(This reminds me of a project I did in third grade. When I finish typing, I will be getting out crayons to draw pictures of all these things on a paper plate…)
1. I am inching my way toward my JoNoWriMo goal. I think I’m going to make it!
2. My E is dancing in a production of The Nutcracker this weekend. She is a bon-bon, which if you’ve ever met E, you know is serious type-casting. She is unbelievably, immeasurably excited. Quote from her in the car on the way to dress rehearsal today:
I just can’t wait to dance in my costume because I’ve never danced in a costume, you know, well except for my Cinderella costume and my princess and fairy costumes and my other princess costume at home, but here I’ll be dancing in costume in public and in front of a big crowd and everything (do you think it will be a big crowd, Mom?) and I so can’t wait because it’s going to be so fun!
3. The library called to tell me my copy of The Wednesday Wars came in today! I am on page 4 and already laughing.
4. I’ve had good writer news lately, and this makes writing even more fun than usual.
5. My parents are healthy and happy, even though they’re not with us this Thanksgiving.
6. I recently finished my last big book promotion trip of a busy fall, and I’m so happy to be hanging out on the big denim couch with my very patient and amazing family. These haven’t been big, famous national book tour things — just one or two day events around NY and Vermont. But still. It’s good to be home.
, and I can’t even begin to express how excited I am to have my manuscript in her hands.
I’ve been sitting on this for more than a week because I couldn’t quite believe it was real until the agency agreement came in the mail today. I think I’m going to frame it. I even like the letterhead.
I wanted to share the news in a friends post because…well…lots of you have offered lots of advice since I became an LJ person last spring. I live in a pretty remote part of Northern NY. There aren’t loads of writers here who get together for lattes every other Tuesday, and I’ve come to appreciate this community so much. You’re one of the many reasons I’ll be giving thanks this week.
My trip to NYC last week for the NYS English Conference didn’t include much down time, but I did have a couple hours free Friday morning before I had catch my train back to Albany. I have a weakness for art museums of all kinds, and if you’ve been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you know it’s kind of the great grandmother of them all. Friday morning, I was in desperate need of some exercise so I made deal with myself. Go ahead and go to the Met, but you have to walk the 36 blocks to get there.
I left my pod at the Pod Hotel early so I could be there for the 9:30 opening. This is my pod…the whole entire thing.
There’s none of the room that you can’t see, and I could stand in the middle and touch both walls. Thus, this isn’t a great place for the claustrophobic, but it was clean, kind of hip, and very cheap by NYC standards, especially on a night when the Marriott’s conference rate was sold out and the best I could get there was $499/night.
With 45 minutes at the Met, I had a strategic game plan. I wanted to see the Vermeer paintings that were part of the Rembrandt exhibit (sorry, no pictures allowed), and that took up most of my time. I’ve had a fascination with Vermeer ever since I read Girl with a Pearl Earring, Girl in Hyacinth Blue, and Chasing Vermeer, and I had never seen a real Vermeer painting until now. They are as enchanting and magical and light-filled as I had hoped.
After the Dutch exhibit, I took a walk through the new Greek and Roman gallery that opened recently.
And then wandered through the Modern Art section on behalf of a Gianna, a character in my MG contemporary novel who LOVES Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.
Okay…the truth is that I love them, too, which is probably one reason Gianna loves them. We’re both mesmerized by the energy in the Pollock paintings.
And then I saw this on my way out…
When I stepped back, it looked like this…
Okay…who knew right away it was going to be a Chuck Close piece? This one is called Lucas.
I was almost late for my train because I decided to walk/jog back to the hotel to get my stuff and also had to stop to take a picture of this turkey in a storefront on 5th Avenue.
It is made entirely of forks, spoons, and knives. How’s that for a Thanksgiving centerpiece?! Happily, there was no line at checkout, and I made it to Penn Station on time, set up a nice writing spot on the train, and was able to bang out two more chapters of my WIP before pulling into Albany.
