, or epigenetics—the scientific theory that a person’s traumatic experience can affect their genetic material—is a topic that you explore closely in the novel. Can you tell MUF readers more about epigenetics? What kind of research did you do to deepen your understanding of it?

HMC: What we know about epigenetics is that—as I mentioned above—it is a genetic legacy of pain. The descendants of people who have experienced trauma can inherit chronic conditions: diabetes, heart disease, mental illness—without having experienced trauma themselves. Our current understanding is that this inheritance is a product of gene expression (whether a specific gene turns on or doesn’t) rather than a fundamental change in the DNA itself.

I ran across a fascinating study in my research that really spelled it out for me. I want to acknowledge here that my summary of this study is VERY brief, but I do welcome anyone who’s interested to check out this article (one of many that reported this study) for more detailed information.

In 2013, Emory University biologists Kerry Ressler and Brian Dias exposed mice to the smell of acetophenone, a chemical that smells like cherries and almonds. At the same time, they administered small electric shocks. (I have to interject here that the fact that they tortured animals bothers me immensely.) With subsequent generations of mice, they exposed the descendants to the acetophenone smell but did not shock the mice. But—the mice still responded in fear. Ressler and Dias concluded they had inherited their fear of this smell based on previous generations’ trauma.

Again—this is a very brief summary, but even with these spare details it’s enough to see how the study of epigenetics provides important understanding and perspective about one of many reasons descendants of traumatic experiences: the Holocaust, slavery, war, starvation—struggle with physical and mental illness at such high rates.

Ignorance and Microaggressions

MR: Most novels are somewhat autobiographical, and I’m guessing The Rule of Three is no exception. What are the similarities between you and Wyatt? The differences?

HMC: Some of the microaggressions Wyatt faces were drawn directly from incidents that happened in my local school district. Others were drawn from news reports around the country. I’m a lot older than Wyatt, but I am sad to say that when I was his age, I too faced microaggressions and had to figure out how to navigate ignorance at the same time I was trying to work through complicated feelings about my identity.

I wasn’t as brave as Wyatt; I definitely stuck only with Wyatt’s Level One “laugh it off” reaction because I was afraid I wouldn’t have any friends if I chose another response. Wyatt’s three levels of reaction to stress are very similar to mine, even to this day, sans the smoke.

Three Is a Magic Number

MR: The number three is like an additional character in the novel. What is it about the number three that’s so intriguing, and so magical? Also, do you have a special connection with the number three?

HMC: It’s one of my lucky numbers. And I’ve always been fascinated by the notion that the rhythm of three is what people listen for in music, poetry, even when you’re presenting an argument, people naturally listen for three reasons why you think your argument is strong. Religion, mythology, and legend all organize important concepts and characters in threes: Christianity’s three is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; Greek mythology has lots of threes including the Muses and the Furies; the Celts have the all-important triad; and the Buddhist Chintamani symbol for happiness is three circles arranges in a semi-triangular pattern.

Calling All Baseball Fans!

MR: Another non-human character in your book is baseball. Are you are a baseball fan, Heather?

HMC: Huge. I love baseball so much, and was the announcer for my son’s high school baseball team. I actually prefer to watch baseball when I know the players. High school and college ball is perfect: the seats are good, the games are competitive, and the feeling is collegial. (See what I did there? Three reasons.)

Magical Realism

MR: And finally, let’s not forget the third non-human character in your novel: The smoke that emanates from Wyatt’s body when he’s angry or upset, an inherited trait from his father and grandfather. Can you tell us more about the smoke? How did you come up with the idea?

HMC: I knew I wanted to use magical realism as a literary device to tell this story because I needed to find a way to make a painful subject accessible. This led neatly into my other goal, which was to give Wyatt a visible manifestation of stress so that we could actually see what was going on with him.

Originally, he shot electric currents from his body. (This story has been through SO many different incarnations!) But ultimately, electric currents were harder to visualize, and somehow the idea of smoke felt really right. The smoke chose me as much as I chose it as a way to help us all see Wyatt’s pain.

MR: What are you working on now, Heather? 

HMC: Another extraordinary boy character. Can’t wait to say more but I’m not quite there yet!

Lightning Round!

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

Preferred writing snack? Apples and soynut butter, Twizzlers, any kind of salty snack.

Coffee or tea? Both

Cat or dog? Both but currently I only have a cat. My mother’s dog comes to visit frequently, which is wonderful.

 Favorite baseball team? Minnesota Twins

 Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Nay – Zombies are one thing I just can’t get behind. Vampires on the other hand? YES. And of course witches, who are already among us.

Superpower? Teleport! I LOVE the idea of getting places quickly.  Conversely, I do believe the journey is important. But I really hate traffic.

Favorite place on earth? In front of a body of water with a good book, good food, and beloved people.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? A book, a cell phone, and some matches

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Heather—and congratulations on the publication of The Rule of Three!

