May 2013

RHYME TIME!

The pipers are piping! The drummers are drumming!

To Busboys and Poets a poet is coming!

Not just any old bard, this is J. Patrick Lewis--

America’s reddest and whitest and bluest.

The kids' poet laureate of the whole U.S.A.

Will regale us in verse on the sixteenth of May!

He pens rhymes about riddles and puzzles in math,

Odes to World Rat Day! A chocolate moustache!

An incredible speaker who’s not to be missed,

Almost 500 hosts can be found on his list. 

So hurry!  Sign up! Pick a sandwich to eat!

The great J. Patrick Lewis just cannot be beat!

(With apologies to J. Patrick and all poets everywhere, Roz Schanzer)

Date: Thursday, May 16
Time:  11:30 a.m. "social hour"; noon luncheon
Place: Busboys and Poets 
1025 Fifth Street NW (at K Street)
Menu: All choices $22

:: CHOICE OF SANDWICH (all sandwiches served with a salad of baby greens and house-made kettle chips) ::
• Falafel Sandwich (vegetarian/vegan) with house-made hummus, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato and onion on whole-wheat pita, served with tahini sauce (vegan without tahini sauce) 
• Home-Roasted Turkey Sandwich with Havarti cheese, Dijonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion on wheat bread
• Grilled Chicken Panini with chipotle mayo, caramelized onions, pepper jack, lettuce and tomato on ciabatta
• Portabella Mushroom Panini (vegetarian) with pesto, roasted red pepper and fresh mozzarella on herb ciabatta  
:: DESSERT ::
Assorted Cookies (family style)
:: BEVERAGES ::
Fountain Drinks (unlimited soft drinks and iced tea), fresh coffee and organic tea

RSVP NOW! 

THE GUILD HONORS JAN GREENBERG AND SANDRA JORDAN
by Catherine Reef

"We pass the text back and forth so many times that by the time a book comes out, we don't know who wrote which sentences," said Jan Greenberg.

"Good or bad, we both wrote all the sentences," attested Sandra Jordan.

The two were speaking on Saturday, April 20, at Clyde's of Gallery Place, where the Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C., honored them with its nonfiction award. Over the course of an enduring friendship that Greenberg compared to the bond uniting "an old married couple," the pair has produced a steady series of notable children's books on art and artists. Their dozen-or-so award-winning titles include Action Jackson, on the abstract painter Jackson Pollock; Ballet for Martha, exploring the collaboration of dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, composer Aaron Copland and set designer Isamu Noguchi on the 1944 ballet Appalachian Spring; and Chuck Close: Up Close, which introduces children to a highly original portrait artist.

Sandra Jordan (standing) and Jan Greenberg (seated, right) pose with Award Committee chair Wendy Lukehart and editor Neal Porter.

The annual Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award recognizes an author or author-illustrator whose body of work represents a significant contribution to children's literature. This year marked the first time the award went to a writing team. Wendy Lukehart, who chaired the committee making the selection, praised Greenberg and Jordan's impeccable research, their perceptive interviews, their lively writing, and the exciting design of their books. She noted that their work inspires us as readers "to look, to think, to understand, to care about what we see," and went on to inquire, "What more can we ask of books?" The pair's longtime editor, Neal Porter, founder of Neal Porter Books, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, called their choice of subjects "audacious" and described their books as "compulsively readable."

Watching Greenberg and Jordan pass the microphone back and forth, each making sure the other had ample opportunity to speak, the luncheon crowd gained insight into the mutual respect that drives this successful working relationship. It is a partnership that was launched over a friendly lunch circa 1990, when Greenberg and Jordan, who had worked together as writer and editor, discussed Greenberg's idea for a children's book on looking at paintings. "I'll do it if you write it with me," Greenberg said that day. Jordan accepted the challenge and immediately knew, "This was going to be great." The result was their first book written together, The Painter's Eye.

 

Sandra Jordan signs books for Guild members and guests.

In subsequent picture books the duo has often focused on post-World War II American artists, not only because they are often able to interview their subjects, but also because both feel drawn to the art of their own time. They choose subjects whose work they admire and consider significant, and with whom they would like to spend a year of research and writing. They enliven their text with anecdotes and include in their books the artists' actual work rather than an illustrator's interpretation of the art.

Also, Greenberg explained, "We're drawn to stories of men and women who have overcome tremendous obstacles to succeed." She and Jordan mentioned the learning problems Close dealt with as a child and the 1988 spinal-artery collapse that left him paralyzed and threatened to end his painting career. They noted that architect Frank Gehry, another of their subjects, faced anti-Semitism and poverty as a child in Canada.