I took the train to Manhattan Thursday for the NYS English Council Conference, a one-day event held right before NCTE. My presentation, “Walking the Walk: How Teacher-Writers Can Encourage Student Revision” was well-attended and fun to present because it featured so many of my writer friends from LJ and Verla’s. I shared my own revision strategies and talked about how I model revision with my students. I also asked children’s authors to share their favorite revision strategies that teachers might be able to use with students, and I put them together in a PowerPoint presentation. Here’s a sampling…
Poet, performance artist, YA writer, and friend Kwame Alexander was in town early for his NCTE appearance and stopped by my presentation. Kwame has a YA novel in verse called FLIRT coming out from Simon & Schuster, and knowing his poetry, I know it’s one you won’t want to miss.
After my workshop was over, I attended some great presentations, including one about using YA dystopian literature to explore concepts of social justice through authors like Ray Bradbury, Scott Westerfield, M.T. Anderson, and many more. Fantastic ideas!
And I got to hang out with some cool children’s and YA writers signing books and talking about what superpower we would choose to have if we could only choose one.
Michelle Knudsen (seated) – visited with fans of Library Lion and her other books. (She and I share a wish to be able to freeze time so we could catch up on writing and take naps.)
This is the very friendly T.A. Barron, author of the Merlin series and The Hero’s Trail.
I also got to meet National Book Award winner Gloria Whelan for the first time…
…and Michael Buckley, author of Once Upon a Crime and the rest of the Sisters Grimm series… (He wants the power to move things without touching them…like the tv remote that’s across the room.)
A BIG thanks to Scott Meyer of Merritt Bookstores, who had read Spitfire and told me how much he enjoyed it. Scott worked hard to facilitate conference book sales and (this is the real reason I love him) appeared with chocolate chip Kudos granola bars when we were hungry.
Because I was up at 3:30 Thursday morning to catch a 6:55 train in Albany, I called it a day shortly after the book signing ended, had some really good sushi at a place called Tanaka, and checked into my hotel, which is a story all by itself. I’ll post about The Pod Hotel, the cutlery turkey, and my 45 minutes at the Met later on…
In eight hours, I need to be on a train to New York for the NYS English Council Conference. Am I packed? Not quite. But I really, really wanted to share what my students finished today. When I signed up to participate in Blogging for a Cure to promote the Robert’s Snow: For Cancer’s Cure fund-raiser for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, I enlisted my 7th graders’ help interviewing illustrators and writing features about them. We interviewed:
I also wrote a grant so we could purchase wooden snowflakes and supplies to make our own ornaments to sell to raise money for the effort. Look what my students did!
This is our snowflake board, where the ornaments are on sale for $5 each. In a few weeks, we’ll be sending our check to Dana Farber for cancer research, to go along with the thousands raised in the Robert’s Snow Auction.
One of my students brought in origami paper and made tiny butterflies and cranes to decorate her snowflake.
I love the creative ideas they came up with. Just like real snowflakes, no two were alike…
I’m convinced that the artist of the snowflake below is going to publish a graphic novel some day…
Another work in progress…
The kids worked hard today and were SO excited to join the ranks of artists working for a cure for cancer. We’ll post an update when we have a final amount for our donation!
Robert’s Snow is a fundraiser to help find a cure for cancer. It was founded by Grace Lin and her husband Robert Mercer. To learn more, click here.
Blogger’s Note: I’m a children’s author and a middle school English teacher, so my students are collaborating on our series of illustrator profiles! Today’s feature is courtesy of the Global Citizens in 8th period English class!
Cecily Lang is one of the illustrators who volunteered to create a snowflake to auction off for the Robert’s Snow Fundraiser.
Cecily Lang grew up in NYC, which was probably good, because she couldn’t keep a normal schedule (sleep at night, be awake in the day).
In her younger days, Cecily Lang had experience with art through colored pencils and stinky markers. One time, she had a bad experience with a costume and chocolate milk. No matter how many times she washed the costume the milk was still there. Luckily, now she doesn’t drink chocolate milk while working. Through comic books and museums, she formed a bond with art. One of her favorite places is the Art Students League, where she attended her first life drawing class.
Cecily Lang does most of her art with cut paper. It’s easy to work with, and it creates texture. After she finishes her work and perfects it, that’s all she needs to make herself happy.
Cecily Lang likes doing her art on mythology and multiculturalism. She is also trying to experiment with 3D art.
