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I wish I could take credit for being the photographer of this photo of author Liz Garton Scanlon<\/strong><\/a> and author\/illustrator Marla Frazee<\/strong><\/a>, because then that would mean I’d been in Malibu, where this picture was taken in November of last year. Alas, it was not I. <\/p>\n But I am<\/em> here this morning, sharing a cyber-breakfast and conducting a joint Q&A with these talented ladies. And there are three reasons why. (Not seven<\/em> reasons, for once, but I’m sure I can come up with four more. Quite easily.)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1.<\/font> Liz—who has been published widely in literary journals; who is an adjunct professor of creative writing at Austin Community College<\/strong><\/a>; and whose first and most recent picture book was 2004’s A Sock Is a Pocket for Your Toes: A Pocket Book<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser (HarperCollins)—is a writer I like to follow. A Sock is a Pocket…<\/em>, as I wrote here<\/strong><\/a> at 7-Imp back in 2007, is a lively tribute to imaginative thinking. And when Kirkus Reviews<\/em>, in your debut picture book title, compares your writing to Ruth Krauss’<\/strong><\/a>—as they did with Liz’s—well…If I were Liz, that would be a compliment that would be a pocket for my self-esteem. The writing in Liz’s brand-new—and second—picture book title, which I’ll get to in a second, is a thing of beauty. With just two books under her belt, I read her titles and find myself wishing, Yeah. I wish I could write like THAT<\/em>. There is an unadorned grace that exudes from her writing that can trick you into thinking that what she does is easy. And her blog, Liz in Ink<\/strong><\/em><\/a>, is one of my favorite cyber-stops for heartfelt (no saccharin there) inspiration, humor, and beauty. <\/p>\n In their review of that title, Kirkus<\/em> wrote that A Couple of Boys<\/em>… is “{a}s respectful of kid sensibilities and priorities as it’s possible for an adult to achieve.” I’d say that about all of Marla’s work. In fact, if you read this interview, you’ll see that—in my question to Marla about the differences between illustrating picture books and chapter books—she discusses why “the picture book audience {is} the most discerning, observant, critical, and appreciative group that we illustrators will ever have the privilege of serving.”<\/em> I’m trying really hard right now not to pull that out as a HUGELY huge quote in very large font and draw it to your attention, because reading that made me very happy. It’s Marla’s great respect for the child reader that makes me grateful she’s out there instructing new generations of illustrators (which she also addresses below). And it’s her expressive, affectionate watercolors—which somehow come across as delicate and robust at the same time—which draw me to her books. <\/p>\n 3.<\/font> All the World<\/strong><\/a><\/em>. This is Liz’s and Marla’s collaboration, released this month by Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. (I think it’s altogether possible that it is being released today<\/em>, but don’t quote me on that. If so, can you believe my timing? I swear I’m not even organized enough to plan<\/em> that kind of thing.) Did I already mention this book is a thing of beauty? Why, yes, I did. But I’m happy to say it again. This is a book about connections: The publisher likes to describe it as a book that “affirms the importance of all things great and small in our world, from the tiniest shell on the beach, to warm family connections, to the widest sunset sky.” I’m not at all surprised that this text came from Liz, who once wrote<\/strong><\/a> at her blog (still one of my favorite posts) when writing about education, that we need more “awareness, perception, taking note…there is (there should<\/em> be) a time for absorption, for paying very close attention.” <\/p>\n They’re both joining me for breakfast this morning to talk about this title and a few other things. I should note that Liz was here at 7-Imp<\/strong><\/a> in 2007 for an interview, so more information on Liz can be found there and… you know, I’ve already Pivot’ed her and such. (She gave my favorite answer thus far to the what-sound-or-noise-do-you-love question.)<\/p>\n I thank both Liz and Marla for stopping by. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: How long did it take to write All the World<\/strong><\/a><\/em>? What, in particular, made you want to write these words (which strike me as quite Zen-like)?<\/font><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know where the idea came from, really, except for a fascination with connections. The thigh bone\u2019s connected to the hip bone\u2026 that sort of thing. Somehow that really tangible start exploded open into all the little and big things that are related and united in our world. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: I can\u2019t imagine a better fit for this book than Marla<\/strong><\/a> as illustrator. Did you get to choose who would illustrate it? What was that process like?<\/font><\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: Marla explains this below (while revealing me as a bit of anarchist), so I think I\u2019ll let her have the floor. But I do want to say that when I got the note from Allyn that read, “Um, Marla is so totally doing this story,” I cried. Flat-out cried.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What was it like to see her art work for the first time?<\/font><\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: Knee-buckling. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: You write a lot at your blog<\/strong><\/a> about your school visits. How do they inform your writing?