Greenberg and Jordan led their audience on a memory-filled tour of their books. For instance, Greenberg spoke of seeing a film on Jackson Pollock in school in 1958, and recalled that her teachers and classmates considered Pollock a joke. Yet when Pollock spoke on film about expressing his feelings through painting, the young Greenberg understood.

Jordan remembered baking a cake for a Sunday salon at the New York home of sculptor Louise Bourgeois, subject of the team's book Runaway Girl. Jordan was informed by a member of Bourgeois's staff that she would have to finish any cake left uneaten--and was grateful that none was.

These two intrepid authors continue to explore the creative process. Roaring Book Press will release their newest book, The Mad Potter: George E. Orr, Eccentric Genius, in October 2013. Said Greenberg, "In the end, it's the child we want to reach while he or she is still open to fresh ideas."

 

Their happiness is evident as Jordan and Greenberg receive their awards.

A BASKET OF BOOKS...

On April 20 Guild members donated a basket of books to Walker Jones Elementary School. In this photograph students at the school pose with the books, which are welcome additions to their library.

THUMBELINA, HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN AND ME, UMA
by Uma Krishnaswami

Back in the last century, when I was eight years old and living in India, a relative of mine went on a trip to Europe and brought me back a book. It was an illustrated picture book of stories by Hans Christian Andersen. "The Little Mermaid." "The Little Match Girl." "The Ugly Duckling." "Thumbelina." There may have been others in the collection, but those are the ones I remember. They burned holes in my heart. Before that time, it had never occurred to me that words on a page could make me cry. In a very real way, that book taught me something about being an engaged reader. 

Years later, when I reread "Thumbelina," it seemed a slightly tawdry tale. The poor girl got a wretched deal, it seemed to me, what with everyone being bent on marrying her off, and all kinds of frightful suitors showing up for that purpose. I never thought I'd ever want to retell it. Yet a couple of years ago, when Groundwood Books asked if I might be interested in a "Thumbelina" project, I was surprised and intrigued.I was also, I must confess, a little worried. I knew and admired their books immensely. I knew they wouldn't ask me to do work that would run counter to my own artistic instincts. But, really, "Thumbelina"?

That was before I saw Nasrin Khosravi's art. It had been published in a Farsi edition in Iran in 1999, in a book titled Dokhtare Baghe Arezoo, which translates loosely to Daughter of the Garden of Wishes. And the images--oh, the images! Even in the scans I was sent, they were nothing short of luminous. And here's the thing that really gave me permission to run freely with this project. The artist (who, sadly, died before I ever saw her work) had already pushed the story into quite another realm from the old Andersen tale. This Thumbelina was no pushover--that much was clear from the images. Some of the elements of the story had simply been ignored. No leering mole, for example. That was a relief.

In order to give agency to the girl, whom I decided to name Lina in my story, I had to claim it first. The art allowed me to do just that. All I had to do was look at it closely enough. I put the scans up on my walls and lived with them for about six months. Slowly, a voice began to emerge. All I had to do was listen closely enough. It's not the way we usually create picture books. Typically, the words come first. Typically, the story evolves out of some space between the images and the words. Writing in response to Khosravi's beautiful pictures was a completely different experience, however. I needed to stay true to them. It was almost a meditative experience. The pictures contained many ambiguities, but they also contained clues. They directed me silently. They taught me to rid myself of preconceptions and pay attention to small details. They showed me where to cast light in my text and where to leave some shadows. They showed me the way to themes of freedom and a life journey. In some ways they brought me full circle, back to the time so long ago when I read those stories and found myself in tears.

A NOTE OF THANKS

On behalf of librarian Robin Gray and all the students at Friendship Academy Elementary School, Patty Steelman passes along a thousand heartfelt thanks to the Children's Book Guild for donations to the school's library.  

The school received new books worth nearly $9,500. This represents a generous outpouring of goodwill to students in Anacostia to encourage reading. The following list of donors is arranged chronologically: Alina Gawlik, Amy Hansen, Dara La Porte, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Marc Tyler Nobleman, Rhoda Trooboff, Susan Hepler, Cynthia Cotten, Barbara Ann Porte, Edie Ching, Judy Hijikata, Jacqueline Jules, Ann McCallum, Mary Quattlebaum, Susan Stockdale, Terry Blackwelder (Guild friend), Marilyn Courtot, Jackie Urbanovic, Jewell Stoddard and Marfe Ferguson Delano.