With the way Cecily arranges her day, it helps to have contacts in different time zones. She’s happy with the way she lives, and doesn’t wish to change anything. We got the chance to interview her about why she made her snowflake and to ask her a little bit about herself. First of all, we love your snowflake, especially how three-dimensional it feels. What was your inspiration for your snowflake? Can you tell us how you created it?
Hi! Thanks so much. I’m really happy you like my snowflake took the time to go through my website. It is still growing. I plan to do more 3 dimensional pieces as well work using gouache. I love the feeling of night, especially in a city. I made my snowflake using small images I had painted on watercolor with gouache. Then I backed them with foamcore, which is like a thick styrofoam, to create a 3 dimensional or layered piece. This meant lots of glue time. Good old Elmer’s!
What drew you to the Robert’s Snow fundraiser?
Well, it is multi-leveled. I was very touched by Grace Lin’s story with her husband. It is so real when you attach a face with what is usually a concept.
The others are more personal: My own father died of cancer from being exposed to radiation. He had been a writer and had covered atomic/nuclear testing. He must have been too close to the test site, if there is in fact a “safe” distance. He died when he still wanted to lots of things and you could feel this terrible frustration. He still had plans.
The other was when my mother in law died in the summer of ’06. It was the most direct contact I had had with someone that ill who knew she would die and was in horrible pain and just wanted it to be “over”. She could have chosen for euthanasia, because it is legal in Holland, but she didn’t. Every time she saw a friend it was with the understanding this could be the last time they would meet. I am glad we all got to say goodbye to her and to tell her how much we loved her, but it was awful beyond words.
As you get older, and see more, you realize you are also mortal When you are very young, or until something happens in your life, you don’t have this. I mean, you KNOW you are mortal, but you are still trying to wrap your mind around it. THAT is a GOOD thing! If you constantly think about it, you stop yourself from really being alive in the present and it is important to enjoy each day; it can be something very small that makes you happy. And if you have bad days, well, that is life and you wouldn’t really know and appreciate the good days …(whew!) What made you decide to take art in college?
I had always been an “artist” or something like it in school. It wasn’t the only thing that interested me though. At first I wanted to be a scientist (well, I was six), but I am TERRIBLE in math. My other “career interests” were to become a late night rock and roll DJ, a printmaker, an art therapist, maybe a cabinetmaker or anthropologist (because they are so closely NOT related..?) and I thought of maybe becoming a chef. I then wanted to create alternative comics, worked in animation for a bit and then that segued into illustration. I am also working at writing, but I always see creating some form of visual art as part of my life.
I had taken art before so it just was natural to continue.
Did someone in your life make you more confident in your work along the way?
My parents, first. In high school I went to a summer program in Maine, for two weeks. I was the youngest one there, which was both intimidating and inspiring. The director had been a friend of my parents and I think he must have liked something in my sketches. He very generously invited me up there and was surprised that I didn’t stay longer, but I didn’t want to take advantage of this gift. That is person number 3. The other person is an art director in Holland. I did editorial (magazine) work for him. He always brought out the best in me because he gave me a lot of freedom. I remember he told me, ”You can use eggshells if you want, as long as it works.” I didn’t want to use any eggs, but I love this attitude and I felt it helped my work grow. That is person number 4. Then my friends… So I am very lucky to have had more than one person at different points in my life.
When you live in a different place, you start to see things differently. It could be the light, the weather, the design of houses and how people use their living and work spaces…it goes on from how doors are designed to how colors are used, all very small details that add up.
When you’re illustrating a book, do publishers tell you what to draw, or do you read the story and decide yourself?
Both. If is for educational work, such as textbooks, there are can be very specific things that need to be shown in the story. If I have a rough layout already, then I know where to place people, trees, etc…and I know what should be the focal point of interest from the story’s point of view. It is not always MY focal point, because we all can interpret text differently. If I do the layout, it’s more “think work” but also more fun.
For the trade books I’ve done, I have much more freedom because I am a more “active voice” in telling the story; I can include some extra visuals that I hope add to the story and it is my own direct interpretation of the story. I read the story first and sketch out scenes that pop out at me in the text. It is at the sketch stage where I make corrections. Once in awhile, I’ve had to make corrections on the finals, but they were very minor. I also research, looking at different faces. If it is for something more factual, I want it to be accurate.