<\/font><\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: Sometimes I really think school visits are the whole point of this endeavor. The kids I talk with remind me—in often vivid and hilarious ways—to keep it real. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Do you still get tremendous benefits as a writer from your blogging, or do you ever feel like it gets in the way of work?<\/font><\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: I wish I were a better blogger. I wish I was organized enough to create a graspable theme and plan regular features and include more photos — the things I admire in other blogs, notably 7-Imp! But I\u2019m sort of whim-based. I do love the practice -\u2013 it\u2019s good for the craft and builds an amazing community, both wide and deep. But yes, sometimes keeping it up gets in the way of work and when it does, I drop it like a hot potato. I\u2019m not wildly reliable that way. <\/p>\n My favorite blog exercise ever was writing a haiku every day<\/strong><\/a> in April for National Poetry Month. That felt really central to my work and not a distraction in the least.<\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Speaking of blogging, your Poetry Friday posts always strike a chord with me. Any new poets (or old, for that matter) you\u2019re reading now whom you can recommend?<\/font><\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: I have some good friends from grad school days whose poetry is scary-good. They include Jill Alexander Essbaum<\/strong><\/a>, Joe Hoppe<\/strong><\/a>, and Marlys West<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n {Ed. Note: Pictured here is Liz’s writing space, an old library table.}<\/em><\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: If I had an answer for this, I would get an idea patent and make a ton of money. I\u2019m definitely a middle-of-the-night, waiting-for-my-muse kind of writer. Discipline is not my middle name. When I get stuck, I fret and worry. And when something comes knocking, I get back to work. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: I know this kind of question might sound a bit trite, but I\u2019m going to ask anyway: If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting out who wants to get a picture book text published, what would that advice be?<\/font><\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: Oh, gosh. It\u2019s not trite -\u2013 it\u2019s just hard. I guess I\u2019d say, “Go with your gut.” Meaning, write not what you think will sell but what\u2019s begging to be written. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: What\u2019s next for you? Any designs on ever writing a novel? Or do picture books steal your heart entirely?<\/font><\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: Well, I\u2019ve got started three longer pieces—one middle-grade novel, one historical novel, and one YA—but I\u2019m inevitably sidetracked by my latest picture book idea. Which may mean I\u2019m ruined forever for anything more than 300 words. Time will tell\u2026<\/p>\n {Ed. Note: Another quick reminder that I interviewed Liz in ’07. Her responses to the Pivot Questionnaire—and much more—are over there<\/strong><\/a>.}<\/em><\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: Tell us about bringing Liz\u2019s words to life with your art. What drew you to this text?<\/font><\/p>\n Marla<\/font><\/strong>: Okay, I\u2019m gonna spill it. And since you\u2019ve also got Liz over for breakfast, she can chime in, contradict, or concur.<\/p>\n On January 30th, 2007, I got an email from someone named Liz Garton Scanlon, asking me if I would consider illustrating a manuscript she had written. I opened the attachment expecting something not-good (because, let\u2019s face it, that\u2019s what would usually be attached to an email of this nature), and I was completely blown away. It was great. I emailed back, “I love it. Can we talk?” and sent my phone number. When she called, I said something along the lines of, “Who ARE you?” because it seemed to me like she was way too amazing of a writer to be sending off a manuscript in this way. It was completely against the Children\u2019s Book Publishing Rules! But she knew that and she did it anyway. Which should tell you everything you need to know about Liz Garton Scanlon. She said I could forward it to my editor, Allyn Johnston, who at that time was the Editor in Chief of Harcourt Children\u2019s Books, and is now the VP and Publisher of Beach Lane Books<\/strong><\/a>, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. <\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: Yep. It\u2019s all true, what Marla says. I sort of blame it on having a head cold -\u2013 it mucked up my inhibitions and sense of convention. I\u2019m pretty sure our editor would like me to assert here that this is still not the recommended practice. But boy-oh-man, am I glad I was foolhardy enough to press “send.” <\/p>\n Marla<\/font><\/strong>: (May I be allowed a digression? On that day, Allyn was in her office on the 18th floor of 525 B Street in San Diego, heading an editorial department of fifteen people -\u2013 some in San Diego, some in NY. The offices of Harcourt Children\u2019s Books looked out over the city, the bay, and the airport. Many people were bustling about—sales and marketing people, publicity people, editors, art directors, designers, and production people—some of whom had been there for two decades. The hallways were adorned with posters of books past, present, and future. There were multitudes of books \u2013- in stacks, in boxes, and on shelves. A receptionist in a fancy front office controlled the foot traffic and the phone calls. Now, two and half years later, this place is gone. Totally gone. For those of you around the country who think that publishing has always been a NY\/Boston kind of thing, I just wanna say, you should have seen the kind of first-class operation that was going on