HMC: Thank you, Melissa! I’ve had such fun chatting with you and thanks for having me back! I will always be so proud that I was once part of this amazing team of writers. <3

Preorder Campaign/Swag Giveaway!

Heather is running a fun preorder swag giveaway for all preorders. (To preorder, click here.) She will send a specially commissioned pack of FOUR baseball cards featuring the main characters in The Rule of Three. This amazing character art was designed by the same artist who did the cover illustration – the fabulous Jethro Unom. To get all four cards, which include fun stats on the back, preorder and then send a copy of your preorder receipt to: heathermcappsauthor@gmail.com

To learn more about the preorder campaign please visit Heather’s website: https://heathermurphycapps.com

(For more on Heather Murphy Capps, check out last year’s MUF interview here.)

Bio

Heather Murphy Capps writes about history, social justice, science, and magic. She is a mother of two, an Army wife, and an education equity activist. As a biracial author, Heather is passionate about creating diversity in publishing. Learn more about Heather on her website and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Interview with Author/Illustrator Caroline Palmer

By on June 10, 2024   /   Author Interviews  

Today, I’d like to extend a warm, Mixed-Up welcome to Caroline Palmer, author and illustrator of Camp Prodigy, a debut graphic novel about two nonbinary kids who navigate friendship and identity at summer orchestra camp. Touted by Kirkus as “an immersive and affirming story that hits the right notes,” the novel is perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier. It’s out tomorrow, June 11, from Atheneum Books for Young Readers/S&S.

But first…

Camp Prodigy: a Summary

After attending an incredible concert, Tate Seong is inspired to become a professional violist. There’s just one problem: they’re the worst musician at their school.

Tate doesn’t even have enough confidence to assert themself with their friends or come out as nonbinary to their family, let alone attempt a solo anytime soon. Things start to look up when Tate attends a summer orchestra camp—Camp Prodigy—and runs into Eli, the remarkable violist who inspired Tate to play in the first place.

But Eli has been hiding their skills ever since their time in the spotlight gave them a nervous breakdown. Together, can they figure out how to turn Tate into a star and have Eli overcome their performance anxieties? Or will the pressure take them both down?

Interview with Caroline Palmer

Melissa: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Caroline! It’s great to have you here.

Caroline: I’m very glad to be here!

Melissa: First and foremost, congrats on Camp Prodigy! Can you share the inspiration behind your MG debut?

Caroline: I pretty much took lots of ideas from my own life and threw them together. The main characters being nonbinary violists, orchestra camp, the awkwardness of making connections as a kid… All of those bits, at least, were drawn from personal experience!

Similarities and Differences

Melissa: Camp Prodigy, which focuses on two nonbinary tween violists, Tate and Eli, is loosely autobiographical. (In addition to being nonbinary, you studied the viola.) What are the main similarities between you and the main characters? The main differences?

Caroline: I’d say that Tate and I are similar in how we struggle to open up to others–but for different reasons. For Tate, it’s because they don’t have a lot of confidence. In contract, I’m pretty at ease with myself, but that doesn’t come naturally to me. Eli struggles when they have to play music solo, but by the end of the book they find enjoyment in playing as a part of the orchestra. This is something I relate to. I guess the main difference between us is that I’m not competitive, haha!

Hard Work Pays Off

Melissa: At the beginning of the novel, Tate and Eli seem to have little in common. Eli is a high-achieving viola prodigy; Tate loves to play but isn’t particularly talented. What were you trying to say about achievement—and perseverance—in general?

Caroline: I really liked the idea of this dynamic. A prodigy and a beginner who are worlds away in skill but very similar in motivation. And while Tate’s journey from worst violist in camp to best violist (according to the seating arrangements) is a bit unrealistic, I don’t doubt it can happen in real life. When you’re starting out, even little adjustments can make a big difference in how you play music. Mindful practice and guidance from someone who can see opportunities for you to improve, and then communicate them to you on your level, goes a long way.

This isn’t exclusive to playing music, either! Anyone learning a new skill can go far with it. Hard work really does matter more than natural talent. I’m a lucky person–my personal talents and interests are in alignment–but there are people who have more technical skill than I do, in areas they had to work for.

The Stress of Secret Keeping

Melissa: The theme of secret keeping looms large in this story. Tate is afraid to come out to their family as nonbinary, while Eli hides the trauma they suffered as a result of their quest to be an accomplished violist. What is it about secrets that provokes so much anxiety, particularly for tweens? And what advice would you give to young readers who are struggling with a secret themselves—coming out or otherwise?

Caroline: I think there’s some correlation with hitting puberty, in a way. This could be influenced by my experience with gender, but suddenly, you have to deal with uncomfortable changes to your body. I could always speak freely with my parents, and I knew what was coming, but I still felt the urge to lie by omission. By saying nothing, it’s as though your problems and worries won’t be real. Unfortunately, they still are.