What was the first book you illustrated, and who was the author? “A Birthday Basket for Tía” by Pat Mora.
We like the piece called “Winter Night.” What was the inspiration for that piece, and how did you go about creating it?
I’ve heard about animals that are now coming into cities. I love old fairy tales and wolves make a lot of appearances in these. I wanted to make something a little more wintry and moodier in color, because a wolf’s howl is so haunting. (Also, I think they are beautiful animals.)
I made it by starting with a sketch. I put the sketch backwards on a lightbox, and the rougher side of the rice paper backwards, because this is the side I will draw on. I then trace onto the rice paper (from the sketch). Then I cut it out, say the shape of the wolf, for example. I might indicate w/ pencil where his eyes go, but very carefully on the FRONT (or smoother) side of the rice paper. I color on the back as well, mixing the colors as I apply them with a brush. I paint on the back because if I paint on the front, the texture of the paper is ruined. The color also blends in a different way by the time it seeps through to the front. I paint AFTER cutting because the ink “pools” towards the edges and creates more of a line.
Then it dries and I paint in the details using gouache or water soluble pencils. I do this last, after the piece is dry so the gouache details won’t bleed. Also the paper is still very delicate when it is wet. Then I place the separate elements using the original sketch as a guide and overlap them. I use removable tape to put them in place before I glue them.
Do some projects challenge you more than others?
Some things are very hard to make convincingly in cut paper (which is another reason I want to do more gouache). I have done some three dimensional pieces and those are challenging because they take lots of time. I usually end up covered in Elmer’s or some other kind of glue. Projects with VERY tight deadlines are challenging because I don’t work as quickly as I would like. I have never been great about staying up ALL night and not sleeping. I can do it but it’s not a pretty picture. If I make a lot of mistakes that could have been avoided, because I was tired, that is frustrating.
How long does it usually take you to create a piece?
It really depends on the piece and how complex it is and how fast I am working! I have to wait for things to dry, and that makes things take longer so I work on several illustrations at the same time, sometimes in a sort of assembly line way. I keep notes for consistency about what colors I use, how much of what color to make skin colors or tone, what someone is wearing. It also depends what else is going in life.
I guess it could be 1 day for something simple, two or a bit more if it is complicated and if I make mistakes…well, then more. I don’t like to think about that, but I build in “error time”…or try to!
Where do you usually work? Can you describe your creative space?
I have my own workroom at home. I should have white walls because they are better for color accuracy. I don’t. I justify this by saying I use a color correct light and anyway I do work at night. My walls have art on them (not mine) and there are lots of “things” around me: A matrushka, books for reference and also picture books that I really like (that were presents), artwork my kids did. There are 2 drawing lamps which have beads and other things hanging from them along with a small stuffed (toy) koala bear.
There are files to keep my supplies and of course more “things” on top of them: Partly to organize and partly aesthetic so it is not a cold environment. I have some photos from my father and some drawings my mother did. Then I have this crazy lamp, with different color lights. It looks like an octopus: Each light shade is differently colored and you can bend each “arm”.
Finally, there are two worktables: One for writing and for my computer (I am learning digital skills finally!) and the other table is for the really messy stuff I do, like paint. Of course a CD/Radio/ tape player. There’s also a basket on the floor where one of the cats likes to sleep.
How many pieces have you done for art galleries?
I have been in maybe 5 group shows and had a piece travel the U.S. to promote peace. I’ve had two pieces in a “real art gallery” as part of a group show. There is a specific type of art I want to do that is my “own”, and I hope it would fit in a gallery. Competition to be in galleries is very intense.
In most of your artwork, people appear very happy. Is that part of your style?
It is when it is part of the text or scene. It depends on the story. I’ve made people looking sad, angry, confused, thoughtful, sleeping, laughing, etc.
If you weren’t an illustrator, what job would you want to have?
I would love to write full time…I would love to be able to write comedy for example. That, or something having to do with interior design, like painting murals.
Some of the books you illustrated are offered in Spanish. Do you speak Spanish?