Robin Gray writes: "It has been my pleasure to work on this project and become better acquainted with authors, illustrators and literature specialists in the Guild. Words of advice and encouragement were greatly appreciated."

Patty Steelman and Robin Gray in the Friendship Academy library

MEMBER NEWS

In March WENDIE OLD spoke at the San Diego SCBWI group's writers' retreat at the Mission San Luis Rey, in Oceanside, Calif. Her topic was "Better Beginnings and Endings," and she drew on two essays she wrote while working on her MFA at Vermont College of Fine Arts. "People seemed to think it was helpful," Wendie notes, "but I'm wondering if they enjoyed it because I gave out chocolate for correct answers to my quiz."

PHYLLIS NAYLOR's fourth Alice bind-up, containing the three books of Alice's senior year in high school, will be published on May 14 under the title You and Me and the Space In Between.

 

ThE GLOBAL FUND FOR CHILDREN is pleased to introduce Global Baby Girls , the sequel to the popular Global Babies. This new book is more than a collection of beautiful, close-up baby portraits from around the world--it bears the important message that, no matter where they are born, "girls can grow up to change the world"!

RUTH PHANG AND SUSAN L. ROTH REPORT ON THE MARCH 2013 BOLOGNA CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR

You know that overwhelming feeling you get at ALA or BookExpo when you see all the competition and wonder if there are any new ideas left? Well, that feeling intensifies at Bologna, where the entire convention is all children's books from all over the world! Still, as we kept reminding each other, at least the world believes in books for children, and our ideas are as good as, or could be even better than, many others.

Susan and Ruth with Lithuanian illustrator Kestutis

 Kasparavicius

Near the entrance were the major art exhibits: the large juried illustrators show; the displays from the invited featured country--this time, Sweden; the display on featured artist Peter Sis (IBBY's #1 this year); long exhibit walls provided for any illustrators wishing to post; and more.

Ruth in the main rotunda

There were five gigantic pavilions full of exhibits holding millions of books in a magnificent range of displays, from simple to vast and creative. The booths were run by rich and poor publishing companies and rich and poor countries; there were group booths and one-man bands; open, welcoming booths and less welcoming "gated communities" for invited rights buyers only; booths where we met old friends, booths where we made new friends; booths where we found our own very welcoming respective ethnic roots; booths belonging to our own publishers. We found amazingly beautiful books, less beautiful books; creative books, predictable books and old-fashioned books; books we used to love, still sort of do, but found a bit stereotypical in 2013; 3-D books; books with realistic art, books with abstract art; traditional books, nontraditional books. There were books for which publishers spared no production expenses, books from places that can hardly afford to have any books and electronic books from places that can afford whatever kind of books that sell and even those that don't sell. There were books from the free western world, books from countries living with dictatorships, books from countries under siege. Millions and billions and trillions of books.

The Illustrators' Posting Wall

Each pavilion had at least a few coffee/sandwich/gelato resting places--necessities. If the lines were too long and we pushed on a little farther we often found a small party or two that we could crash. Example: one Russian collective of publishers offered exquisitely wrapped, delicious chocolates, sandwiches, vodkas, sparkling waters and a long exhibit of beautiful, lushly illustrated books as well as one showcase of old books and another of elaborate cut-out, sculpted books.

The Bologna Fiera is a stimulating, exhausting event in a beautiful country, displaying a range of cultures and the universal love of children. We followed it up with five days of older art in Florence. Are you tempted for 2014? We will happily tell you more, just ask!

Susan joins Budapest illustrator Krisztina Rényi in the Hungarian Illustrators' booth. Yes, they are drinking champagne out of plastic cups at 11 a.m. The two met in Bologna several years ago, when Rényi was being recognized as one of 10 worldwide nominees for the International IBBY award. They became friends and have stayed in touch.

Finally, Susan Roth writes:

Read for inspiration and to help a noble project advance!

Extremely talented and prolific writer/illustrator Neil Waldman, a member of my New York writers/illustrators group as well as Karen Leggett's and my much admired friend, has found a way to deal with many publishers' inevitable restrictions on one's new publications: generate funds online to publish a book and retain total editorial control. Waldman has become his own boss for his newest book, AL and TEDDY.

Please check it out on Kickstarter--not only to learn how Neil managed, as might any of us, to arrange for independent publication; not only to hear about his amazingly successful art school for children in the Bronx, which has been going strong for the last several years, enabling its very talented students to go to college on full scholarships; not only to learn how this new book was created to support the school with its proceeds; but also to help support AL and TEDDY and Neil's school through his Kickstarter connection.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/153896395/al-and-teddy?ref=live