My advice? It’s always a relief to share a secret with someone you trust. It may be scary, but the people who care about you should always be able to help, even if they can’t do anything but listen. It’s up to you whether or not you share a secret, but it’s always easier to carry something with help, rather than alone.

Nonbinary rep

Melissa: As above, your novel features two main characters who are nonbinary. How is this novel specific to the nonbinary experience? What is universal?

Caroline: There are several scenes that center on the feeling of being misgendered. In my experience, for those first few months and years after you’ve realized that you’re not cisgender, you tend to be the most sensitive about incorrect pronouns or gendered terms. It’s like a fresh wound that needs to heal. Tate, a kid who’s recently begun to explore their nonbinary identity, is deeply uncomfortable not just with being misgendered, but also with hearing other people misgendered. And sometimes, cis people who are well intentioned still don’t give the concept a second thought.

This experience feels pretty specific to me, but I think everyone can understand the feeling of having something important to you completely dismissed, even by kind people who just don’t understand. The feeling of being queer is not so  alien if people give it some thought!

Challenges and Rewards of MG

Melissa: Since this is your first foray into middle-grade fiction, what was the biggest challenge you faced when writing and illustrating this novel? The greatest reward?

Caroline: It was tricky trying to create satisfying stakes. When you write fantasy or sci-fi, for instance, it’s easy to create tension. Maybe the world will be destroyed if the bad guys aren’t stopped! But Camp Prodigy was an entirely different genre, so the stakes had to be personal. It was also pretty tough to draw realistic backgrounds consistently!

For the reward, I’d say getting to hold the book in my hands. Getting to read it from front to back as a professional, physical story. It was so satisfying to see everything come together just the way I knew it would!

Caroline: The Versatile Creator

Melissa: In addition to writing middle grade fiction, you create comics, storyboards (including those inspired by The Simpsons, Star Wars, and Hamilton), and have done a TV-show pilot based on the BETA version of Regular Haunts, where you produced all the art, editing, sound design, and voice acting. What is the secret to being such a versatile creator?

Caroline: It all stems from the same source for me. I want to tell stories with words and art. The many facets of animation and comics aren’t too different in that regard; I’ve always seen them as points on the same scale of visual mediums. You have prose novels–all words, animation–all art, and comics in the middle of both.

For me, there’s very little that compares to the feeling of telling stories with words and art. I’d try out any medium to bring what’s in my mind to reality in the most fulfilling way! So I guess the secret would be…if you want to try something new, do it! There’s nothing more exciting than creating art without holding yourself back.

Creative Process

Melissa: What does your creative process look like? Do you have any particular rituals or routines?

Caroline: I try to stick to a vague schedule in terms of work projects, but I’m always thinking up stories in my mind. It’s so embedded in my life that there’s no removing it. Because of that, it’s hard to think of my actions as routines, but I suppose I draw almost every day. It’s not even something I try to do, it’s something I’m compelled to do. If I don’t draw for too long, I’ll get an itch under my skin.

Some people do warm-up drawings before starting important art pieces, but I usually don’t do that either, hah! If you draw often, it gets easier to jump right in. And if you draw comics, you’ll be compelled to practice depicting complicated backgrounds, props, and poses that you might normally avoid.

Melissa: What are you working on now, Caroline? Can you give Mixed-Up Files readers a sneak peek?

Caroline: I have another pitch in the works, but I can’t share much about it now. Maybe soon! Aside from that, I’m still updating my long-running webcomic “Talent de Lune” on tumblr and webtoon. If you like action, consider checking it out!

Lightning Round!

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

Preferred writing snack? You can never go wrong with apples! I’ve also been snacking on these things called Yoggies from Costco.

Coffee or tea? Neither! But here’s my favorite soda–root beer!

Favorite piece for the viola? I’ve been chipping away at Suite Hébraïque by Ernest Bloch for ages. It’s very eerie and beautiful.

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? I would be bitten, sadly. I would definitely be bitten.

Superpower? Bringing my drawings to life, of course!

Favorite place on earth? If I’m having a good time with friends or family, everywhere is fun! But I did get to visit Korea last year, and the food is delicious, no matter where you go.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? A fully stocked and manned ship to sail away on. Gotcha! (Or, if perhaps that’s unavailable…some sort of satellite radio, a fire-starting kit, and a pot?)

Melissa: Thank you for chatting with us, Caroline. It’s been a pleasure, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Caroline: Your questions were great! I had a lot of fun, thanks for inviting me!

About Caroline Palmer

Caroline Palmer (they/them) is a nonbinary comic creator who tells action-packed stories with heart. Visit them at CarolinePalmerComics.Weebly.com.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeenmagazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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