I speak okay Spanish. I am stuck at the intermediate or advanced intermediate level. I like languages. I used to do my French homework in front of TV, which drove my parents nuts, but I did okay at it. Since I lived in Holland, I speak some Dutch, but again I am stuck at the intermediate level because I don’t use it very often.
You write in your website bio that you’re “nocturnally wired.” What do you mean by that?
I just feel better at night, like I can concentrate while most of the world is sleeping and things are not as loud but I still hear city noises outside. As a kid, I was always a night owl. I was not a good sleeper till I was in my mid-teens, although my idea of a great time was listening to late night rock and roll while I drew. But even though I was a terrible sleeper as a kid, I ate all my vegetables and even the things most kids find “icky”. So at least my parents didn’t have to worry about THAT.
So I “wake up” at night, no matter how tired I’ve been during the day.
What are your favorite colors to work with?
All of them. It depends on the mood or the topic. I think I lean to reds, violets, certain oranges, very deep blues in place of black or I add some color to black when I use it. I like colors that are intense and deep. I also like working in primary colors . They are so “friendly” : Just red, blue and yellow.
No matter what colors I use I like to have them as saturated as possible but without making them thick. There needs to be some “air” on the paper and in the colors.
What’s your favorite piece of artwork that you’ve created?
At the moment my favorite work is my 3 dimensional work. The pieces on my site were not commissioned so I let myself just go. I didn’t have a set plan; this might be why they took longer than I thought. They are the ones called “Big Dreams” and “Cityscape” on my site.
“Big Dreams” is pretty large..I wanted to try working on that scale. “Cityscape” is not large, but there were details I kept adding even though I did use a sketch as a starting point.
Do you ever do special artwork for family & friends?
Yes, I am working on a commissioned piece for a very good friend. It is 3 dimensional and has quite a bit of detail, even though the will be “portable”. When you do something for a friend, there is a different feeling you have. You want them to feel good when they look at it no matter where they hang it up.
We live in a fairly small town, and some of us haven’t spent time in more metropolitan areas. What was it like growing up in New York City, and how does that influence your artwork?
Wow! I think growing up in NY prepared me well for any city I’ve visited, at least in the west. You learn to be alert, just by the sheer volume of people as well as careful. You can take the subway and see a lot of people from all over and that is so interesting. I love to “people watch”. And if you are lucky, as I was, you have a parent who takes you to art museums now and then. Later on, I went to see work in galleries.
It can influence one to see there are lots of possibilities to express the same idea.
Now the rapid-fire questions…things that kids (and adults who still think like kids) need to know! Do you have pets?
YES. We have five cats! We are crazy! It is like having a bunch of throw pillows except when they are hungry. Then it is like the Serengeti. One is blind, but she plays with the other cats! And she is the one with the loudest purr.
What’s your specialty in the kitchen?
Right now I am tempted to say take out, or prepared food. I do like to cook though and try new recipes. If it’s got garlic or involves chocolate, and lots of chopping, chances are I’ll make it.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I like humorous books, graphic novels, mysteries, and novels with magic realism and just interesting stories. I like short stories in magazines or collections. I also read kids’ books because I like the content. If it is a good story it speaks to you. I also like yucky horror stories but usually can’t finish them because they scare me too much! I would like to read more historic novels.
Who’s your favorite author?
THAT’s a hard question.. I like Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut, Doris Lessing, Nadine Gordimer, Oscar Hijuelos. David Sedaris and Carl Hiassen make me laugh a lot. Italo Calvino, Gabriel García Márquez, Zadie Smith, Francisco Goldman, John Irving. There are many more. Sometimes I forget the name because I am more interested in the story. Good authors can write bad stories though. There is a lot of unrecognized talent in writing. If I read a short story in a magazine, chances are I will forget the author’s name and I hate that, especially when I have liked the story.
Favorite breakfast food?
I usually just eat a banana in the morning but I HAVE to have two cups of strong coffee. I don’t really eat till about 11 so it’s “blunch” and I am very hungry by then.
Favorite artist?