for twenty-five years in California. It was awesome. And I miss it a lot.) <\/p>\n Allyn bought Liz\u2019s story (which I have heard Liz refer to as Wind<\/em>, so I will, too), and I planned to start it after I finished working on a prayer that I had been trying to illustrate for about ten years. When I finally gave up on that stupid prayer, Allyn seemed relieved. I think she was as tired of it as I was. Luckily, we had Wind<\/em> waiting in the wings. So I sunk into that, and I was very happy. <\/p>\n A few weeks later, Allyn called and said, “Oh my God! I just got something new from Liz that you have to illustrate! It\u2019s doing everything you wanted that prayer to do, but it is doing it better. It\u2019s called All the World<\/em>. And you need to start it right away!” Not being in any mood to switch gears again, I half-heartedly told Allyn she could send it over, but I really hoped I wouldn\u2019t like it. <\/p>\n Of course, I loved it. And Liz, no one\u2019s rule-follower, agreed that All the World<\/em> should be next. <\/p>\n Liz<\/font><\/strong>: Marla, I have an email you sent that day that says something like, “Honey, you\u2019re making my life really freaking complicated over here in Pasadena, CA.” It got a little crazy there for awhile\u2026 <\/p>\n Marla<\/font><\/strong>: True. And this kind of juggling is not all that unusual. It is about timing, passion, and following the heat. Or, as Liz so aptly put it, going with your gut. <\/p>\n 7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: You talk at your site<\/strong><\/a> about creating via illustrations that essential sequential action for a picture book, the visual narrative. Was that challenging to do with Liz\u2019s purposely expansive text, words that don\u2019t entail a specific dramatic action, but that are intentionally all-encompassing? (In other words, it\u2019s not Johnny and Sue did \u201ca\u201d and then \u201cb\u201d — and then \u201cc\u201d happened. Instead, it\u2019s \u201ceverything is you and me.\u201d)<\/font><\/p>\n Marla<\/font><\/strong>: One of the many reasons I fell in love with Liz\u2019s text was because it didn\u2019t have an “a” and then “b” and then “c” kind of thing. It allowed me to puzzle out the narrative \u2013- and in this case, whether or not it should even have a narrative. And if so, how much of one? I am drawn to manuscripts that allow for a lot of freedom in interpreting the words. <\/p>\n Here is some background into how I arrived at some of the imagery in All the World<\/em>:<\/p>\n I decided to set All the World<\/em> along a fictional stretch of what looks like the central coast of California, one of my all-time favorite places.<\/p>\n I checked out a lot of California mission architecture . . .<\/p>\n . . . including Pasadena City Hall<\/strong><\/a> . . . <\/p>\n . . . and combined it all to create the setting:<\/p>\n2.<\/font> Marla Frazee<\/strong><\/a>. What can I say? I’ve been a fan for years, and I’ve always wanted her to stop by for a breakfast chat. The images Marla provided for this interview are pretty much all, in some way, related to the picture book she just illustrated, Liz’s newest title. And, in a warped way, that makes me feel relieved: I won’t need to pick book cover images of her other titles to fill up this Q&A. ‘Cause, quite frankly, it would just be too hard to pick my favorites. She’s illustrated too many books over the years that I’ve loved and shared with children of all ages. Okay, well, fine: I’ll mention her most recent title, as it was wonderful in about seven different directions, A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (Harcourt, 2008), chosen as a 2009 Caldecott Honor<\/strong><\/a> title as well as a 2008 Boston Globe\u2013Horn Book Honor Book<\/strong><\/a> in the category of Picture Books. I covered its greatness here<\/strong><\/a> at 7-Imp last year. <\/p>\n
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\nLiz says her dream breakfast would be strong coffee and gingerbread pancakes, “but I\u2019ve switched to decaf and pancakes knock me out. I\u2019m a fan of smoothies for the same reason I\u2019m a fan of soup: You mix all the stuff from your fridge together and it tastes good.”<\/em> Marla’s breakfast-of-choice is an extra hot latte and a cigarette, “but I haven\u2019t smoked for thirty years, and—when I did smoke—lattes weren\u2019t a daily option. So, I\u2019ve never really had that breakfast.”<\/em> How about we go with Liz’s breakfast-for-dreamers then: I say we go all out and have that strong coffee and those gingerbread pancakes. Sorry, Liz, but it’s a special occasion. Plus, decaf is the devil’s blend in my world (though I’ve got a pot of decaf just<\/em> for you), and how<\/em> can we resist GINGERBREAD PANCAKES?<\/p>\n
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Liz<\/font><\/strong>: I\u2019m always a little embarrassed to say how many hours I spend on a few hundred words, because people start looking askance at me. I wrote the bulk of the text at a fevered pitch in one month and then worked on it for four more months with our editor, Allyn Johnston. And still I was sad to let it go. I\u2019m loathe to call anything finished.<\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/lizhiking.jpg\")
{Ed. Note: Pictured right is Liz. If you’re a consistent reader of her blog<\/a><\/strong>, you know that you’ll most likely find her dressed like this, all geared up for a hiking or camping adventure.}<\/em><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/lizworkspace.jpg\")
7-Imp<\/font><\/strong>: When you “get stuck” during writing, what gets you unstuck? What gets you going again?<\/font><\/p>\n![](\"http:\/\/blaine.org\/jules\/marlaporch.jpg\")
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inspiration for caf\u00e9 in<\/em> All the World
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