Matisse, Gauguin, Malevich, Mondriaan, Cézanne, Monet, Toulouse Lautrec, Paul Klee, Egon Schiele, Klimt, Jackson Pollock, Edward Hopper, Rauschenberg, Kandinsky, Miró, duBuffet, Marc Chagall, Diego Rivera, Karel Appel, Red Grooms…Your basic Art History line up. I’ve seen some good contemporary work, but again, I’m very bad at names.
Favorite color?
Red.
Favorite kind of cheese (if you like cheese)?
I love cheese. I would say Taleggio and Brie. I also like Muenster. I don’t eat much cheese though.
Favorite dessert?
Generally fruit. Sometimes baklava, or vanilla ice cream with mint chocolate chips.
Have you ever been to a Broadway show, and if so, do you have a favorite?
Yes. I loved a production of “Guys and Dolls” I saw a long time ago. If I go, it is mainly to off Broadway shows. I like “Blue Man Group,” “Stomp” and, before he died, Spalding Grey. The New Vic shows interesting groups from all over the world and the tickets are much less expensive. The shows are often very good. There is a mime group I love called “Mummenschanz”. They are very imaginative, wonderful costumes but they mostly tour in Asia and Europe so it’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. Thanks, Cecily, for taking the time to visit with us, and thanks for giving of your time and talents for the Robert’s Snow project!
Thank you for interviewing me! If you have any questions, just contact me. And I love the name Global Citizens!
Would you like to win a totally awesome signed copy of a cool book illustrated by Cecily Lang? Visit the Robert’s Snow Auction site and make a note of your favorite snowflake. Post a comment about it with your name and a way we can contact you to be entered into the drawing.
1. I was a guest lecturer at Clinton Community College this afternoon, and I loved talking with the English & History students who came to hear my presentation. There were two questions during the Q and A period that were especially interesting to answer:
Q: When you’re writing about someone historical who’s dead, do you worry about saying the wrong thing? Or does your research make you feel okay about that?
A: Yes, you worry — and yes, research helps you feel like you’re being true to your character. I’ve chatted with other writers of historical fiction about this, and the truth is, we all want more than anything else to write words for our characters that ring true — words that our characters would look at and say, “Yep…that’s me…” Research helps, but I still have lots of quiet conversations with my characters in my mind to check in with them and see if I’m on the right track.
Q: How are book sales for Spitfire?
A: Ummm…uhh…
At this point, I started to explain about royalty statements, and how you’re not sure about much until they show up, but then a young woman in the audience raised her hand and said, “I work at Borders and I sell at least two copies of your book every time I work.” I wanted to hug her!
I spent Thursday and Friday at the NYS Reading Association Conference in Saratoga Springs. Here’s a roundup of the highlights…
1. The Authors Progressive Banquet was fun and stress-free. I didn’t even spill anything. I was a little concerned about how the logistics would work, because the authors start the evening at one table and then rotate, switching tables for each course. Turns out you got NEW silverware every time you moved and didn’t have to take it with you. That worked out well, though I think I might have been drinking from another author’s water glass at one point. It’s hard to say…
2. I found out about four minutes ahead of time that all the authors would be giving a brief, two-minute talk to the ENTIRE group in the ballroom during that banquet, which caused me to panic momentarily, but not for long because there just wasn’t that long to worry about it. I think I said something coherent.
3. I was on a quilt!
NYSRA had authors sign quilt squares and put them together into three gorgeous quilts for a raffle. Wasn’t that a great idea?
) and hear his presentation about his YA novel Big Slick and his journey from reluctant reader to novelist.
High school teachers, take note: Eric is smart and engaging and funny, and I predict that pretty soon he’ll be booked solid for school visits because he’s going to connect with teen boys in a big way. Plus, he has wicked-cool poker chip key chains as giveaways. What more could you want?
5. I spent some time chatting with Susan Goodman, who writes children’s non-fiction and has a funny book about elections called See How They Run coming out this May. My students are going to love this one!
7. I heard Anita Silvey talk about current trends in children’s publishing. She said fantasy and science fiction are still strong, historical fiction is on the rise, publishers are looking for “no-blush” MG and Tween books that families can enjoy together, and this is the age of the graphic novel. Shaun Tan’s The Arrivalis now on my must-read list.
8. I gave a presentation called “Historical Fiction as a Bridge to Content Area Literacy” and got to share bunches and bunches of my favorite HF titles. We talked about dozens of titles from different time periods — some well known and some that flew under the radar. I shared excerpts from Spitfire, Sarah Miller’s Miss Spitfire, and Elizabeth Bunce’s A Curse Dark as Gold (March, 2008), which is a shining example of how historical fantasy can be used to introduce students to a time period (in this case, the Industrial Revolution).
9. Not exactly conference-related, but still a highlight… I had perhaps the best chocolate chip cookie of my life at Four Seasons Natural Foods in downtown Saratoga. It was really, really crunchy….a sweet ending to a fantastic two days of talk about reading, writing, and why we love stories so much.
Today, as part of Blogging for a Cure, we’re featuring illustrator Amy Young and the snowflake she created for Robert’s Snow — a fantastic fund-raiser for cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Blogger’s Note: I’m a children’s author and a middle school English teacher, so my students are collaborating on our series of illustrator profiles! Today’s feature is courtesy of the Global Citizens in 3rd period English class!
Amy L. Young grew up in Watertown, MA. She started drawing at the age of three, and as she grew up, she dreamed of being an artist. By going to the Cleveland Institute of Art for two years and then Yale, she accomplished this goal. Later on, her first book, Belinda the Ballerina, was published in 2003. Like Belinda, Amy Young took dance lessons at the age of seven. She also wrote and illustrated two other books — Belinda in Paris and Belinda and the Glass Slipper. Her three books do not just attract young, enthusiastic dancers. They also attract adults and other children because of her wit and comedy. Amy L. Young is a very talented writer and illustrator.
We had a chance to interview Amy about her snowflake and her work.
Globals: First of all, we were enchanted by your snowflake. What was the inspiration for that design? What made you think of Emmalina the Mud Fairy and the sunflower that you chose?
Amy: I’m glad you like my snowflake! Emmalina is a character from THE MUD FAIRY, a book I have written which will be published by BloomsburyUSA at some point (no publication date yet). Emmalina is sort of a tom-boy fairy, who would rather stomp in mud puddles and play with frogs than be all delicate and dainty. But she does still take an occasional nap on a flower, as you see on the snowflake. The idea of the sunflower just came to me as I was thinking about it. That’s often how I get my best ideas; it’s kind of like magic.
Globals: Why are you participating in Robert’s Snow? Do you have family/friends who have been affected by cancer?
Amy: It is a great opportunity to do what I do best, and have it benefit a good cause. I really like that the entire illustration community has risen to the occasion to contribute. It feels good to be a part of a such a large, generous community. And yes, I have lost loved ones to cancer: two aunts, and, most recently, a very dear friend. It is a cruel disease, and I like to think I might have some small part in fighting it.
Globals: Why do you like illustrating so much, and what inspired you to become an illustrator and writer?
Amy: I remember being in nursery school when I was three years old, gluing one piece of paper to another, and saying, “I am going to be an artist when I grow up.” I have no idea why I have always felt such a strong connection to making images, but it seems to satisfy a need. I have always liked writing, and making picture books seemed the perfect way to combine those two things.
Globals: When you were young, what else did you want to be when you grew up?
Amy: Actually, nothing!
Globals: We’re looking forward to reading about Belinda. What made you want to write about a ballerina?
Amy: The first Belinda story came to me in a flash — it was as though I didn’t make it up myself. It was just there. Looking back, I think I liked the idea of a ballerina with big feet. It was a funny image. But I also liked that she was incredibly graceful in spite of, or perhaps because of, her feet. It was a change to gently poke fun at people’s prejudices and assumptions.
Globals: Are the ballerina books autobiographical at all? Did you write about Belinda having big feet because you do?
Amy: In most ways I am not like Belinda: I have small, wide feet, like a duck; I am not as shy as Belinda is, and I probably have a bit more of a temper; I had never taken a ballet class before doing the first book. In spite of those differences, there is one major trait that Belinda and I have in common: I love doing art as much as she loves dancing. Interestingly, Belinda’s love of dancing has rubbed off on me — I now take ballet. Globals: What’s your favorite book that you wrote or illustrated? Amy: I don’t have a favorite, but right now I am very excited about the next Belinda book, which will come out on Valentine’s Day. It is called Belinda Begins Ballet, and tells the story of how Belinda started dancing when she was a girl.
Globals: We read on your website that you’ve had a wide variety of jobs and even went to law school before your became an illustrator. Why did you decide to study law, and what made you leave it?
Amy: Well, I panicked. I didn’t think that I would be able to make a living doing art, so I looked for something else. My father is a lawyer, and he loves his job, so I thought “I’ll try that!” I was a lawyer for seven years. There was a lot that I liked about being a lawyer, but I really missed doing art — just the way Belinda missed dancing. (Ah, there’s the autobiographical part!)
Globals: We also noted that you didn’t care for waitressing. How come?
Amy: I waitressed in a pizza place in a big city. When things got busy we were frantic trying to get everyone served, and some of the customers treated us as if we were barely human. Just not my cup of tea.
Globals: Now the rapid-fire questions…things that kids (and grownups who are just big kids) need to know! What’s your favorite book ever?
Amy: I really don’t have one favorite book. I like so many books, and different books suit different moods.
Globals: What was your greatest accomplishment in life?
Amy: Wow. That’s a toughie. I think it is sort of amazing that I managed to get through Harvard Law School (I worked very hard!), but in a way I would say getting my first book published was a bigger accomplishment, because it was closer to my heart.
Globals: Do you like sushi?
Amy: Yes!
Globals: What’s your most embarrassing moment (that you’re willing to share)?
Amy: That would be eleventh grade math class. I was the only one who got the answer to one of the homework problems, and I was asked to go up in front of the whole class and explain how I did it. So I did, but it turns out my method was all wrong and really pretty stupid. There was this terrible awkward silence, and a few people tittered, and I really did wish I could sink into the floor and just disappear. The funny thing is that now it would take a whole lot more than that to embarrass me. I like to laugh at myself, and it makes life a lot more fun.
Globals: Have you ever ridden a horse?
Amy: Yes, but I would rather pat one and feed it and brush it and tell it how lovely it is, instead of riding it.
Globals: What’s your biggest fear?
Amy: That I will be in the middle of a big presentation and my slides or PowerPoint will fail me. It’s not that I’d be embarrassed so much as I wouldn’t know what to do, because showing people images of what I do is so much a part of how I present material. I guess I would manage, but it would not be good.
Globals: Your favorite dessert?
Amy: Anything with chocolate!
Globals: Thanks, Amy, for taking the time to visit with us, and thanks for giving of your time and talents for the Robert’s Snow project!
Amy: Thank YOU! One of the things I love about what I do is making contact with people like you!
Here is your chance to win a signed copy of one of Amy’s books from the Belinda series. All you have to do is leave a comment on one of the snowflakes from Auction #3, and we’ll enter you in a drawing for that signed book. You can also visit Amy Young’s website to learn more about her work.
Here’s how it works. Ten people sit at each author’s table at the beginning of the meal and get a signed copy of that author’s book. After the salad, the authors get up and move to the next table to sit with ten new people for the main course. Then the authors move again to sit with another ten people for dessert. Doesn’t this sound fabulously fun? (In truth, my first book has only been out for a couple months, so any time people refer to me as “the author,” it’s automatically fun.)
But here’s the thing… I’m a planner, and the memo about this dinner left unanswered questions. Do the authors take their silverware with them to the next table? What about drinks? And bread? And what about clumsy authors who tend to spill things when they get up from tables? This could mean trouble for lots of people’s clothing, given all the moving around. What does one wear to an Authors Progressive Banquet? (I’d ask
, who’s going to be there, too, but I know he’ll probably be wearing one of those cool poker-guy outfits like in his author photo, and what good is that?) And most importantly, what’s for dessert? Is it something chocolate?
Enough worrying… I’m off to finish packing. I’ll report in on the state of my silverware and my dining companions’ clothes when I get home.
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Cecily Lang grew up in NYC, which was probably good, because she couldn’t keep a normal schedule (sleep at night, be awake in the day). 
We like the piece called “Winter Night.” What was the inspiration for that piece, and how did you go about creating it?
Amy L. Young 
